2020 strikes again! But this time it wasn’t a natural disaster, the death of another beautiful soul, another twist in the political climate, or even killer hornets. This was a different kind of loss. A loss that isn’t exactly on the same level of those other things, but matters nonetheless. For the past 3 years I’ve run on the cross country team at my school. It’s my senior year and at this point I should be training for my next race, another chance to break my personal record before my clock on the course runs out. But these days it feels as though I’m running with no destination. My season, like many others, was cancelled due to COVID restrictions. With no season and no destination, many athletes such as myself have begun to lose love for something that once was a stable source of joy. But we are athletes, we are strong and we persevere. My two tips that have helped me this season are: Be Transparent, Be Thankful.
Be Transparent: Be honest with yourself. Why are you running? Is this bringing you joy or causing you stress? What do you want? And most importantly, be honest with your coach and those close to you. This is a very stressful time and in order to receive the support you need (even if you don’t want it), it’s important to be transparent with those around you. It isn’t a crime to embody these feelings, and it isn’t a burden to anyone for you to express these feelings. When I finally expressed my concerns to my coach (Shout out Coach Molly Peters), she wasn’t upset or mad. She was supportive and offered me the time and space to take care of myself whenever needed. She was constructive, telling me to take things day by day. She was optimistic, reminding me that I am bigger than what I am struggling with. And she was thankful that I opened up to her.
Be Thankful: Be thankful for where you are and this opportunity you have been given. We are young, we are at the place we love with our freaking PEOPLE. And please be thankful for yourself. You have loved and pushed yourself to where you are today and that’s pretty amazing. You know yourself more than anyone else and at the end of the day, you know what’s best for you and the people who care about you fully understand that. Now more than ever, it is important to take the time you need to love yourself, rediscover your passions, and find your destination.