Blog #9 – No Excuses at KLM

By Brenna Cohoon

The beginning of this season’s long-awaited State Series began this past Saturday with the Regional meets that took place.  

There were some changes in the Regional assignments, switching things up from the last few years.  Our Regional contained a couple of the same teams as in the past, but for the most part, we were faced with new competition.  We greeted this challenge with confidence and excitement.  It would be hard to defend our Regional title, but this test would provide us with some great opportunities and learning experiences.

We arrived at Katherine Legge Memorial and I just took everything in.  The red and white flags lining the course.  The creek, peaceful at the moment, but ready to be lined with spectators and run through by athletes in a couple of hours.  The finish chute positioned at the very top of a hill.  It gave me those butterflies in my stomach that I simply welcomed with a smile.

We used our warmup to preview some parts of the course, making sure that they didn’t get too muddy from the previous day’s rain.  All was good, and we felt ready to go.

As soon as the gun went off, the fun began.  It was a windy day, and KLM is a tough course, so I knew that my time was nothing to worry about.  My goal was to finish in first to help my team win the meet.  I went out fast, hoping to simply take the lead and just run my heart out, similar to what I did at Conference the week before.  However, I was aware that this would be no easy task considering I was competing against many very accomplished runners.

The first mile went by pretty quickly. I soon found myself running through the creek and up a slight hill.  I used this hill as a place to surge and try to increase my slight lead.  Shortly afterwards, I noticed the laces of my left spike come untied, and then was passed by Abby Lopez of Argo.  I was faced with a tough decision of whether I should speed up to go with her or not.  I chose to stay back as she began to pull away and form a gap between the two of us. 

Based on what I have learned from races earlier in this season, particularly the Fenton Invite and Naperville Invite, this “safe” approach may not have been the best decision.  I made sure to stay focused and keep smiling, which was pretty easy to do while taking in the energy given off from our teammates who came to watch and support us.  I continued to race, wondering if my spike would stay on.  I decided to stop worrying so much about it - so many people have run excellent races, even after losing a shoe.  I had goals that I needed to remind myself of and think about, instead.

The second run through the creek was strong.  It was a mental cue that the race would be over before I knew it.  If I wanted to win, I had to make my move soon.  There was less than one mile left, and the last mile is what I have focused on the most this season.  I needed to keep fighting not just for myself, but more importantly, my team.

I made sure to use the downhill to my advantage and run the tangents of the course, working on hard closing the gap.  I had already shaken away the ideas of settling and taking home a proud second place medal. 

My untied spike could have been my excuse. In my head, I didn’t want it to be.

I could tell that I was getting closer and closer to first, but time was running out.  Coming around the curve and into the straightaway I really began to kick.  It wasn’t until about 70 meters to go that I regained the lead which I held until crossing the finish line first.

Immediately following the race, I made sure to thank Abby for pushing me so much.  She wasn’t afraid to take a risk and lead for the majority of the race, which I really admire.  On top of that, she is incredibly kind and humble.  After speaking with Abby, though, I turned around to observe the rest of the race.  Kate Dickman from Lyons Township ran extremely well to finish in third place, followed by McKenna Revord of Hinsdale Central, who also had an excellent race.  I was excited to see my teammate Melissa Weidner take fifth place and proud of our pack that finished 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th.

We made our way back to our tent to receive the news that we won a close fight against Lyons Township with a score of 36-38.  This was definitely a tough battle, but we were happy with the learning experiences this meet provided us.

Our cooldown was a little different from our typical routine.  We usually keep to ourselves and just run as a team, sharing stories of our races and comforting anyone who needs support.  We encountered Abby Lopez running alone and started cooling down with her.  She was very complimentary of our team and so fun to chat with!  The camaraderie formed between runners, whether they are your teammates or competitors, is absolutely phenomenal.  It’s one of the reasons I love the running community so much.  

I was so touched by this moment that we all shared that I reached out to Abby on Sunday and ask her a few questions about her season and running in general.  I found that we shared similar views on the emotions experienced before Regionals, “a mix of confidence, nervousness, and excitement,” as she put it.  Despite dealing with a recent injury, Abby stayed optimistic, saying, “I still hoped for the best...keeping a positive mindset before and throughout the whole race.”

Our finish at Regionals sets things up for Sectionals this weekend with great excitement and enthusiasm.  We compete in the Marist Sectional at Midlothian Meadows on Saturday for one last performance before the State Championships.  As always, this is a big opportunity to test ourselves and push each other while working to accomplish our goals.

In all, my major takeaways from this meet were to persist no matter how a race unfolds, and cherish the bonds created with every runner I encounter.  As Abby said, the running community is “very supportive, encouraging, and just the best relationships that I’ve ever encountered.  Running is just an amazing sport that brings everyone together, which I really appreciate.”

Team Photo – © 2018 Laura Duffy