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Slow and Steady Wins the Race
"After the gun goes off the laps of torture begin. The first thing I start to think is, 'Look how far behind I am.'"
By Kia Vernon
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Running increases the body's production of endorphins, which boosts confidence and energy. It's no wonder that from high school teams to the Olympics, track is a sport respected worldwide. Youth Radio's Kia Vernon competes in the one mile race as a member of her high school's team, and uses nervous energy to step her speed up during the competition.
I never thought I would do well my first year of running track.
Whenever I thought about myself, the word “athlete” never came to mind, but running has changed that completely. The sport has boosted my confidence and made me a stronger person.
But each week before, during, and after track meets, I get nervous. The anxiety from my one-mile run builds and builds until I get to the starting line. After the gun goes off the laps of torture begin. The first thing I start to think is, “Look how far behind I am.”
Soon my worries of losing fade away as I start to pass runners one by one. I look up and I am surprised to find myself in second place. I start to feel better and become a little more confident as I pass my cheering teammates in the stands, and I am finally sprinting my last one hundred meters. I hear the coach yell, “6:15,” and the race is over.
Finally the stress is over, but then again, there is always next week to worry about.
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