I’m about to run

It’s 10:30 in the morning

And i’m wide awake

And shaking nervously

Because what’s about to come

Will make me happy.

As we walk up to the waterfall start

I look up and say

“Wish me luck”

As if someone was listening

My heart is pounding

“BANG” the gun goes off

I start to push for my spot on the track

I look out of place with all of these high schoolers

Around me

2 laps in and i’m starting to breathe heavily

Only 1000 meters to go I say to no one

As I cross that line for the third time

I found my spot and I settled in

Only passing on the back straight away

I start to move up 12th, 11th, 10th, all the way up

“2:35” my coach yells at the 800 meter mark

I’m halfway done.

I keep running not paying any attention to the time

I cross the line for the 7th time

My eyes are on the Clarence kid

He’s only 10 meters in front of me

“This is the last lap” I though

And then I hear nothing

Nothing at all

I start to speed up

Passing him with 50 meters to go

We start to sprint

10 meters to go

5 more

3

2

1

Stride!

I won

It was a huge victory for me

But I won by a hundredth of a second.

My time was 5:09

For one mile.