itâs a saturday morning. you woke up at 5 am to get on the bus to go to a meet. you walk the course, your shoes wet and dirty from the early morning dew and dirt. you lace up your spikes, the nerves starting. you head to the start line with the girls you call your sisters. the crowd is silent as the gun is raised. a shot. and thereâs noise all around. cheering for the hundreds of people youâre competing against. the ground is thundering as people sprint to get a good position. you suffer through the race with various thoughts, trying to convince yourself you can go a little faster and that youâre stronger, that youâve trained for this. you can see the finish line. your feet move even faster as you remember youâre racing that clock. you need to pass the girl in front of you, too. maybe you pr'ed, maybe you didnât. but you gave it your all. you congratulate your teammates as you try to get control of your legs back. and you remember. this is why you run.
