Jon Rankin: Discovering my True Identity as a Runner (Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #1)
Posted December 5th, 2007 at 1:00 PM by Jon Rankin
Section: Elite Athlete Blogs, Jon Rankin
Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star
Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of TheFinalSprint.com’s
Elite Athlete Blog Series. Make sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry.
My name is Jon Rankin and I’m a professional Track & Field athlete for the United States of America. My sponsor is Nike, Inc. My primary events are the 1-mile and 1500 meters. I also compete in any event from 800 meters to 5000 meters on the track, up to 15 kilometers on the road and in the sport of Cross Country.
The end of the 2007 season marked my 10th year as a distance runner and it turned out to be my most significant season thus far. A little over one year ago I sustained a full fracture to the 3rd metatarsal of my left foot during the USATF National Championships. Psychologically the injury was devastating for me. I struggled to overcome the break I sustained to my spirit more so than I did the break in my foot. From the moment my foot broke in June of 2006 until the following June of 2007 I experienced a roller coaster of emotions. It would be twelve months before I got back on the track and competed.
The reason why I believe this season was my most significant has to do with what I’ve discovered about my self as a person and as an athlete during this season. Throughout my career I’ve sustained multiple stress reactions and stress fractures to my lower legs and feet. I’ve spent nearly half of my career in the stands watching rather than competing in races. After the injury in 2006 (an injury that turned out to be my most severe injury) I began to question whether or not I was meant to be a world-class distance runner. I began to wonder if I was doing the right thing with my life. I struggled with the question of, ‘Am I meant to be a runner?’ for over twelve months, from June 2006 to June 2007. Thus, once I got to the end of the 2007 USATF National Championships I traveled to Europe and went on to spend the next 3 and ½ months trying to find an answer to that question.
Not only did I learn that the answer was ‘yes’ I came to realize that my north star, the guiding force in my life, was my faith in God; and that I had been oblivious to this fact for a long time. I’ve always had a strong faith in God, but I never understood my reasoning for my faith (and I’m still learning) and how to exercise this faith in everything I did in my life. During a summer of soul searching in Europe I slowly began to gain perspective on what was important in my life. I began to find a greater purpose and meaning for my running. I came to realize that I wanted to use my running as a way of expressing my faith in God and my passion for life; And that I wanted to use my running as a medium by which to bring people joy.
By the end of the summer I was so excited about the peace that came over me I began to look at my running as an art. I would imagine the track as a canvas and my feet as a paintbrush and when I ran I would be painting a grand picture for all to enjoy and interpret in as many ways as they are capable.
Prefontaine said it best, “A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding.”
Before the 2007 season I ran for my self. I ran because I wanted to achieve for the sake of my own vanity. I wanted to see how fast I could run and how good I could be for me. I internalized my goals and feelings. With the conclusion of the 2007 season, all I want to do is share my dreams with everyone that watches me run. The beauty of running is that you’re completely exposed and vulnerable for the entire world to see. Those who watch a race go through the pain and joy that the athlete goes through. The emotion that we experience is to meant to be experienced by both the athlete and the fan. I’ve come to realize there is no fulfillment when such feelings are shut off from the world.
Therefore, I invite all those that may come across this blog to join me in my pursuit of excellence not only as an athlete, but also as a person. I’ve chosen to participate in this blog because I want to share my experiences over the course of this coming Olympic year. I’m hopeful to shed some light on this person’s journey and to hopefully inspire others to look deep within themselves and discover all that they are capable of achieving. By giving a glimpse into my world I hope to help others discover the amazing world that lies within them selves.
- Jon
To comment on this entry please click here and to send questions to Jon, please fill out the form below:
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: blog, bounce back, broken foot, competing, distance running, elite athlete, elite athlete blog, faith, god, identity, injury, jon rankin, joy, olympic hopeful, olympics, pain, pre, recovery, self discovery, speed, Steve Prefontaine, stress, stress fractures, success, track and field, training, usatf national championships, world class distance runner
Like what you see? Subscribe to our feed!
The Final Sprint