First, a moment of celebration. BOTH TEAMS MADE IT TO DISTRICTS!!! That's amazing! Especially because the guys haven't gone in twenty years and last week they snagged the 8th spot in Metros by ONE point! So that's super exciting. Now let's prepare for this week...
Just because it's the last meet doesn't mean it's an excuse to slack off. Think of it as one final chance to get that PR! You'll be running with the fastest people in the District- let them lead you to a faster time! As the coaches mentioned, some of our team will likely end up being the last finishers in their respective races. Don't let that discourage you! Every one of us is running this race for us. We're all trying to do our best, no matter what the circumstances that surround us on race day. I understand that sometimes it feels like there's no reason to push yourself if you can't go anywhere from this. At State last year I ran one of my slowest times all season. I thought, before the race, that I didn't care what time I ran or how well I did. I was just excited to just have fun being at State! And while that's great, and it was a fantastic experience, and we should all aim to have a fun time at Districts, I was disappointed in myself after the race. Not because I didn't place high enough or really even because I didn't run fast enough. I was disappointed because here I was, having earned this opportunity to run at State, something I'd been working towards ALL YEAR, and I felt like I didn't even try to run well. I felt like I'd just wasted my opportunity.
Guys, we EARNED Districts. Show the race some respect and give it everything you have. You know how when we do mile repeats, you save yourself in the beginning a little so you have energy left to run your final mile? Then, on your final mile, you use every bit of power you have left in your legs? Well, treat Districts like that. You've got NOTHING to lose. So go for it!!
As far as eating, stick to the same general idea as last week. Healthy, nourishing foods. Feeling nasty on race day because you ate something funny does not make for an enjoyable experience. I have one other thing I'd like to mention about food, though- please don't not eat. I know sometimes people get insecure about their weight, and some runners think that maybe the lighter they are the faster they'll be. And while this may be true to some extent- if you weigh 600 pounds you probably aren't going to be able to run a 4:30 mile- it's not enough of a factor to freak out about AT ALL. I've been there before and avoiding or obsessing over food is not going to help you with anything. It's not going to make you faster or help your self esteem or make you healthy. Actually, it will make you weak and possibly a slower runner. You could get injured due to lack of nutrition. I really, really don't want anyone on the team to have similar problems to the ones I used to have. So don't freak out over food this week, okay? Just stay healthy and be smart (and drink water).
Finally, I just want to say this: we are the STARS of cross country right now at Sealth, guys. We are setting school records (or at least coming close to them), growing the team larger than it's been in YEARS, and getting further than we've gotten in years too. We have the best cross country team in West Seattle! Okay, so West Seattle is the only other school in the neighborhood that we compete against, but still. This is our time, and I'm incredibly grateful to be a part of it with all of you.
Let's go rock Districts!! :D
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