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Why I Run

May 23, 2013
By lifeaccordingtoawallflower BRONZE, Somewhere, Indiana
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lifeaccordingtoawallflower BRONZE, Somewhere, Indiana
4 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
“So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there."

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All runners experience the feeling;
Spikes toe the line, stomachs begin to drop.
Doubts begin to rise, minds begin reeling,
"Why do I do this, why don't I just stop?"

The gun is raised, silence before the storm;
Hesitation sets, it's the time we dread.
BAM! The sound rings in our ears as we swarm,
Pushing and shoving, fight to get ahead.

"One more mile!" Is it really that long?
Have to suck it up, push through all the pain;
Four hundred meters left, gotta stay strong.
Finish straight ahead, cheers roaring like trains.

I cross the line, it's finished, I am done.
This feeling, this rush, this is why I run.

© Ashley R., Charlotte, NC

The author's comments:
I am in cross country, and this sonnet really sums of the feeling before and after a race. I touch on the during a little, but not a whole lot. If you are also a cross country runner, I amsure you can relate to this sonnet!
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This article has 4 comments.

YoBro6000 said...
on Mar. 8 2022 at 2:43 pm
YoBro6000, Mobile, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 3 comments
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I also run and this is a beautiful poem that sums up the whole cross country experience.
Awanata GOLD said...
on May. 21 2015 at 9:34 am
Awanata GOLD, Goshen, Indiana
10 articles 7 photos 9 comments
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I run XC too. You totally describe how I feel at races. It's wierd how undescribably hard it is, and yet we still love it. Once it's over we can't wait to do it again.
lifeaccordingtoawallflower BRONZE said...
on Jan. 4 2014 at 8:24 pm
lifeaccordingtoawallflower BRONZE, Somewhere, Indiana
4 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
“So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there."

View profile
Thank you so much! XC is my passion, and I thought this did a pretty good job describing a race in a sonnet(:
SeamanGlori BRONZE said...
on Jan. 4 2014 at 3:18 pm
SeamanGlori BRONZE, Provo, Utah
3 articles 0 photos 5 comments
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Woah. This incapsuates why I run perfectly as well. A perfect expression of the before and after of an XC race. Super sonnet. :)