Track Blog #4 – A Weekend of Personal Bests

By Brenna Cohoon

There was definitely a lot of “madness” taking place on Batavia’s indoor track last Friday evening.  Some of the best runners in the state gathered to go head to head in the 800 Meter Run, 1600 Meter Run, and 3200 Meter Run at Batavia Distance Madness.  From both a runner’s and spectator’s viewpoint, it did not disappoint.

I knew it was going to be a great night before our team bus even arrived at the meet.  One thing I did to prepare earlier in the week was visualizing parts of my race during my workout.  This allowed me to enter into the race with the confidence necessary to perform my best against the top runners in Illinois.

The girls championship heat of the 3200 Meter Run went off at approximately 7:06 p.m.  We got off to a quick yet controlled start.  I latched onto the front pack and stayed there for basically the entire first mile of the race.  I went through the halfway point just a few seconds slower than my personal best in the 1600 Meter Run, but that didn’t surprise me.  It was something I did throughout much of last track season, and even in the state cross country meet this past fall. 

It was around that first mile where I started to fall back.  My competitors were making some smart moves, and I failed to respond.  However, I pulled my thoughts together to finish the race strong.  I may have gotten sixth-place, but I was honored to be among such phenomenal competitors.  That was truly one of the strongest groups that I have ever raced against.  I was pleased to run an 11-second indoor personal best (10:51.67), only two seconds off of my overall PR that I ran last spring at the outdoor state track meet.  This was also a new school record, which was a bittersweet moment for me. 

The previous DGS record of 11:02.09 in the indoor 3200 Meter Run was held by Katie Stapleton, someone who I really look up to as a role model.  She was a senior my freshman year and led our team to accomplish some incredible feats that season.  In the fall of 2016, our top seven was comprised of three freshmen, three sophomores, and Katie, so she provided our young group with a great deal of guidance.  She taught all of us the logistics of competing in meets and led by example through her love for the sport.  It makes me sad to see Katie’s name leave the record board, but I hope she knows that I wouldn’t be the runner I am today if it weren’t for her.

The rest of Friday evening was a blast.  I could relax now that my race had concluded and cheer like crazy for the rest of my teammates who hadn’t run yet.  It was a late night that made waking up for our meet on Saturday a little difficult, but it was so worth it.

Speaking of Saturday, our entire team traveled to Proviso West that day for the Proviso East Lady Pirates Invitational.  I was excited to compete in the 4x800 Meter Relay on a fast track before the last two meets of the indoor season.  When we arrived at our destination, though, my coach pulled two of my teammates and me aside to tell us about openings in both the 1600 Meter Run and 3200 Meter Run.  One of our teammates was sick and needed to take the day to let her body rest and recover. 

Initially, I was unsure of what to do.  Should I play it safe after running a tough race the day before by just staying in the 4x800 Meter Relay?  Or, do I let an alternate take my place in the relay so I can focus on giving the mile another shot this indoor season?  I have only run it once so far…

I had been reflecting upon my season, both on what I’ve done so far and what I hope to do in the next couple of months.  I will mainly focus on the 3200 Meter Run once outdoor season hits, but I really wanted to improve my PR in the 1600 Meter Run and didn’t know when I would have the chance.  I saw this as the perfect opportunity to achieve that goal.  I am a firm believer in the thought that everything happens for a reason, so this was a sign. 

I ultimately decided to compete in the 1600 Meter Run.  Initially, I was pretty nervous.  What if I made the wrong decision?  I pushed those thoughts away.  Only I am in control of how I feel, so I chose to feel confident heading into my race.  I knew I would make the best of it and benefit in some way.  I had a good feeling in my gut, and my legs felt surprisingly fresh.

When it finally came time to race, I was ready.  That gun went off, and my mind was at ease.  I had the splits in mind that I wanted to hit and tried not to overthink things.  With each lap that passed, I glanced at my watch and kept moving.  If I ever fell back with my pacing during a lap, I just picked things up a bit more and made up for it during the next lap.  Before I knew it, the race was ending.  I kicked it in for a final time of 5:07.22, a new personal record of about eight seconds.

I was elated!  I gasped with excitement after hearing my time and even let out a few happy tears.  My teammates knew how big this was for me and rushed to squeeze me as I came off the track.  What made the moment even better was watching my teammate, Becca Diddia, finish the race with a new personal best, as well, improving her time by about five seconds.

Between both Friday and Saturday, I am proud of my racing progress so far this season.  Any shortcomings at this point will only serve as motivation in these next couple of months as the season progresses.  As training continues, I am eager to grow stronger with each week that passes to further develop my skills.  I am grateful to be where I am and know what I want to improve upon in order to accomplish my goals.

This Saturday, our team will be competing in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division Indoor Championships.  This is our last opportunity to try and qualify as many girls as possible for the Illinois Top Times Invitational, which will be held the following Saturday.  After that, we will be moving on to the outdoor season, which brings extreme weather conditions, racing under the lights, and a few less laps. 

Photo Credit - Doug Plunkett, Downers Grove South High School