Adele Blum

September 8, 2003

Two weeks ago I arrived at the WoodPEC expecting to see the same people and do the same administrative "stuff" we always do on the first day of camp. Well, to my surprise there were more people there that I didn't know than people that I have run with for three years.

I was just amazed by the 10 new faces staring around, not knowing what to do or who to talk to. To tell you the truth, they weren't the only ones overwhelmed. Everything ran through my head, "How could we run with so many people?" and "Which ones are good?"

The past couple of years our entering classes have been small and we have always been this tight knit group of 10 or so runners. Now, we have 18. It wasn't until the middle of camp that I realized how wrong I was in my original thoughts.

There was no problem running with a herd of girls. Actually, it's kind of exciting to look around and see a ton of girls loving running. We finally got what we needed for our team, a variety of new personalities. Every freshman has already contributed something unique to the team.

We have been training hard since day one. We have been through the tough workouts and the fun workouts, always encouraging each other and always smiling. There is a bond that has already formed between each of us. A bond that can never be broken.

Saturday was our first race and it was the official start to new season. It is at the races where everyone's true personality comes through. At this race, we were a team and it felt like, at least to me, that we had been running as a team for years.

Adele Blum is a senior from Jacksonville, Fla. She would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.