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Brenna Cohoon Athlete's Blog - November 20, 2019

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ILXCTF - Mike Newman   Nov 20th 2019, 2:00pm
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Blog #11 – Nothing to Lose

 

By Brenna Cohoon

 

The Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional this past Saturday marked the last time I will ever toe the line surrounded by six other Mustangs.

 

It was a very bittersweet weekend.  I got to spend some quality time with my teammates the day before the race as we ran through the legendary LaVern Gibson cross country course, contributed to the collection of worn-out trainers and spikes on the shoe tree, and relaxed in our hotel rooms. 

 

I made sure to cherish every moment that I could; this would be my last NXR race, and any time spent with my teammates is precious.  As sad as it is, I’ve acknowledged that in less than a year, I won’t be able to see them every single day.  I will be on a new team with incredible new opportunities, no doubt, but it’ll be difficult parting ways with the girls who have helped shape me as a person over the past four years.

 

We headed into this race with high hopes despite the disappointing outcome of our state meet.  We made it clear to ourselves and each other that one race does not and should not define us.  We felt mentally prepared heading to that starting line.

 

Before heading down the long stretch of a straightaway with fireworks at our backs, my teammates and I reminded each other that we had absolutely nothing to lose.  We had the freedom in this race to take some risks and truly leave everything we had out there.

 

My main focus in the beginning of the race was to keep both of my spikes on.  Honestly, I was worried that something would happen for the third week in a row.  I made sure to get out to a solid start near the front without expending too much energy.

 

I felt as though I was being swallowed up by my competitors as I approached the 1K mark.  I needed to reframe my mindset for the remainder of the race.  There was no need to worry, for the majority of the race still remained.  I had plenty of time to move back up and into a better position.

 

Since there were so many people in this race (almost 300!), it was easy for me to keep my eyes up and keep moving.  I found myself just trying to pass people over the next part of the race.  It was right around the 1.5-mile mark that things really started to click for me.

 

Over the long, gradual hills, I reminded myself of something a coach had mentioned before regarding hills: it’s not going to hurt you more than it’s hurting your competitors.  I smirked a bit as I powered forward with an extra emphasis on pumping my arms and lifting my knees.  These hills were hurting everyone, but I needed to handle them like a champion.

 

The 2-mile mark came quickly.  If the race wasn’t already intense enough before, it was really go-time at this point.  There were a few downhills in the last mile, so I used those to my advantage as I closed out my run.  I was on a mission to keep on passing and refrain from being passed.

 

With about 800 meters left and the shoe tree in sight up ahead, I knew I really had to get going.  This was a race for my team, and I needed to finish with absolutely everything I’ve got.  I wanted to walk away from this experience with no regrets.

 

After making the final turn, I ran past the starting line and really begin to pick things up.  I wanted to take a positive risk by kicking a bit further from the finish than I would typically try.  If not now, when?

 

As I sprinted across the finish line and saw the time of 18:17, I experienced a wide range of emotions.  I was disappointed by my time.  I had run five seconds faster at NXR as a junior.  To add to it, I also finished further back place-wise this year, going from 18th last year to 34th this year.

 

Similar to last week, I started to feel better about my performance as more time passed.  The numerous members of my support system reassured me that I did all I could.  Deep down, I knew that was true; I was just being my own worst critic.

 

When we received the team results, we were, again, disappointed, but very proud of how we did compare to the State Meet the week prior.  We finished 8th place overall against some of the best competition in the Midwest.  I could not be prouder of how my team battled.  It may not have been the race we were hoping for, but I believe that we put our persistence on display. 

 

Over the past few days, I have examined the meet results and compared things from this year to last year; there were simply more teams and individuals, making this year’s NXR Midwest seem like a race with tougher competition. 

 

Am I making an excuse for the outcome of the meet?  Definitely not. 

 

I am, however, forgiving myself so I can move on.  The next stop for me is Kenosha, Wisconsin for the Foot Locker Cross Country Midwest Regional.

 

Photo: Catherine Cohoon

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