Sammy was one of the two recipients of a scholarship award and this was her wonderful thank-you note: First and foremost, I sincerely apologize for the tardiness of this note. Notwithstanding, your generous scholarship toward my higher education has never once gone unappreciated. That said, I would FINALLY like to express my gratitude and thanks as a collegiate student-athlete by addressing a question. In the spirit of the Talking Heads, “You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?” Before setting foot on Cunha’s dirt track in my brand new New Balance running shoes from Kids“R”Us, I had no idea what it meant to be a runner. Running meant chasing down forwards and being first to the ball on the soccer field. Running meant fast breaks and steals on the basketball court. Running also meant a ten-minute loop in P.E. However, before it became about achieving a school record or beating the boys, I would walk when Ms. Fulp wasn’t looking. Yes, I remember doing so in fifth grade at El Granada Elementary. If my memory serves me correctly, this only occurred once or twice, yet it is something I have never chosen to acknowledge in my nascent years as a runner. In sixth grade, I joined the cross country and track teams with the naivety of a child. Although my potential was not clearly realized, my drive to succeed would emerge in the form of maturation as a runner and student. I enjoy reminiscing in my running log from an eleven-year-old’s point of view: an intensely detailed account of the weather, terrain, diet, thoughts, and how I felt on that day. On race days, my friends would decree my state of being as “Sammyland”; I would not speak to anyone in nervous mental preparation for the race that afternoon. It became a matter of serious, yet unfair proportions, and I would be a nervous, panicky wreck until the starting gun would finally sound. High school running required a more realistic approach. I pushed myself to transcend levels of physical, mental, and emotional stress that I had never breached before in order to feel confident performing at higher levels of competition. It was difficult for me to grasp that bad days were necessary to appreciate and illuminate the good ones. With the right attitude, the preparation would meet the outcome, the ultimate goal of personal satisfaction, be it in the form of a personal best, beating a hard-fought competitor, contributing points to a team title, winning a race, or just feeling at peace with yourself, as a runner, and more importantly, as a whole. There are several people that have contributed to who I have become, and why I am now waking up at 6am for tempo runs before dawn breaks in beautiful Las Cruces, New Mexico. My grandfather, a former marathon runner, helped me to solidify my breathing techniques, ultimately instilling knowledge in me at an early age. My parents would guide my questioning confidence before races to transcend over any doubt in myself. My competitors have taught me lessons in attitude, dignity, and grace. Lastly, I would cease to be where I am today without my coach, my mentor, my teacher, and very close friend Paul Farnsworth, and my second-family and best of friends that is the Half Moon Bay High School Cross Country team. Running means a social get-together with your friends and family. Running means opening your stride and looking down at your watch, only to smile at the end and know you’ve met an accomplishment, any accomplishment. Running means being free when you’re stressed, hopping over barricades in near-hurdle form, and stopping however long to collect sea glass. Running means getting out of bed when you’re having a bad day, yet feeling one hundred percent better when you return home, having fought against yourself and won. Running is personal, yet shared; it is embedded in the core and genetic code of our very being. Running is a lifestyle, and I am so very thankful to have shared few, yet very noteworthy experiences with you, including the Crystal Springs Watershed Run, a night run to Mavericks, and volunteering at the Miwok 100k Trail Race. Again, I offer my sincerest thanks and appreciation for the support and generosity. Thank you, and I wish you the best of luck in upcoming training runs and races! Sincerely, Sammy |