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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7-8 PRF StudentStudent Copy Form 7-8 © 2007 University of Oregon Justin had always wanted to be a long distance runner; however, he’d never managed to run more than a mile in his entire life. He was fast, but he would run out of energy as soon as he completed a single mile. He figured his body just wasn’t made for running farther. Then, at the end of seventh grade, Justin’s physical education teacher announced she would be starting up a cross-country team for eighth graders in the fall. Justin perked up upon hearing the news, but then quickly became discouraged. There was no chance he’d ever make the team, especially since the try-outs included a five-mile run. Over the summer, Justin started running a mile every other day for exercise. One day, he decided to try to keep going after the first mile, and before he knew it, he had run nearly two miles without becoming breathless! From then on, Justin ran a bit farther each time he headed out. Before long, he was surprised to find he could easily run not five, but eight miles without stopping. With dedicated practice, Justin’s body was capable of running much farther than he’d ever imagined. “Cross-country team, here I come!” Justin told himself as his mom dropped him off on the first day of eighth grade. Not only did Justin make the team, he also ran faster than all the other participants. When his astonished friends gathered around him to ask how he had transformed himself, Justin thought back to the long workouts he’d completed throughout the summer and smiled. He wondered if he should try to pretend that the change had happened on its own. He quickly decided to share his strategy, though, realizing that if the school’s cross-country team was going to be the best, his friends could use all the help they could get!