Anticipation is running through the veins
in my legs
We are all standing
Ready position
Looking forward
Bent and concentrated knees
Listening for the gun to sound…Boom!
We are sent off like firecrackers
I sprint to stay towards the front
We all are running together as a unit,
But at same time, we are battling each other

My heart starts to pump
Once, twice, three, four
And my breath starts to stagger
I maintain my tempo
And I stay behind their fast-moving heels
I cannot let them out of range

As the race continues, it becomes harder to stay
But I keep going
the wind of determination fueling me
as I speed along, quick, quick

But it feels almost as if I’m not moving at all
Thinking is painful
I work hard pounding my legs down the hills to gain speed
The fear of a girl passing me is unbearable

Two miles are done
And my breath is gasping
But I feel fine
One more mile…

Suddenly
It clutches me
and takes hold of my side stomach
I should’ve eaten more
Or more water?
It comes
Controlling me, and forcing me to slow down
An awful, awful stomach cramp
Strength is present in my muscles
But I am forced to slow
Because the pain is growing worse
Unhappy, but without much time to think about it,
Strong girls are passing me
I have to continue.

Slower, but still moving fast
I run that last mile fiercely
Fighting the side of my noncooperating stomach
Still pounding the downhills
And easing off a little on the uphills

Toward the end of the mile, the cramp was letting loose
I sped up
The end of the race,
A man near the end
in a referee uniform spoke
as we passed
I could feel her coming up behind me
Hear the pounding

I sped up, almost there to the finish line
I sprinted
Every part of my heart set on quickly, quickly reaching that finish line
So close
Right there

I don’t care anymore how I felt
I want to win,
To finish
To beat my previous time
Even with a cramp slowing me down
I run
I run with my heart
My breath was very loud, and the people on each side were cheering
“Go! Go!” I heard someone yell
and I picked up speed as best I could
“GO! GO!”
I’m here, I’m here
I cross the finish line quick
And then abruptly slowed down
Sweat dripped down my face
And I bent over from exhaustion

I walk slowly to the end of the ramp
I have beaten the girl
But I have not satisfied my former self…
Next time