Blog #13 - A Final Finish

By Brenna Cohoon

Last Saturday, I ran in my last ever high school cross country meet while competing at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional held at UW-Parkside.

Leading up to the race, I volunteered with many past and current members of the DGSCC community at a Feed My Starving Children event the day before Thanksgiving. It has become an annual tradition of our team over the past four years and is something in which I thoroughly enjoy participating. I always find myself leaving the service project feeling filled with gratitude for the many blessings in my life!

Thanksgiving morning was also steeped in traditions with my teammates. We “competed” (more so jogged) in the 16th annual Bonfield Express held in downtown Downers Grove, an experience like no other. It provides an exciting atmosphere that unifies all members of our town. At this charity 5K, I have the opportunity to spend time with my friends, catch up with Downers South alumni, and even see people that I know from grade school.   

That evening, I celebrated the holiday with my family at a small gathering where we enjoyed good food and good company. It was the perfect end to a wonderful day. 

Friday afternoon, my family packed up our car and embarked on the hour and a half drive to Kenosha, Wisconsin so I could run through the course in preparation for my race the following day.  I noted the muddiest parts and made sure to examine the changes made to the course, so I felt confident heading into Saturday morning.

The remainder of the day was focused around doing all that I needed to feel ready for the big day.  I reflected on my 15th place finish the previous year, finding both positives of my race execution then, as well as major places where I could make improvements. 

I ultimately settled on the fact that I would need to race with the same mentally as I did at NXR: I had nothing to lose. If I wanted to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals, I simply needed to race with passion and take some risks. No matter the outcome, I wanted to be proud of how I competed, especially considering this might be the last cross country race of my high school career. 

I woke up feeling a little nervous in my hotel room, but I was really more excited than anything.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to race on an incredible course in adverse conditions against some of the best runners in the nation. 

One of my teammates, Sophia McNerney, also signed up for Foot Locker, so we met each other at the course and warmed up together.  We spent slightly more time than usual, ensuring that our bodies were entirely prepared for the challenge ahead of us. 

Getting ready near the starting line, I shivered in the cold bursts of wind. I had the chance to talk to two of my coaches and a group of some of my best friends who decided to attend the race to cheer on Sophia and me.  Their support meant the world to me and made me even more excited to race (if that was even possible). 

The cannon fired about 10 seconds earlier than expected and everyone went out fast. I went out at a slightly more conservative pace, knowing that the first half mile was uphill and I would be feeling it later on in the race. I smiled whenever one of my teammates screamed my name and kept my eyes up to focus on the top pack.  

I was a little further back than I would have liked in the first mile, but I had to just focus on the next two miles ahead of me. I reminded myself to take a risk and put in a few surges during that second mile that I wouldn’t typically include. I trusted myself and my ability to take small steps in accomplishing some big goals. 

The second mile came quickly, and I made sure that my mindset was still in the right place as I bounded downhill and tried not to slide in the mud.  Just 1.1 miles left for me to leave it all out there! 

The majority of this final third of the race is hidden from the eyes of most spectators, tucked back among the trees that form a forest.  This was one of the quietest parts of the course yet the most important.  I had to either maintain my current position in the race or move up; there was no backing down at this point. 

I used my momentum to lean into the final hill and put in a strong kick through the finish.  I ended up placing 21st with a time of 18:54, a personal improvement compared to last year’s 19:07. Although the course last year was in worse condition than this year, I chose to count it as a victory. 

I may have finished 11 places behind what qualifies for the national meet, but I accepted the outcome.  Realizing the strength of my competitors around me and the extreme depth of this field allowed me to be proud of my results.  Plus, my awesome coaches, friends, and family helped me to take pride in not just this race, but my season as a whole. 

I truly didn’t expect this moment to come so quickly. I spent the two weeks after NXR Midwest preparing both mentally and physically for the race itself without regarding the aftermath of the meet. 

Honestly, the fact that I’m done running over hills and through mud as a DGS Mustang still hasn’t fully settled in, even multiple days after the race.  

I’m not entirely sure how long it will take for me to completely process that.  

The good news is, I’m in no rush; I still have an entire track season at Downers South ahead of me.