My senior year in High did not begin in late September like most students, it began late June wihile attending the Cross Country team's first meeting/practice. I had tried the previous three years to join, but always found myself making excuses that I could not keep up with the physical demand, but this year I found new strength in myself to prove I could exert the will to complete this challenge. I remember the first day of practice my long time friend and captain asked all new comers to run 1 mile as fast as we can 3 times with rest in between. I ran the first with some effort and the 2nd required even more which I pulled from my body as hard as I could. Captain Wilson saw I was hurting really bad and asked me to sit out the last one because I had dropped 2 complete minutes from my first mile time. I felt defeat. I felt disappointment in myself that I could not even keep up on the first day of this challenge. I remember feeling jealous of the freshman that beat me and how Wilson came to me saying he had great potential and wanting so badly for those words be spoken about me.
As the weeks went on and running began getting harder, I was feeling more and more defeated with each passing week. How much longer can I keep this going? How long can I keep my body able, willing, and eager to run in the hot summer up hills and dry trails? Just as I was about to give up I began seeing how much I had grown. We had yet another mile repeat workout but this time I was able to keep up with Captain Wilson. I felt like I was finally seeing the benefits of my hard work. Although Wilson was not quite the fastest runner, he was someone I wanted to show myself too. I needed this starting block to keep me hungry.
After Summer ended we had all come together as a team and began supporting one another throughout the hard miles ran. However, I still did not find myself fully engaged in the sport even though I had proven I can handle the demands of the grueling Summer. Then, the first Cross Country Invitational Race came in mid September. I was nervous, still unsure of my potential and especially uncertain about exactly how long a 3 mile race feels and how to race one. Luckily I had my friend Wilson on the starting line next to me giving me encouragement and advice to just follow him. The first mile went by and I felt great. In fact I even took the lead from Wilson and lead the first 6 minutes. Then I realized this was a mistake, I started feeling the after effects of going out too fast and hard. Wilson passed me and I slowly lost sight of him through the other runners between us. I was alone with my own thoughts to keep me going. The 2nd mile came by and my coach was there yelling, "Come on! Wilson is 10 guys ahead of you! You can catch up!". I suddenly woke up. I had merely been trying to survive that last mile not even realizing Wilson was still close by. I slowly started picking my pace up and managed to get right next to Wilson with half a mile to go. Not realize it was me next to him, he surged up ahead to keep his place. With a quarter mile left he started gaining speed and I was slowly losing my energy and strength to push one final time. Then I saw it. The big bold word: FINISH. I felt woken up once again and pushed as hard as I could towards that finish line and completed my first race. I saw Wilson bending over out of breath, sweaty, looking back at the finish line in his daze and saw me come through. He was so surprised. Not only did I impress him, but I felt the feeling of success and accomplishment I had needed to keep working hard. Wilson ran 18:25 and I ran 18:28. We were not only close friends but now close rivals happily pushing one another to personal bests.
The rest of the Cross Country season ended up going horrible. I had suffered a season long hip injury and only managed to run two more times; once during the first League meet competition, and the last, well..we will get to that.
I finally began feeling part of the team and connect to the sport. I found something I can care about and accomplished. But suddenly, it was taken away. I began feeling a sharp pain in my right hip. So painful that even walking was hard to do. Wilson was disappointed that I would not be running anytime soon. Now that I look back at that experience, I think more than anything Wilson felt sorry for me. I knew, without him ever telling me, that I was needed on the team and that I can be a good runner. Race after race went by and I was only able to watch from the side line, still happy to cheer my teammates on, but also anxious to get back and do my best. This season our team happened to make it to CIF-Prelims at Mt SAC with two surprising events happening in the final race. One of our rival runners was out beat by a underdog and another of the rival teams runner tripped right before the finish line to be beat by our own runner. This would lead to our schools first CIF-prelims under our new coach. We were all excited for the team. Our top 7 guys were getting ready until one of our runners decided to quit due to personal reasons, and our number 4 runner got in a bicycle accident dislocating his shoulder. The team had a quick meeting, asking what we can do do send 7 guys on the starting line. We had our outstanding Freshman runner, Brian Trejo, two sophmores, Ray Hajduk and Mikey Guloyian, our Captain Wilson Nguyen, a track runner in conditioning Firas, and another freshman Soongin. They looked to me and asked if I would be healthy enough to run one last time for the team. I looked at my teammates and saw how desperate they were to have a complete team and saw how much they wanted me to say yes. With no further hesitation I said, "I'll be ready for you guys."
From that moment on I made it my mission to be as ready as I can to run that final race. Those two weeks went by so fast I couldn't believe it was time for the final race. We all got on that starting line huddled around and said our ritual chant, "Run fast! Kick some ass! MICHO!" And with that the starting gun was fired. The first mile went by the quickest I had ever experienced. Even though I looked at the clock and it said said 6:02 my teammate Soongin and I were in DEAD last. I felt like I didn't belong in this race. I felt angry with myself that I let my teammates down. The hard uphill 2 mile began and I started losing contact with more people. Half way through the race I began catching up to people again. The 2 mile mark came by and my Coach was there yelling yet again, "HURRY UP! Pass as many people as you can before the hill!" I refocused my efforts and one by one I started passing 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 people. And then I saw him. Wilson was feet ahead of me on the final uphill. I tried to caught up to him before the peak but used so much energy that I slowed down on the down hill and Wilson regained his position with half a mile left. Wilson yet again had that lead on me. I remembered again that this was not a personal race anymore, my teammates needed me to try my hardest. I found that extra gear in the final 200 meters and passed Wilson to the Finish line by one second. 18:44 and Wilson 18:45. We found ourselves once again together at the finish line, but this time he looked at me not with surprise, but with respect. He knew I had only two weeks to prepare for this final race, and how personal I took this mission for the team. From that moment on, I found out just exactly how much I can accomplish with so little time and all the determination and hard work I can muster.
The track season proved to be even more exciting. My first workouts showed little improvement with 5:30's mile repeats. But the first race showed me even more potential than before. The first race at San Dimas High was only a 90% effort by coach's instructions and I ended up running 5:04, faster than everyone on our team. I was so surprised that it was that fast but even more surprised that Brian did not go faster. I found myself suddenly at the top of the team in contrast to cross country season at the bottom. The next race was vs Crescenta Valley and I really wanted to see how fast I can go. I started the first lap against one of the best runners in the state at that time; Nathan Sellers. I lead that first lap but was quickly passed by the beginning of lap two. No matter because I still broke 5 minsutes that day with a 4:59 mile and still 3 seconds ahead of Brian Trejo. I was still surprised with myself that the next week when Captain Wilson made a team announcement to congratulate me I was embarrassed.
Things just kept rolling from there. Every workout I found myself challenging Brian and thinking to myself, "I need to be the leader from now on. This workout will be dictated by my speed." Not only did I find passion and drive from within our team, but now I found myself aiming to compete against rival team runners and thinking almost daily, "Zack Torres and Nathan Sellers are out there running their fastest right now, so there is no time for me to take it easy today." By the end of the year I had dropped all the way down to a 4:40 mile out kicking another great Crescenta Valley runner, Eric Kleinsasser and only two seconds behind Zach Torres. Also, what I joke about with my teammate Brian with all the time is that he never beat me in a mile race. Even during the last two times at League Prelims and Finals I managed to come from behind and outkick him by two seconds. This running experience gave me a new hobby and a new beginning to what I can accomplish in my life. I pursued running in college for a year but was hit by injuries again and settled for personal training on my own. This would then lead to me becoming heavily interested in becoming a coach one day. Something I still aspire to become due to the ending of one chapter in my life, which will lead to the beginning of another.
to be continued...
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