When Did I Start Running?

As I was on my walk this morning I was trying to think when I started running. As a boy I ran all the time. I ran playing street hockey, around the baseball diamond, up and down the basket ball court, in the neighborhood playing chase with my friends and around the corner when my mom called me home. The first remembrance of competition was on Memorial Day or Fourth of July. Every year at the park across the street some one would put on some running races. Wheel barrel races, three legged races and running races. This was the first remembrance of racing in a competition. We got ribbons for efforts. The next time I can remember was in junior high school. I was in 7th grade. In gym class all the students were required to run one and quarter miles race. That seems and odd distance but that is what we had to do. I ran it in 7:15 minutes. I tied with Peter Nichols for the fastest time in our grade. Not long after that the track coach approached me to go out for the track team. I agreed and that began my running career. I can vaguely remember that I ran the mile in the 5:50 minute range. I ran for the track team in 7th grade. In my 8th grade year I ran fall cross-country and track and field in the spring. I can't recall anything from that year. However I do remember that I was going be the cross-country captain in 9th grade. So I recall. At that time junior high consisted of 7th through 9th grade. I never did become captain in the 9th grade. My parents elected to send me to a vocational high school in ninth grade. I was sorely disappointed. My parent wanted me to learn a trade. I have come to see God's providence in that decision. For the past 20 years I have had a small architectural business in So Cal. The vocational school brought together kids from twelve surrounding communities. The kid's ranged from inner city, middle class suburb and kids from the sticks. It was quite a spectrum of cultural differences. The kid's that I met I can still recall in my mind to this day. We were vokies and I ran under the black and gold of the Knights.