Today is the day of my first half marathon. I cannot believe I am actually going to do this. I do not know what inspired me to want to run 13.1 miles for fun. I guess I grew tired of living an indolent lifestyle and wanted to do something productive with my summer. Or maybe I was finally fed up with the churlish remarks my brother made when I said that running a half marathon was on my bucket list. Or maybe I just lack acumen and make wrong decisions. No matter what had motivated me enough to do it, I signed up for the Kirkwood half-marathon and trained all summer. No better time than the present, right?
I woke up at five in the morning and with my stomach in knots. I ate a bowl of Frosted Flakes and a banana with orange juice for my pre-race
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I sprinted to the finish and beat my goal time! I finished in one hour and forty-three minutes and placed second in my age group. After relaxing for a few minutes to catch my breath, I sauntered over to the water table, grabbed a bottle, and then made my way to the awards table. The table overflowed with garish medals and trophies. The announcer began naming the individuals that placed. When he called my name, I gauchely walked up to the table and accepted my silver medal. I felt so accomplished! The announcer saved the overall winner for last. It was a close finish, and the two runners did not even know who won. When the speaker announced the winner, the runner-up became infuriated. Ironically, the runner-up turned out to be the speaker that talked before the race about how he planned on winning again. The bellicose man ran up to the winner throwing punches. The whole crowd gasped as the ethereal trophy flew out of the winner’s hands and shattered on the ground. Security shoved through the crowd and tackled the feckless man. Everything settled down when the police placed the inane fellow in handcuffs and into the cop car. The coordinator promised the winner a new trophy, and then apologized to everyone and encouraged them to continue to enjoy
Hypothesis: Even though the 1.5 mile run test will not produce the highest average VO2 max, the results of the 1.5 mile run will produce the most accurate VO2 max results as the test puts the most physiological demand on the body compared to the Queens College/McArdle Step Test and the Rockport One Mile Walk Test.
I am now officially in my Senior year of Cross Country , and am close to the end of my season. My first race of this year though was a big accomplishment for me, because I hadn`t been able to run. When I ran that race though it made me just so happy I was able to finish it, I was`nt happy with the time, but there is always time for improvement. I was glad to be racing again and being apart of the team again. I believe that my injuries were a barrier in my way, but they did not stop my sports career.
- winning the first ultra I ran, a 6:10 50 miler in my hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,
Sports are not for everyone. I tried a variety of sports throughout my childhood but I was never really athlete material. I am as slow as a turtle and I have little to no hand-eye coordination, but I gave each sport a try. It was truly a shock when I decided to run cross-country since I had no speed whatsoever.
At least half a week before your meet it is important to drink plenty of water and eat fairly healthy. Hydrating your body all through this half week can actually help during the race. The things you eat can either slow you down or help you out. For example, drinking a soda the day before the race will just slow you down because of all
Government and its policies have always challenged the debate of the governing factor in our universe, fate or free will. In ancient times, monarchs were believed to have been given a divine will to rule and exert laws, as if their path had been predestined. However, as kingship fell out of influence, our government has considered itself, “by the people.” Modern issues, such as the controversy over the National Minimum Drinking Age, raise questions on the effects of free will and fate, and the association between the two. Viewing this specific contention through the context of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Tom Tykwer’s thriller Run Lola Run we can speculate about the role of determinism and free will in our lives.
Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 glass of orange juice and yogurt with fresh blueberries
The course is weird, it’s a two lap which is good. This means you know exactly what the second half of the race was going to be like. Me as the 4th runner, and the 3 and 5 guys, went single file for a good ⅜ ofa mile and we were zooming around corners. during the back half of the race, I was really close to medaling. I went as fast as I could, I had no idea how fast the race had been, I thought when I saw the teens clicking by it was a 19:teens but I got closer and it was 18:17 I was astounded and straight out of breath. That race we were 4 points behind the 2nd place team, and they were in our district. That set us up for a good week and effort during practice because if we had a race at the district race, we were going to make it as a team to state,which is the goal all season long. I was not feeling great that week and I thought it was going to be like my first xc race finishing with a 16:02 time for 2.x miles and a lot of girls beating me. The morning of race day, I felt like crap, but the bus ride nap to maryville made me feel fine and ready to secure a spot to state. There was a lot of scepticism from the seniors, who were facing their last
It was sunny out, but there was a slight breeze blowing the tent around, making it hard to set up. Friday evening was the practice run, where all the riders got the chance to pre-run the course for the race the next day. When the announcer announced that it was my class’ turn to practice my stomach dropped. It felt as if I was going 100 mph and just hit a dip in the road. I felt like it was time to race. I put on my helmet and difficulty strapped the chin strap. It was difficult with my hands trembling. My knees were weak and I felt like I was going to drop my bike when I was starting it. I gave it a good kick and a fair amount of throttle and it fired up. I could instantly smell the fumes of high quality race gas. That seemed to calm me down. I pulled out of the pits and up to the starting line. All of the riders began to start their bikes. The roar of the engines made me nervous. My hands were sweating and my mouth was dry. The official said, “Remember this is just practice, don’t kill yourself.” That relaxed me reminding me that I could just putt around out there having no worries of winning, losing, or most importantly, crashing.
I make sure to wash my bike, make sure everything is working properly, and that it is spotless clean. I also make sure to get my clothes ready for when they call me up to the podium and go to sleep extra early because I know I have a very important day the next morning. It is finally race day! “This is where all my hard work pays off” I think to myself. On the way over there I am listening to my favorite music and I am feeling really good! I have not even started the race yet and I feel like I have already won it. I am warming up until they call my category up to the line that’s when I start to get butterflies in my stomach. The countdown started and we took off. The pace was nice and steady, in some parts we really pushed it, but I was able to hold on and maintain the pace. Cycling is all about strategy and working with your team, so that is exactly what I did. We played it smart so none of us will fall behind. The closer we are getting to the finish line, the more confident I feel. I still have plenty of energy for the sprint and in my mind no one can beat me. The last miles mainly consist of long hills, but with the right technique that’s no problem. Five more miles toward the finish line when it happen… I got a flat. I could not believe it, I felt the bike slowing down and in my head I was think “please don’t be a flat, please don’t be a flat.” When I turn and check I slightly had any air left. I quickly got down and looked for help but no
The refs counted each team’s amount of wins which led to our final game. A full court match, with the best team of each side playing against each other was only fitting for our final game. Due to time management, the game was only up to one. The winner of the game won 20 timbits. Because of an exciting play that happened which decided the game, the participants became extremely excited and then left the gym because we announced that the event was
The timers near the finish lines start their timers and the intense rivalries between individuals and schools start with the gun as the runners take off. The course, now filled with hundreds of hot runners, is matted down as the runners run over and trample it. Action and intense competition filled the air. The fans all crowd around the edges of the course pushing and trying to get the best view of their favorite athlete or team. The parking lot’s now packed to a max with only a few forgetful spectators running back to their cars for forgotten items. Similar to the parking lot, concessions only has a select few little children to whom candy is more important than their older siblings. Team tents vacant, except for the food and it’s wafting aroma left to be eaten after the race along with numerous numerous sweat stained smelly duffle bags. The finish line shoot, now bustling with activity, has the clock running, bustling with the activity of exhausted sweat drenched runners stumbling across it. The smell of sweat now filled the air along with the sound of the occasional cry from the medical tent which was now filled with runners who either had dropes out of the race or had already finished and hurt themselves and were in
The exhaustion you feel after finally crossing the finish line at a marathon is like nothing you have felt before. You are completely drained physically, mentally, and emotionally. Your legs hurt to the bone, at the same time you are gasping for air while your throat screams for moisture. All of this is a small price to pay for the overwhelming feeling of self pride and accomplishment you are overcome with. Running the marathon is only half of the process. Training is very important with steps such as finding motivation, diet, safety, stretching, and last preparations the day of the marathon. With many physical, mental, and social benefits the hardship is well worth it. I greatly enjoy running and hope to one day run a full marathon.
I wasn’t improving, stuck in an endless dark circle of disappointment and rejection. My coach’s voice at the first mile brings me back to the first race of the season. He shouts my mile time, but his effort is in vain; I am stuck in a large pack of runners and I fail to hear his voice over the roar of worry and determination. I turn around a corner, and a steep hill looms in the distance.
I replay the moment I reached the finishing line over and over in my head. The crowd cheered for the runners as they frantically shook cowbells to give us the last boost of energy. When I crossed the finished line, I felt a huge sense of relief. I was incredibly relieved that I was finally done with the marathon after being on the road for six long hours. I was more relieved because I proved my self-doubt wrong. The road to fighting self-doubt was long and exhausting. But, I look back on my experience and say that I am much more than my