The panting breaths aligned with the fall of each foot. Inhale, right foot. Exhale, left foot. Over and over again as the miles add up. The sound of running is a sound Abigail Speck has learned to appreciate.

“I started running in elementary school and my parents pushed me to stick with it, and I eventually found a love for the sport,” Speck said. Now, running is an everyday thing for her. Now running six days a week during the regular cross country and track season.  

For Speck, a pivotal part of her motivation is pushing herself to reach her goals and seeing people close to her reach theirs. “The friends I’ve made along the way have made it easier and helped me keep me going,” Speck said

To find people who share the same love for running as her, Speck decided to join the cross country team. Speck said, “I really like being on a team because I am surrounded by people going through the same challenges as me so it helps me feel more connected to them.”

“Running has helped me understand other people,” Speck said. “Seeing how they push themselves and seeing what they do in times of trouble has helped me relate to them.”

Along with connections to others, running has helped Speck form a connection with herself.

“It helped me learn how to navigate through difficult emotions because you must know how to react when you don’t perform as well as you had hoped during a race or workout,” Speck said.   

Believe it or not, to Speck, running can feel good. Speck is always chasing the delight that running brings, the high that she gets after running a new personal record, the feeling after a good workout, and seeing herself improve. For Speck running is a therapy; an outlet. It helps her blow off steam in a healthy way, connect with others, and build on herself.

The sound of her feet hitting the pavement with each breath as she runs reminds Speck of all the improvements she’s made, the friends she has and her gratitude for the things that running has brought her life.