Last years locker room

1

My throat was burning and tears pricked my bottom lashes, my heart was beating ten times too fast and beads of sweat were perspirating on my forehead.

My legs ached and my stomach churned but I kept pushing. My hands started to numb as I pressed my finger nails deeper into my palms, my blood was rushing through my body as I kept pushing trying to go faster.

I tried to control my breath, breathing in air through my nose and letting out strong puffs of air through my mouth. My head was pounding as I turned the corner of the faded track field.

My feet kept moving as I neared my final lap and I could hear the loud words of encouragement coach Lexi was shouting as I neared the end of the thickly painted finish line.

My inner voice was screaming to go faster as I reached the end of my fourth lap, the soles of my sneakers were burning like I was sprinting across fire and the stray strands of hair from my ponytail stuck to the sides of my face.

As I swept past the painted line of the track I slowed myself down and rested my hands against my knees sucking in air to fill up my lungs and exhaling slowly trying to steady myself before standing straight.

"4 minutes and 52 seconds." Coach Lexi called out as I jogged past her. The the sideline benches crowded with my teammates backpacks and water bottles.

Picking up my white thermal hydro flask I opened the top and let the ice cold liquid run down my throat, cooling the burning feeling that lingered from my harsh exhales.

Swiping away the drops of sweat that lingered on my forehead with the back of my hand I walked over to my coach as she wrote down my time on her wooden clip board, her blue ball point pen scribbling down numbers and small corrections.

" I should be at least thirty seconds quicker." I said pouring out some of the water onto my hands and applying it to my face and neck trying to cool down the sweltering heat that radiated off of me.

"This isn't track Blair and soccer season just started, no one is expecting you to run 1500 meteres in three minutes, you need to pace yourself and calm down. I don't want you tiring yourself out." Coach Lexi said with a serious tight lipped smile set into her her pale face.

Sighing I turned around to face her. Even though she had been standing at the benches for half of the practice she was also sweating, her arms were crossed over her chest and her black windbreaker with the schools gold initials were unzipped and her whistle hung from a chain around her neck.

She was no longer looking at me and I could tell she was done with our conversation and I should back off. Her focus was back on my teammates who were running drills across the field.

Taking her whistle between her fingers she blew into it with one sharp breath, the shrill noise that echoed across the stadium grabbed everyone's attention.

"Alright ladies practice is over huddle up." Coach Lexi shouted against the silence, her voice was sharp and loud and everyone began to jog over to where we stood.

"Everyone go home get some sleep I'll see you all on Tuesday." She said before dismissing everyone.

Walking over to my black Nike training backpack I picked it up and slid one of the straps over my shoulder. Taking another swigg of water I almost spit it out as someone comes up behind me and slaps my back.

"Ahhh I'm so excited to be back out on the field again." Nikki said throwing her sweaty arm around my shoulder and rested the side of her face against my neck.

I laughed as we walked together through the field and out to the student parking. It had started to drizzle and the wind blew through my hair.

The heat that was once dripping from me immediately vanished and I shivered as we stepped farther into the parking lot. As the drizzle turned into a light rain the little drops of liquid started falling from the sky faster. Me and Nikki picked up our pace as we made a beeline to her Tesla, a back to school gift from her parents.