"To Get What We've Never Had, We Must Do What We've Never Done"

Life is short, so you should treasure each day as if it is the best day you will ever own. Every day I give my best. Whether it is in school, running, or through relationships with people, I give it my all. A recent experience where I performed at my best level was in October 2008. I call this experience my brutal, but beautiful adventure. My destination: Big Sur, California. My objective: to run my first half marathon.
My mom, her friend, and I had been training all season for this race. However, the three of us went into this race open-minded, because we had no idea what to expect. My mom and her friend had done half marathons and marathons prior to this. I, however, was looking to accomplish this feat for my first time. A large, old man introduced the specifics of the race to us. Saying that this was the 19th annual Big Sur Half Marathon, and when he asked if there were any returning runners, no one raised their hands. After that, he mentioned that if at any time we found this race to be too difficult we could always turn around and shorten it. When we heard that, we knew something wasn't quite right. We wondered why there were no returning runners, and why anyone would decide to shorten their designated race.
The answer to our questions were found once we started the intial climb of our race. The start was on a hill, and so we had to climb. Once we reached the top of the intial hill we looked for a flat respite. Nothing. After a ways into this run, I realized that this course consisted of only two things- very steep up hills and very steep down hills. This 13- mile course was more of a hike than a run. But I gave it my all. After the first half mile of the race, I left my mom and her friend, and ran ahead. I found a running pal and we conquered each hill with everything we had. At the 6.5 mile marker, we reached the turn around point. The last 6.5 miles were again marked by sharp up hills and sudden down hills. On every up hill we dug deep and used every muscle in our bodies to pull us up. At times, we would have to literally hike up the hill, because it proved to be faster. Once we reached the last 2.5 miles, I left my friend. 2.5 miles was the average cross country race for me, so I flew through through the hills, sprinting like never before. I didn't even think about my pain until I ecstatically crossed the finish line. I was on a mission, and I was determined to conquer this race with everything I had to achieve the best time possible. After we finished, we found out that this marathon was actually the hardest one in the United States. It ended up being a 6,000-foot running climb from start to finish. I powered through each hill, each mile, and each pain with everything I had, completing my first half marathon and learning what it truly takes to accomplish such a thing.
This achievement where I gave my best can easily be translated into my preparation and accomplishment in my first semester of college. Everyday I go to class with an open mind and the attitude of doing the best I can, even in classes like chemistry which I had never liked in high school. And I have realized yet again that it pays to be open minded and to constantly try new strategies and utilize your best skills. By giving it my all in studying for my first chemistry exam, I ended up doing better than I could have ever imagined. And like my half marathon feat, this proves that to get what we have never had, we must do what we have never done.