Last spring, I penned a reported personal essay about my experience training for the Chicago Marathon, from the moment I got the fateful acceptance email to the end of my training in June. Plenty has happened since then — not least of which, the marathon itself — and it’s about time for an update. My … Continue reading Fight Till The Finish: My Experience Running the 2021 Chicago Marathon
The following article is a reported personal essay I developed through my Journalism class this spring. Enjoy! The opportunity to run the 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathon was just too enticing to pass up. Never mind that I hadn’t run seriously for two years and hadn’t completed even a half marathon. The race’s Oct. … Continue reading Essay: I’m Taking on the Chicago Marathon in a Pandemic Year and Don’t Regret It (Yet)
One year ago today, I crossed the line at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland after the 1600m state championships, officially completing my high school distance running career. A lot has happened since then: I’ve moved to Illinois, transitioned from high school and college, and taken the longest break from running I’ve had since starting … Continue reading Back to the Track: A Retrospective on High School Running
In sports, the athlete is always moving: running, shooting, passing, swimming, catching. The same could be said about my own history as an athlete moving between different sports. Over a span of 19 years, I’ve participated in an organized league over 40 times, with no sport exceeding 12 of those seasons. Those sports represented an … Continue reading Nostalgia Blast: The Athlete
Nicky G. Bum Squad. Oh We Rollin. The following article is an oral history of the Braintrust Productions (a.k.a. Wootton XC videos) and their impact on all those involved over the memorable span of three years and six films. Each section (with the exception of the conclusion) contains a YouTube link to the corresponding video. … Continue reading Oral History: Behind the Scenes of Braintrust Productions
The following column was published in Wootton's Common Sense newspaper as the final in the Varsity Letter series. The most impactful moment of my high school athletic career came in the least likely of places and the least extraordinary of days. After a nondescript road run for track practice during my junior year, all of … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Swan Song
Time is a crucial, if convoluted, element in the majority of our school’s sports (I say majority because, well, golf). Without time, there wouldn’t be the thrill of a buzzer-beater, the magnitude of a broken record in track or swimming or the display of skill required to react to a speeding tennis ball or baseball. … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Presence of mind essential to success
Cross country races are awesome. Each one is unique, with different terrains, competitors, and challenges. They also maximize the team aspect of distance running and combine individual and team strategy as well as training and talent to make for incredible races. Sadly, I am now one month removed from my high school cross country career, … Continue reading Ranking my best cross country races of high school
Distance running may be an individual discipline, but there’s no arguing against cross country is a team sport. The best XC teams at any level not only have strong top runners, but have depth among their other varsity athletes that allows them to close gaps and finish with miniscule point totals. This concept of an … Continue reading Building the ultimate movie character cross country squad
The following is my cross country speech for our year-end banquet. Enjoy! Hey guys, my name is John Riker. I want to start off by giving thanks to God for giving me the gift to run, to my caring coaches, to my supportive teammates, to my awesome family, and to the entire Wootton XC community. … Continue reading Speech: My Cross Country Story
Riker's Block 