It was 6 AM, and the team was getting ready for the toughest run of the summer. As a junior, I felt confident and prepared as it was my third attack on the course. However, I knew the pain I would suffer. I recalled the lactic acid buildup in my legs mile one and the painful aspects of this 5k. My 16 teammates hopped into the van, (some ready to run it for the first time and some their last) yet, there was a different atmosphere among the group- calmness.
Moments later we were lined up preparing our minds for the grueling course. In a flash we were off. Chas, Patrick, Jesse, Parker Place (an alumni that now runs at the Naval Academy) and I were up front moving through the first mile as it was the least steep portion. Closely behind us were a couple of young blooded eighth graders, who had yet to realize the treachery ahead. For what seemed to be one hour, I still had not seen the third cone (which would represent the end of the third mile). I remained calm, albeit concerned. Chas and Patrick took off after mile one and Jesse was slightly behind me, therefore I was alone. My worries diminished as I saw the finish line with Pat and Chas cheering me on. I was elated for the completion of the course, but I was convinced that there were literally rocks in my calves from all the climbing. The results were astounding. First, Patrick and Chas broke the long-standing record by more than 15 seconds. Next, when comparing the depth of this team to our deepest team yet, (2013) we blew them out of the water. Lastly, when comparing the top five times from this run to the 2010 top five, it is not close… This team seems to have the potential to be something great.
Monday night came around quickly. Dodgeball had arrived. We had three teams competing, and this time we had to focus because there was no way we were going to lose. Hours of throwing and dodging balls, our A team and B team were both in the semi-finals. The B team surprised us as no non-A team had made it this far. Sadly, the A team lost to the ever-so-original “The Purple Cobras.” We took it hard, but remained hopeful for the B team who had progressed to the finals. And to fulfill the annual prophecy, Trinity Prep once again won the Brevard dodgeball tournament.
The week seemed to fly by because we had so much fun creating little memories along the way. Before we knew it, our team was on the graduation run. We arrived to the top, absorbed the spectacular view, and then slowly ran back down. On the way down, I was so focused on singing along with the team that I did not see the significant root in front of my foot. In one soccer-striking motion, I nailed my big toe on that root like it was a nice pigskin (that I am able to punt one-hundred yards). Oh boy did it hurt. It was comparable to someone putting gasoline on my toe and lighting it. In my sheer ignorance, I continued to finish the run without assessing the damage to my toe. I reached the village and finally saw the beautiful, bloody, cracked toenail. Soon thereafter, I performed my own surgery and it now has fully healed!
The never-taken-for-granted time spent at Brevard helped forge together a strong and united team that shares an unbreakable bond. This unfolded and will continue to grow through stories, jokes, quality time, and overcoming challenges together.
