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| TRACK |
“Runner’s ready?”
Nope.
“On your marks!”
Why am I shaking?
“Set!”
I’m gonna pass out.
BAM, the gun shot blares loudly.
GO! GO! GO! My body jolts forward and I quickly break out of the pack. My breathing hastens to the pace of a dog on a hot summer’s day. I can’t control my body. All I know is I am moving forward as I race around the first turn. I don’t even glance back, but tune my ears to hear even the faintest sounds behind me. Letting someone catch me now could kill my chances. I brush away the thoughts and keep fighting through the pain that swims up my blood stream, through my feet, calves, thighs, core, all the way up to my pounding temples. My feet settle in from the speed of racing rapids into that of a steady river, the most “comfortable” pace one can reach during the 400 meter dash. My body can barely handle the pain, but then the bell rings as I whiz by the finish line. Only one lap to go and its time to lay it all on the line. As much as my body wants to collapse to the ground, the fire within my soul envelops my veins. The rest of the race blurs together and next thing I know it, I’m flinging my body across the finish line. I glance around me and after a second or two, another racer flies through. Did I just? Nah. Wait. Did I win? My coach jogs over to me and the confusion on my face must be pretty apparent. The first words our of her mouth are Ilana, you won. A smile plasters across my face. The pain was worth it. Fighting through was worth it. But its more than just winning the race thats all worth it. The best part of running, however, isn’t winning the races. Its about climbing to the top of the mountain and yet every time you reach the peak, its keeps getting higher. The climb never ends and neither does the way it makes me feel. The wave of endorphins that hits me after reaching my goal never ceases to bring me anything but happiness. Genuine happiness.
