Championship Sprint

The living room was conquered. Time to take the field outdoors. I sprinted across the threshold to the sunlit balcony and eyed the long wooden planter. High hurdles! I leaped over three smooth river pebbles in rapid succession, kicking up a tiny puff of dry soil. Right at the finish line, a dried oak leaf blocked the path. No braking. I lowered my shoulder, tackled it head-on, and skidded across the finish line with the leaf pinned flat beneath my feet. New course record, zero hesitation.