Expected to Do Very Well but Could Not — Narrative Essay

“On your mark, get set… go,” shouted the referee. I sprinted on the racing track, along with the other contestants, in the semi-finals of the 400 metres race for the annual athletic meet in the school. I ran the first round of the field, closely followed by two contestants. As I began the final round, the children cheered. This propelled me to put all my energy and I breasted the rope, winning the race by a huge margin. Exhausted I lay on the ground as my friend clasped my hand and pulled me up and hugged me warmly. My sports teacher patting me on my back said “Well done Rohit, a little more effort and you will break the school record of 2 minutes.”

I had been preparing for this event for the last one year. Getting up early in the morning and jogging in the park outside my house. The big margin by which I had won bore testimony to the hard work and dedication, I had put in. Assured of winning the race, I resolved to improve my performance and break the school record in the 400 metres race to be held on the final day of the athletic meet.

With such thoughts racing my mind, I took position on the racing track. No sooner did the referee utter the word go, I ran as I had never run before. The loud cheering of spectators made me accelerate the momentum. Looking back after the first round, I saw my nearest contestant way behind me.

Assured of winning the race by a huge margin, I tried to accelerate the speed in the final lap. However, to my utter surprise my legs started to feel heavy. They just refused to move as fast as I wanted them to move. As a result my speed slackened. I helplessly saw other contestants overtake me. Feeling weary and drained out, I somehow managed to complete the race, being the last one to do so.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I walked to the visitors’ gallery to meet my parents, who were waiting for me. “Good race,” said my father, as he thumped and hugged me warmly. Wiping the tears, my mother consoled me with words of encouragement. I returned home feeling like a wounded warrior.

Utterly disappointed with my performance, I introspected as to what had gone wrong. I soon realised that in my enthusiasm, I had set a goal of breaking the school record, without chalking out a strategy for achieving it. Instead of conserving my energy for the final round, I had exhausted myself in the first round. I had learnt an important lesson in life, for in the words of Tom Landry, “Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.”