Race:
Today was my last cross country race. It's been hard accepting that, but I k ow I'm no where near being done; I still have track season just a little ways ahead of me, and I have big goals for that, hopefully no injuries prevent me from doing what I know I can do this time around. I'm hoping to state qualify for the 32. I can't wait for the opportunity. Today was a big step in that direction considering it was my first opportunity to race again, and reflect on what I need to do to reach my goals.
The race itself, in reference to the results, was bad which is ok because there was a lack of training leading up to the race, and honestly the experiences brought by training and the difficult moments in running are what make it so valuable, not the results.
Today was certainly one of the difficult moments in running which made me happy. I felt pretty rough having only ran the past few days and having been so sick. I was burning up today as well, but those conditions were kind of fun to deal with because they gave me another opportunity to gain experience and once again deal with he hard moments in running.
My first mile was really fast especially when considering my conditions. Coach said this would happen. I came in at a 5:30. I was happy with this part of the race. I cut into our top guys right from the start and stuck with them till the mile point. I tried my best to pass people.
Going into my second mile things didn't look as good. I started breathing very shallowly and found my legs slowing down on me. I felt like I could've pushed some more but might've payed for it in the third mile by doing so. I fell behind quite a few spots coming in at a 12 on the dot.
Mile three was tough. I kept looking at the guys just ahead of me for some inspiration to keep moving fast enough to pass him. Eventually, I pulled it off, but my victory did not last long as he passed me a few minutes later. By the end I was feeling really rough which was good. I pushed through to the finish and actually gained some ground at the end. I came in at a 19:30.
After the race I was kind of freaking out. I was overheating pretty badly ,so I went and found some shade and just sat for a while. A few minutes later I went over to the team, and coach found me and said a few words I greatly appreciated.
Looking back, this year has been tough. Things were looking up for me big time. I made some wonderful advancements in my journey as a runner and learned plenty about dealing with life, manipulating my perspective and how I think in order to improve, and how to tear down the limits placed on me. This is something I won't let go of. I am extremely grateful to my team and every last person who has believed in my abilities, gone out of their way to watch out for me, and pushed me throughout this experience. I've found success isn't always controlable and sometimes may not come no matter what you do, but surrounding yourself with people who will harbor beneficial attributes and experiences will make the journey far better than the result may ever have been. The coaches have been crucial to this experience as well. I have learned countless lessons, that I truly did not understand before taking up running, from coach Robs and Holt. They've both given me tons and are two people who I will always look up to. Thanks again to everyone who have made the past to years of cross country so awesome. It's been the highlight of high school for me, and I know I would not be where I am now if it were not for the people who are a part of our team.
It's been hard not being able to run and reach my goals, but I could not have been happier watching the varsity guys race today. I can't wait to be running with those guys in the workouts again. Still, I wish I could've contributed more to this awesome team. Cross country was great, but I'm ready to push forward in order to reach my goals for track. I know I'll get there somehow. It'll be worth it.
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