I caught sight of everyone stretching, rolling their heads, jogging in place to get ready for their events. The stands were filled with people, chatting with others in between races. I surveyed my warm up area at the goal line, an ensemble of mint green and gray. The spectators weren’t the only people talking with each other, though. The runners were conversing with their friends while doing lunges and back bends, about school and their events…

…But I was thinking about my event, the 300 meter hurdles, a brutal event for only the fastest and most durable sprinters. I had practiced it without relent for as long as I could remember, even though track had only begun. This early in the season the air was brisk and clean, and although that might seem a blessing to track members, it just meant stinging winds and painful injuries.

The 300 hurdles didn’t just require athletic ability, but strategy as well. How to approach the hurdles. How to pace yourself. How to take the turns. Without these you couldn’t win. Was I scared? No, just anxious. After all I had never done any hurdles over 100 meters and this was beyond that-far beyond that. So as I waited for my event, I prepared mentally and physically, stretching my muscles and my mind. I watched the 100 meter hurdlers fly past and watched their jumping form, their running form. Before I knew it-

” May the athletes for 300 hurdles please step to the mark”.