“That was my big finish,” Theo said, as they began their cooldown walk.
Theo went to a couple of ball games in the park during the last weeks before the race. The other players, who by now were all aware of Theo’s running, kept asking how it was going. Theo didn’t talk about it with them too much. He’d say that he was doing better and not go into detail. He had become a pretty good ballplayer, neither among the best nor the worst of the group who came there.
Four days before the race, Paul and Theo ran sixteen laps around the track — four full miles. It was the farthest either of them had run and the longest time, too: about thirty-three minutes.
Steve had advised them on his information sheet to take it easy the last few days before the race, so they did no more really heavy workouts after the four-miler. Theo felt stronger and in better shape than ever. There was no longer any doubt in his mind about finishing the race.
One night before race day, the Gordimers and Baskins got together for a barbecue cookout in the Gordimer’s backyard.
“Don’t pig out, now,” warned Mr. Baskin. “It’s okay to have a big dinner, but don’t eat so much that you have trouble getting to sleep. You need your rest.”
“Theo doesn’t eat like he used to,” said Mrs. Gordimer. “I remember when he’d come to one of these barbecues and eat everything that wasn’t nailed down. But lately, he stops when he feels full.”
“Actually, I’m full now,” Theo said.
“No room for apple pie?” asked Mrs. Baskin.
“Well, I guess I can handle a piece,” Theo admitted.
“My mom’s pie?” said Paul. “You better believe it!”
Mr. Gordimer shook his head, as if he was still surprised at the change in his son. “We just put a load of his old clothes in a box and put it into a clothes drop at the supermarket. They were just enormous on him.”
“Is Marj going to be there tomorrow?” asked Mr. Baskin.
Mrs. Gordimer replied, “She hopes she can make it. But we won’t know for sure until the morning.”
“I’ll bet she’s there,” Theo said.
“You know how much she wants to be there,” said Theo’s mother. “Just don’t be too disappointed if she doesn’t feel up to it. You know that she’ll be there in spirit.”
Theo nodded. “I know. But I still bet she’ll be there.”
14
At seven forty-five the next morning, Theo walked outside to wait for the Baskins, who would take him to the park for the race. Theo’s parents would come later — with Marj, Theo hoped.
He’d had breakfast and had on his running clothes and shoes. It was already warm, and would be hot later on. Theo took a drink while he waited, but he wasn’t bringing the bottle he usually carried. Mr. Baskin had said that Theo and Paul wouldn’t need to bring anything to drink during the race. There would be stations all along the route where volunteers would have cups of water and sports drinks available for runners to take as they ran past.
The Baskins showed up a minute later, and Theo climbed in the backseat.
“Going to be hot,” said Paul.
“Right,” Mr. Baskin said. “Be sure to drink enough. Use those refreshment stations.”
The starting area in the park was busy, even though start time was almost an hour away. Paul and Theo got their numbers and fastened them to their shirts. Theo was 205 and Paul was 206.
“How many people are running?” Paul asked the man with the numbers.
“There are about three hundred fifty signed up,” the man. “Plus we’ll get some bandits.”
Theo and Paul stared at each other. “Bandits?” Theo said.
The man laughed. “That’s what we call people who run without signing up or paying the entry fee. They’re a nuisance, but you always get some of them. If you see runners who don’t have numbers, they’re bandits.”
As Theo and Paul looked for someplace to stretch, Theo saw runners of all ages getting ready. A few looked about his age. Some looked like they might be in their seventies. There were some in streamlined wheelchairs, with amazingly muscular arms and chests.
Steve LaMotta came by and spotted Theo and Paul as they were finishing their stretches. “Listen, guys, it’s pretty hot. Take it easy at first, don’t burn yourselves out early. And drink enough fluid!”
He hurried off. Paul turned to Theo. “You think we should drink anything during the race?”
Theo laughed. “Hey, that sounds like a good idea.” He swallowed. “I’m nervous.”
Paul was jogging in place. “Me, too.”
Theo glanced over to a grandstand that had been set up near the finish line. There were some people sitting there already, but no sign of his parents or Marj, yet.
Theo and Paul talked about nothing in particular for a while. A clock that had been set up near the grandstand said eight forty-five when Steve La Motta and some other official-looking people got up on a little platform to one side of the grandstand. A man wearing a race T-shirt spoke into a cordless microphone.
“Can I have everyone’s attention? We’d like the runners to get into place. We’d like the fastest runners, the ones with numbers under fifty, to go to the front of the field. That way we can avoid traffic jams when we start. Please don’t crowd together, everyone. Runners will be starting at nine o’clock. Wheelchair entrants will start at nine twenty. But first, we have a few people who have things to say.”
Other people on the platform spoke, thanking everyone for their contributions to cancer research, thanking the runners for taking part, and thanking the volunteers who had set up the grandstand and platform and were out on the course already, setting up and working the refreshment stations. Finally, the first man introduced Steve LaMotta, who took the mike in one hand and held a starter’s pistol in the other.
“Are your folks here?” whispered Paul.
Theo, who had been checking the grandstand often, shook his head. “Not yet.”
On the platform, Steve LaMotta said, “I’m pleased to be involved in a race for a worthwhile cause. I hope everyone enjoys themselves today and remembers that running is supposed to be fun. If anyone wants to buy shirts or other race souvenirs, the money will all go to cancer research. And finally — and forgive me if you’ve heard this already today, but it’s important — you runners have to watch out for dehydration on a day like this. Drink lots of fluids. That’s all I have to say. Good luck to all. Runners, get set.”
He held up the starter’s pistol, paused a moment, and fired.
Paul and Theo were toward the back of the crowd of hundreds of runners. It was several seconds after the starting shot before they were able to begin to run. To their left, a boy and a girl who seemed roughly their age took off as if they were in a hundred-meter dash. Without thinking, Theo sped after them.
Paul yelled, “Hey! Slow down! Remember what Steve said!”
Feeling a little silly, Theo slowed his pace. “You’re right,” he admitted.
He and Paul ran together at an easy pace as the field began to stretch out. Some runners took off fast and seemed to whiz by the two boys, while others settled into a jog. Theo and Paul passed several slower ones, but it seemed to Theo like there were more runners ahead of them than behind them. He reminded himself that he had no expectations of winning the race, and that, anyway, some of the ones who were sprinting now might well slow down or even be forced to stop later.
When they found themselves in a shady area, the boys picked up their speed a little. A moment later, they were out of the park and running down a street that had been blocked off for the race. They were in bright, hot sun and slowed down again. Next to Theo was a man who had to be over sixty, but who looked amazingly fit. The man glanced over at Theo and smiled. Theo smiled back, after which the man waved and sped away.
Theo saw a big table a little way ahead, covered with paper cups full of water and sports drinks. Some runners were picking up cups from the table, while others took them from volunteers who were holdin
g them out. Theo and Paul each grabbed a cup from a volunteer and drank the water thirstily. They tossed the cups aside, to be picked up by volunteers.
A moment later, Theo and Paul came to a sign that said 1K. They’d run the first kilometer and had four to go.
“How are you doing?” Paul asked.
“Pretty good,” replied Theo.
Two teenaged runners, a boy and a girl, passed them. “I think we could speed up some,” Paul said.
Theo thought for a second. “Go ahead if you want. I’d better just stay like this for now.”
Paul nodded but didn’t speed up. He stayed next to his friend. The course now turned a corner into the downtown area. There were a number of people on the sidewalk, watching. Some had brought folding chairs. They cheered and applauded and yelled out encouragement to the runners going by.
“Hang in there!” “Way to go!” “Just do it!”
It felt good to hear it. Paul glanced over at Theo. “See those two who passed us a few minutes ago? Want to try to catch them?”
Theo looked to see the ones Paul meant, about fifteen yards ahead and now going at about the same pace. “Yeah, why not?”
The boys quickened their stride and soon were within ten yards of the teenagers… then only five. One of the two looked back over her shoulder and said something to her friend, who also looked back. The two then upped their speed and widened the gap again.
“Forget it,” Theo said. “Maybe they’re just faster runners. Anyway, it’d be crazy to try to keep up with them.”
They picked up more to drink at another station. Theo felt sweat dripping from his face. A minute later, they passed the 2K sign.
As they did, Paul said, “Yo, Gee, check this out.”
One of the kids who had sprinted away from them at the start of the race was standing off to the side of the runners. He was bent over with his hands on his knees, and he seemed totally wiped out. Theo and Paul exchanged a look. They had been right to pace themselves.
Now they had reached the slight uphill grade that Steve had mentioned. It wasn’t much of a hill, but on a hot day, and after running for a while, it seemed pretty rough to Theo, whose face felt really hot now. For the first time, he felt a little doubt creep in about whether he could finish this race.
A refreshment station appeared up ahead, just where the hill leveled off. As Theo grabbed for some water, a volunteer yelled, “Pour it over your head! It’ll help.”
Theo did it and immediately felt cooler and better. He grabbed another cup from a volunteer and drank it down. Paul, seeing what Theo had done, poured some water over himself. “Great idea!” he yelled.
The boys passed the three-K mark. The course was now headed back toward the park. Theo wondered if his parents and Marj had made it to the park by now, but for the most part he concentrated on running. He realized that his fists were clenched and relaxed his arms and hands.
Next to him, Paul turned and said, “I want to speed up. How about you?”
Theo shook his head. “Not now. Go on, I’m okay. See you later.”
Paul moved ahead, and Theo kept the same pace. Seconds later, Theo found himself in the shade of some tall buildings and began running slightly faster. Relaxing his arms and the cooling effect of the water he’d thrown on his head had made him feel a little stronger.
He saw Paul about twenty yards ahead of him as he passed the 4K sign. It wouldn’t be too much longer before he’d be back in the park. Theo imagined that the really fast runners — the guys who were up there with Steve LaMotta — had probably finished the race some time ago. He ran on, hoping there was a refreshment station not far ahead. There was.
Getting a cup of sports drink from the table, Theo drank most of it before tossing the cup aside. About fifteen yards in front of him, he saw the second of the two kids who had sprinted off at the beginning of the race. The girl had slowed down a lot, and Paul had passed her. Theo wondered if he, too, could catch and pass her. He decided to give it a shot.
He picked up some speed and focused on her back as she ran. Very slowly, the distance between them shrank. Theo figured that there was about half a kilometer — a little more than a lap on the track — left to go. He sped up a bit more and now trailed her by about ten yards. He passed a couple of other runners, but concentrated on the girl. He could see the entrance to the park about a hundred yards away. The girl was now only seven or eight yards ahead of him, and there were no runners between them.
Suddenly, she looked over her shoulder and saw him gaining on her. She put on some speed and moved further ahead of Theo, catching up to Paul.
Just before the park entrance, Theo took a deep breath and quickened his pace. Paul and the girl were now even, and Theo got a little closer to them. The finish line was now less than three hundred yards away. Did he have enough time and energy to overtake them?
He could hear cheering from the crowd at the finish line. Other runners were finishing and getting applause. He was now running in shade and didn’t think he could go any faster than he was going. But he was gaining on Paul and the girl. They were ten yards ahead.
With two hundred yards to go, Theo was only five yards back. He concentrated on his breathing and on narrowing the gap. It shrank to four yards and then three. There were less than a hundred yards to go.
The girl looked back again, and her eye caught Theo’s. She smiled at him… and sped up, passing Paul. Theo realized that he’d never catch her. She had too much left.
Now Paul looked back and saw Theo only a few yards behind him. He, too, smiled. But instead of speeding up, Paul slowed down a little. Theo pulled even with Paul, who reached out a hand. Theo grabbed it and the two boys crossed the finish line together. A digital clock over the finish line said that they had run the race in twenty-seven minutes and fifty-four seconds.
A man in an official’s shirt came over and led the boys into a shaded area, where both grabbed cups of water and drank them. Then they poured more water over their heads. Theo suddenly felt tired, but he also felt excited and happy. He had done it!
He heard his name being called from the noisy crowd of spectators. Paul nudged him and pointed to where some of their ballplaying buddies, including Van Sluman, were standing and cheering. Theo and Paul waved and smiled. Then Theo caught sight of his parents standing nearby, next to the Baskins. Standing beside Mrs. Gordimer was Marj. She was beaming and clapping with the others.
Paul and Theo walked over to their families, and there were hugs and handshakes all around. Mr. Baskin grabbed Theo and Paul by their shoulders.
“Congratulations, guys. Well done.”
After hugging each of his parents, Theo came up to Marj. They stood there, smiling at each other.
“Well done, young man,” she said. “You make me proud.”
Theo said, “I didn’t exactly win.”
“Sure you did. You won big-time.”
Theo said, “Well, you’re the one who won the big fight.”
Marj laughed. “Then we’re both winners.” She noticed Paul standing nearby, smiling at her.
“Correction,” she said. “We’re all winners.”
Theo understood that Marj was absolutely right.
Matt Christopher
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RUN FOR IT
Can Theo go the distance?
Theo Gordimer is a classic thirteen-year-old couch potato: he prefers video games and TV shows to playing sports.Then his favorite aunt is diagnosed with cancer. Theo wants to do something to help her, but what? Then his friend Paul tells him about an upcoming five-kilometer road race to raise money for cancer research. Theo is panicked: running the race seems like the perfect way to help out his aunt, but five kilometers is more than three miles! Theo can barely run a quarter of a mile without having to stop. How will he be able to do it?
Run For It Page 7