Joining the relay

I knew that the team's fastest runner had withdrawn because of an injury; that was why my name was now on the list. I was grateful to be included, although I disliked the feeling of having been chosen only because somebody better was absent. Waiting near the start, I watched the other teams practise their handovers. Ours had gone well that morning, but I kept replaying the one I had dropped on Tuesday. When my teammate waved from across the track, I stopped checking my watch and waved back.

In your own words, explain the writer's thoughts and feelings before running the relay leg.