Track Meet

Ten Minutes to go…

adrenaline is building up

feeling the butterflies in my stomach

my hands getting clammy

but I can’t help to think about what could happen—

I could win.

Lace up my flats,

tuck in my jersey,

make sure hair is in a tight ponytail.

Everything is a blur

I keep getting patted on the shoulder

with the whisper of “good luck!”

Every muscle in my body is twitching with anticipation

and I can no longer sit still.

I restretch every muscle of my body

trying to relax them.

My time is up…

I am in front of the starting block

there is no turning back.

I set up the blocks to my positions

and wait for the commands.

“Runners take your marks,”

I take a deep breath and brace myself.

I crouch down into the blocks.

“Get set”

One last deep breath.

BANG!

I am off

sprinting,

racing

for the finish line.

I see my opponent ahead of me.

Last ten meters

putting all my effort into it

and I cross the finish line.

I congratulate the girl next to me,

and slouch down taking in deep breaths.

Thinking.

Thinking about whether or not

I ran fast enough.

The officials come out of their huddle

and announce the numbers

“438, 233, 257”

I breathe out.

I came in third.

Not what I had hoped for,

but still a place.

I walk back to my stuff,

get a drink of water

and put on my shirt and pants.

It’s over.

It’s all over.

My race is finished.

I head off for the bus,

thinking….

about my next track meet.