Countdown To Race Time

A feeling of excitement and fear flows through me as I prepare for the run of my life. "I can't believe it," I think as I finish my practice start, "I would have never believed I would be here in the finals." The gun man tells us to get to our blocks. Everything, the audience and athletes both, even the howling winds seem to turn silent as the runners position themselves in their starting positions. Everyone excitedly waits.

"On your marksÐ'..." The runners lean their heads forward, but as I do, I cannot help but to see the eager expressions on the audiences' faces as they prepare to see the final race of the year. Our parents seem ready to leap forward, for fear that their seniors will not win in their final race of their high school year, while others seemed relaxed, yet just as excited for their kids, since they know there's always next year to race for the rest. Even the dogs some of the parents brought seem keen, with their waging tails and bulging eyes, to see their masters run.

"Get setÐ'..." I shake out of my distraction as we lean our legs up, ready to leave our blocks for the last time. As I look to my opponents quickly, I see different looks on everyone's faces; some stone-cold, determined to named Girl Runner of the Year, while others run cold sweat through their ghost-paled faces, fearing for the worst. A jolt runs through me as I realize how much everyone wants to win, but that does not make me back down; it makes me more determined to win this race.

"This is it," I tell myself, "the moment of truth." The audience waits with anticipation; runners wait with fear and adrenaline as we wait for itÐ'..."Go!" The gum sounds off through the stadium. The audience cheers for their runners as we take off from our blocks. Time to win this race.