1 . This is the dream of my running partner: Eduardo. He’s a marathon runner with an eye problem who needs ______ to train and to compete.

Eduardo has been running longer than me, and has more desire than any person I know. ______ , he didn’t like training for a marathon. He ran with ______ , without a clear goal, got bored with training and didn’t train with many people.

Now it has ______ — he has an 18-week training plan where he runs six days a week, and he has realized he ______ running more because he has a ______ — to make a little progress every day. He runs with me, one who loves running so much and with the training group at La Tapia de Madrid. The ______ we share for running is what ______ us.

Eduardo and I run together by a rope-I have to ______ turns, different terrain (地形) and barriers. It’s ______ , but I have never ______ this in the presence of others. The main thing we ______ is to run confidently and enjoy running as a whole.

Now, Eduardo goes running with different people, but with a fixed goal of rhythm (节奏) and ______ . He has taken five weeks of training, but he says he will keep on doing it, because he has understood ______ can be the way to improve his fitness.

Eduardo wants to run sub-3:30 in the Madrid Marathon, and he will do it. ______ , it’s not written in stone, but I’m confident that he’s going to succeed.

2 . I will never forget the day when I won the bicycle race for the third time. It was special for me because I set a new _________ . But what made it more special was that I had _______ a tough time getting ready for the _______ .

About three months before the final race something _______ happened when I fell off during practice and broke my left _______ . All I could do was _______ for the injuries to recover. The _______ was that the doctors suggested bed rest for at least two months. A close friend of mine who had just recovered from his leg injury _______   that even if I was able to stand on my feet, I wouldn’t be able to ride a _______ for a few more weeks. It was safe for me to ________ because my leg was likely to be injured again during practice or the ________ .

It was very difficult for me to just ________ like this. My father felt bad, too. He tried to keep my ________ up during my bed rest. My parents gave me nutritious (有营养的) food to keep me ________ . They showed me lots of videos of cycling events to ________ my riding skills. Thus, they were preparing me for the day when I ________ to the track. The most important thing they taught me was that while there could be a chance of   ________ the race, never giving up in such a situation was an example of good ________ .

Two months passed quickly. The doctors were ________ at my complete recovery and supported my participation. ________ , I broke the record.