Blogs : Destiny Woodbury

"Put on your spikes"... My Spikes???

Those were the words of my new coach in TX on October 15th. I picked up my spikes and I just looked at them. All I could think of was my last race in them... ECAC's. I remember my teammates and I praying before we ran. I usually led the prayer before every relay, but that day, I was so sad that my college running career was about to end, that I couldn't finish it without breaking down. So, my best friend Amber decided to do it. They all begin to say that this race was for me and telling me that any relay after this year wouldn't be the same without me. I ran with Amber for 4 years and also in high school, I ran with Ashley for 2 years, and Kris for 3 years. I had the most experience with Amber. We were training partners and we ran on every 4x4 together. We ran together when our team would win all the time to running on relay teams where we couldn't even break 3:50.

At the start of the 4x4 at ECAC's, I remember my teammate Ashley and I holding hands as Amber and Kris was running. Ashley knew how hard this was for me and I've been trying to avoid this day all year. It was Ash's time to run and all I could do now is wait to run the last leg of the 4x400m Relay. As Ashley was running, I was praying that the whole world would stop so I didn't have to end my college track career. The more and more I prayed, the faster my teammate was moving around the track. She gave me the baton and said, "go des, this is your last race, make it count." I took the baton with tears in my eyes and I focused my attention to the teams that were in front of us. All I could think about was passing them one by one and making sure my teammates and I ran a good time. I passed a couple of ladies and before I knew it, it was now the last 100 meters of the relay. I saw the finish line and my teammates waiting and cheering. I didn't want to stop running. I didn't want my career at URI to be over. 60... 50... 40 meters to go. I began thinking, why is the 400 so short today? Why can't it be longer? 20... 10... 5 meters to go. Before I could get in another thought, I crossed the finish line. I T W A S O V E R. I never knew that years could fly by so fast. No matter how much I wanted time to slow down, it just kept going. I remember my teammates hugging me and wishing I could stay an extra year, but I had no more red shirt years and it was now time for me to move on. I took off my spikes, walked away from the track, and my life as a post-collegiate track runner was finally here.

Yay!

12:31 AM, December 19, 2007 .. Posted by UnrTrack

Hey girl! Glad to see you're back to blogging! Love ya!

12/18

11:59 AM, December 19, 2007 .. Posted by TrackDaddy

Wow, Des.

That was so moving I felt like I was actually running with you.

I understand the emotion that sometimes comes with moving on in life but each phase presents new challenges.

I have no doubt you'll master those as well.

Best Wishes and Merry Christmas.

-TD

Untitled Comment

2:06 PM, December 19, 2007 .. Posted by missbri

I wish you all the best in this new chapter of your life and your career.

thats was...

12:54 PM, February 4, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

moving.

Love What you do and Do What you love