The Finish Line
The Race
“And here they come, looping around the final 200 meter mark! That’s Kingston in first, followed closely by Richards, and then Smith. It’s going to be a tight finish here and there goes Adam Richards as he starts to work that outside shoulder of Darrell Kingston in first. 150 meters remaining. It’s Richards on the shoulder and Kingston holding on. It’s all gonna come down to the final 100 meters folks, but wait a minute here, it looks like Darrell Kingston’s got something extra in the tank. Kingston shifting into another gear, and now it’s Adam Richards in the hole. Can Richards keep up? 80 meters remaining. Richards gotta go here, but Darrell Kingston is not losing steam. Kingston beginning to separate here at the 50, 40, still Kingston on his own. 20, 10, and that’s Darrell Kingston in for gold. Adam Richards in for the silver, and here comes the rest of the pack…
Wow, what a finish there by Darrell Kingston clocking in with a final time of 3:41.27 in the Mens 1500 meter. Coach K is definitely gonna be happy with those results, and I’m sure Kingston himself is probably feeling ecstatic after receiving another collegiate medal here at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Truly incredible. But wait a minute here, what’s this? My golly it seems like Kingston’s not done. Keeping pace through the finish line, Darrell Kingston is barreling his way through the crowd as he makes his way out the stadium. What a truly incredible athlete we have here, or as the young folks might say it, this guy is built different. Haha. Anyway, please stay tuned after this quick commercial break as we continue to honor these 1500 meter runners with the post-race medal award ceremony.”
The Medal Ceremony
“Welcome back! Once again I’m Liam Dittmer and thank you for tuning back into the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championship which is being held right here at the beautiful Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. If you are just now tuning in, what you just missed was an incredible race in which Drake University’s Darrell Kingston was able to outkick University of Florida’s Adam Richards in the Mens 1500 meter. So, joining us now is olympian and influencer Nick Symmonds to assist in the medal distribution for the top 1500 meter runners. So, without any further ado…
Starting in 4th place, from the University of North Carolina, finishing with a time of 3 minutes 46.02 seconds, we have Christopher Smith from Bowling Green, Kentucky. [Applause]. Next, coming in 3rd place, from the University of Washington finishing with a time of 3 minutes 45.96 seconds, it’s Xavier Pierce from Phoenix, Arizona. [Applause]. Continuing on to 2nd place, running for the University of Florida with a final time of 3 minutes 43.75 seconds, it’s someone we’re familiar with, Adam Richards from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. [Applause]. And last but not least, in 1st place, with a whopping time of 3 minutes 41.27 seconds, it’s none other than Darrell Kingston from Huntington, New York. [Applause].”
The applause ensues, but Kingston doesn’t appear. “Darrell Kingston?” the announcer repeats. Again the runner is nowhere to be found. Where is he? Some wondered. How could he miss this? Others thought. But one person in the crowd knew exactly where Darrell was; barreling his way on in hopes of reaching another finish line.
Why I Wrote “The Finish Line”
Well, as I’m writing this short story, I am at the 50 meters remaining mark. I graduate college in 3 days from now, and that’s a big deal. It’s been an eventful 4 years, but by God’s grace I can see the finish line, and I’m almost there. So, while running this last stretch I can’t help but think about what it looks like to cross over the finish line. Do I take it all in, or barrel myself into the next race? I think oftentimes we’re told keep moving, never slow down, and avoid being in the moment. Yet, I think that for me in this season I’m being challenged to consider the ways in which it’s important to 1) finish the race, 2) celebrate that you finished the race, 3) assess how the race went, and 4) implement your learnings for races in the future.
In other words, without slowing down, I think you make yourself a worse runner. Think about it. Your legs will get fatigued, you won’t have as much stamina, you won’t have time to connect with friends, and eventually you will slow down. Therefore, in this season of my life, I do not want to barrel my way on to the next thing without taking time to breathe, reflect on how far I’ve come, celebrate, and slow down. College has been strenuous, and when I cross the finish line, I think it’s necessary to slow down (be it seconds, minutes, hours, or days). Then when I’m ready, I’ll get back on the track and continue running on until the next race is finished. And maybe just maybe I’ll cross another finish line.
