Falling On The Ground In The Stakes Research Paper

When I first joined cross country I was not fast nor a runner. I was one of the slowest people on the team, but I wanted to get faster and I was determined to improve. Some days we would do a hills workout and I would get to the top of the longest hill and think, “I could just run back to Armstrong right now and be done”. But then, I thought about how if I did another hill, I would get better and some time during a race when there was a big hill I would look at it like it’s nothing. I could go up the hill easily and pass a couple girls. So I would do another hill. Then the next time we did hills I rememberd how many I did the last time and pushed myself to do one more. Through that cross country showed me that I could be faster and tougher than I thought I was if I put in the effort and want it

I had no experience as a runner nor did I have the form. This did not phase me however. That year I promised myself to push through all the six mile runs, sore legs, gnarly blisters, and at times, lack of oxygen. At every meet and speed workout practice I pushed myself further and further. I set a goal every time I kicked off from the starting line and never let myself get discouraged when I failed. By my senior year, I was the fourth fastest runner on varsity. That year our varsity team won the district meet, which qualified us to run in the 2016 state meet in Oregon. The transformation over the years were evident. My determination to accomplish my goal of becoming a faster runner was complete. If I had simply just given up that first day of practice, I wouldn't have ran along side of the fastest runners in Oregon or have met the multitude of people that are now my closest friends. Having a goal sets one up for a challenge, whether it being physically or mentally, goals keep us active and thinking in more ways than one. Still, if someone has self-control, confidence, and a goal, they are still not complete.

I ran as fast as I could, I was tired but knew that I had to keep going. The sun shone down ferociously making it very bright and torrid. I felt sweat drip from just above my brow into my right eye. My eye began to get a burning sensation just as I turned the corner. My muscles ached, but I knew I had to shift into overdrive and pick up the pace. I started to run faster and faster. I began to get the feeling like I was about to throw up, but knew that I couldn’t stop now. I continued to sprint to the finish, and just as I crossed the finish line I looked to the clock and noticed that I set a new PR. The feeling of happiness that swelled up inside me took me back to the practice on the tuesday of the previous week: That day it was hot as fire

The feeling of crossing a finish line, whether it be a 5-K walk or a half-marathon, is indescribable. The short-term goals of regular runs pay off, and you reap the self-esteem and confidence boost. For those who struggle with depression, events like these runs give you tangible proof that you can make it. One popular t-shirt saying goes, "Pain for minutes. Glory for a lifetime." This mantra applies so well to life's struggles. Turn to the person who knows you best-yourself-and use running to prove how much you can achieve.

I was well behind the rest of the group, dizzy and dehydrated, never had run three miles before and going well over at this point, I ended up finding my way back before passing out. However, there were no excuses, I had to finish the last mile and a half on the track to complete the day's schedule. I knew after that the season would be tough, and I almost considered quitting. But, I was stubborn and determined to get better. The season carried on and the practices got tougher, six or more miles, extreme weather, tougher terrain, but I persisted getting closer to the varsity runners. My coach saw this and put me in their group to run with them. Despite the difficulty of keeping their pace, I gained more motivation from this. When I tore my hamstring shortly after, the motivation kept me running with the injury, not stopping until I had to be carried to the bus from the finish line of a meet because I couldn't walk anymore. I finished the year on varsity and went through the rest of my freshmen year thinking my senior year I would be a captain on the team.

Falling Downstairs, a Mark Morris collaboration with Yo- Yo Ma featured the dancers of the Mark Morris Dance Group and the music of Bach’s Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, performed by Yo- Yo Ma. Ma had invited Morris to participate in this work which was a series of video collaborations with artists from varied disciplines to explore Bach’s solo cello suites. (Kaufman pg. 2) After a year of debating, Morris finally answered backed to Ma and had agreed to work on this project with him though he wasn’t too thrill to be doing so. A quote from Mark Morris explains his hesitance, “I wasn’t sure I wanted to do the project, ‘cause the cello suites are notoriously perverted by choreographers… Every college recital has some anguished solo to one of those movements.” (Kaufman pg. 2) Though as an art community we can agree that Falling Downstairs is nothing like you have seen

Being a student athlete I have had to overcome a lot of difficulties from having a bad practice to being injured and having the tenacity to still pushing through the pain even though I risk injuring myself even more. One memory comes to mind when

I have taken this same perspective and applied it to Cross Country running. While running is a competition

I kept running through pain and the second mile approached. The runner inside of me began to lose form and fatigue started to kick in. The sounds of the crackling spikes against the payment was intimidating. I, however was not going to back down this late in the race. As we passed the grassy, flat path my mind started to drift away from the race, the screaming fans, and everything in the race. I started to ask myself is this pain worth it in the end. I went back to the beginning of my training when I remember debating whether or not I was cut out for this line of brutal training and dedication. Everyday this repeatedly played in my mind. I was full of mixed emotions. On one hand, I wanted to be part of the team and form friendships with teammates. Or on the other hand, I would like to relax and concentrate on my studies and my studies. I needed the energy of excitement from the fans to rejuvenate my mindset. I wanted to feel that intense feeling of finishing the

I have been in the bottom of the mountain as well on top, figurative and literality. I have fallen in love with a sport that has pushed me pass limits. When it comes to running, I am as slow as the tortoise from the fable Tortoise and the Hare. My freshman year, I finished every race in last place but I have never stopped running in a race because it was how I was train. Our workouts prepared me for any obstacle that might cross my way during a race. It is this exact mindset that I have applied to life. I can not give up no matter how rough it gets and that the sun will always come again. There always going to be more obstacle and I just need to keep my head held high. Cross Country and life are actually very relatable. I use my experiences in trails and apply to life situations. Although I might have had primordially finished last place, over that last years I have improved race by race. No longer am I last person to cross the finish line. I realized that in life, I will have to invest time, effort, sweat, and dedication to accomplish something that will not happen over night. Cross country has also taught me how to be responsible for my own action because I will not improve by taking the easy way out. If I want improve, I have to take responsibility to go that extra mile. For me, it was not easy to be where I am today. Everyday was a painful struggle, but I had subside the pain and remember the reason I why

“Keep going. Push through. Pain is temporary.” would be just a few things that kept me going through swim practice. Years and years of training and sacrifice all for just a slight chance for me to be the best. Sacrificing friendships and other hobbies just for a chance of success . With practices during the most erratic times of the day, school and social life had to be managed in an efficient manner. Swim being an individual sport, it taught me about perseverance and creating an own mental push. From these skills that were developed overtime I was able to push the threshold of what I thought I was capable and passed what felt impossible. That liberated feeling of winning the race and ranking first makes all the pain and difficult times to

We were all bored and we didn’t know what to do. Until someone got a idea that we should all play football on the flat roof. We all agreed because we had nothing better to do. Babg Bang Bang Bang we ran up the stairs and got on the roof. We all looked over the edge to see how high it was. It didn’t look that high up.

I always try to keep up with him in the beginning but by about two laps in I just can't keep up and have to slow to down or else I wouldn't be able to finish the race. Every year I do track and every year I improve on my times from Mr. Wonders painful workouts, they say no pain no gain, this couldn't be more real than in running. The pain is extraneous, your legs will burn like fire and your core will cramp and feel like someone is stabbing you, finally to top off all that your throat will feel like it's bleeding on a hot day. I‘m at a 5:00 minute mile on the dot and my two mile time is 10:51. I also feel that with more competition the faster and better times I get because I'm not just racing myself I'm racing others also so I have the drive to win. I always dig deep for every spot I usually wait until about the last 100 or 150 yards left because I feel I need to be able to get up to speed so I train to be able to hold this sprint for this long. And when you’re in this last sprint, people will say you didn't try hard enough to be able to sprint the last part of it. That's not true for during this time you don't feel your legs, they're just moving through the air, it feels like you're

Mistakes! Whether it is a bad choice in a love partner or lying to a loved one, it’s safe to say that everyone makes mistakes. Beyond doubt it would be impossible not to. When people slip-up and learn from the outcome, those people are taking part in growing up. Growing up is defined as growing toward physical or mental maturity. Ways to do that is by taking risks and making mistakes.

Every day has a new challenge. People learn to become strong from mistakes. I consider myself lucky to be in the Cross Country and Track team in my school because I can totally relate it to my life. Just the feeling of stepping into the starting line thinking of the strategies that I will use to stay strong, motivating myself to not quite, and if I ever fall in a race I shall get up and continue to do my best, just as long as I felt that I tried my best is word it. Isn’t that what life is all about?. Stepping out of your house thinking of the things you will do today, working hard to finish what you started, and if you made a mistake or failed at it, you should get back up and try your best to fix it. Does not matter how many times you made the mistakes continue to work hard. Also, the people that I have met in the sport have influenced me a