Final section of Lyric Essay

No way!  This is SO not happening!  I have finally reached mile 25 and there it is staring me in the face:  a giant, deathly hill.  At this point I’m barely putting one foot in front of the other and I seriously doubt I can make it up the hill.  I can’t believe they would put a hill right here!  Are they just trying to kill me!?  Figuring the answer to that question is yes, I glance over at my sister with a look of despair.  With a “we can do it!” cheer, we start trudging up.  My hamstrings are burning and I want to walk SO bad.  Then another small miracle occurs; my I-pod begins to play “Chelsea runs”.  I try to fight it as my eyes start to well up with tears.  I quickly wipe the tears and refocus my energies.  In 1.2 miles I will finish Chelsea’s run.  I can do it!

 

“Oh the places I’ll go, I know certainly not.

I know though, I know, that wherever I go I’ll learn a

Great many things not just about history or math, but in

Fact, about the Great Balancing Act.

I’ll travel great distance.  I’ll live far from home. 

I might just find myself all alone.

But nevertheless find myself I will and thus, I will go and

Continue to grow.

For I am myself, and this will not change

Today is MY day!

My mountain is waiting, and I am on my way”

            -Chelsea King (part of one of her college application essays)

 

            After making it up the miniature mountain, I turn the corner and I see the most beautiful sight:  the finish line!  With crowds along both sides cheering me on, I push with all my might and sprint the last quarter mile.  As I reach the finish line, I can’t help the emotions that bubble up.  Almost immediately, tears are streaming down my face.  I actually did it!  I finished 26.2 miles!  I can’t describe the mixture of joy, pain, excitement, and exhaustion I’m feeling.  I take one last glance at my orange bracelet and say to myself, “We did it Chels, we finished your run.”           

Part of Lyric Essay

During the run, I continually glance down at my watch to make sure I’m staying at a good pace.  The quicker I finish, the quicker I can take a shower and crash.  Running is not my favorite thing in the world.  Oh no, now my thoughts are starting to turn negative.  If they continue in that direction, I’ll never survive this run.  As my arms pump back and forth I see a flash of my orange bracelet and slowly, I inch my way down Brown Road trying to focus on the random businesses I pass by or the few cars that drives by at 6:00 on a Saturday morning.  Crazy people!  They should be sleeping!  My thoughts turn to other ideas and the negativity disappears.  Though, my knee is beginning to ache and the sun has officially come up, warming the temperature by 10 degrees, I stay focused on my goal.  Two and a half hours later I exhaustedly walk through the front door of my house.   

“Missing Teen’s body Found?”

“Remains Likely Those of Missing California Teen”

            The rest of the week drug on.  Questions constantly swirled around in my head.  Why did she have to go running alone?  It had been the middle of the afternoon but still, she shouldn’t have gone!  And how could any human rape and kill an innocent 17 year-old girl?  I just couldn’t understand. 

            The day I had been waiting for was finally here.  I had survived the training, the injuries, and the mental breakdowns.  I stood in the lobby of the hotel running clothes on, adrenaline pumping through my veins.  The lobby was packed with anxious runners waiting for the bus to take us all to the start of the Top of Utah Marathon.  I huddled next to my sister and dad who decided to run with me in my first marathon.  The cold air rushed in through the sliding doors as another bus driver entered and told the masses to load the bus.  We all crowded through the doorway trying to push our way onto the bus to avoid standing out in the cold Logan air.  We made it!  It’s 5 A.M. and I just want to sleep on the ride to the start, but I’m so nervous!  I have no idea what to expect.  The most I have trained for is 19 miles and it’s going to be 7.2 miles longer than that…

Happy Thought: Nature

I cautiously dip my toes into the cool, clear water of the small stream and feel the pressures of the world lift off my shoulders.  I breathe in deeply and the fresh smell of the woods enters my nostrils and fills my soul.  With my eyes shut I hear the song of the birds calling back and forth to one another.  Not the harsh call of the crows but the soft chirping of a lark.  All around me, giant green trees reach toward the sky.  I look up to see rays of the sun shining through the leaves and onto the calm water.  Nature is beauty.

Happy Thought: Memes

This is HILARIOUS!  How can you not love this??  Tonight as I was sitting on my couch watching "The Voice" (of course avoiding doing homework) My roommate, who was being equally as productive, began perusing Pinterest, the ultimate distracter.  A crazy rendition of "Dream On" was interrupted by a loud guffaw exploding from my roommate.  My attention turned from the show to this beauty of a picture and immediately I understood her guffaw.  Before I knew it, I reacted exactly the same.   Only unlike her, I couldn't stop.  Soon the tears were flowing and my stomach ached from laughing so hard.  Honestly the picture is funny, but not THAT funny and I had no idea why I was laughing.  That's what was so great! So yeah, I love memes.