Ultimate High

Just stand there and listen. Listen to the conversations blur together into a low buzz in the background. The dust flying around in the air around you from all the spikes digging into the earth and bringing it back up with them. All the high-fives, fist bumps, slaps on their backs tears of joy and sadness, medals and plaques going around and the weight of empty hands. You hear the gun going off every once in a while same as the roar of the crowd.

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After the long ride there you pull in. The other teams are running by in some form of their warm-ups. You and your fellow teammates get off the bus and walk down the dirt path. You pass all the opponents tent, you see them some with their iPods in getting into the racing mindset others talking and laughing, you then arrive at yours and place your stuff on the tarp and change into your running shoes. As you take a huge swig out of your nalgene coach gives warm up assignments.

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4 hours later…Race time

After spending your time mentally preparing yourself, stretching, keeping yourself hydrated. As you change out of your warm-ups and into your uniform coach walks over and gives you your number he tells you to stay focused and to remember to watch your breathing and keep it under control. He tells you the importance of keeping your head clear and focused. As you and your other teammates walk towards the line you see the other people that just finished from the last race. You approach the line and establish your spot and do some last minute stretching, give your fellow teammates words of encouragement and wait till the person who is in charge of the whole thing walks out and explains the rules and then walks back to the side to give the cue. The whole place just gets so quiet you could almost feel the focus in the air. You get in that stance that you’ve practiced over and over, dig in your spikes to get the best possible grip, while fighting down the excitement and the butterflies that are slowly creeping up. As you turn your head and look at your teammates in the eyes and while saying a quick little prayer for them you give them the “let’s bring it” look and they nodded back in agreement. Gun goes off with a bang that is quickly drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Earth gets pulled up with the spikes while stirring up a cloud of dust.

****

You’re in the last leg of his rough 5K race. Sweat dripping off your brow, the wind roaring in your ears as you hears the people gasping for air while trying to keep up with you, dust and dirt getting stuck to the inside of your mouth as you breaths in deep gasps of air trying to steady your breath while going up the monstrous hill. As you gets up and over the hill and starts to lengthen your strides and very quickly passes many people and catches up with the leader. You sneak glances at each other through the very corner of your eyes, each feeling each others pain and how they were pushing on the very last ounce of energy, strength and adrenaline. You round the last corner and everybody thinks as one, one thought repeating in their heads “you will not accept defeat, you will win this race”, you full out sprint, your flats picking up dirt and throwing it behind you as you race to win. The distance quickly becomes shorter and shorter as you push them out the way to be first, you race to the finish line and way past it. Your arms go into the air, shirt come off, and sweat is pouring as you suck in as much air as possible, handshakes, congratulations, are said to the runners around you. Water is handed to you; you rinse your mouth out and throw the rest on your face. You find a spot out in a soccer field away from all the noise alone to think. As you stumble to the ground and lie on your back and throw your arm over your face to block the sun, breathes some deep cleansing breaths. The feeling you feel now was a sense of accomplishment knowing that there was absolutely nothing more left to give to that race. Knowing that you didn't give up and you pushed passed the pain, the sweat, the blood and tears, and gave it your all gave you that ultimate high. The absolute best feeling a runner will have.