Runner

Bang! He didn't have to think. Putting all the strength he had in his right leg he leaped forward. The timing was perfect to gain the balance and pull the left leg ahead. He stared down but didn’t see anything because all his mind was focused at something important. There was no need to see. Three years of early morning three hour and evening two hour practice had made his body so used to the sprint as an old lady knitting her sweater while doing a morning walk.
I have to beat the last time. His coach said a million times “Don’t worry about the darn medal, you run for yourself. Beat yourself to win yourself” The drops of the salty sweat didn’t fall down, the wind of his speed touched his face and took the sweat away along with it giving him the encouragement to beat himself. I have to beat the last time.

He looked ahead and ran. Jo and Alex were drunk when they came to visit him a night two weeks ago. They knew their best friend would be traveling away to run. They had brought him a medal saying “Run Runner”. Run runner he heard in his ears. “Yeah” his jaws were closed tighter than a crocodile’s whenever he had run along with other men on the striped ground. Run runner “yeah”. With his steps counting yards by the seconds he thought I have to beat the last time.

He saw the Italian wearing green and red was nearing by with the corner of his eye. He is fast. His nerves erected, and he showed his teeth. He had forgot his body. With all his power and strength he was in tune with a harmony of speed and the wind kissing his body. He remembered the last time he had finally ran with all his power and life. He smiled within himself. He is fast... but I have to beat my time.

All the shouting faces, the screaming throats and the bulging eyes were looking at the men who had lived for this run. They say the men on the ground running towards the line. But the men running on the tracks saw nothing but the line. He knew he was not alone. There were eight runners who were running behind him. He didn’t know what they were running for, but he knew they saw the same that he had been seeing all these years.
He didn’t care of what they saw or what they heard, he smiled I have to beat the last time.