While the World Sleeps

Beep, beep! Beep, beep! I wake to the ear-splitting sound of my alarm clock at 5:30 a.m. The world outside is dark and hushed. My weary body feels drained of energy, but I struggle out of my warm, comfortable bed. Straining to open my eyes, I stumble to the closet and pull on my reflective running tights and neon windbreaker. As I fumble with the laces of my running shoes, I consider calling in sick. But despite my bed's magnetic pull, I manage to leave the house at this ungodly hour to join the cross-country running team in a rigorous eight-kilometer training.

Cross-country running, a sport that fuses body and mind, maximizes your physical ability by testing your mental tenacity. “It’s mind over matter,” Coach always tells us. Every day represents a new struggle to beat yesterday's maximum output. I have known the agony of this conflict since I joined my school’s newly established cross-country team as a freshman.

I remember going up to the cross-country table at lunch during my freshman year to sign up for the team. I’d always been interested in sports and wanted to try competitive running. The girls at the table were athletic seniors who looked so mature and confident. I was intimidated by them; I wanted to be like them. They welcomed me when I approached the table, asked me about the sports I played, and invited me to join them that afternoon for training.

That invitation changed my life. The seniors on the team mentored and looked out for me. They took me shopping, helping me choose my running shoes and advising me to buy bright, reflective clothes so I’d stand out on the side of the road early in the morning or late at night. They taught me core and leg exercises and cheered me on as I slowly began to chip away at my time.

Our bond as a team was cemented every morning when we met before sunrise, headlamps bobbing, and ran through the neighborhoods around school. Fatigued in the freezing cold, drenched in pouring rain, huffing up and down hilltop subdivisions, we ran through the sleeping streets, practicing the discipline that cross-country demands. I constantly pushed myself to run faster and farther, for my team as well as for personal glory.

Last year, I severely sprained my ankle during a run. The pain was excruciating, scissoring up my leg as the ankle twisted. My teammates gathered around me and calmed me. They alerted Coach and my parents, then helped me ice, wrap, and elevate my leg.

Over the next few months, I worked hard to regain my strength and balance. Rehabilitation wasn’t easy. I missed my teammates and was disappointed by my slow progress, worried I’d never be able to run like I had before. There were many days I considered just giving up on running. But Coach insisted that rest was essential for healing. “Setbacks happen,” he said. “You have to be determined to get back up.” So every day, I made small steps toward my goal. I did calf raises, worked with resistance bands, and cycled on a stationary bike. I became an expert at taping my ankle and learned to alter my form to better protect myself from future injuries.

After several months of gradual, determined progress, I felt a great sense of accomplishment the day I rejoined my team at practice. All of the rest and slow, purposeful exercises had paid off. When practice was over, Coach took us out to celebrate. By the end of the year, I improved on my time, running 10 kilometers in 43 minutes. I was able to succeed because of my team’s encouragement and the unflagging commitment running has taught me.

Developing this discipline has aided me in my studies as well. After recovering from my sprained ankle, I learned I could apply the same dedication and tireless effort to power through a difficult algebra assignment or while preparing for my final exam in chemistry. Coach was right, mind is stronger than matter. If I concentrate and put my mind to it, I can achieve the goals I set for myself and realize an outcome I’m proud of.

The road to success is never easy, littered with obstacles, pains, and sprains. I run with the awareness that I am steadily reaching my goal–each step takes me closer. In my mind, I see a victory line that symbolizes the results of my perseverance and hard work. This line makes me realize that ambition and tenacity never go in vain.

While the world sleeps, I, Jane Smith, am working hard to attain my athletic and academic goals. I feel more confident now that on the road of life, while others may be walking, I will be running. I will run through ankle injuries and through fatigue. I will endure the inevitable hills and valleys. I will endure, and I will achieve.