Date: April 9 2016, first time running with my high school science teacher!
Temperature: -14C
Distance: 8.4K
When I was in high school, I was a science nerd, book worm and bank geek. I am now done school and I still love science, books, and play music (albeit not in a band, although I wish I still did). Some things never change. But luckily some things do. I was once chosen last during a gym class and distinctly remember the super sucky feeling settling in my gut that no A+ on a science test could remove. High school Gillian would never would've imagined that future Gillian would ever start running, never mind enjoy it enough to have run her 4th half marathon recently (Ottawa race update coming soon-ish... sometime this summer!).
But in grade 11/12, something came over me and I signed up for my high school's track and field team to do the triple jump. The only "sports experience" I had was doing track and field in elementary school, where I somehow managed to get a third place ribbon for the triple jump for my grade. I must've thought that remembering how to do the triple jump was the same as being good at the triple jump.
The team's coach was my science teacher who had taught me science 3 years in a row and he was pleasantly surprised to see me signed up since I was never involved on any school sports teams before. He was always encouraging at practices, even though most of the time I was thinking: "What am I even Doing here?!" I don't remember much from my track and field team experience except that A) My jumps could never make it into the box. B) I still couldn't make it into the box during a preliminary track meet. C) Running during practices was not fun. I never understood why as a "jumper" I needed to practice running? D) I hurt my ankle (probably during one of those "not-fun" runs!) and didn't end up going to our final track meet (*phew*!).
In short, my debut onto the high school track and field team was embarrassing. And I just accepted that sports would never enter my life again.
Until it did! And I'm so glad because this meet up wouldn't have happened if running hadn't entered my life.
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| Happy smiles to match the pretty blue skies. |
Mr. Roberts (my high school teacher mentioned above) and I reconnected last fall when I emailed him out of the blue. I had been meaning to contact him since I had started to run regularly 3 years ago, and finally made time to write out an email. Unfortunately, we hadn't kept in touch after my graduation. So naturally, I googled his name and my high school, hoping to look up his contact info. I found it, he soon responded saying he remembered me too!
I hadn't seen Mr. Roberts in about 7.5 years, but he didn't look a day older than when I last saw him at graduation. Same bright blue eyes, same big smile, and still loves teaching science and coaching track and field. It's true, some things don't change. He still keeps active by running, although cycling was his new found love. After our catch up session, we made a deal to meet up for a run (before I had even set this goal!) when the weather became warmer.
Spring came around, and Mother Nature was still giving us below 0 weather, but that didn't stop us! We set a date, and we were both pumped to run together! We caught up on our lives since our reunion a few months back, connected over our adventures in staying active and definitely shared lots of laughs... I don't remember over what exactly, I just remember the laughter!
I'm so grateful that Mr. Roberts and I were able to get in touch and meet up after all those years to run and laugh together as two adults! And yes, I still call him Mr. Roberts both because of habit and because I still see him as my high school science teacher. What can I say, some things don't change. But I know that us reconnecting has sparked change in that relationship. There is now the potential for future running meet ups, more laughs shared over tea and maybe even a bike ride together as adult friends? Sometimes change is good.
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Update on "16 Runs with 16 Friends": I've already run with over 16 people!! I can't believe that I managed to reach this goal by early May!! My new goal is now to run with at least 32 people (double my initial goal) one on one, by the end of this year.
I also know that it is now June and I am very behind on updating my running meet ups from April and May. Bear with me! I'll try my best to write about all of April and May before June comes to an end!
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