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Personal Narrative-Road Race

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Last fall is a blur of Billy Currington music and tears over aching knees. Yes, I know that was dramatic, but it’s true. I have always loved to run, though I have never been naturally gifted at the sport. My freshman year, I ran with the slower girls, until the district race, when I beat my best time by four minutes. Four. Minutes. It showed me that I could run way faster if I put in some more effort and started believing in myself. So sophomore year, I went the extra mile. Literally. I opted for four mile runs instead of three, only took one day off a week, and made sure to give 100% everyday as I ran with the varsity girls. Sounds good, right? Not so much. Turns out, pushing your body that hard for a long period of time can result in …show more content…

I had on my knee brace and felt like an injured dork as I stood at the start line, knowing the girls I’d ran with all season would leave me in the dust. Nervous and sore, I ran through the park, wishing the autumn leaves would distract me from the throbbing of my inner knee.
I finished the race in 26 minutes and crumpled to the ground. My leg was red and itching from the brace. I wanted it off so badly. I pulled it hard, but my sweat was keeping it firmly in place. Outraged, I yanked it down, leaving white scars on my red skin. The brace hung around my ankle, prevented from falling off by my clunky shoes, as I made my way to a nearby bench. As I sat down, the lyrics from a Billy Currington song randomly drifted into my head: “I could just lie and say it’s all okay...but it don’t hurt like it used to.”
My knee hurt. Why? Because I had been so focused on getting varsity that I had neglected to stretch well and take days off to relax my muscles. I knew I could get to the point where I could easily run with the varsity girls, but it wouldn’t happen overnight. I had to treat my body well and not care as much about what times the other girls got; I needed to care more about how I performed individually. One day, I thought, I’ll be able to say it don’t hurt like it used to. Slowly, I got up from the

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