First of all, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me through my endeavors thus far whether it be my music or running. I cannot begin to explain how grateful I am to those who helped me get to the New Balance Indoor Nationals this year through your help and or words of encouragement. Especially this year, I wouldn't have been able to compete without all of your help.
I think I can speak for all kids when I say that when support comes from outside of your immediate family, it is so validating. When people take time out of their day to help a kid meet one of their goals, it is so meaningful. Realizing the unbelievable number of people that believed in my ability and were willing to support it with kind words and more, is a life lesson I will never forget.
I learned a lot about myself as a person and as a runner this season. Those that know me personally would know that I hate to disappoint anyone. Ironically being a runner seems to be filled with the challenge of balancing how to please yourself and/or someone else's expectations at the same time. I recently heard from a coach that shared with me how his expectation for teams success changed radically as one girl opted out of the relay to position herself for a personal record time. Another girl got sick and another nursing a recurring injury, changed the hope for the teams success. As I read this my heart hurt for the hard work they had all put in to obtain a top performance but it was his closing comment that warmed my heart... "it wasn't what I had hoped for, Tia, but the individual girls that competed had record breaking times and places against odds that they had not believed they would have overcome previously". He was so excited for their personal triumphs and how that was going to set them up for hopeful future successes in life as well as in their running.
I am so glad that my focus is no longer on wins and places (though finding that extra adrenaline is so exciting). My goals are based on my times and how much better can I be as a runner. Qualifying for the Olympic Trials is the ultimate dream. For many Maine runners, being allowed to attend the bigger races like New Balance Nationals are necessary steps to obtaining their personal goals. So Thank you for keeping my dream alive. Big things to hopefully come this Outdoor season!
