Hey, everyone! So in this third edition of my Milesplit blogging series this fall, I'd like to take a moment and congratulate everyone on a great day at the Festival of Champions last weekend! Some very quick times were going down all around, but regardless of how your race went, I saw everyone throwing down their best efforts on the trails and that is something I really admire, so keep it up!
For me, Saturday was a blessing. Ironically, I can't think of anything that could have been more motivational for myself than having come so agonizingly close to breaking that course record. I'd say most people looking in on the situation would think that coming just short of something like that would be difficult to handle, but I like to view it under a different light. Yes, without a doubt it would have been absolutely incredible to break the course record set back in 2013, but I feel that with that success, I would have already felt at least partially accomplished for the season, leading to a loss of focus on the races that I care a lot more about later in the postseason. So I'm actually glad it was so close. As I reflect, I now have an even larger fire in my cadence and I'm grateful for that.
I say this because I know how running is one of those things that can be like a dream or a nightmare. On some days it can feel like you are unstoppable and that it's all just going to sail straight up for you; other times it can just be hard to motivate yourself to simply go to practice. Believe me, I get it. There were times in my freshman and sophomore years I seriously considered quitting for the season after having terrible races at critical points in the season. From those experiences I've learned that you can't take anything for granted in this sport. So even though I'm happy with how I'm feeling right now, I've learned that I need to stay calm and focused at all times with my eyes on the goals I've set for myself at the beginning of summer training.
Heading into the postseason, I'd like to wish everyone good luck. I hope to see some of you out on the trails sometime!
- Luke