It was morning.
Every tendon in my body was stretched tight. I had perpetual butterflies in my stomach. It felt like they were on speed, whipping back and forth. When the first gun sounded, it was our alert to head for the starting lines. As I did, my legs were almost numb. I couldn’t feel them, just the nerves inside me. I looked to the sidelines.
David, Malinda, Mark, Logan, and Heather all waved back at me. Mason had a game that afternoon. He couldn’t make it, but he had called last night and this morning. There’d been ten text messages from him the last time I checked my phone. All were filled with good lucks and reassurance that everything would work out no matter what. It was easy for him to say; he was already at Cain University.
I was being irrational. He was there. I wasn’t. I needed to get there. It was on me. This was my job.
People were yelling out good luck to me. I heard my name being cheered, but it all faded. My eyes were trained on the referee holding his hand in the air. I waited. Everyone waited, and the more I focused on him, the more my nerves faded away.
The horn sounded, and he dropped his arm in a dramatic motion.
We were off.
The front of the group started off. I had been placed in the middle. It never took long for the groups to scatter. I waited again. Because of the press from the other runners, I couldn’t start out at my normal pace. I was itching to go, though. It was taking everything in me to keep from veering to the edge of the crowd and putting distance between me and them, but some girls spread out, and it took only a few more paces before I was able to stretch my legs.
I could see the front runners. They were going hard, but this meet meant everything to some of us. It meant my future.
“Don’t hold back, Strattan.” My coach had pulled me aside when everyone left the bus earlier.
I’d been confused. “What are you talking about?”
Eric Hayes got off the bus, followed by two more guys. They all glanced at us as they went, but Coach waited until they were out of hearing distance. He lowered his voice, “I know you, Strattan. You hold back automatically. Don’t. Not here. You go as hard as you can. Most girls might lose their momentum in the second half, some don’t. Some go faster the last half, but you go strong the whole time. I know you run on your own still.”
“Only sometimes.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve known. This is your run. Run today as if you’ll never run again. You got it? You can take state. You could even go to nationals. Run your ass off. That’s all I’m telling you.” He pointed to my head. “Turn that off and just go.”
“Okay.” I could do this. “I will, Coach.”
“Good.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “Do what you need to do. I’ll see you at the finish line.”
With that said, I set my internal speedometer to full force. Once I did this, I knew this was how I would go the whole way. I didn’t pay attention to who I was passing. I didn’t look to the sides as people were lining up ahead, trying to keep up with me. It wasn’t long until I realized I was alone. Either I was in first or the girls who were in first were too far ahead of me.
I wasn’t running against them. I was running against myself.
The first marker was set up. I soared past it. The second had a small group of people. My eyes were focused, but I caught movement from the corner of my eye. They were waving their arms. I heard the yelling, but it was muffled. I rounded for the third. This time, a larger group was there. Someone was running to get there, to be there when I went past it.
“Sam!”
That was Logan. A small tear came to me, but it flew off my cheek. I kept going.
The fourth marker had more people.
The fifth doubled in size.
The sixth and seventh were the same. As I flew past, I realized they were there for me. I heard my name clear as day, but it didn’t slow me down. I didn’t let it distract me.
I remembered Mason’s last text as I cleared a hill and started down it: Run your ass off. Run to me. All roads, Sam. I’ll be there.
I had one more marker. A referee was supposed to be at each one of them, but I didn’t remember seeing him. I wasn’t seeing anyone. The finish line wasn’t far and I wasn’t tired yet. My legs stretched wider. I envisioned everything in my mind. My heels dug into the ground. My muscles bunched, pulling me forward with my momentum, and my toes went next. I pushed off from them, sending myself forward into another sprint. Over and over again. I could go faster. I saw the end and the large crowd that had formed, waiting on me.
I soared over it and my head went back. My chest was gasping. That had been the fastest run of my life. I wanted to keep going, but I forced myself to stop. As I did, people ran at me.