The XC season is entering an exciting time…Regionals and States are this month! I love running this time of the year: the cool air, the changing colors of the trees, and pumpkin everything. This week we ran in the rain at Massabesic through the apple orchards and everyone ended up loving the course and the weather.
This fall I look forward to racing against all the amazing XC runners that I got to know last year. This season I had to concentrate on injury prevention and balancing my strength. It is interesting to enter a phase of my running where I have to think about nutrition, strength, injuries and recovery. In middle school I just used to run! Now I have to think about all the things that go into staying strong and fast, without letting it overshadow my love of running. Some of my favorite runs are the easy, long, and quiet ones with my mom.
I like running without a watch and exploring new trails with my teammates, it keeps the runs interesting as they can get a little monotonous. Outside of running I play ultimate frisbee and rock climb as a change of pace and cross-training.
As we look to Regionals and States I get more and more excited to compete. This year I really focused on not peaking too early, as this was one of my problems last year. But, at the end of season, I appreciate the amazing time of year, the camaraderie of my team-mates and the overall thrill of competition.
