I Am Not A Runner Olivia Hudson Gray

I am not a runner, but I do it anyway to improve my fitness and endurance. Forcing my size nine feet into pink Pumas and my body into shorts and a tee is an arduous task, but I do it anyway. "I must." I pound the pavement, driving each foot further and further. “Just a few more steps.” Gaining distance, but losing energy, my muscles howl at me to cease. “I can’t stop now.” Beads of sweat are born out of force on my brow. A heaving pant replaces the steady rhythm of breaths. “I have to make it to that next mailbox. Keep going. Run harder. Push it. You’re almost there.” And then I pass the mailbox, surpass my set goal, running to the next stop sign before I allow myself a rest.

I live like I run. And that extra burst to the stop sign is my run towards Wake Forest.

They are mind games, both running and academia. They involve convincing yourself of what your body can do and then doing more, for that first mindset is always an underestimate. It is more than just a challenge of the body, but also of the mind and soul.

Wake Forest will be that challenge of body, mind, and soul. It is a school where academic endeavors will entice me, but more importantly, it is a school where everything I think I know will be tested....