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Such an epic race
“Such an epic race”
It was an early Saturday in which all runners were already woken up with energy running through their veins. They were in such a wonderful place, full of mountains and a dessert like panorama, just getting ready for the big race. The participants were eager and enthusiastic about what was going to start. Finishing such a challenging race full of obstacles was a great achievement all had in mind, but for Sophia was more than a challenge. The event was delayed and the contestants full of energy were really anxious for the sound of the horn to start the race.
The time just arrived and all the runners start the race just like a herd of cows, but she was with more energy than ever so she pulled in front of the group. They gathered a good rhythm at the start, taking care of their stamina so they could make it to the end; although people could make it on their own, it was a team race; nobody could get past the obstacles alone. First there were three walls and someone had to push another contestant through the top of the wall, Sophia had her team to help her, it seemed an easy task but being up there was kind of frightening.
The course went through a trail into the mountain, they had to reach a certain point where you could see a great part of the city, it was a very tall point, and then come back on the same trail; then there were two options for the runners, go left or right. A policeman was standing there saying to go left, when the actual course was going right. Sophia and her team followed the policeman orders, and started running through the street, something unusual for a very tough race.
After running half a mile, they noticed nobody was following them and nobody was in front of them, they were lost and the orders from the police were completely wrong. They decided to return to the location where the policeman was giving orders, and he gracefully told Sophia’s team that he was wrong, he never apologized. The team was angry and desperate because they were no longer in leading the race, and lost a lot of energy doing something nobody was supposed to; there was more than half of the race left.
More obstacles and mud came into Sophia’s team, and they were now loosing energy, the wrongdoing of the police was now costing them much more than they thought, but Sophia never lost that energy and enthusiasm she had at the beginning, after all it was more than a challenge for her; it was a lesson about teamwork and what comes with it.
Suddenly cramps starting to attack the team, in the hardest obstacle of all. It was like a pyramid, in one side you had to climb and in the other side rappel down, Sophia wanted to give up. There was no problem if someone skipped the obstacles, but again, it was a challenge that all the competitors had in mind. Sophia’s team cheered her so she could complete that terrible obstacle; and Sophia’s mind was set, she could and would not quit.
Now, everyone knew the end was coming, the 9nth kilometer mark was on sight, and the race ended 1km further. Although they knew the race was almost over, stopping was not an option, but Sophia’s mind was crumbling, she had no more energy, the confusion of the course really did hit her. The support of the team was what kept her moving.
Now they had the astonishing last obstacle in front of them, a big ramp in which they needed to run the faster they can, grab from the rope with all their effort and force, to get to the top and pull themselves up. One by one started going up, then it was Sophia’s turn, she really felt kind of dizzy because she was really nervous, but she just repeated to herself “I can and I will”, she just ran, grab really hard starting going up, but in some time she slide, the only thing she wanted to do was to cry. But then she remembered all of what she and her team just passed by and got up and tried again. Her teammates help her get to the top, she was really amazed of all the effort they did as a team. And how they finally got to the end of the race. More than a race it really was an epic race.
Written by Ana Paola Rodriguez and Donaciano Martinez
