The 5K of Hell
Nerves building up in the early autumn morning of September 9th in the year of 2006 just knowing the race of hell has arrived. This morning was like no other after one year ago at the same race feeling the burn in my legs, the stitches in my sides, the energy leaving my body faster than I could finish the race. Once I had stepped on the Bellows Free Academy cross country bus I don't think I've ever wanted to get off so fast in my life but it felt like there was no end to the hour bus ride. Nerves hit me like no others have before after seeing the Harwood high school cross country course. I tried everything to loosen up listen to relaxing music, drinking cold water, stretching out but there was no stopping the harsh nerve build up. As I took my first step onto the life changing course I felt better not knowing why but as long as they are gone for the moment I was fine. We started to walk the course at a very upbeat pace my older brother kanoa started to sing which usually annoys me but on this nerve wrecking day I felt pleased with singing. There was nothing that could please me of calm me down from my greatest fear on this course as soon as I saw it I suddenly stopped sing and just walked slowly up the cliff like hill. The legendary Karigins Killer, making many great runners walk or leaving it all on the hill which I am deadly afraid of because when I started running I promised myself never to walk in a single race. Once we finished the 3.1 miles of hardcore hills it was time for the real thing twenty minutes till boy's varsity race echoed the loud quite annoying speakers. Those twenty minutes felt like 5 minutes as it flew by quickly lining up for the Harwood High school invitational men's varsity race. Shaking a few peoples hands wishing them good luck before the race was the only thing I did besides a short warm up 100 yards out and back from the starting line. The chilling silence of the start over came from the runners to the fans to the workers the starter yelled "On your Mark" paused then quickly shot a cap gun off and we were off like horses leaving the gate, like birds out of a cage, like a snake attacking its prey.
These two literary works, 40 Hours in Hell by Katherine Finkelstein and Third World by Dexter Filkins, both present diverse perspectives on what occurred during the World Trade Center attack. Although both texts approach the coverage of this attack differently, as reporters, they both base their news using normative theory. Normative theory is the consideration of what is morally correct or incorrect. In relation to normative theory is the Social Responsibility Theory. This theory deals with how an individual must complete their civic duty, since they are apart of the press, as well as their actions must benefit society. Nonetheless, of these two texts, 40 Hours in Hell best fulfills the requisites of the Social Responsibility Theory.
Sarah, with her energeticness, found a way to persuade me to finally ride the dragster. My heart was pounding loudly with quasi-hesitation. With that fast pass that I won during a game of plinko, we had to wait 5 at the most for the front row of the train. It was a better choice than having to “patiently” wait in a one hour line with the hot sun baking your back. We were only a few launches away from moving into the ride station. The theme song, “Ready to Go” by Republica, was being played in the station. When I heard this song, I felt everything but “ready to go.” There were two seats across per row on each train which didn’t make the regular line go faster. All I could think about was the death-defying plunge down the one unbelievable 420-foot hill, I had pre-ride jitters. The train moved to the “starting line”, also known as the launch area. My thin legs trembled as I thought, this is it. Ever since that first glance, my heart rate increased. I heard a loud motor revving sound effect. Arms down, head back, and hold on. I found the brief message nettlesome, because it was frequently
I’ve done some scary things before and I always had the courage and motivation to do it, but this time, my courage abandoned me and just disappeared as if it was never there. It was a cool and chilly day, but the sun was shining hard at my favorite ski resort in Lake Tahoe in December. Crisp, white snow was delicately falling from the sky and it covered the ground like a blanket. But the luminous sun was melting the snow, making it wet and slippery. The trees on the side were towering but slender with dark, brown trunks and bright green leaves. I was wearing a cumbersome jacket and a helmet and I was starting to sweat a lot in the heat. There were tons of people in thick jackets carrying skis, poles, and snowboards milling around. I was in a lengthy line of people, all waiting to go on a ski lift. The lift led to a monstrously huge hill that I was about to ski on.
We had a short amount of time in each area, so we needed to use our time wisely. We ran through the routine twice and moved on to our stunts. I was really excited; I had a great stunt group and knew we would be flawless. We started the warm-ups; one, two, three times we failed - to my surprise. I didn't know if we did something wrong or we were all just nervous. We attempted it one more time, and finally it was a success. Everyone had warmed up and was patiently waiting to perform next. Once the other teams' music stopped, my heart dropped. In that exact moment, I knew we were next. Before we went on the floor, we did our favorite chant to get everyone's energy up in excitement. Our school is called and the time had come to go out there and give it our all. When we go out on the floor, everything is loud and bright. Our routine had started and we are pumped. Our team was immaculate with all the motions, smiling, yelling the cheer with excitement and walking to my first stunt. We set to do the stunt and the cheerleader goes up and I caught her foot. The stunt made it and then she fell. At that moment, I felt like the world stopped. Everything we did - all of our hard work, the long practices - just went down the
The sound of my alarm buzzed while I struggled to get out of bed. I wiped my eyes and got out of bed. My mind was packed with thoughts and emotions. That day was a very special day for me. I had prepared for that day for months if not years. Just thinking about it, made me nervous. It was tryout day for the high school golf team. Even though I was on varsity since freshman year, I was still nervous because there was always the possibility that you can get booted if your performance is sub-par. After staring at the wall for a solid minute, I shook myself out of the trance I was in and continued with my routine. Minutes passed, and I was ready to go to school. I loaded my car up with my clubs and started for school. I had a hard time keeping
It all began when a couple of friends and myself went to Six Flags for some fun right at the beginning of summer. We arrived there early in morning, which was about nine o’clock for us. The birds were chirping and the sun was bright. There was also a hint of dew, making the grass sparkle in the sunlight. The place was packed, people were standing in huge lines waiting to buy their tickets. My friends and I were lucky because we had season passes and just walked right to the front gate and walked in. Naturally there was a security check at the front gate, little did I know that I was going to run into them again in the near future. From there we went straight to the ride “The Mind Eraser.” It was always wise to go to that ride first, because as the day progressed, the line grew longer. Since the ride is only about a minute long, the wait then becomes to long to make the ride worth the wait. As we got on, all of us were a little jumpy. It was the first time being to the amusement park that year, and our stomachs were not immune to the s...
I have this fear that causes my body to shake. When I think about it, my skin becomes pale and cold. It’s death speeding through my mind. Once I have seen these monstrous roller coasters, the only thing in my mind was fear. Knowing that I’m afraid to go on these rides, I didn’t want to look like a fool in front of my friends. My mind is thinking of deadly thoughts. My palms were sweaty and I was twitching like a fish. I was petrified of heights.
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.
Another cause of this conflict is the fact that Baker forgot about the position that Rennalls father occupied and acted as a foreign that only tries to prove that Barracanians are inferior.
My internal organs thumped against my chest as I dragged my bag along the carpet floor and into the corridor. As I walked into the long hall, I glanced up and noticed the sign telling me I could get on. My entire body could barely hold itself together with the anticipation of the monumental, dream-come-true event about to take place. I said to myself, "I'll soon be in the air." I slowed my pace to further enjoy what was happening. Swarms of people walked around me as I treasured knowing that one of my lifetime goals was now inevitably going to occur. The excitement and adrenaline running through my veins could have killed a horse.
“There are times when we're dirt broke, hungry, and freezing, and I ask myself, why the hell am I still living here?” states Mark. “The most integrated place on the planet”, Alphabet city the red light district of Manhattan home to diverse families and struggling artists. Alphabet City is notorious for its lettered avenues, high levels of drug activity, and crime attracted the growing Bohemian population of 1980’s because of low rents, and creative atmosphere. Rent inspires individuals to have originality in spite of other people’s opinions by embracing who you are, whether suffering from an illness, recovering from addiction, or struggling with personal issues. Rent a film by Chris Columbus displays artistic rebel by taking a twist on individuality through the character Angel. Eight Bohemian lifestyle friends Mark, Roger, Benny, Mimi, Angel, Collins, Maureen, and Joanne live in a hell on earth in 1989.
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.
I almost fell off a cliff on the side of a mountain. I was in Pitkin, Colorado, on a camping trip during the summer of 2009. The trees were green, the air was fresh so were the lakes, rivers, and ponds were stocked with fish and wildlife was everywhere. Usually, on these camping trips, I would be accompanied by a large number of people. However, this time, it was just my parents, my three brothers, and my two sisters. I was almost 12 years old at the time and having three older brothers made me very competitive. Naturally, when my family decided to climb one of the mountain’s which were around us, I wanted to be the first one to reach its peak.
My body got cold for the first time in seven years. I was scared of a two-minute routine that I had practiced a thousand times. When I stepped onto the stage, I could feel my heart as it rapidly pumped. I was scared, as we set for the routine. The first task to complete was a standing tumbling. “Come on Michelle, jump!” I screamed inside my head. “You have to pull your legs around.” I landed. “Good, next was running tumbling.” As I moved to the next spot to start my running tumbling, everything seemed to move in slow motion. I was the last tumbler to go. “six…five…four…three…two…one” It was my turn. My legs started to run; my hands hit, then my feet. So far, I was okay.
December 1996 was supposed to mark the end of my high school education and since I had consciously prepared for my core and elective courses, I had nothing to be afraid of; the future looked promising. Then December 3rd came, the day that marked the beginning of my final exams. I woke up that morning feeling hopeful and a little anxious which was perfectly normal. Then we went to the exam hall and settled to start the exam, then all hell broke loose; I started feeling dizzy, cold and sick. I remember vomiting which was accompanied by a throbbing headache but I didn’t remember much after that.