BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! Cracking my eyes slowly to darkness, I roll over to look at the alarm clock to glance at the time. It's 5 a.m. sharp, hitting the snooze button. I then lay there struggling to keep my eyes open, feeling the pressure behind my eyeballs as I think about what I am waking up for. I pull up the blankets on my bed as I feel the chilly air surrounding my relaxed body, snuggling deeper into my blankets. Looking at the time again--5:05 am--I then pull my body up to sit on the edge of my raised bed as I interrupt the silence with a huge yawn.

Keeping my mind focused on why I do this, I begin thinking about all the assignments that I have due this week as they have accumulated over the past few days. I go over to the mirror as I begin to brush my teeth, turning on the faucet you hear the slight squeaking as the water makes its way through the pipes below, coming through the spout. Two minutes pass, then I spit and rinse. I walk blinded by darkness feeling my way to my dresser as I pull out a clean pair of shorts and a shirt and put them on. I then walk outside to feel the hot, humid air slowly coat my body. Another yawn fills my mouth as my eyes squeeze closed and goosebumps rise all over my body. Slowly, I start walking. Continuing to think about yesterday’s day at work, I can feel my lower legs throbbing from standing through an 8 hour shift. I look up at the pitch black sky as I feel the light, warm air brush my skin, finding and connecting the bright holes that fill the darkness above. My head hurts from the lack of sleep and the countless number of hours that I have spent on homework, reminding myself as to where I’m walking.

I look down at my watch, 5:30 a.m., right on time. I then see people. I see dedicated individuals that love what they do. All having their own stories as to what they are involved in, what they participate in, what they are, who they are and, most importantly, why they are here. I laugh as I hear that one person making a terrible joke, responded with someone else saying “it’s too early for that." We all begin to group up standing in the dark, hearing the light chirping of the crickets and feeling the moisture come through the lining of our shoes. Coach slowly approaches us, telling us our workout. BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP, the staggered starting of our watches. Everything goes away. My mind goes blank, my legs go numb, hearing only the whooshing of my breath filling my lungs. Inhale. Exhale. All the stress goes to a place where I can no longer find it. As I continue to pace past miles, I continue to pace past life one step at a time.