Track Essay, Research Paper
Track
My heart beating loudly in my chest is the only sound I can here. The air,
whipping past my face, tries to curb my inertia but I just press on harder and
harder. As I make my turn to go into the straight-away, the next man in the
relay team comes into sight. I push my legs harder and harder, but I cannot
make them move any faster. There is only one hundred meters left to go before
the instant I have to pass the baton the next runner. As I am speeding down the
lane like a jet about to lift off, I see the fans cheering in my peripheral
vision but I remain focused on my objective ahead of me. I move closer and
closer to the red zone, now counting my steps and pacing off the distance in my
mind to the sprinter ahead of me. I ready myself and keep telling myself “be
patient, wait” then …..”Go,” I yell as he harnesses his adrenaline for a good
start. I again have to make another critical, split second decision. When
should I give him the baton? There can be no mistakes on the hand off. If I
miscalculate my steps, it could be disastrous for the team. As I sprint at his
newly energized heels, I yell “Stick!” He reaches his arm back in a robotic-
like manner and I slam the baton in his hand, so he will not lose a handle on it.
It is a successful hand-off and my body jars, as I try to bring myself to a
quick stop. My journey is over but the next runner’s has just begun.
Track is a big part of my life and it holds much more significance to me than
just running. I would not even get the opportunity to set foot on the track if
I did not practice several hours a day, running the same stretch of track twenty
times over. This may seem like insanity to others but to me it is a way to
focus my energy and discipline my mind, as well as my body. Running a race to
me is like life; you have to pace yourself and being better than the next guy
is a must. Like one who does not receive a promotion in business for not
working to their potential, I will not make varsity if I do not strive to be the
best I can be, on and off the track. The Baton is my hopes and aspirations and
I have to protect it and not lose sight of it. Because I am a long way from
being the fastest man on the team, I have to work even harder, which poses a
challenge to me. I am not discourages by this but encouraged to work even more
assiduously, which makes the victory all the more sweeter. The relay, inmy
opinion, is one of the greatest forms of teamwork, for each man has to know what
the other man is going to do and when he is going to do it. I know I could not
come close to beating the insuperable odds of winning if I ran the race alone.
Though, working together as a team, we can form one graceful body that can not
be overcome. With the perception as life being race, I feel it is my duty to
run as fast as I can and as hard as I can and just don’t drop the baton.