My name is Douglas Adam Whitehead, but I go by Adam. I am a student at a college preparatory school: Arete Preparatory Academy. Running for me is a hobby, sport, and a way to relieve myself of stress. I discovered my love for running in 7th grade during the spring track season. Before that I was a soccer player but I never was really motivated to push myself until I started running track and then Cross Country the next year.

Running did not really take off for me until my freshman season of Cross Country: All of a sudden I was doing a minute faster two mile time than my 8th grade two mile PR inside of a 5k. The running programs at my school are very small: I train on my own. Usually fast runners from way bigger schools have upper classmen to train against but not me, except for the occasional workout with the sprinters. Other than the occasional training with the sprinters and easy runs with my XC coach, I have always run alone in Track and Cross Country. Over the summer I attend Jim Ryun Running Camp to supplement my training with knowledge from Jack Daniels' Running Formula of how to train and why the training methods taught work. I learn the science behind the workouts.

Even though my school's running programs are small, I stay because I see the significance of the education that my school offers. I really learn to think at my school; it has a classical, liberal arts curriculum. Running keeps me focused on doing well at school. If I do not keep my academics up, I decrease my chance to go and run in college, and run for my high school team at all. Running and academics are both of great importance to me; they build on each other. The academics at my school help to teach me to work hard in everything I do. But running, ultimately, was the thing that has unlocked that desire. I always want to give 100% in my races and I am obsessed with improvement and seeing how far I can go with my running ability and seeing how high I am able to get my grades. 

What I am mostly looking for in a college is one with good Track and XC programs but also very good academics. I am also a Christian so it would be nice to go to a Christian school that fits this criteria, but I know wherever I go, God is able to bless me with friends with similar beliefs and interests. Another nice thing for me in a college would be a Living Learning Community/Dorm that is substance free. I want to make sure I am not putting very bad things into my body and am not tempted to do so. I need to stay healthy to get the best results in running and school. I would also love to go to a college where I would enjoy the scenery each time I went out for a run: the phoenix valley's brown scenery can get pretty boring. I am very open to going new places for college: I have lived in states with very different weather conditions and visited places all over the country.