He's on the track. Will he get off in time?
The gun is up.
His arm is wrapped in color, so that it makes one think that perhaps it is not his own.
"Set!"
"Bam!" Gun goes off.
He sprints for the side of the track. He makes it.
We pass. We smell the gun powder and then not. We focus.
The brash one says, "I feel good."
It only makes us want to beat him even more.
Who is he?
The brash one runs the first 400 in 62 seconds.
The brash one will be ours shortly.
And he is of course, midway through the second lap.
We eat him up.
Runner A had come to me before the race with a plan.
Runner A wanted Runner B to lose.
Runner A didn't care who beat Runner B as long as Runner B lost.
I knew then not to worry about Runner A.
I knew that Runner A was not focused on victory.
Runner A would never be a winner.
You never make plans with the enemy, even about another enemy.
We go through the one mile point and hear the time - 4:42, 4:43, 4:44 - and then it trails off.
There are three of us - Runner B in front, then Runner A, then me.
I hear footsteps behind me for another lap and then not.
Runner B starts to pull away.
Runner A sprints to catch up.
They have gapped me.
We pass the two-mile point and we hear it - 9:32, 9:33, 9:34 and then nothing.
Nothing at all.
Runner A has taken the lead.
Four laps left.
I am 10 meters behind Runner A and Runner B.
I am feeling slow, but Runner B is coming back to me.
Runner B can't keep up.
I pass.
Runner A is ahead by 20 meters.
3 laps left.
I surge.
2 laps left.
Runner A is ahead by 10 meters.
I lose a little ground.
1 lap left.
We hit the three mile mark.
14:29, 14:30.
We pass.
We hear 14:37.
Then nothing.
Runner A is sprinting.
I counter.
He can't win. He can't win.
He came to me with the plan which set it up so that if I won it would be alright with him.
I would never do that.
Down the straight we come.
I'm in trouble.
I'm no sprinter.
I even it up.
We see the line.
Get there. Get there.
Runner A slows.
I cross first.
14:58.
It is not expected.
I spit and hit brash runner on the leg as he passes to do one more lap.
Accomplishment complete.