I can still remember the day I ran at the state Cross Country Meet. It was one of the most exciting days of my life. It took place in Round Rock, Texas during my sophomore year in high school. I never forget that day; it is a great experience for anyone to get to go through. It was 11:45 a.m. as I was standing outside getting ready for the big race. It was cold, wet, and gloomy outside and sleeting out really hard. Getting closer to the race, I decided that it was time for me to begin warming up. I began to take my sweats off , and realized how cold it really was. I started running while doing my exercises and they blew the whistle that signalized it was time to start the race. I set up in my position and waited for instructions. The official told us that when he sho...
The Barkley Marathons are run in the Frozen Head State Park and Natural Area near Oak Ridge in Tennessee. The park is bordered by two prisons and a coal mine and is thirty five minutes away from closest the city. The course consists of a twenty mile loop, which for the most part traces the border of the park. The actual length of the course is an issue of large debate however. The twenty mile figure was derived by the race director from a topographic map. Most that have run the loop feel that it is longer, since the distance associated with elevation change and winding trails isn't taken into account. Some feel that the loop could be as long as twenty six miles. At the other end of the argument is the distance that was derived from a survey crew in who measured the park to make a new map in 1993. The distances they got for many portions of the course were actually shorter than Gary Cantrell had listed them to be. On any account the distance assumes that the runner does not get lost, which is a rarity at the Barkley.
My dad was trying to convince my buddy Perry and I to do the hill climb in Logan, Iowa that was the same day as the race. We both kept telling him no because I didn’t want to roll my new bike down a huge hill and we both loved racing. We washed
Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Leadville, Colorado is a historical monument. In the mid 1800s, Leadville was a booming mining city known for its lead and zinc. People fled there looking to build their fortunes, and at one point the population rose to nearly 30,000. Today, Leadville attracts many tourists because of its frontier mentality, beauty, and historical district. Although the population has drastically dropped to 2,800, Leadville is a charming town that truly represents the spirit of Colorado.
During, the whole rodeo season I looked forward to going to the State Finals. I didn't attend the finals as a participant, but as a spectator. As President of the "Saddle Bronc Fan Club" for my friend Cole, there was no way I would miss this experience. We both had been looking forward to this day for a long time.
One of the most famed horse races in the world, fans flock to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday in May to watch the most exciting two minutes in sports. The first racecourse was laid out in 1789 in Lexington, Kentucky. 100 years later, in 1875, Churchill Downs became the official home of the Kentucky Derby. The first Kentucky Derby race was run at one and a half miles in front of a 10,000 person crowd. Of the fifteen horses that competed in this race, the first winner was a horse named Aristides (Kentucky Derby History).
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.
“SET,†The starter exclaims as our 4x400 team and all the others wait in anticipation; the whole stadium is in absolute silence. Then, BANG, the starting pistol has goes off. The battle for the fastest 4x400 time in Arkansas has began. Bentonville High School’s team is composed of: Senior Billy Horton, Senior Harrison Shewmaker, Freshman Devin Dougherty, and myself. (I was a sophomore at the time.) This was my first time being on this relay team and I was petrified of letting my team down, especially on this big of a stage; the State Championship. I begin thinking of all the hard work I had put in to get here, all the hours, all the sweat. As I await the bouton to run my leg in the race I have a flashback to all the events leading up to this race, the things that got me here.
This past spring, was my first year running track and field at a high school level. I had spent my freshman year on the lacrosse team and had therefore missed out on track and field. From the other sports I had participated in at school, both coaches and fellow teammates had acknowledged my speed, this kept my confidence alive and made me believe I would strive in high school track
I proved to myself and that I am a tough human being that can take on anything, one step at a time. There will be breakdowns as well as self and extrinsic doubt involved, but I will and can do anything. Many of my peers and teachers do not know I did this race and frankly, I don't need them to. I may not have changed in anyone else's eyes that day but for me everything changed. I raced for myself that
My first day running cross country with the Smoky Hill buffaloes was both a thrilling and terrifying experience. Here I was, a freshman still trying to adjust to the non-stop, chaotic pace of highschool, among these elite athletes. I was very nervous to be on this team, I wasn't the best at being social and being part of a competitive competitive running team was a different experience that I was not used to.
With shaky knees, I hesitantly made my way up the large white steps. With the back of my hand, I brushed away a few salty tears of relief. As I stood at the top of the podium and looked up into the packed stadium, my mind drifted back to everything I had gone through to achieve this moment, the day I became a state champion.
They call them various, ludicrous things, from “Ape” and “Tar Baby” to the well known term, “Nigger”. The latter of the words finds itself woven into the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” By Mark Twain. Racism was at some point in time a way of life, and the book does a great job explaining that. The novel also points out some key things in society that are still prevalent today, such as the constant slurs and small, general hate acts. These things coupled with the years of oppression that lived through America breed a slightly still, racist culture.
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.
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.
It was a hot, summer afternoon when I decided to join the high school cross country team. It was an abrupt decision, but I believed that this would be best for both my body and my mind. I thought it would be easy to run a couple of miles a