4 is for 400 Meter Run

By Annabel

My heart was constantly pumping as I walked up to the starting line. Since this was my first track meet I didn't fight to try my way in to get the inside lane. Instead, stupidly enough, I took the far outside lane; real smart I know! My tense stomach was full of hundreds of tiny butterflies, swarming around inside. "In and out." I whispered to myself. "I can't do this." I said quietly. One of the timers told us what to do, and what the rules were, but I still had soooo many questions. I didn't want to get disqualified because I didn't know what to do, so I asked all of them.

It was at another middle school, and you could barely see the lines marking the track. Suddenly, one of the timers yelled to the runners, "Runners take your mark... Get set... GO!!" And the buzzer went off. I got a great start, the best part about it was that I had gotten the inside lane, and was following closely behind the girl from the other school who was in first.

The 400 meter run is two laps around the faded track. After the first lap the girl in first and I pulled away from the tightly packed group of girls. The timers were yelling out our half times as we crossed the starting line again. Both of the coaches from both teams told us to pick up the speed. That's exactly what I did. I gave myself an extra boost, and passed right by a girl from the other school in front of me. I don't think that one of the coaches from the other team liked that I passed her, and started to yell. “Come on Sara! Don't let that girl beat you!!" The track coach from her school shrieked at the girl. I started to see Sara out of the corner of my right eye. She was all out sprinting, and soon going to pass me, if I didn't pick up the pace.

When we came around the final corner, she was just a step in front of me. “I am not going to lose to her!" I thought to myself. Right before the grassy finish I emptied out all of my fuel in the tank and surprisingly I stepped right in front of her, and won by a step! Crossing the finish line, I almost tumbled over, face forward into the muddy track. I won!! Everyone on the track team came over a congratulated me on my victory. I felt really good and proud of myself after that race for not giving up.

Life Lesson: Even when you think that you have nothing left, give it everything that you have left!