Training Season Part 1

In high school, every fall I'd try to get in shape for basketball season. Sprints, jogging, fall basketball league, whatever. During a run one day, the cross country team was practicing and the coach asked if I'd be interested in joining the team. Perfect, I thought, I'll get in shape AND get skinny. We got right to it, 3-5 miles twice a day. Then one day our run was mapped out for us, and I could see across the field that we'd have to run up a really short, but steep hill. And the entire football team just happened to be hanging out at the bottom. Now, as a 26 year old woman I realize that wasn't actually such a big deal. But back then, I thought having to run up that hill in front of all those guys would be the end of me. So half way around the loop, I ran into the woods, bent over a little, then ran straight to my coaches to report that I had puked by the trees, and safely sat out the rest of the run. My entire team later got a lecture about how important it was to eat enough before running. A week later I got shin splints, was put on the training room bike for two weeks before quitting, then spent half of the basketball season on the bench, icing my shins.