the truth is that i went to an absurdly small school (there were six grade six students in my graduating class), and these positions were kind of just handed out at random. i don't remember competing for the spot, and nobody expected me to compete at the meet.
but, even at that age, i spent a lot of time bicycling. what happened is that i jogged with the pack all the way around and then sprinted past 200 people on the final lap. it was clear to everybody, including me, that if i had sprinted a little earlier, or jogged a little harder, i would have easily competed for a medal. and, i actually think that if i had spent any time training at all i could have actually won outright.
*shrug*
today, i'm more concerned about maintaining my health than competing in bourgeois competitions. and, while i wouldn't have articulated myself that way at the time, the truth is i felt the same way then, too.
it would have been the spring of '93, so it just missed the cut-off.
