Read the excerpt from “Raymond's Run.” But once I spread my fingers in the dirt and crouch over the Get on Your Mark, the dream goes and I am solid again and am telling myself, Squeaky you must win, you must win, you are the fastest thing in the world, you can even beat your father up Amsterdam if you really try. And then I feel my weight coming back just behind my knees then down to my feet then into the earth and the pistol shot explodes in my blood and I am off and weightless again, flying past the other runners, my arms pumping up and down and the whole world is quiet except for the crunch as I zoom over the gravel in the track. Which theme is shown most clearly in this excerpt? Dreaming can be a distraction from achieving goals. Reality can often times seem like a dream. Winning is proof that a person has worked hard. Success is possible if one truly believes in oneself.