My feet thumped with every stride. With every step I took, I increased the distance between myself and the other runners. This was my problem, as I was put in the slower heat. I had nobody to push me, and was I was completely alone. It was just me against the clock. When I crossed the line, I did not know whether I did something great, or fell short of my goals. Only time would tell. When official results came out, I knew only one thing. Even though I had won, I had lost.
Qualifying for state championships in an open event for track can prove to be a daunting task. Running the 800m in under 2:05.0 is no easy feat. It is even harder when you have nobody around you to push you. Running the 800m at conference championships my sophomore year was