*guest post at Team NOW
Hello NOW friends!
Yesterday I was up near Los Angeles for a cross country race. It was my first meet of the season so I was really excited. When we arrived, my coach told me he bumped me up to the next age division for some extra competition. Yeah! I love the challenge of chasing more people so this was great news.
The 2-mile course had all the cool things I love about cross country: hills, stones, gravel, cement, dirt, and tree roots. As always, I studied the course and started my pre-race preparation routine.
Before any race or stressful event (like a test!) I always go through some exercises in my mind that help me remain calm. I think about times when I was at my extreme personal best and I try to relive everything about those moments. What was I feeling? How was I breathing? What were the sights, sounds, and smells? I can’t explain what it does to me except that I get into a feeling that is like relaxed intensity. My shoulders and fists are not tight. My breathing is deep and controlled. I am calm, but I am also really focused and ready for battle!
At the starting line, I had a clear vision of what was going to happen. After the horn sounded, everything went as it did in my head. I was in the lead group feeling strong and controlled. I kept about 3 strides distance behind the leader the entire first half, noticing and respecting his pace. I didn’t know if I would be able to pass him but I believed I could and I was certainly going to go for it at the right time!
That was the plan.
However, somewhere closer to the end I came to a sharp turn on the gravel. I lost my footing and slipped and fell.. hard. Even though I’d seen and heard stories of other people falling during races, that was the first time it had ever happened to me. It all happened so quickly that before I could think about it, I was already up again and running.
When I visualize my races, I never imagine falling or anything else that I don’t want to happen. I only imagine flawless races where everything that is in my control goes exactly as planned. There is nothing I can do about things that are out of my control and so I don’t spend any time worrying about those things. When I fell, the only thing I knew to do was to run because that was the original plan and giving up is never an option.
I’m grateful for the experience and I can’t wait to tear up the trails again!
Until next time,
