Waking up early to get on the cold bus, the misted dew on the grass in the early morning, tents being set up in every space available, and a light fog hangs over the bodies of water that stands between me and the course I would be pounding my feet on for 3.1 miles. My teammate ,Cele, and I ran a mile to warm our legs and relieve some pre-race nerves. We never knew that in the next two hours, both of us would have finished top 15 out of 260 girls. Before we knew it, we were lining up on the starting line with colorful balloons above us and many girls on each side of us. We squeezed through everyone and had to share a box on the starting line with another team. At 9 o’clock, the red flag rose in the air and the gun sounded. I sprang forward and started off perfectly. I went out neither too fast, nor too slow. When we rounded the first turn of the race, something in my body told me I could go faster. My legs picked up speed and I was soaring down the soft gravel passing competitors I never thought I could. My first mile was exactly how I wanted it and I kept my pace and prepared myself for the “Snake”. Fans and supporters lined the entry to the twisting hills. Hearing everyone cheering made it seem not so bad. I was side-by-side with a past state champion as I conquered each hill. After entering the last mile of my first race of the season, I finally thought to myself that I really can run a new PR. At last, I was on the straight-away and pushed myself to the end. I looked up and saw the timer click on 20:53 and I crossed the line in 20 minutes and 54 seconds. I accomplished my goal of getting a new PR and felt happy with myself. Soon after finishing, I got the amazing news that my teammate, Cele Moon, had placed 1st in the race and I had placed 11th! From placing 48th the previous year, I was very happy I placed eleventh! After I cooled down with a watermelon flavored shaved-ice, I went to cheer on the other divisions of runners. Then the awards ceremony finally came. Standing on that stage in front of everyone really made me realize how much I really love running. It’s not just a hobby, it’s a passion. Last year, I had prayed and prayed I would run fast enough to get on that podium with everyone cheering for me. Although it didn’t happen at Chickasaw Trails last year, this year made up for it all. Everyone did such a good job and I’m very proud of my team. Cele placed 1st with a 19:47, Phoebe Moon was 4th in the JV Division with a 13:07, Taylor Adams was 72nd in the JV Division with over 400 runners, and Zach Phillips was 49th out of the boys division with a19:06. I am very happy to say I run for Wilson High School and I am more than ready for this season.
This weekend, we will be traveling to Scottsboro. I am very excited to run this race and take on the hills. I hope everyone has a great weekend and gets ready for some fast times. Cross country season is here, lace up your spikes, and hit the trails everyone.
-"Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts." --Dan Gablehttp