The Author Wants You to Know...
Name: Michael Colon
Born and raised in New York City. I currently reside in New York and am excited to begin my writing journey. I love creative writing, and my mission is to use my craft to impact the lives of others. My writing style can best be described as introspective, reflective, direct, informative, and symbolic. I use life’s many perceptual lenses to draw inspiration for my next piece.
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"I held myself back from a lot of other things in life. Now, with a free mind to fly, I needed to slow down so I would not burn myself out in mile one."
A brisk sunny morning in New York City during the end of a grueling winter signaled my first ever race that I would partake in. This 5K would set the stage for other races I would run in. I remember waking up Sunday morning of race day and wanting to get to Central Park as soon as possible. The excitement of earning my first finishers medal gave me enough energy that no cup of joe could. The finisher's medal symbolizes something deeper I wanted to prove to myself. Before leaving my apartment, I ate a light breakfast of eggs and fruit. When my wife pinned my race bib to my sweater, I saw those numbers like a stamp of approval to push past the limit.
I sat proudly on the train with my wife, wearing my number like a superhero logo on my chest. At every stop the train passed, I imagined myself running with the train, leaping through scenes of different neighborhoods to obtain my prize. When we got off the train, I wanted to sprint down the Manhattan avenues to Central Park when I saw more runners wearing their numbers up ahead.
Central Park, the natural organic heart of New York City, would be turned into a serene green arena for others to express themselves in running form. Before making my way to the starting line, I kissed my wife and stood amongst the other participants. I looked around at all walks of life huddled together, getting ready to meet their own goals with thanksgiving in my heart to share this memory with them.
After the national anthem, the countdown began, and my heart was racing before my feet made strides forward. The countdown ended, and the gun went off, causing the army of runners to move toward the finish line one muscle contraction at a time. I tried my best to stay with the pack of hundreds of people, but I couldn't help but gallop and take long strides from the back of the pack. I needed to release the pent-up excitement of getting myself to participate in this shared event with other people who wanted to push themselves for the better. For most of my life, I held myself back from competing seriously, such as events like this. I held myself back from a lot of other things in life. Now, with a free mind to fly, I needed to slow down so I would not burn myself out in mile one.
During my run, I took in the beauty of Central Park, with the skyline of trees and skyscrapers in the background and the morning sun reflecting off the buildings. The twists and turns mimicked the unexpected hardships of my life. The uphill runs in mile two replicated the uphill battles I faced within myself. The cold temperatures and my hurting muscles reflected the heartache of feeling alone during my struggles. The frigid temperatures soon went away when communicating with other runners using the sounds of footsteps pounding on the ground as a universal language of love and drive. The pain went away and became beautiful, like the park.
"I am starting my journey of personal healing toward a finish line in my mind, and that is gorgeous."
I knew I would not finish in first, second, or third place, but my goal was to humbly accept the success of not giving up on myself like I always used to do. Mile two seemed like it would never end and when I reached mile three, I fell into a flow state, let go of everything I struggled with, and became like birds flying above me in the same direction. At the end of the race, the finish line greeted me with people cheering, but most importantly, my wife was there. Seeing my wife waiting for me with a proud smile made ending this joyful experience of pushing my body and mind more worth it. I turned to her iPhone and waved, signaling the closing chapter of many more mental and physical races I would embark on, each with its journey of harmonic emotions as a tune to self-discovery.
One of the event workers handed me my finishers medal, and when I put it on, I realized the carrot dangling in front of me was a new me that had grown just a little more in disguise as a colorful medal. I felt so proud of myself for not quitting and believing in myself. Sure, I did not finish in first place, but I finished first in my own rights. Looking at my medal, I see it was much more than a snowflake emblem with the current year and 5K engraved on it. This trophy on my body reflected where my heart was when stepping out of my comfort zone.
Before leaving Central Park, I looked back at it one more time, looking forward to my next experience there. I wore my medal and bib on the trains back home. When I got home, I hung up my medal and thought about what other journeys could be out there and how far I could push myself.
"I would always avoid competing with others out of either shame or fear. That 5K reminded me that we are all on our paths of growth no matter where we are from."
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