Hi Everyone,
I know that it is kind of late to be talking about Festival of Champions, but these past couple of weeks has really given me the time to sit back and reflect on that whole day. From taking the SATs in the morning, to flying down to Belfast to compete at my favorite XC meet in the afternoon. Weeks before FOCs, I found out that the SATs were scheduled for the same day. When my cousin told me the news, I was heartbroken. Here it is my senior year, the very last time I would ever be able to compete at my favorite XC meet, and I am trying to get over the fact that I would probably have to miss it to take the test. It wasn't until about a week or two before the meet that I found out that there was a chance of me taking the test in the morning and having just enough time to drive down to Belfast to compete.
The morning of the test, I tried to not think about the race. I had to just let my mind focus on testing, rather than if I was actually going to make it in time, and if I did, the stiff competition I would be facing. After testing was complete, I had to quickly change mindsets. My mom pulled into a small Dairy Queen and I hopped out and ran into the bathroom to change. I had so many butterflies in my stomach. I took a moment and just prayed. I prayed that I could clear my mind from everything else that didn't matter. I just needed to think about how I was going to push through and make the most of my last Festivals race.
When we got to the meet, I ran over to our big, green tent and was greeted with smiles and
hugs from my teammates. Seeing them made me feel so much more calm and collected. I had
about 50 min until my race would start. We warmed up, stretched out and did some plyometrics.
My head was pounding and my stomach went sour, but to quote Coach Long, "the course
doesn't care." I pictured those words in bold font in my head. All the girls toed the line and my
stomach dropped. I waited anxiously, and then the gun went off. The thundering of more than a
hundred girls and the screams from the crowd seemed more noticeable than ever in that
moment.
The first mile came across fast but I knew I had to try to maintain if I wanted to keep up. The
corners came quick and were tight as a group of about 5 girls fought for their positions. I tried
not to let any negative thoughts enter my mind but my head wouldn't stop pounding. When we
got to the two steep rolling hills, I came up over and felt like collapsing. Everything had just
accumulated throughout the race and fell upon me in that moment. I watched as Carolyn and
Malaika slowly widened the gap between us. As we looped around the field I saw my mom
telling me I needed to go now. My lungs were burning but I knew I needed to quicken my pace. I
knew that I had to find a new gear, a new speed. Just when I felt like giving up, the thought of
this being my last FOC's hit me. I couldn't just throw it all away now, I needed to push past it.
Make my final Festivals mark.
There was one final hill and I was starting to catch up. We came up over the hill and I started to
pass the girls. I used every last bit of what I had to make it through the line. As I came across, I
felt so much relief. All of the stress from the beginning of my day was gone. I had just won my
senior Festival of Champions meet. But what made me even more happy was to see how many
girls went sub 19. That is such a huge accomplishment and I am so glad that I got to be a part
of being able to push those girls to the end. It was an incredible day that I will remember and
cherish for the rest of my life. As I am typing this blog, I can't help but get a little teary eyed. The
memories of these last several years have really made an everlasting imprint in my heart. I am
so thankful that I have had such a tremendous support system. I look forward to these next few
races and I know I will be challenged in every way by some of Maine's toughest girls. I hope
everyone is training safe and staying healthy as we finish up this amazing XC season!
-Tia
