Track Blog #1 - Enjoying the Process

By Brenna Cohoon

The last two weeks have marked the beginning of the end for my last-ever season as a Mustang.  I know the next few months hold some exciting opportunities, but for now, my focus is on taking things one day at a time.

We opened up the season on February 15 at Hinsdale Central.  It was a day of speedy events for me, as I competed in the 800 Meter Run and the 4x400 Meter Relay.  Those two events are typically outside of my comfort zone in comparison to my personal favorite, the 3200 Meter Run; nevertheless, it was a great way to start the season.

To start, my heat of the 800 Meter Run consisted of only four runners, including my teammate Becca Diddia and myself.  Thanks to a huge rush of adrenaline, I took things out at a rather brisk pace.  It was definitely faster than I intended to go in the first lap, but looking back on it, I am happy that I took a risk by initially challenging the pace of the race, especially in an event that I do not view as one of my strengths.

I ended up finishing right beside my teammate who really helped push me in our final lap.  Although I was wishing for better results, I knew that I had nothing to hang my head about.  I ran a challenging race on a 160 meter track, which definitely requires a different mindset in comparison to the standard 200 meter track during the majority of the indoor season.  It was just one extra lap for the 800 Meter Run, but that means going into all-out kicking mode before the bell lap.

The 4x400 Meter Relay took on a different feel for me.  I was leading off the race for my relay team, so I focused on having a fairly conservative start and picking things up throughout.  The other members of my relay team (Becca Diddia, Renee Kowalski, and Erin Reidy) all ran excellent races that guided our group to victory.

Last Saturday, the Mustangs travelled to Wheaton Warrenville South for our second meet of the season.  A slightly longer track than Hinsdale Central, we only had to run nine laps for the 1600 Meter Run, which felt very similar to a normal indoor mile.

My agenda for the day consisted of the 1600 Meter Run and the 4x400 Meter Relay.  I had a fun time cheering for my teammates in the 800 Meter Run before preparing for my own races.  I always use the energy from my teammates’ performances to fuel my own excitement.

As soon as that gun went off, I got out to a much more relaxed start than the previous week.  I needed to stay patient.  Audrey Mendrys of Naperville North took the race out at the perfect pace, and I followed her lead.

I started to make a move with four laps left only to fall back behind a lap and a half later.  In that moment, I was faced with the option of settling or choosing to fight until the end.  There have been so many times where I’ve taken the easier route and chosen to settle, so I wanted to be brave.  With less than a lap to go, I made a final move to conclude my fastest season opening time in the mile.

It was a fairly quick turnaround before I anchored the 4x400 Meter Relay, but that didn’t matter.  I think it’s simply in the nature of our sport to always be prepared for the next challenge to come our way!

Our next meet is this upcoming Saturday at Batavia.  It will be our first time racing on a 200 Meter Track this season, providing us with the chance to continue altering our race plans and gaining more experience. 

As excited as I am for things to really take off, I understand that patience really is a virtue at the beginning of any season, especially track.  We have plenty of time to achieve our ultimate goals, so I need to keep improving by taking things day by day and enjoying the process.