The Race

My skin feels hot as the sweat begins to break. I feel it beading up on my forehead. I reach up and wipe it away with my wrist band. The cotton wrapped tightly around my wrist shifting slightly as it brushes against my face. My pace is steady and strong, my feet pounding on the ground, one after the other. I have a good rhythm now. The cool fall air flows through my hair and I hear the whoosh of my wind pants and in the background, the thumping of my feet. My breath becomes heavier as I speed up the pace. Arms swinging in the wind and legs feeling more strained. I'm going up hill now, my muscles working harder to move my body forward. It burns, but it's a good burn. The kind that makes you feel strong. I can feel the sweat start to drip now, down my face and neck. I'm getting closer, I can see the big tree over the hill that means I'm almost there. My body feels tired but my mind is racing, my heart beating intensely. Each breath is like a small fire in my lungs. And suddenly the burning slows, I've made it over the hill and the pressure is off. Only a few more feet, I know I can make it, I've already come this far. I heave my arms through the air and start sprinting. My legs pushing through like propellers pulling me forward toward the finish line. I feel the tape against my chest and hear a snap. I did it, I made it to the finish line! Cheers all around me, I slowly come to a stop which seems almost unnatural after running for so long. My muscles begin to tingle and throb and the heat fills every pore of my body. A splash of cool water on my face makes it all worth while.