Blog #10 – Ignoring Expectations

By Brenna Cohoon

It is so hard to believe how quickly this season has gone by.  After racing at Sectionals this weekend, it finally sunk in that State is already less than one week away.  Almost everything in our training is done to lead us up to this moment…insane!

Last Saturday, our team competed in the Chicago Marist Sectional, which was held at Midlothian Meadows.  It’s a beautiful course that goes through fields and forest, all surrounded by trees that are changing color with the season.  Not only is it scenic, it is extremely fast.  There is not a hill in sight throughout the entire 3-mile course.  This allowed us to test ourselves before State while having the chance to run a personal best.

After being predicted to win Regionals and doing so last week, I had definitely gained some confidence.  I knew that I was capable of performing well under pressure.  Seeing similar predictions for Sectionals was an honor.  I tried not to think about other people’s expectations of me, though.  I didn’t get too excited about the predictions, because I might have downplayed the importance of the race.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, I made sure not to let this additional pressure from outside sources faze me.  I needed to be the perfectly balanced combination of confidence and nerves.

I woke up Saturday morning and was considerably more nervous than I have been for the past few races.  I have the utmost faith in each one of my teammates, so I knew that our team would be able to work together and accomplish our goals.  That wasn’t the issue.  I was worried that I, personally, might not be able to fully deliver to satisfy my own expectations, as well as the expectations of others.  I wanted to win Sectionals as an individual, and I knew that there was some great competition to challenge me.  I was concerned that I wouldn’t feel great, and would end up falling back, performing in a way that would negatively impact our team score.

These thoughts were just in the back of my mind, though.  I think that all runners have times where they feel well-prepared for the task at hand, but things seem too good to be true, and as a result, their brains start fabricating these little doubts.  I pushed my concerns away by thinking positively and using the encouragement provided from my family, coaches, and teammates.  I knew that I was going to perform in such a way that I could be proud after I finish, no matter the results.

Upon our arrival to the course, I immediately took note of the phenomenally ideal weather conditions provided to us.  Temperatures were in the high 50’s, there was an absence of any breeze, and it was slightly overcast.  It could not have been more perfect for a morning of cross-country races.

My nerves began to calm once we started our warmup.  We ran through certain places on the course to see how exactly things were marked.  I felt prepared in terms of where I was going after visiting the course on Tuesday and racing there my freshman year.  Now all I needed to do was get to the starting line and run with heart as soon as that gun went off.

Our coaches provided their words of wisdom before our race, telling us to simply find confidence in who we are.  That our performances throughout this season have prepared us for this moment.  That we need to run proudly, like the team we all know we are.  That we need to pass every single person possible, that points really mattered today.  That we can accomplish all of our goals, and that this race is just another step in the journey.

Every one of my teammates were in good spirits, motivating each other in those final moments before the pain was welcomed into each of our bodies.

I smiled coming off of the line, feeling my teammates presence around me and seeing other DGS supporters lining our path.  I took the lead early on, and about 800 meters in, heard one of our coaches shout ecstatically that the pack looked great.  Even though a lot could change in the 2.5 miles to follow, it was exciting to know that everyone had a solid start.

The mile came quickly, and unlike many of my other races, I didn’t glance at my watch to see what my split was.  Shortly afterwards, we entered into the forest, an excellent place to make big moves before returning to the open groves.  I could feel a big pack close behind me and felt slightly panicked, thinking, “Great, this makes it impossible to sneak around.  I have lots of work to do.”

Then, Abby Lopez came to the rescue.  “Hey, Brenna,” she said as she approached my side.  I grinned and greeted her.  She was going at a faster pace than what I was locked into but told me that we were going to work together.  Abby said she didn’t care who won. She simply wanted to run a solid race where we could push one another.  I had to go with her - it was the exact motivation I needed.  The pace may have felt a little fast, but I knew that I had to take a risk and see where things went.  What’s the worst thing that could happen, anyway?

Abby and I worked our way up while we were back in the forest, forming a gap between us and the chase pack.  We exited the forest and hit the two mile.  “Go, Brenna!” Abby shouted.  She knew that I was feeling good and encouraged me to push ahead.  Her voice was joined by cheers from my coaches and teammates reminding me to focus on this last mile.  I picked it up, hoping that my change in gears would help motivate her to keep moving, too.

I only had 800 meters left and wasn’t sure of how big my lead was, so I picked up the pace even more.  After turning a couple of corners, the finish line was in sight.  I sprinted all the way through, unaware of my time at first.  I glanced down at my watch and saw a time of 17:01, a four-second personal record.  I pushed that thought away to watch my teammates finish their own incredible races.  

I didn’t know the official results until I had headed back to the tent and got told the exciting news that we had won Sectionals with only 29 points.  Melissa Weidner placed 3rd in 17:13 with a strong kick at the end, Erin Reidy finished in 6th place in 17:32, Kennedy Warden and Becca Diddia ran 17:46 and 17:47 to place 9th and 10th, Alex Spang got 13th in 18:06, and Kelsey Casella ran 18:19 to get 15th.  

All seven girls on our team ran personal best times and finished in the top 15.  Among that group were five girls who finished in the top 10 to earn All-Sectional honors.  As we concluded our cooldown, we watched the boys’ race and got to cheer on Downers Grove South to their first ever win at Sectionals.  All in all, it was a great day to be a Mustang.

To say that my teammates and I are excited for State this weekend is a huge

understatement.  

Practices have taken on a different feel.  Everyone is focused, motivated, and feels prepared, but we’re not afraid to still have some fun.  Not only do we await those magical moments that surround our race, but we are looking forward to the memories made throughout this weekend’s journey, too.