I Have Limitations
As I sat in the grass of Burke County's football field that fateful day in May, my brain was cluttered with questions and thoughts. I was busy making mental notes. Stay low, snap your trail leg, and run when you hit the ground, my mind nagged. Instinctively, I put on my running spikes, removed my warm-ups, and stretched my muscles. My concentration was interrupted as the speakers boomed, "Third and final call for all 100-meter low hurdles." In a blur I was on the starting line, staring down a horizon filled with hurdles.
Beat them to the first hurdle with a quick start, and you have a chance to win. CRACK! The startling noise the gun made brought me back to reality. Clearing the first hurdle in perfect form, I ran with all my might. I lunged toward the finish line after I soared over the final hurdle. Looking ahead of me, I saw only one other runner. I had qualified for the regional finals! My coach's smile said everything I wanted to hear.
Walking off the rubber track, my heart was at the same time both light and heavy. I was thrilled by my qualification, but I knew the next day would be horrid. Coach Gaddy firmly said, "You know what you have to do to advance."
Finally, following what seemed like an eternity, Friday arrived. After dwelling on the race, I had butterflies the size of pelicans waiting for the opportunity to take me away. While running a warm-up lap, I realized I had let my tension get the best of me. My leg muscles felt like rocks. All you need to do is focus and put things in place. Just then, coach tapped me on the shoulder. He had been informed that I had the third fastest time in my heat, and I would be running in lane five. "Run the best race of your life, and you have a great chance at going to state," he said. I was relieved to know I only needed to recover one place to advance. My fears slowly and gently began to subside, and my confidence started to build. While I was engrossed in my wind sprints, I heard, "Second call, all 100-meter low hurdles.
Show your work. Note that your answer will probably not be an even whole number as it is in the examples, so round to the nearest whole number.
I picked up my starting blocks and walked over to the white line along with the seven other girls right beside me. I rubbed the bitter cold from my arms, and took a deep breath. I went to work setting up my blocks, dropping the footholds into the slots that fit my specific measurements. The starter announced that we would have two more minutes to take some practice starts before he would call us to the line. I got down in my blocks, rose up, and finally sprang out of them, just as well as I had been doing in practice the day before. I could not have been more ready for my eighth grade Mid-Southern Conference track meet.
Sparrey, Kathleen Raske. “Development of Elite Hurdlers: Assesment of the Individual Athlete From: Identifying and Training Elite Hurdlers in the United States.” October 29, 2003 http://www.coachr.org/shrthrd.htm.
...e bus and off we went. As soon as we arrived we were told that the kick off would be in ten minutes. After a quick warm up we were ready. My hands were shaking, heart pounding but I couldn’t wait to start. When the game started my nerves escaped from my head and I was focused on the match.
“Guys! We made it out!” Sean stated with the utmost excitement. We had placed top 5 and would now advance to the next State meet. This brightened the mood a lot, everyone was so happy when they heard this. This was a true accomplishment. This is the moment that made me proud to be part of the
Conditioning my brain muscles, lifting 2 by 3 inch flashcards, and honing my guessing skills, I am a Decathlete. Ever since the summer of 2013, I made a life changing choice to join a particular group of rejects, outcasts of teenage society, known as the Academic Decathlon Team. Even my friends poked fun at me for deciding to associate myself in a class where students apprehensively awaited to answer academic questions via buzzer (which I now know is a common misconception). However,
Although this drive to always be better has become an integral part of my character, through my high school career it was not, and I derived my drive to succeed from other’s disbelief. When my track coach told me I was too short to be a triple jumper, overcoming his doubt became the driving force in my life. I toiled endlessly in
The start of the 2002 track season found me concerned with how I would perform. After a disastrous bout with mononucleosis ended my freshmen track season, the fear of failure weighed heavily on my mind. I set a goal for myself in order to maintain focus and to push myself like nothing else would. My goal for my sophomore track season was to become a state champion in the 100 meter hurdles. I worked hard everyday at practice and went the extra mile, like running every Sunday, to be just that much closer to reaching my goal. The thought of standing highest on the podium in the center of the field, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, overcame my thoughts of complaining every time we had a hard workout. When I closed my eyes, I pictured myself waiting in anticipation as other competitors names were called out, one by one, until finally, the booming voice announced over the loudspeaker, "...and in first place, your 2002 100 meter hurdle champion, from Hotchkiss, Connie Dawson." It was visions like these that drove me to work harder everyday.
Going into the first race we had not expected much since Susan and I had never run this type of race. There were so many crucial things that we had to remember. It wasn't just to get out of the blocks and burn up the track; there was a baton involved, a certain amount of steps to take, and even a certain way to hold the baton.
* Amount of acid – if there is more acid the rate of reaction will
I dip my toes in—feels cold. My nerves rise up and spread like fire throughout my body while I watch—while I wait. Stomach hurts. All those butterflies clash and crowd. They come every time that I race—it never fails. There is so much noise—the splash of water, talking, yelling, whistling, cheering.
Running can be perceived simply as putting one step in front of the other, however, some people fail to see the hard work, dedication, and focus that carries each step. Being a collegiate athlete, has taught me a variety of life lessons including qualities I have applied to my studies, such as leadership, self-discipline and the ability to persevere when failure presents. As an undergraduate student, I maintained the values learned from running to complete my bachelor's degree in three years. Not only did I maintain a high grade-point average, also I was fortunate enough to be named a Marie Curie Scholar at a selective all-women’s college. While hours were spent running, I made time to work a full time job, shadow professionals and participate
The miles increased each week and before I knew it, the last long run before the marathon was only twenty miles. Then came the marathon, 26.2 miles of runners’ high, pain, agony, and unstable weather.