First Race Narrative

INDENT It was my first race of the season on the no-cut cross country team and when I crossed the finish line, I nearly collapsed. By the next race, I knew that I wanted to improve. After the second race, I looked at my time and as usual, I came in last place. Having the least athletic experience on the team, it did not surprise me. However, what came as a shock to me was that it would be a personal win.
INDENT The starting gun fired and it felt as if everything was in slow motion. The clatter of sneakers against the gravel snapped me from my daze. As the pack of varsity and JV girls flew past me, I knew that this race would be just like the last. I was going to come in last place yet again.
INDENT After the first lap, I could feel sweat pouring down my face. The gravel path was coming up and I was ready to sprint up it. My foot slipped on one of the rocks, but despite the stumble, I somehow remained upright and kept running.
INDENT I regretted forgetting to take my allergy medicine. The smell of freshly cut grass infiltrated my nostrils. Soon it would not stop running and thankfully I had tissue in my pocket. Although, a funny take-away from that was that all of the pictures taken from that day were of me holding a tissue.
INDENT The finish line was
rapidly approaching and I wanted to finish strong. My hair flew in the wind as I started dashing. The bushes bordering the path flew by in a sea of green. I saw my teammates in the distance, but they were getting closer by the second. When they saw me nearing the finish, their enthusiastic cheers brought a smile to my face.
INDENT I darted across the finish line with adrenaline pumping through my veins. Even though the race was over, I still felt like my legs were still going to carry me away.
INDENT I looked over to the timekeeper who seemed elated after finding out that I was the last finisher. Suddenly, I felt a wave of disappointment come over me. It was an abrupt reminder of the fact that I was running at a sluggish pace in comparison to the rest of the team. Being the slowest was irritating, but the fact that I was constantly reminded of my status on the team felt frustrating.
INDENT I wiped the sweat off of my forehead and walked over my team. The girls surrounded me in a group hug. To my surprise, they showered me in compliments on how I finished.
INDENT “Uh… thanks,” I managed to get out.
INDENT I went over to my bag to and sprawled out the grass. My coach started walking towards me and astonishingly he had a smile on his face. “Why is he so happy,” I thought to myself. “I came in last place.”
INDENT “Did you know that you shaved three minutes off of your personal best?” he asked. “Great job!”
INDENT “I… I did?” I asked with wide eyes.
INDENT “You sure did,” he replied with a chuckle and walked away, but not before telling me to do my cool down. INDENT I sat on the grass in the grass in utter shock that I improved by three minutes.
Three minutes! After only one race, it never crossed my mind that I could improve that much. That day, I was more determined than ever to stay on the team. Many girls quit the team before I arrived and being the slowest on the team, I felt some pressure to leave. Thankfully, I stayed and because I came to practice every day and gave my all during races, I improved my personal best. Whenever I feel discouraged about my progress I think about that race and it gives me a sense of comfort. It was the reason that pushed me to prove to myself and to the team that even though I was the slowest, I was willing to work hard and better
myself.