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Personal Narrative: My First High School Race

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Conflicting thoughts ofQ excitement and anxiousness swelled throughout my mind as I boarded the bus to my first cross country race of high school. As everyone becameQ quiet, a nervous atmosphere overtook the stagnant stench on the bus; racing spikes being placed on the racers, earbuds in, the noises I was never used to hearing. Fixated, I studiedQ the course map, as the words of my coach overshadowed my introspection; “Start conservative LoganQ; be the hunter, not the hunted”. The bus ride was longQ and unnerving, like a courtroom anticipating the final verdict. Nameless signs flew past my window, until the two words slowly went by, Rotary Park, everyone knew it was finally here. Stepping off of the bus, I thought nothing special of the course, …show more content…
I was inevitablyQ intimidated, being a 5’1 90 pound freshman in the presence of people twice my size. Around me wasQ the smell of freshly cut grass, the warmth of the illuminating sun, and the chatter of my teammates gathering to warm up. As I walkedQ to the startline, I caught a glimpse of the menacing, formidable hill at the end of the race. There was onlyQ one way to go about it, up it. Ready and focusedQ, I became familiar with the course throughout the warm up; starting to piece together my once unorganized strategy into one flexibly concrete plan to success. A plethora of emotions flooded my sensations as I laced up my racing spikes, put on my uniform, and put on my racing bib. Like a butterflyQ coming out of its cocoon I was ready to fly, ready to start unknown, finish unforgettable. “30 seconds!” announced the referee, as the jumping, talking, and moving came to a close. I undertook aQ state of hyperfocus, hearing only the beats of my heart, and the echoes throughout my mind. “10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… BANG!”, the journey had started, and with it the jostling, elbow throwing, sprinting, and accelerating out of the box. I held back, letting the explosive havoc of the pace destroy the lead and middle pack

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