"Divide and conquer, or how I won the Amazing Race"

\tEveryone talks big in competitions and races, but everyone knows in the end there can only be one winner. In this case, the team that won was mine.
\tTeams of two gathered outside of Baldy HallOs Kiva Friday evening to kick off the Asian American Student Union (AASU) Amazing Race, a knockoff of the popular reality show. The Race consisted of checkpoints scattered across the Spine that teams had to find based on clues. At these checkpoints, correct answers to Asian American and American culture trivia led you one step closer to the finish line.
\tBefore any running began, there was a lot badmouthing. As the teams gathered, a good half hour was spent stroking our egos and verbally attacking each other about whom the $150 first place prize was going to.
\tOf course, most of my competitors happened to be friends. Friends became enemies because in a race you have to have no mercy. Nice guys finish last, right?
\tAs I gave the eight or so teams a once-over, I said to my partner in crime, Gene, with a smirk, OThis is going to be too easy.O My confidence level climbed as I surveyed the many sophomores that decided to play. We both had an extra year over them; it was a clear advantage.
\tI tried to keep cool. But as the e-board began explaining the rules of the game, I couldnOt help myself from interrupting every now and then. OThereOs no shame in throwing in the towel before we officially start,O I taunted.
\tEach team got a different colored clue card that had to be stamped at each checkpoint and an envelope with the first clue.
\tAfter skimming through mine, I stared blankly at my partner for a few seconds as my brainOs gears groaned into action. OBertOs!O I shouted and broke out into a run toward the direction of Talbert. Confused, Gene shrugged and followed.
\tIOm an impulsive person, IOll admit. I usually act before I think things through. So when Gene asked me if I was sure, the more steps I took, the less confident I was about my answer.
\tI was right! How dare Gene doubt me! When I saw the station, I was confident that we gave ourselves a good head start...until we got the trivia question. True or false question: OFifty-fifty chance,O analyzed my math majoring partner. WRONG! Second chance: NFL question. Does it look like these two geeks knew anything about football?
\t Our confidence was still high. But the further into the game we got, the slower we seemed to go and the faster we had to run to make up for lost time.
\tWe ran from building to building hoping it would be the next checkpoint.
\tOWhere the heck is this?O OThis is on campus?O OWhat is this a picture of?O OWhat kind of question is that?O
\tTwice we had to use our life-line - going back to the start point to receive another time penalty but also the answer to where the next checkpoint was.
\tI was getting more aggravated by the minute. I was huffing and puffing while my legs screamed in pain. I loudly cursed at myself for not going to the gym more often.
\tThe third time we seemed to hit a brick wall, instead of using another life-line, we took a risk and trusted our guts (well, more like GeneOs guts), and it paid off.
\tWe knew each otherOs weaknesses and played our strengths. After a while, the questions seemed to get easier, for Gene at least. He seemed to be spitting out answers at ridiculous speeds, and I didnOt question him. The clues got easier, too, at least for me. I intuitively knew where to go and poor Gene just followed as I sprinted across campus.
\tBut it was no time to get cocky. I saw other players pressing on so I kept running. When competing, you never give up. Push at the obstacles in front of you. Make it a victory. The finish line doesnOt come to you.
\tWe finally received the last trivia question after two hours of relentless racing. But then another team skidded next to us a second later. If we answered it correctly, we won. If not, the other team got a chance to steal first place.
\tI looked at Gene, who couldOve burned a hole in the little piece of paper with the intensity of his stare. He pointed to one of the answers and held it up to the person stationed there.
\tOYup! You won!O In the emotional state I was in, I didnOt even hear my friend. I looked around confused, but when I saw my teammate crashing onto the nearest chair with a smile, I sat down next to him in a daze.
\tWe won.