Track and Field Blogs - Rob Ricketts

Every runner has experienced this before. Its a thing were you begin to doubt yourself and begin to wonder why you actually run. you allow you mind you wander and allow for your body to recongize doubt.

Just some background on myself, I am a senior in college right now and going into this year, I was wanted to make sure that I was prepared for cross country. I made sure I got up out of my bed during the summer to get all of my runs done. I decided that I would bump up my milage a bit to make sure I would be a definate impact on the teams roster. At that time in my life, the fire was burning was bright, to be honest nothing could dim the fire that I had created. I did runs all across the US from the beloved Valley Green in Philadelphia to Pre's Trail in Eugene Oregon. I was determined to come into the upcoming cross country season better than ever.

Then a week before cross country preseason was set to take place, I realized that my left leg was in some serious pain and my first thought was "Oh no, not another stress fracture". It couldnt be possible because I done everything by the books. Right?? No wrong? I went to the doctor and they told that I had had a stress reation and with two weeks off of running id be back on the trails in no time. Well a two week detour did not damper the flame at all. If anything, all it did was make me more excited to get back on the roads and get some miles in with my new and old teammates.

Two weeks later, I was roaring to get back in the routine that I was used to doing this entire summer but little did I know that my leg hurt even worst than it before.

After going back to the doctors he told me that I did have a stress fracture, and it was actually a prety bad fracture. As days turned to weeks, and weeks to months of being in the pool/bike, the fire begain to die out like a little kid blowing out that last trick candle on his birthday. As I watched the body that I had masterfully transformed in the summer become something round and goey. I literally became miserable. Even though my grades were and are considerable higher than before. (Weird I know).

Now after losing two months of fitness and literally being thrown repeatly in the gutter, I needed something to put me up and "turn my swag onnnnn". I was not finding any such thing in the Kirk Pool or anyplace else. Seeing my roommates leaving for meets and being left alone knowing that I should be there made things worst. Then low and behold I heard people saying that they thing that "Rob will never run again", "Rob is done', 'Rob is gonna quit soon I know it". Not only did start to get even more miserable, I started getting pissed off. I knew that I wasnt going to actaully quit but knowing that people thought of me like that made me want to prove them wrong. Which sparked the flame.

Then our cross country championships came around I could not bear to go or even hear about results because it literally made me sick to my stomach that I could not be a part of that with my teammates. To train for something for so long and not being able to a part of that goal is horrifying. When our team did not do as well as we wanted to do that hurt even more. After looking at the results, I realized that I was so miserable because I had a dream/goal to do something and when it did not happened I viewed myself as a failure. Now I look at myself as being a risky taker and realized that I cannot blame myself for taking a chance and going about it the correct way. So if you have a dream or goal go for it and remember to keep the fire buring and FLAME ON