Notes
After finding out Superstate conflicted with North Central, I decided to end my season today. I've been feeling extremely demotivated since my race on Saturday and I knew there was no way I would retain any racing sharpness from Saturday to my 1500m race 2 weeks later. It's disappointing that I couldn't get a second chance to redeem my 1500m, but that's that. Time to start my 2 week rest.
This year was the first time I ever ran 3 consecutive running seasons, now that I don't have Regions or All State to take up a majority of my days in winter. Coming into XC season, I definitely had a good base. Had some slight injuries, but nothing to stop me from running. Started off really great, but peaked way too early, probably because the high mileage and progression runs really burned me out before NIRCA Nats. However, now with a year's worth of training under my belt, I am determined to have a better season than last year.
This year was also the first time I ever ran indoor. Running in the winter was painful, especially in Illinois. Negative wind chills, never-ending snow, and sub 20 degree weather runs were thrown right at me. Despite that, I pr'ed in two events and felt safe to say my first indoor season went to a great start.
Outdoor season really showed all the work that I put in this year. It took a while though for it to show. Had to start with an ok 5k race to really get me into peak mode for Illinois College. There, I ran the best 5k in my life and once again cut over a minute from my 5k pr since xc senior year.
Overall, I'm a much stronger and efficient runner than I was a year ago, but there are still a lot more improvements to be made. I got to be smart about my summer mileage and I have to treat my body well these next few months. Just because I'll be in Korea doesn't mean my mileage should suffer. It's all about consistency and patience. Lots of quality runs coming ahead of me. Can't wait for next year!