The deafening hammering of your heart
The ripple of fear pulsing through veins
Lunch crawling its way back up your throat
A long shaking exhale
The muffled sound of “ready, set….”
The sigh of your mind going blank
The explosion of a gun
Soft pound of 200 feet struggling to keep out of the grounds’ reach
The whisper of an arm rubbing against a scratchy uniform
The sharp grunt of an elbow being swung into a gut
The screams of the wind as you break out of the pack
Sinking of your heart as you step on uneven ground
Unidentified shrieking of an excited bystander
The patter of flying gravel as you turn a corner
Experienced legs shrugging off the stab of pain
The sudden quiet of a desert holding its breath in anticipation
The silent cheer of a saguaro as you hurtle past
The hiccup of a popping knee
Constant bickering of an indecisive mind
Swift tearing of skin as your leg brushes a cactus
Bubbling tingle of a numbing poison
Uneven tide of heavy breathing
A faint shadow sneaking into your peripheral vision
A moment of panic as a second pair of feet pads determinedly behind you
Confident directions flooding from your coach as you run by
A small acceleration forcing the runner at your elbow to retreat
A sigh of relief from the bobbing head of a watching lizard
The finish line shining ahead like a lighthouse in a stormy sea
A fierce passion suddenly erupting inside of you
Gears begin to turn
The rush of your feet hammering madly against the dirt
Powerful perseverance as you continue to gain speed
Brief sensation of complete ease and disbelief
Crumble of dirt as your foot glides over the red finish line
The crash as you collide with an overwhelming wall of pain
The delayed silence of euphoria and victory