Race Day

I have a memory, vivid and clear
It’s monsoon season and race day.
I’m at the starting line, swallowing my fear,
Butterflies swirling in my belly won’t go away
I’ve trained long and hard for this the final race
The training has been thorough, though rough.
The strategy is to maintain a controlled pace,
Mile after mile I must stay tough
There is this one girl, quite my competitor,
We’ve been head to head all season
I want so badly to win, to beat her,
To be the best is all the reason.
We have deep respect for one another,
She and I have raced over the years.
And this, our senior year is the time to prove to each other,
The anticipation almost brings me to tears
The rain starts to fall as we take our mark
The gun is poised and ready,
The clouds above have made the day dark
The smell of the storm is quite heady
He fires the gun and we begin our run,
Three miles to go, seems so distant!
The razorbacks I consider fun,
But the hills, oh man, pain consistent!
Something’s happening, not sure what it is,
Could it be I’m enjoying this race?
I feel in control, thinking well through this,
I’m in charge, dag, what a suuuuweeeet pace!
Maybe it’s this storm, rainin down on my head,
Oh I don’t know but, it’s electrifying!
Rather than pain, I’m feeling joy instead,
And, this run, yes!, it’s satisfying!
We round a bend, we’re truly racing,
The end is just a sprint away
It feels like this one is mine for the taking,
Yes, indeed, this is my day
I reach the tape and I thrust my body through,
I beat her, oh man, I’m proven best
The months of training have spoken true.
I’ve earned a break, I deserve a rest.
What’s more, I realized a lesson well needed,
This day of all days, this race most essential.
My heart’s desires my body has heeded,
I’ve learned to trust I can reach my full potential.
To let myself go, to trust all my toil,
Has proven oh so rewarding,
All I need do, is let my feet hit the soil,
Let my body dance and my soul sing.