Esponda1

ZacheryEsponda
Ms.Gardner
English10H,Period2
26January2015
Cables
ScrapingmyNikeAirPegasus31sintoCasaGrandesancientdirttrackItookmy
positionontheline,myeyesfullofanticipation,mylegsitchingtomove,mymindfocusedon
whatlayahead.Likeabulliseagertochargeitsvictim,Iwasreadytolaywastetotheonly
thingstandinginmywayfromfinishingthisrigorousworkout,400meters.LookingtomyleftI
sawmyfellowteammateandgoodfriendZach,whoseeyescontainedafiercelook,andtomy
rightIsawseveralotherswiththesamestormragingintheireyes.Althoughmostwereweary
andheavyladenwithexhaustionfromthepreviouselevenlaps,allwerereadytofinishourfinal
laparoundtheseeminglyendlesstrack.LookingbacktomyleftIsawagrincreepacrossmy
coachsface,andIbegantowonderhowhecouldfindjoyinsomuchpain.
CoachPughcaughtthislookinmyeyesandsaid,Esponda,rememberthatyourlegscan
physicallydoit.Theonlythingslowingyoudownisyourmind.Afterponderingthisfora
moment,Idecidedtotakeittoheartandapplymycoachswordsofwisdom.SoonIheardPugh
utterthewords,AndGo!signalingthestartofourlast,dreadfullaparoundthetrack.
AsmylegsbegantheirsubconsciousmovementpropellingmeforwardIthoughtto
myself,Ohthisisntsobad.Imalmostdone.UnfortunatelyIhadonlyroundedthefirstcorner
ofthetrackandhadagrueling300metersremaining.Asthepainintensifiedseepingintomy
legsIbegantofocusevermoreonmystrength,constantlyremindingmyselfthatIwasfully
capableofaccomplishingthisagonizingtask.Driving,pumping,churning.Icouldfeeleach

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individualmusclefiberstraining,thecablessupportingmylegsbeginningtoweakenandsnap.
However,theremainingcablessupportingmybridgetothefinishheldstrongandsteady.
LookingaheadofmeIsawmyteammates:Zach,whosebodywascontortedinattempttocarry
thepain,Nick,strugglingtomovehisarmsandlegs,andMatt,fallingbackaspaintookitsgrip
onhim.ItwasthenthatIcametoconclusionthattheyweretoowereexperiencingthesame
agonyasIwas.Andassoonasithadbegunitendedinamere67seconds,ourfinallap
complete.ItwasafterthisthatIrealizedtherewasmoretotheartofrunningthanIpreviously
believed.ThatdayIexperiencedapainlikenoother,yetsomehowIwasabletoovercomeit.
Ithinkitssafetosayrunnersareanentirelydifferentbreed.Forsomanyrunningisan
unlikeableandincomprehensiblesport.Whydoevenlikerunning?orWhydoyourun?Itsso
painful,arequestionsthatIamconstantlyaskedbyothers.Ibelievethereasonmostpeople
dontunderstandrunnersorrunningisbecausetheycannotorarenotwillingtoseeitfrom
anotherpointofview.Onemustunderstandthatforthousandsofyearshumanshavereliedon
theirabilitytoruntotravelandcommunicatewithoneanother.Itisonlynaturalthatonewould
lovetorun.Perhapsthisiswhypeopleallovertheworldfindjoythroughrunning,andthesingle
thingthatactsasabridgebetweenrunnersfarandwidearetheirlegs.Allrunnersknowthatthe
muscleswithintheirlegsiswhatallowsthemtorunandaccomplishgreatfeatsofphysical
endurance.However,itwasntuntilIwasinHonorsBiologyduringmyfreshmanyearthatI
finallybegantounderstandthis.
OnecoldwintermorningItiredlytrudgedthroughthehallsofCasaGrandeandintoI2
withmyfriendMihir.Aswedraggedourselvesinwesawtoourdismaythatwewouldbe
readingourModernBiologytextbookformostoftheperiod.

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Mihirimmediatelyblurtedout,Thisissodumballwedoisread,andIrepliedin
agreement,Yeathisisprettydumb.Ihadneverbeenmorewronginmylife.
AlthoughIdislikedtheideaofreadingIresentfullysatdownandopenedthebookto
page917.Iimmediatelyrealizedthatwewouldbereadingaboutmuscles,andbeingarunner,I
wasexcitedtolearnthesciencebehindwhatallowedmetorun.Igraduallybegantoreadfrom
thetextbook,Amusclemaybemadeupofhundredsoreventhousandsofmusclefibers,
dependingonthemuscle'ssize.Itwasthenthattheintricatepuzzleofrunningbeganto
assembleitselfbeforemyeyes.
Musclesareabridgethatsupportthelegsallowingonetorun.Eachindividualcable
composedofthousandsofmicroscopicmusclefibers.Whenonesnapsotherstakeitsplace
bearingitsweight.And,astimeprogresses,thosecablesthatbrokeunderpressurearerepaired.
Newcablesareaddedtothebridgemakingitstrongerthanbefore,itisreadytotakeonmore
weightandpressure.Thusthelegisveryimportanttotherunner.Itbreaks,buttherunner
becomesstronger.Thelegalsoservesasabridgebetweenallrunners,abridgeonwhichto
communicatethroughandcreatestrongrelationships.
Whenwesufferwithoneanotherthroughrunningourbondgrowsstronger.Thisbondis
whatdrivesrunnerstorun.ThisbondiswhatalsodrovethegreatGreekmessengerPheidippides
todelivernewsofvictorytothecityofAthens.AftertheAthenianssuccessfullydefendedtheir
countryagainstthePersiansattheBattleofMarathon,wordofvictoryneededtobesenttothe
cityofAthens.Pheidippidestookonthismonumentaltaskandbeganthelongtrek.Heknewthat
onlyhislegswerestrongenoughtorunthe25milestoAthens.Thecablesofthosewhofought
byhissidehadbeendestroyedbythebattleandtheirbridgescollapsed,butPheidippidescables
heldstrongallowinghimtoaccomplishhistask.Hewasthemanwhobridgedthegapin

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communication,retainingthebondbetweenarmyandstate.Pheidippidesusedhislegsandpaid
theultimatepricetobethebridgebetweenbetweenthearmyandstatehecollapsedanddiedof
exhaustionupondeliveringthenewsofvictory.Onlyfewcanrelatetothepainandsuffering
Pheidippidesencountered,andthosefewhavecongregatedintotribesisolatingthemselvesfrom
moderncivilization.
DeepintheCopperCanyonsofMexicoliveanelusivetribewhomfewhaveeverseen,
theTarahumaraIndians.Everythingtheydorevolvesaroundtheirlegs.DrivenintotheCopper
CanyonsbyWildWestbountyhuntersandcruelSpanishsilverminerswhomadethemslaves,
theTarahumaraperfectedtheartofrunningawayfromtrouble.Throughallofthispainand
sufferingtheTarahumarabecamecloser,relyingontheirlegstocarrythemawayfromtrouble
andfindjoy.Thistribescableshavebeentornapartbuttheirbridgedidnotfail.Theygrew
strongerandcloserthanbeforeandbegantorunforpureenjoyment.Runningmorethan100
milesatatimetheyraceoneanothersolelybecausetheyloverunning.Theirlegshavecreateda
bondsopowerfulthatitcannotbereplicated.Anditisthisbondthatsomanyrunnersstriveto
obtain.Becauseoftheirabilitytorun,theTarahumarahavebecomeonebody,onebridgethat
cannotbebroken.

Thisbridgethatourlegshavecreatedbetweenoneanotheriswhyrunnerloverunning.
Tearingourmuscleswephysicallybecomestrongerwhileourrelationshipwithourfellow
runnersalsobecomesstronger.CountlesstimesIhaveheardmockingvoicesshout,Run,
Forest!Run!ButIknowthosewhoyellthishavenotyetbuiltabridgetheircablesareweak
theycantunderstandwhyweputourlegsthroughsomuchpain,sotheymock.Onlyonceone
beginstheirjourneyofrunningwilltheytrulyunderstand,thenwilltheyseektobuildtheirown
bridge.

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