Sour spit,
Sweat stained,
Steady strides,
Lungs burning,
Throat dry,
Arms pumping,
Hair goes insane.

Each step slams my feet to the concrete,
Right, left
Right, left
Right, left
When I step up,
I can soar,
When I step down,
I am free,
Up, down
Up, down
Up, down.

Only limits,
Made by myself,
Right, left
Right, left
Right, left
Here I’m happy,
I have control,
My mind is calm,
Spirit relaxed.

My legs grow heavy,
The bones replaced by steel,
The muscles become lead,
Pain lives in my feet,
Slides up into my calves,
Finds it’s way into my thighs,
Slithers up my body,
First it is a setback,
Then it gives me power,
Power to not quit,
To not fall,
To hold myself up,
And keep going another minute.
Breathe in, breathe out
In and out
In and out
In, out
In, out
In, out
In, out
Inout
Inout
Inout
Out,
You are out of breath,
Out of control,
The air moves through,
Faster and faster,
The struggle to calm down,
To gain a sense of power,
And yet, you press on,
Right, left
Right, left
Right, left

The pain is all I know,
It burns me up,
Makes me want to quit,

But I wouldn’t have it any other way.