Mayah Cantave | Submitted PhotoValdosta State University student Jacinda Miller runs cross country.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Valdosta State University English Professor Pat Miller assigned her students to write a long-form feature story on fellow VSU students. The best four articles were selected to be published in The Valdosta Daily Times. This is the third story to be published. It is by Larianne Kolb. 

 

VALDOSTA – She no longer endures the pain by obligation, but by will. She no longer recognizes the agony, only the reward.

Jacinda Miller looks out into the distance. She’s a runner. She knows what she must do, as she has done it countless times before. Stretches prepare her body and inspirational quotes prepare her mind.

 

After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 2014, Jacinda Miller was recruited to join the women’s cross-country team at Valdosta State University, where she stands out among her peers. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Miller said she came to VSU to put herself outside of her “comfort zone.”

Valdosta is a 12-hour drive away from her hometown, but VSU gave her the opportunity to “run and focus on school at the same time.”

 

With a loud, fired signal, smoke bursts into the air and she takes her first strides. The early morning dew still gleams across the grass of the course. Slowly gaining speed, her legs thrust with muscles taut, pulsing as her momentum carries her around courses which always appear to be never ending.

 

Her career at VSU began three years ago, and she is at full thrust forward. A day starting at 6 a.m. has become Miller’s normal. 

From the first practice of the NCAA season in August until the national championships in November, she runs every weekday, competes most Saturdays and practices on her own on Sundays. 

Three days out of the week, she goes to an additional weight-training practice. However, head cross-country coach Todd Smoot said “running is a 12-month sport.” Even during the off-season, each runner is given a personalized training program.

During the mornings of her practices, it’s early and dark. It’s the kind of dark that makes it hard to believe the sun will actually rise. Slight breezes move leaves in the trees and blow fallen ones across the roads. 

Miller is awake before most other students as well as the rest of the town. Only a few cars pass every couple of minutes. 

Every weekday during the season, the women’s cross-country team can be found in their dark gray and red Valdosta State sports bras running up and down the rolling hills of Valdosta or through the practice field at the campus field house. 

Miller always has her dark brown hair pulled up in a neat pony-tail as she runs, head held high, focusing on each step that leads her to the end of her journey.

 

End of mile one, only to start mile two. The difficulty remains, but Jacinda keeps going.

 

Miller is close to her family, and often gets homesick but, as a cross-country team member, she is required to stay in Valdosta when other students get the chance to do what they please. 

During short holiday breaks such as Labor Day weekend and fall break, she must stay near campus to attend team practices and compete in meets that most often occur out of town. The occasional times she gets to travel back to her hometown are Thanksgiving, Christmas and summer break.

Miller stays in close contact with her mom and 16-year-old sister. Since she does not get to see them often, she makes sure she sets time aside to call them every morning. 

“If I didn’t call they would think something is wrong,” Miller said.

 

Miles still stretch out before her as the distressed expression on her face reveals her pain, but her body reveals her drive as it propels her forward over and over again. She keeps running. She keeps chasing the finish line. Chasing her success.

 

Attending VSU on a cross-country scholarship, Miller is now a junior working to earn a degree in psychology. Her class load is smaller this semester, with 15 credit hours. She said she usually takes 18 hours, which is one credit hour short of the maximum course load a student can take at VSU. Twelve credit hours are required to be a full-time student. 

In addition to the 15 hours she spends each week in class, she works countless hours studying and completing both individual and group projects. Her success will come with graduation, and with graduation, she can finally go home. 

She knows she can go anywhere and do anything. After college, she wants to work with children, regardless of the career. 

“I enjoy interacting with children and adolescents,” Miller said.

Aside from local track teams in her hometown community, Jacinda knows she will not be able to run professionally after finishing college. 

She knows she will have to begin again with her work and her purpose as she ventures into her career. During the time she has left at VSU, she wants to enjoy running.

Beginning to play sports in the fourth grade led to involvement with track and cross-country in the sixth grade. She tried other sports along the way, including lacrosse, tennis and cheerleading but running is something she always felt passionate about and what made her feel accomplished.

 Accomplishment, though, comes only with passion. 

“You can have a work ethic, and you have to have a work ethic to do this sport well,” Smoot said. “But if there’s no passion with it, that 5:20 a.m. wake-up call will get old real fast.”

After running for years, she slowly increased the difficulty of her training and, over time, became accustomed to running long distances. 

Her first year at VSU, she achieved a new personal record, but did not break any her sophomore year. Now as a junior and only one year left, she has broken her personal record once again. 

She ran her fastest speed ever at a conference this season. Twenty seconds faster per mile. 

“It’s always good when you can break a record of your own,” Miller said.

 

Two teammates run next to Miller. She does not appear to be aggressive in getting ahead, but staying alongside them as they all push to reach the next mile.

 

As her third year on the VSU team, she not only challenges herself, but also holds of the position of captain. As such, she must ensure everyone attends practices and completes the required training. 

Miller  goes above and beyond as a support system for her team. 

“She motivates us and keeps a positive attitude in all of our workouts and daily lives,” said Laney Tomberlin, freshman cross-country team member.

She motivates them by planning special gifts as pre-race pick-me-ups and something to look forward to afterwards. She is there to provide encouragement. 

“If I see someone that didn’t have the best practice, I try to make sure I’m available,” Miller said. “If someone is feeling down, they can come talk to me about it.” 

Miller’s teammates also motivate her. 

“They are out here for me, so I have to be out here for them, too,” Miller said. “We feed off of each other’s energy.”

 

The runner’s high is real, but it’s different than what many think. Some say that the pain will eventually go away. Some say that since the body is releasing so many endorphins, the pain goes unnoticed. 

However, runners describe it differently. The pain exists. The cramps, the hurt, the pure feeling of exhaustion that overwhelms every inch of the body – that is still there. 

The high comes after. 

Endorphins are released and the excitement, happiness, and feeling of accomplishment are beyond belief. 

“After a while you just kind of get used to it, but I don’t think the pain ever goes away,” Miller said. “The reward outweighs the pain.”

 

In addition to cross country and working to earn her degree, Miller is a VSU ambassador. 

According to VSU, an ambassador has “a passion for the institution and is excited to promote and communicate the amazing opportunities” at the university. 

Miller is a role model for current and prospective students as she leads among both her teammates and classmates. 

“When I have on my red polo or red blazer, I’m held to a higher standard,” she said.

Throughout her career at VSU, Miller has been seriously involved in the community. She has completed extensive hours of community service, which she sees as important in life. The majority of this work is with children. 

“If I see a social problem, I’d like to see how I can make that better,” she said.

Between cross-country, schoolwork and giving back to the VSU community, she seems to never slow down.

 

Miller is at the end of her journey when she approaches her finish line. Coaches, friends and family of runners always stand along the edges of the course, yelling times and words of encouragement at their runners. 

Miller is feet away from the end. Her body glistens and the look of exhaustion remains on her face as she looks toward the big timer that will soon represent her accomplishment. She knows that when she crosses it, she will finally be successful. She has one more year.

An ice tub big enough to engulf her waits at the end of Miller’s run. The 54- to 60-degree water will flush out the lactic acid in her muscles to help them recover more quickly for the training that awaits for her, the training that will prepare her for what’s next in life. 

Rigorous preparation will be waiting, today, tomorrow, and the day after that.

 

Now, she must prepare her next day – to wake up at 5:30 a.m., run, focus on school and practice more. Miller remains far away from home, but doesn’t let that stop her from accomplishing her goals. 

When she graduates in the spring of 2018, she will have her degree and she can be with her family. But now, it’s her time to run. Miller must undergo the pain to get the prize — on and off the course.

“Cross country allows me to push myself,” she said. “Every time I run up a hill or get through some type of obstacle, I just relate it to my life. If I can keep going through this, I can keep going through anything. It means a lot to me.”