AHW

I stood behind the thickened white line in Lane 2, as I prepared to run the 200 meter dash.  My previous experiences with the 200 meter had been horrible.  Oh, I don't think I can run the 200, I'll probably get last.  I don't even know how to pace myself, I though.  I finished my 200 meter with an okay, yet disappointing 40 second time.  I glanced back at Sarah and ahead at the runners from BHMS.  In my head, I recalled tips that Coach Geisler had given to us.

Don't look at the other runners, only focus on what you're running.

Once you get to the finish line, you want to lean forward to get over the line faster.

These tips raced through my mind as I stood there waiting for the race to start.

"Take you marks," yelled the man with the smoke gun.

I leaned over into a lunging position.  Putting most of my weight onto my right leg.

"Get set," the man screamed.

I squinted my eyes and scanned the track in front of me.  I was going to try my best even though, I expected to totally fail.  Just to make myself feel okay and not too bad.  I came back to reality with a new attitude.  I was going to do my best even though it might not be good enough.  The man shot his gun and we were off.  Having to go around a curve, the people on the outside lanes seemed well ahead of me.  But to my astonishment, I started gaining, yet I wasn't even sprinting.  That was when it dawned on me.  The 200 meter wasn't this hard race that I could never dominate in.  The 200 meter was just up my alley though I never noticed.  I passed the last runner in front of me and heard the sound of stomping feet fade behind me.  It wasn't too quiet, but quiet enough to let me know that I had quiet a lead.  It was when I hit the 100 meter mark that I realized that, sprinting would be my best choice.  I sped up a little, and sped past a crowd of people cheering for BCS.  In a flash, I crossed the finish line.

"Okay, your time is 33.77," my timer declared.

I was handed a little popsicle stick with the number 1 and was sent to give my time to Mrs. Stone and Mrs. Best.  I felt enlightened.  I had decreased my time by 6-7 seconds.  I knew that I'd have to run it again.