On I-30 Johnathan Johnson

regret the idea of wearing sweatpants. Sweat was pouring off me. My own breath became suffocating and my clothes clinging to my body as they became soaked with sweat. My face was flushed and my skin was roasting under the warm clothing that I had foolishly thought would be a good idea. Chaplain Adams started to run circles around our group checking in on people to see if everyone was ok. He would slow down next to someone and give them little words of encouragement. When he came up beside me, I simply looked at his smiling face and waved him off. I said to him as he paced ahead of me, “You like this too much.” Twenty-eight minutes after we had started, I never thought I would have liked the ground so much. I laid on the cold concrete parking lot that we had started from. I must have laid there for 10 minutes at least, just trying to catch my breath. After struggling through my first 5k run I asked the chaplain, “How can you be so cheerful and ecstatic to be running at such a time and for so long?” I will never forget his reply. He told me, “Running is my way of abandoning everything and

devoting myself entirely to the act of running. It allows me to forget all the things going on in the world around me.” Early in my career as a U.S. Navy sailor I had difficulties with the stress associated with becoming a sailor. Although my first few runs were forced upon me for the sake of PT, I began to realize that in fact it was a way to escape the world in a sense and just put my mind at rest. I made it part of my daily routine. Although I did not wake up at 0400 like the chaplain, running in the morning gave me the wakeup that I needed to make it through the day. My decision to make running a part of my life made me feel very proud of myself. The endorphins released during running bring about a feeling of euphoria and general well-being. My health and life changed drastically after that day. That day 12 years ago started something that became a part of who I have been for the years to follow. Through perseverance and dedicated you can achieve things that you would not have believed possible. Small events in your life can make huge and drastic impacts on your life. Stay strong and keep hustlin’! TCC: TRINITY RIVER CAMPUS