“Three mile repeats, eight hills, and a mile threshold,” Coach Mulrooney yelled during our workouts to motivate us through the pain.

My freshman year, I joined cross country. I became determined to run the times all the other varsity D1 recruits were running. I practiced, practiced, practiced. And then my time began to drop from eighteen minutes and five seconds to seventeen minutes and five seconds then to sixteen minutes and twenty six.
Success is something you earn, and not something that is given. The transition from quitting basketball and putting all my time and effort into running was difficult. I had to work hard to make up for the training I lost (and to gain on the people who had been training while I was playing basketball). Coach always told us the success was our decision.

Freshman and sophomore year were a blur for. But coach made the year easier by giving me a senior buddy. It was a different feeling having an older and cool kid cheering me on during a race. While on the home stretch, I heard coach saying, “You're doing it, get rolling!” To many people this isn't a big deal, but as sophomore breaking seventeen minutes and getting my varsity letter, it was one of the biggest accomplishments of my running careers. After the race, coach said I looked like record breaking Steve Prefontaine, giving it all at the finish by lifting my knees and driving my arms to out kick one of the best in the state, Joe Novack.

I did not stop practicing during the summer. The words of Coach saying, “Kyle success is your decision and you need to set goals and write them down” played over and over in my head. So I continued working and practicing. I did work outs, repeat runs, strength exercises, and more. My summer was full of practice. But my mistake from last year was not taking Cross Country seriously, making it harder for me to run the times that I needed to. Hard work eventually pays off; and I was in the Lake Country Reporter twice for making second team all conference as a sophomore.

My determination has caused me to practice, practice, and succeed. If I was not determined and had I not had Coach M, the success I have had would never be realistic.

Determination equals success, and those whose have ambition are the ones who are truly successful. That is why you earn success and it is not given, which counters with determination of getting what you want.