The Great Divide: 10,000 Miles

    Yesterday in the first few miles of my long run, my runnometer rolled over to 10k miles! It actually happened sometime this spring, but I didn’t start logging my mileage on RunningAhead until the end of my first cross country season. Looking back, it’s been a fantastic journey, I can say that I wouldn’t be writing this post if it wasn’t for running, because it was the deciding factor that ultimately brought me to Drake.
    I’m so glad after my sophomore year of high school I decided to give distance running a shot! I initially started running the long sprints in track my freshman year to stay in shape for basketball, but my coach thought I had good potential for cross country and the mile, so I finally gave in and signed up for cross country. I’ve never looked back since, I can honestly say it’s been one of the best decisions of my life.
    I’ve met some of my best friends through running, and have been blessed to travel and run in many beautiful locations. The one thing I really love about it is that you get in what you put out. Through hard work and dedication, I’ve seen my running times drop quite a bit over the past four years. Initially it started off as a selfish endeavor, something I thought I could be good at and receive glory and praise from others for, but it’s turned into an activity where I can glorify Christ.
Here’s a quick few facts about my journey to 10,000 miles, and now beyond:

The Trip to 10,000 Miles
•    Start Date: 1/24/2008
•    End Date: 8/11/2012
•    10,012.9 miles in 1183:03:23 (49 days, 10 hours, and 23 minutes (7:06/mi)
•    5k PB at start of streak: 17:32 Current 5k PB: 15:34
•    8K PB after Freshman year (Drake): 27:32 Current 8k PB: 25:38
•    10k PB at beginning of streak: 39:20 Current 10k PB: 32:25
•    Notable Running Locations: Chanhassen/Chaska (MN), Minneapolis, Des Moines, New York, Mammoth Lakes (CA), Chicago, London, Ann Arbor (MI), Torrejon (Spain)