And so it begins…well, the beginning of the end,that is. It’s difficult for me to even fathom the fact that I only have one cross country season left to prove my theory that “hard work pays off” and to show that I am just as capable as any other runner who perseveres to compete with the state’s best runners.
With that being said, let me tell you the inside scoop on this past weekend’s Wickham Park Jamboree. Going into the race, I honestly didn’t know what to really expect. Of course, I had a pretty decent idea of how my time would turn out and I assumed that it would come down to a tight race between Julie Wollrath and me, based on how our summer training played out. Other than that, I went into the race with a similar mindset that I have with a typical workout. Leading up to the race, I had a quality week of training, not really changing anything much from the summer except from cutting back on the double runs a bit due to a busier schedule with the start of school. (which brings about the ever so adored never-ending homework, while still attempting to get to bed at a decent time to be able to wake up for my morning run.) I did a great deal of thinking throughout the week as far as race strategies go, and eventually came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t really have one.
Being the preseason jamboree, I figured that this would be my only chance to just go out on a whim and run by impulse. I realized that the idea to run by “feel” would be the smartest decision once it crossed my mind how long the road is to November. In other words, I thought, “why put everything out on the line right now and let the pressure to excel stress me out when the season is merely just beginning?” But don’t get me wrong, a race is a race and I will always try my best. However, when it comes down to it, the big meets such as State and Foot Locker are where it truly counts.
I like to look at racing as nothing more than a lesson where you learn from your mistakes, recognize what worked, reassess your strategies and finally execute that gained knowledge into your next race. Racing not only betters you as a runner, but as an individual. I believe it teaches the values of trial and error, and tends to allow one to realize something greater within oneself. It permits one to test his or her limits, discover strengths and weaknesses and most importantly it provides one with the confidence that typically the thought abilities of a person can be greatly surpassed with a little bit of courage and determination.
Going back to the race, on the starting line I remained calm and collected as intended but still couldn’t clear all the thoughts jumbled around in my mind. Even with it being an unofficial race, it’s just the atmosphere created with all the athletes preparing for the gun’s cue to start. I was able to clear my mind and get into race mode after the completion of my prerace rituals, warming up with the team, a pep talk from my coaches and the joining of hands with my team, united in a circle for our traditional pre-race prayer.
Uncharacteristically, I took the lead from the gun, which required a whole new mindset than I’m accustomed to. Always being the chaser, I have adapted to the approach of starting out steady, locking in on the leader, and allowing her to do the work until the final stretch where I would attempt to outkick her. However, knowing how Julie races, and developing enough confidence from training with her over the summer, I decided to just change it up and set the pace. I felt pretty strong for the first mile coming through around 5:40 and I continued to hold that pace for the subsequent mile. Even though I still held the lead, I knew that the shadow on my heels wasn’t going to make it easy to get the win. I threw in a few surges in effort of making a gap, but Julie held on as tight as ever. Once we came across the 2 ½ mile mark, I felt her gaining on me and at that point she made her move. Typically, with my endurance, I am able to hang on in a situation like this; however, no matter how much I wanted to go with her mentally, unfortunately my heavy legs did not have the mutual feelings. Seeing the finish line ahead, I increased my turnover and pumped my arms with my entire mite but it failed to be enough to win, as Julie surpassed me by seven seconds.
Although disappointing, by no means am I going to let coming in second place lighten my spirits. As previously said, racing is just a learning experience and it can only get better from here on out. Not to mention, I received a PR for the cross season with a time of 18:37, a large jump from a previous 19:
15. It was encouraging to talk to Julie after the race and she assured me that we would continue to feed off of each other and push each other to victory. It’s always nice to have friendly competition because you know that even though the goal is to come out with the win, you care for one another and will motivate each other to the best of your abilities.
Next weekend, I’m heading up to Jacksonville for the Katie Caples Invitational. It’s looking to be quite hectic, since I will be taking the ACT that morning and then driving three hours to finish off the eventful day with a 5K. Although I have heard many stories of how last season one wrong turn led a group of front pack runners on somewhat of an adventure causing unintended results, I am so excited to finally have the chance to run a nighttime race. In my opinion, running in the dark creates an entirely new feeling and puts you in a mode that makes you like you’re flying.
I had a pleasant, long recovery run yesterday and I feel like the heaviness in my legs is subsiding. I’ve been stretching, using the foam roller, and icing minor aches and pains to ensure that I’m up to full speed for Saturday. I have laid out my training plan for the week, started pondering my race strategy and I am confident that I will be ready to bring my ‘A’ game and leave my blood, sweat and tears out on the fields of Jacksonville- no matter what it takes.
MORE BLOGS BY SARAH - HARD WORK PAYS OFF
WICKHAM PARK JAMBOREE POST RACE INTERVIEW
Sarah Day Interview - Champions Are Made in the Off-Season
PR's
800 2:32.73
1600 5:09.06
3200 10:53.89
5K 18:01.73
