When your legs get tired, run with your heart.
Cross Country hasn't always been something that I've particularly enjoyed. I started running my eight grade year to just stay in shape for the other sports that I played. Yeah it thought it sucked at first, like most people do, but once you get in shape it's not that bad. In the spring I played baseball, and traveled all summer around the country. When XC came around, it was something that I always didn't look forward to. I trained really hard my freshman year, and after running in a few meets I got hurt. The doctors determined that it was stress fracture. That was the end of my freshman season. The next year I was determined to work even harder. I made it to semi-state as a sophomore. I was really proud of what I had accomplished that year, but I was disappointed that I didn't make it to the state meet. So the next year I was ever more determined to get to state. I had trained every day that summer, and I was feeling really good heading into the season. But one day everything changed with my running career. One day during practice, we were doing a trial run of our course. Everything seemed fine until about the last 800 meters. I had collapsed on the course and went into sudden cardiac arrest. My coach and a couple bystanders immediately performed CPR. EMS then arrived on the scene and used an AED to shock my hearth back into rhythm. I was then transported to a local southern Indiana hospital. While in critical condition, I was flown to Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. Thankfully I made it alive and remained in ICU for a couple days. I was released from the hospital a couple weeks after the incident, and several weeks after that I was back doing my normal activities. I had an ICD put in at a preventative capacity. So that hopefully I am protected if anything like this was to ever happen again. I am currently back playing baseball and everything is going well. Although running almost cost me my life, I am still willing to run my senior year. I haven't officially decided if I am going to run, but I want to. My doctor isn't going to recommend it, but there has been nothing found wrong with my heart. Running has became something much bigger than life for me. When I run nothing else matters. All I can think about is pushing myself harder, in order to help my team. Running has helped me look at life differently. It has made me realize that I take too much for granted. Running is a big risk, but It's a risk that I am willing to take. Running has changed me forever for the good or the bad. It's something I can't live without, so if I die running, at least I'll be doing what I love.
- Anonymous
