Ten kilometers to run and just one heat
Remaining,
Then we heard our famous marathoner Pete
Complaining:

"I am injured, I am sick, I’m feeling bad
And low!"
And my coach looked at me and firmly said:
"You go!"

I’m a sprinter, on this distance I’ll collapse,
No doubt!
I may run at best three bastard laps,
And - out!

But my coach made me run, he said to me,
Not grinning:
"You can make it, boy, if you reveal your will
For winning!"

Will, my ass! You must be strong to win in style!
But I would dither,
For ten thousand I rushed like for a mile
And withered!

Gasping mouth, goggled eyes, this goddam race,
I cursed it!
Made three laps and then fell down in disgrace,
Exhausted!

And my coach said I was the weakest link,
Time-wasting!
He forbade me to appear on the rink -
That’s nasty!

When I drink with him it only creates
Illusion
That he’s chummy, as he yells: "Instead of skates
Go luging!"

As a coach he’s not bad, but as a friend
He’s shifty;
But today I’m doing lots of boxing and
Weightlifting!

I am certain, I’ll achieve a lot with this
Approach!
Everyone’s polite to me and so is
The coach!