I really wonder how you feel on these nights so alone

“if only you could see”

The Bicycle Race.

Feb 9, 2008 || 7:56 AM || comment?

Endurance is key. No matter how bad your lungs are burning, or if you feel your legs will fall off, endurance is key. But pace yourself above everything. You'll lose all your stamina if you rush into it, you'll burn out before it's even halfway finished. Eat your starches. Drink plenty of water. If you'll do all of these things, I know you'll be fine.

It was the same chant over and over again. I heard it at least ten times, and I'm pretty sure I could recite it if I wanted to. But I don't. It was a good talk, but I need something to calm my nerves, I already know how a race works. Pace yourself and win. That's it. But, my stomach is pretty much butterflies right now. There's an hour before the race, and I'm out here. The sun is already warming my skin, I know it's going to be a long ride. There are so many other people out here. I don't know any of them, save a few of the participants. We always ride together. Sometimes they win, I've only won once, but ever since then...

I stretch my legs; there's only ten minutes before the race begins. I could throw up if I wanted to. All I know is that at the end of this, I hope I see his face at the finish line. He has been to every race of mine and I don't even know his name. I'm pretty sure he's not here for me, but I like to pretend. However, I've never seen him gone to congratulate anyone at all, so I'm really not even sure that he is here for someone else. All I know is that it gives me comfort to see him there, possibly smiling at me, as I cross the finish line.

One minute left. I pull my hair into a ponytail, everyone mounts their bikes in one fluid motion, we're ready to go. the crowd is chanting the final seconds, and as we hear the horn, we take off. One hundred plus bodies racing for the same goal I am. But they don't have him to silently cheer them on, to smile as they cross the finish line. With each pace building pedal, my anxiety disappeared, and I maintained the lead with the same group I always raced with. Two other girls and three guys. So we often went out together, three and three. They were nice guys, but none of them really interested me. No doubt we had fun together after the races like eating out, doing karaoke, amusement parks. We always had fun.

I trained for six months for this race. We all did. We've all placed first in one race or another. The two other girls were decent with long distance riding, but they would never make first place. The guys on the other hand could pace themselves very well, and it was usually a challenge to keep up with them, but this time I managed, and they were proud of me.

My mind was swarming with thoughts and daydreams that I hadn't realized how close I was to the finish. A few hundred feet away, with no one but the three guys around me. The guys were busy talking and joking, too proud to pay attention until they realized I was ahead of them. I grew nervous again as I could hear them getting closer; but I was still closer to the finish line. I pedaled as hard as I possibly could, and before I knew it, the crowd around me cheered loudly. I couldn't believe it. It was such a long time ago when I won first place, and I was so sure it would never happen again. Two of the three guys took second and third.

We all came to a stop and hugged each other. I smiled at their praise, too shocked for words. Then I remembered who brought me here. I scanned the crowds for his face, I was afraid he might not be here. Then when someone left the crowd, I could see his face. He was smiling at me again, and I wondered if he knew I was the one who got first place. I waved at him, and he waved back. I motioned for him to come near, but instead he turned away and started to leave the crowd. I felt so desperate at that moment, I told my friends I'd be right back and I ventured into the crowd. With ample pushing and shoving, I finally made it out, and there he was, standing right outside the crowd. He must have known I would chase after him. But now that I was here, I didn't know what to say. So I hugged him. He was slightly taller than me, snd he wore nice cologne. He told me he'd been to each one of my races, but he didn't know this was the second time I'd gotten first place. He was too nervous to ever meet me, and said I seemed hard to approach with those three guys always being around. He worked as a chef at one of the restaurants we frequented. But now that we finally met, and exchanged numbers, he promised to keep in touch. We went our seperate ways, and at the end of it all, I still forgot to ask his name.

Labels: fiction junction