1 . Four years ago, I felt great joy after freeing myself from one of those 2-mile gym fitness runs.I ______ running with a passion (热情), it was just something that never came ______ to me. At that time, I never ______ that I would one day run a marathon.

Everything ______ when I met my neighbor Mrs. Gray. She was fifty years old, going through cancer and still __________ to run 30 miles a week. Encouraged by her, I thought I could run at least one or two. In February, I started to walk a 2-mile route (路线) and would ______ to add in a short distance of running. Two months later, I finished 6 miles. I felt ______, but I felt great.

Over the next several years, I continued to push each run for a few extra minutes. The physical and mental fight never stopped, ______ I loved every minute of these runs. I didn't need to compete against other runners. For me, the _________ competitor was myself.

Slowly, I ______ entering some local road races. After continuing to ______ myself and finishing two half marathons, I ______ I would train for the Detroit Free Press/ Flagstar Bank Marathon. My summer was filled with many long 6 AM runs to beat the summer heat. I loved my ______. I knew I was finally on the road to success.

Race day finally came, and I was filled with ______. The experience was hard but it ended up being unbelievable. As I crossed the finish line, I experienced the strongest sense of ______ I ever had in my life