Nicole Scharn
Making Mellifluous
The chatter of the crowd fades into the background as I step foot on "the big blue". My purple and bright yellow Nike spikes squish in the asphalt as my eyes wander around the stadium. I stand in awe as thousands of people sit above me, watching. I snap back into reality as the starter gathered me and the other first runners in a circle, announcing the directions in a firm, yet happy tone, "you may cut in whenever you have room, and remember, have fun."
Lane one...lane one...lane one... I thought to myself. I jump up and down on the track to warm my muscles, but more importantly, to calm my nerves. The voice of coach Rachuy filled my head, "make sure to get out hard and try not to get boxed in."
"On your marks," spoke the starter, disrupting my thoughts. I jogged toward the white waterfall line like I had so many times before. Silence. I sat still-frozen like- ready to take my first step in the race as soon as the gun shot. Nerves mixed with excitement filled my stomach. I've been waiting for this my whole life. More Butterflies. Why now?
BAM! My legs fly forward automatically, and my butterflies suddenly disappear. The crowd grows louder, yet still muffled by the loud breathing and the pounding spikes of runners surrounding me. Everything seems to be going so fast-my peripheral vision is blurred. My breathing grows louder and louder with every step. My legs ache more with every breath.
400 meters left. One lap down. How are they still going so fast? My mind begins to fight with my body, but I continue on because I have no choice.
300 meters left. Push through it Nicole- I think to myself. I feel so close, yet so far away. Every part of my body is exhausted-my legs, my arms, my shoulders. I'm trying not to think of my endless pain as I make my way down the back stretch.
200 meters left. You'd think a half a lap wouldn't be that hard. Boy, are you wrong. The blistering heat is making it difficult to breathe- I'm huffing and puffing.
100 meter mark. The last stretch. I can see Jenny at the very end of the track waiting for me. I can just make out her mouth, yelling something-clapping her hands. I have to go faster. Not much is left in my tank, but I try to pick up the pace-trying and failing. My legs hurt-they won't go any faster. I can barely pick them up anymore because they've gone numb.
50 meters. Finish Nicole. I'm so close, but my body is saying "no". I pump my arms harder in hope to make my legs move faster. I hear a girl, an opponent, behind me, and I see her shadow in my peripheral vision. I'm battling with myself, and with her. Finish Nicole.
5 meters. Jenny takes off, ready for her hand-off. She looks back and outstretches her arm as I reach to place our red baton safely in her hand. And she's off. My pace slows quickly, and I soon come to a stop. I'm done, I've done my part-just like that. My legs call for me to sit down, but instead I find a spot to cheer for my teammates. As I watch my teammates make their way around the track, I come to the realization that, in the end, all of the pain is worth it.
Our 4x800 team placed 6th at state in 2015. This is something that I couldn't even imagine doing. The feeling of running on "the big blue" is surreal. It really is something special, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to do so.
The Big Blue
"Finish Strong"
And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Hebrews 12:1
eye of the tiger
"Run fast, turn left."
-mama lynn
I chose the song Eye of the Tiger because it is the song my 4x800 team likes to listen to (and sing) together. This song is our special thing, along with Lightning Mcqueen!
eye of the tiger- survivor
"The faster you run, the sooner you're done."
Last year, during the beginning of the track season, our 4x800 group decided we needed to do something special before every race. We instantly came up with "Speed. I am speed. I am Lighning Mcqueen. CaChow!". Even today, before every race, we say our speech in a circle together. Lightning Mcqueen was just a character, but now, he just reminds me of a special relay team that I have.
Dear 4x800 girls,
Shera, Jenny, and Regan, I want to thank you all for giving me the best two/three years of track EVER. I can't imagine running around the track without you guys by my side. Next year I will truly miss it (I know, surprising right? Missing running, ha). The warm days, the cold days, the terrible track workout days, and the easy days that consisted of many awkward dance moves will definitely be missed. I wish I had another couple of years to run with you, because you are all just that awesome.
Shera: Oh shera, where do I even start? Your everyday complaint of "I don't want to do this" makes me laugh. You claim you hate running, but I think you hate not making your goal even more.... which just makes you work harder in the end. I love your attitude. When coach decided to put you in the mile, you said yes without batting an eye (and you were a complete stud). I will definitely miss your spunky attitude and nervous ramblings next year when I'm off at college. I hope you continue to run and make yourself even better in these last two years of high school. Oh, and by the way, I'm sorry I leave you to puke by yourself, I want to help.. but I just can't do it. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for you Shera. You'll do great things. Continue working hard in school, but never forget to have fun. Thanks for giving me amazing memories. I hope there's more to come this summer!
Jenny: I am so glad that I have gotten closer to you over these past few years. I honestly think that running that 4x800 with you last year brought us closer together for the entire summer. I mean we practically spent every single day together last summer. I hope we can continue that this year too! This year has been really rough for you, and I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. Your ACL, your hospital stay, as well as your continued coughing during track.....I can't imagine how terrible that would be to go through. You've battled through it though, and I'm proud of you. Even though you were out for at least 6 months, you came back running at track with no problem at all. Thank you for being my "running buddy" as well as my "biking buddy". You truly push me to work harder during those tough track days. I will miss you next year- keep Shera and Regan in line for me!
Regan: You are speed. When I saw you run for the first time, I think my jaw literally dropped. I'm so happy that I've gotten the chance to run with you these past couple of years. It's really such an amazing experience to have a relay team as close as we are. I know I can always count on you all to do your best, and nothing less- especially you. You run four events every meet, and I have no doubt in my mind that you'll give it your all. That's what makes a good teammate. I'd like to thank you for talking numbers with me. I don't know how I would function if I didn't program other times into my mind. I guess it calms me to know what they run, you know? I mean we only look at quikstats before every meet, so I think we're in the same boat. Regan, thank you for giving me one of the best experiences of track these past couple of years. I love our team unity, and I hope you all continue to have that next year. Oh, and keep getting faster and break some more records, would ya? And beat Lily...I know you can do it. Good luck to you in your future years in track, basketball, volleyball, cross country, and softball- I'm sure you'll do great in everything you choose to pursue.
I'm so proud of us and how far we've come from last year- I mean 10:13 before districts? You guys are amazing. I can't wait for these next few weeks to see what all we can do.
Speed. I am speed. I am Lightning Mcqueen. CaChow!
Love,
Nik
