Here I stand at the starting line with my cross country team. My heart is racing as if my feet are already flying. I ask myself, how do I want to run today? Thoughts are racing through my mind. What are others thinking? Are they ready to run today? Will this be a challenge for me? My hands are beginning to sweat as we wait for the marksman to start the race. Bang! The starter gun fires. Here I go. My feet begin to move one step at a time. I start out slowly and begin to accelerate into a steady pace. One foot in front of the other on the hard grassy ground. I think about my start in the race. Am I starting out to fast? My hands begin to shake like a leaf blowing in the wind. I take deep breaths to try and calm myself down. I need to get my head back into the game and focus on the race. My body begins to wear on me. My breathing is off and my foot is sore. I am struggling to maintain my pace as I hear the fans clapping and yelling. I am determined to finish with a burst of speed down the home stretch. I forge ahead one step at a time to the beat of the clapping. I reflect back on this race every time I think I am in a bad place. It reminds me of the determination everyone has to overcome obstacles.