Adrenaline rushes through my body, my heartbeat is racing. Suddenly the starting gun goes off. A stampede of runners race toward the wooded trails. Dust stirs in the air. The sound of feet hitting the rocky trails fills the silence. As I run I focus on my breathing, taking deep breaths in with every other step and slowly exhaling. I focus on the person in front of me, I watch their feet and mimic their steps. The trail twists and curves throughout the meadow, the sun produces a soft light. We hit the halfway mark, I increase my pace. It’s painful, however I know this pain is temporary. In the distance I see my teammates, their shouts of encouragement help me push on. At this point my feet feel heavier with every step. In the distance I hear shouting, as I round the corner the shouting increases in volume. Hoards of people crowd around the tunnel which marks as the finish line. Parents and fellow peers scream team names and runners. I give every ounce of energy I have and sprint as fast as possible. Within seconds its over, the moment I cross the finish line I stop running. Running is my passion, it’s my escape. When I run I don’t think about grades, or school, or drama. I simply live in the moment.