In my book, we're gonna be winners!

Tuesday, September 25th

8:00 AM - 7.5 Miles, 52 min
River

I think I still need to get used to these morning runs. I went so long with just running in the evening after work or school and it seems like every time I get out there for a morning run now, my legs just don't wanna go. I found out today that after about 4 miles, they start feeling better and finally wake up a bit which is good I guess. So the run out was slow but the way back felt better and was a bit speedier ...but just a bit. I had a long day at work today because of a temporary schedule change so I wasn't able to practice with the team and I decided that doing the workout tomorrow on my day off would be better. I'll have more time to wake up, get in the right amount of warmup, cool down, etc., and most importantly, not have an excuse to cut the workout short.

So I've been thinking about the alumni race this weekend and while I was slowly chugging along on my run this morning, I began to think more about the race itself and actually began to get a little nervous. I know this is just a small race that is just supposed to be a good time with old friends... but I can't just leave it at that. I'm using this as a race simulation to get me back into that mentality of cross country racing. Because of that, if I don't feel the way I want to out there, I'll be disappointed and it won't give me the confidence that will help propel me into the rest of my season. I know it's early and I shouldn't be worrying about this, but I do just the same. Even though this is a low key race, there will still be some fast guys there, several of which have beaten me in the past. Because of the changes I'm making in my running and my lifestyle, I'm putting a lot of expectations on myself to do well this year so I can't let these guys beat me anymore. I guess I don't really know where I'm going with this so I'll just say that I hope this weekend goes well and I feel like myself out there. If I can put things together on saturday, I know the next few weeks will be a lot better and I'll be ready for the real racing I need to do next month. So in conclusion, I guess I just need to focus on the basics of staying healthy, putting my best effort out there, and enjoying my passion for this sport. As Coach Dale says, if we can do all that, we're gonna be winners!

Quote of the day:
“Forget about the crowds, the size of the school, their fancy uniforms, and remember what got you here. Focus on the fundamentals that we’ve gone over time and time again. And most important, don’t get caught up thinking about winning or losing this game. If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game. In my book, we’re gonna be winners!”
-Coach Norman Dale – Hoosiers