“I never ran the best times on the team, but I had the best time.”
By Tanner Conklin
BANG! The gun sounds and the race is off. Runners explode across the start line with astonishing speed. My heart pounds as I bound forward. Surrounding me is a small pack of guys wearing white jerseys identical to my own. I gasp loudly for air but the sound of my struggle is drowned out by the thunder of hundreds of footsteps pounding the dirt trail all around me. My legs and my lungs scream at me to slow down, but when l look from left to right at the faces of my laboring teammates l can’t help but laugh.
Four years ago, the people beside me were complete strangers. I recall arriving at my first practice consumed by the dread of being horribly out of shape and not knowing a single person on the team. The coaches gave the signal and the stampede began. A wave of demigods, aka, varsity flew past me effortlessly. They were shirtless which meant the whole world could see just how perfect their tans and six packs were. I was also shirtless which allowed everyone to be blinded by my astonishingly white torso. The elite runners were almost completely out of sight after only a couple of minutes. Surprisingly, I was not the only kid choking on the dust of future Olympians. To my right were three other people who were also struggling to breath at a quarter of a mile. Between wheezes, we agreed to slow our pace to a more comfortable crawl. Once we had enough oxygen to speak, we quickly realized we had a couple of major things in common. None of us had ever run for more than three miles, none of us owned a pair of proper running shoes, and all of us were only doing cross country because our mothers told us to.
My new found companions and l arrived back at the school dead last. Most of the other runners had managed to finish stretching and leave by the time we got back. I hardly noticed due to being overjoyed that I had survived my first run.
With every practice my cardiovascular endurance strengthened, and so did my bond with my friends. l never ran the best times on the team, but I had the best time. Every run was filled with sweat, cramps, and most importantly laughter. Eventually, even the most brutal workouts became enjoyable. It didn’t matter if I had to scramble hills, sprint four hundred meter intervals, or survive twelve mile runs. I was just happy to be spending time with the guys. After struggling through many races and many more workouts together over the next four years, we became more than teammates; we became brothers.
I take another look at my family beside me. The pain melts away from my legs as my footsteps fall into the rhythm of my group. I stop gasping for air as my breathing synchronizes to that of my brothers. My pack and I cross the finish line as a creature with one set of legs, one pair of lungs, and one heartbeat.
Editor’s Note. College applications often require that the applicant write an essay. Tanner Conklin is now a senior in high school and schools are preparing their college-bound students to apply. Members of Tanner’s class have reviewed college applications and were asked to write a paper in response to the following cue from an application. “Some students have a background, identity, interest or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, the please share your story.â€Â This is Tanner’s story and he agreed to share it with The Peak‘s readers. Tanner, the editor’s grandson, lives in Superior, Colorado with his family. He plans to enroll in the College of Media, Communications, and Information at Colorado University in Boulder next year.
Related Websites
Cross County, Monarch High School, Boulder County School District Website Website
Monarch High School Cross Country Website  Website
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