Every step strained my burning muscles. I gulped for breath but received no air. Sweat dripped into my eyes. I felt no pain; I couldn't feel anything. I could hear cheering audiences drift as I passed. Mud clung onto my legs as if the substance took the role as a leech. I ignored gravity and lunged forward. All while the only thought I could form was why am I doing this?
I started cross-country in September. My parents insisted I do a fall sport, and cross-country seemed the perfect sport for me, since it required no hand-eye coordination, no gear, I’ve experienced track all three years of middle school, I wouldn’t have to drag embarrassment if I didn’t make the cut, and I bought a new pair of Saucony FastWitch 5’s. So, in my freshman style, I conceived the foolish notion that I was prepared for the miles. …show more content…
I have seen kids with legs and arms like string beans move faster than an NFL player. I have experienced pain beyond my comprehension. I have felt the urge to quit, and the sensation of overcoming a new PR. I have witnessed my friends collapse on course, and competitors surpass my teammate’s personal records. I have dealt with freezing cold sweat and heat that makes me feel like my insides are cooking into stew – and yet have not found an answer to why do I do this?
Who would willingly haul herself off a couch to jog? Who would attempt to push far beyond her second breaking point after most normal people would give up far before their first?
We, runners, are a peculiar bunch. We all bond through the appreciation of pain, acknowledging one another with a slight nod when our paths cross or by moving slowly to the side when another runner is wheezing up a particularly large
I started cross-country in September. My parents insisted I do a fall sport, and cross-country seemed the perfect sport for me, since it required no hand-eye coordination, no gear, I’ve experienced track all three years of middle school, I wouldn’t have to drag embarrassment if I didn’t make the cut, and I bought a new pair of Saucony FastWitch 5’s. So, in my freshman style, I conceived the foolish notion that I was prepared for the miles. …show more content…
I have seen kids with legs and arms like string beans move faster than an NFL player. I have experienced pain beyond my comprehension. I have felt the urge to quit, and the sensation of overcoming a new PR. I have witnessed my friends collapse on course, and competitors surpass my teammate’s personal records. I have dealt with freezing cold sweat and heat that makes me feel like my insides are cooking into stew – and yet have not found an answer to why do I do this?
Who would willingly haul herself off a couch to jog? Who would attempt to push far beyond her second breaking point after most normal people would give up far before their first?
We, runners, are a peculiar bunch. We all bond through the appreciation of pain, acknowledging one another with a slight nod when our paths cross or by moving slowly to the side when another runner is wheezing up a particularly large