I casually went through my stretching regimen, reflecting on the successes of the day. I had already competed in the 3200 meter race that morning, and blown everybody in my heat away. I took the lead on the first turn, and never looked back. I was filled with glee when I saw the girl I had a crush on, with her mouth literally dropped open as she watched me circle the track.
As I finished limbering up I realized that I was pretty badly sunburned on my face. My cheeks were hot and flush, but I was nonetheless pleased with the unexpected tan. I chuckled a bit at the fact that I neglected to put on sunscreen just because it had been chilly that day; maybe I thought that somehow the cold would shield me from the sun’s rays, or maybe I wasn’t thinking about the sun at all. I stood up and, shaking out my legs, realized that I would definitely have to put my “coach’s” advice to use. It was quite blustery, and for the whole far side of the track I would have the wind blowing directly in my face, trying to stop me in my tracks.
I didn’t feel too confident about the race; I probably had the fifth slowest qualifying time out of about 25. That didn’t stop me from wanting to show off in front of all the pretty girls there. I have to admit that a big reason for me joining track was simply the opposite sex. I wasn’t strong enough (or crazy) for football, not brave enough to try out for basketball, so track was left. Then I discovered that maybe I was kind of good at it, and all was well in the world.
“Gentlemen start your engines!” No wait, that’s not what he said. It was more on the lines of, “READY…SET…BANG!” The race was underway, and after the first straightaway I settled into a comfortable pace, taking full advantage of my opportunity to draft behind the frontrunners. As I passed coach Robert I received a look of approval, as he could see that I was following his sagely advice. The second, and first three quarters of the third lap passed relatively uneventfully until the start of the second straightaway. Taking this as my cue to break away from the pack, I started to kick as hard as I could to distance myself. The fourth lap had come around, and I glanced back at my competitors, who looked like tiny ants that I could easily squash with one of my thundering foot slaps. I wasn’t celebrating yet, for I knew that the gruesome wind was waiting for me as soon as I rounded the first turn. There it was. It was as if I was running with a 500 pound weight dragging behind me. My legs ached, my lungs burned, and my breath was trying to run away from me to a safer place. I gritted my teeth, leaned forward, and just ran, all the while visualizing a 2 story glass of ice cold water waiting for me to dive into. 20 meters. 10 meters. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, finish line. Those last 10 meters seemed to take a year a piece.
Victory! Two first places in one day. I had never experienced one first place, let alone two firsts in one day. All of my coaches congratulated me, but I gave Captain Rob a special thanks. It was his advice I had followed, and that had led me to victory. Needless to say, I never got another first place in a race, but no one can ever take that triumphant day away from me.
