My high school gym teacher, Mrs. Lutes, had a real knack for making her students dislike her, which was mostly due to the fact that she made us run laps quite frequently. Warm up: laps. You lose: laps. You talk back: laps. As teenagers, being told what to do was already really not to our liking. And so, being forced to run laps in gym class at least 3 times a week meant that a majority of the non-athletic students, me included, ended up with a deep dislike of running.
Twice a year, we had to run “the mile” during gym class. Something about presidential standards or other such nonsense (in my teenage brain at least). We each partnered off, one would run the mile, 18 laps (!) in the gym, while our partners counted the laps for us, and then we’d swap. If you were lucky, you were partnered with someone who would surreptitiously check off extra laps for you on their sheet of paper, thereby lessening the number of laps you had to run and increasing your pace. You bet your ass I convinced my partner to help me cheat!
On one such occasion, as I struggled to complete my 18 laps, chest heaving, lungs burning, with the taste of blood in my mouth, Mrs. Lutes jogged easily next to me as she tried to pep me up and coach me through the last leg of the run. “You really don’t like running, do you?” she commented. I either shook my head or panted “no”, I’m sure with a foul look on my face, since I physically cannot hide my emotions and can often be read just by looking at my expression.
“You’ll like running one day,” she told me. I recall laughing as I told her that she was very much so incorrect, I would never like running.
I finished my laps that day, and throughout the rest of high school I rarely thought about our conversation. That is, until I started exercising as an adult.
I think all of us hold certain grudges in our hearts, and this one was mine: I did not want her to be right, but at the same time, wouldn’t it be wonderful to enjoy running?? It’s such great exercise for mind and body. However, I always had my interaction with Mrs. Lutes in the back of my mind any time I even considered running or had to jog for other reasons. Part of me had the memory of hating it as a teenager, and part of me just didn’t want Mrs. Lutes to be right about me. I couldn’t like running, because then I would lose.
That is, until I started running this week. Not to brag or anything, but I have run about 6 miles over the course of 4 different days. I purchased new running shoes, which are extremely comfortable to run in – sigh. And I’m extremely proud to showcase my runs to my friends and family once completed. I’ve found myself on ‘runtok’, if you will, and have even curated my own running playlist.
So, Mrs. Lutes, if you’re out there, I guess I will officially let you know that you were right. *Insert eye roll*.
It really is very annoying when someone else is right about you.