Page 151 of Dickathlon

In order to win, I’d have to finish ahead of Asher. One little fuck-up and it would all be over.

“One fuck up and it’s all over.”

“Wow, Yuri. Super great advice.”

“Well, it’s true, Declan.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Stay focused. The entire race. Not just the start and finish. Be smart about your speed. Save some in the tank for the last lap, but you better not have any left at the finish line. Just enough.”

His words echoed in my mind as I watched the first heat. We were split by time, so these guys weren’t who I needed to worry about. Asher, Ulisses and the other nine were my competition. It wasn’t weird rooming with Asher either. Or for that matter, competing with the guys. I knew all of them and they were great. You didn’t compete at this level in such an oddly specific event and not build camaraderie with other like-minded body-punishers.

I took a minute to listen to the crowd as the runners made their way around the enormous stadium. This was the finale of the Olympic decathlon. It had to be the biggest crowd I’d ever seen.

I had been so focused all day yesterday and today on Ty and the events and the scores, I hadn’t absorbed the moment.

This is it. If I win, I’m done.

Before I could talk myself out of it, or tell myself that I would purposely do less than my best in order to keep going, it was time. I glanced at the huge screen to check the first place time in heat one. I needed to know what I was looking to beat.

“You got this, Declan.” Yuri patted my back on the way out to the track. We had drawn for spots. I was fourth from the inside. Not a bad position.

The PA system kicked in, announcing the final heat of the decathlon and then began to introduce each one of us, from the outside in. The sole Brit had the loudest cheer so far.

“DECLAN MOORE. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”

The reaction was fairly respectable for me, possibly because I was in the lead, but I’d take whatever I could get. I knew Ty was likely embarrassing himself by screaming. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought as I held both hands up to wave.

I thought of everyone watching at home, including my parents. The hosts were probably saying that I was the previous Olympic decathlon champion and no one had ever won it twice in a row.

Way to jinx it.

In less than a minute, we were on the line. I cleared my head and concentrated on syncing my breaths with my heartbeat.

Then the signal. Go!

And another signal?

Fuck. Someone false started. We had to go back and restart. If anyone false started this time, they were out, which meant I couldn’t be aggressive to start. I’d have to be cautious, likely costing me the lead.

Then again…the others would likely be cautious too.

We lined up again.

Don’t false start. Don’t false start. Don’t false start.

And we were off. After a few seconds, I realized there wouldn’t be a second signal. This was it. It wasn’t an all-out sprint. Any fifteen hundred meter specialist could have annihilated all of us, but we were still pretty fast.

We had already split into a few groups. I was able to sneak into the front runners nicely at the start. Now, it was a matter of time as I did my best to stay in the front pack. I just needed to find my rhythm and run.

Thanks to Ty, I had Fitz and the Tantrums’ HandClap in my head. He noticed one day while watching me train that my race pace matched perfectly with that song, so of course it was in my head now. It would only work for the first three laps, since I’d push myself harder on the last one. Though if Asher tried to pass me, I’d have to start earlier.

In a race like this, I didn’t have time to find him. I had enough to focus on. My breathing. My legs. My arms. Now wasn’t the time for distractions. There were several clocks around the stadium, but the one that mattered the most was at the finish line. We were approaching the last lap. The leader was only a few strides in front of me. We’d hear the bell in a few seconds, signaling the last lap.

I needed less than a sixty-five second lap to beat the entirety of the first heat.

Completely doable.