Running With Purpose

Standing on the crisp white line painted across a dying patch of grass, the runners took their marks, poised waiting for the gun. It was the most important race of my Sophomore cross country season, and it determined if we would make it to the State meet as a team. The blast of the gun cut through the frigid October air, sending a frenzy of girls shooting towards the first turn. My team had prepared for this race all season, and due to past success, expected to dominate the competition. However, this expectation may have ultimately been our downfall as the race slipped away from us.

Sweaty and exhausted, we found each other at the finish line, surrounded by hundreds of panting athletes. As I noticed the regret in my teammates’ eyes, I knew we had not qualified to run at State. All of our hard work had led up to this, but we had taken our success for granted. As I ran through the fields, hardened by the autumn frost, it never crossed my mind that a spot at State was not guaranteed- we needed to work for it.  The regret I felt that day has never left me, but now I use it as fuel and determination in each workout and race. I know I must work to accomplish my goals, and try my best each day if I want to be successful. My Junior year, I remembered the disappointment of the past year’s race, and was determined to never let that happen again. We ran until our legs burned with fatigue; and hoped our efforts efforts would pay off. As I crossed the finish as a Junior, I knew we had raced to the best of our abilities; we had taken nothing for granted.