We all have been told that we should never give up and to keep pushing through when things aren't quite going our way. A lot of times this is a lot easier said than done. You may not think learning a lesson in humility would be a good thing, but when you face that lesson you learn it may not be such a bad thing after all. In tough situations it also helps tremendously when you have support from people you know truly care about you.

This cross country season has been a learning experience for me. Summer running had started up once again. I was looking forward to a year of success as a top varsity runner like I had accomplished in the previous two years. Unfortunately, things do not always go as planned. As running started I noticed something wasn't going right. I would have trouble breathing and would need to stop because of shortness of breath. I kept moving along, trying to keep pushing. We thought it was because of the summer heat, and once it cooled down everything would be back to normal. To my disappointment this was not the case.

Practice officially started and I was ready to roll. We started running and I was experiencing the same problems once again. I wanted to push myself to run with the other girls, so I kept pushing through the pain of not getting enough air to my lungs. We decided something needed to be done about the situation, so I went to the doctor where they prescribed a couple of different medications. After a couple weeks on the new medication, I was still having the same issue. We were looking for answers that at the time, we could not seem to find.

I was starting to get very frustrated with how things were going. Imagine one of the top runners now getting passed by even the middle school runners. It was a hard concept for me to grasp. There were days I would sit there and feel sorry for myself, lose hope, and even think about quitting. I would then pick myself up and tell myself I was better than that. I had a team counting on me to be a good leader and younger kids looking up to me. I also realized that my situation was a lucky one; things could be so much worse. I may not be able to run as fast as I would like, but there are others out there who would be lucky to get up and walk.

Others were starting to notice something was not right. It was time for a team meeting. Coach had gathered the high school girls team together and notified them of my situation. Many showed concern and were sympathetic. It meant a lot to me knowing my teammates and coaches cared so much about me. My teammates were always there encouraging me and lifting my spirits when it was tough. My coaches have done more than I could ask for, showing concern, encouraging me to do my best, running right alongside of me, and showing support the whole way. It made the days a lot easier.

Although things have not gone my way this season, I have learned so many valuable life lessons from this experience. I learned a lesson in humility that turned out to be very valuable to me. I know that when things aren't always going your way you should never quit, never give up. I feel truly blessed that I am part of such a caring cross country team, and this has been a life experience I will never forget.