Summary

This cross country season was the first season I was running in the top seven, and I was excited for what was to come. I also felt a fair amount of pressure now that I had established myself as a scorer for the team. During practice, about 9 days before this race, I hurt my shin. While warming up at practice, I was running in the back when the pack split to avoid hitting a bench, and I fell victim to it. Nearly requiring stitches, my shin was split open and bruised really bad leading my leg to be throbbing by the day of this race. After a team loss in Oregon two weeks prior, I had to perform well to help the team to a needed season victory. In a grueling 8k, we narrowly pulled out the win after one of the most miserable races I’ve experienced. This race stands out as the one that I learned the most.

The Race

I convinced my teammates that I should have a spot on the front line since I tend to go out fast. Coming off a 3rd place for the team in the previous meet, they all agreed I should toe the line in front. Since the moment the gun went off, the pace was hot. So hot that I split the first 800 meters in 2:06. Trying not to panic I tried to real it in to a more settled pace, but the pack wasn’t letting up yet. Going into the first 1k, we ran down the big hill. By 1 mile, I came through in 4:29, and I was toast. When I say I was toast, I really mean it. My legs were trashed from the blistering start, and I felt like I had shot my bullet in the race already. I didn’t know what to do! I wondered if I should just step off the course, or continue at an embarrassing pace. Regardless of how I was feeling, I knew I still had 4 miles to go, and I wasn’t actually going to step off the course. I knew that many people would gladly be in my position - in the top 7 on the BYU cross country team. As I owned up to reality, I slugged along as best as I could in last for my team.

I found some relief knowing that there were seven of us, but only five scored. Since I was having a bad day, I would just rely on my teammates for this race, and run smarter in the next. As I approached the 5k mark, I noticed my teammate Kramer going backwards, and I was fast approaching him. I came through the 5k mark in 73rd not feeling much better than I had at the 1 mile mark. As I passed one teammate, I noticed my teammate Zac quickly approaching as well. It became clear to me that my bad day wasn’t going to be as bad as my two other teammates, which meant that my place would score for the team. This realization was terrifying. I had practically given up and had just been trudging through to the finish, but now the whole team depended on me. I decided I had to dig deep to make up as much ground as I could. I battled hard for the final 3k picking off as many bodies as I could. I didn’t know how many I was passing, but it was a lot. Coming down the final stretch, Coach Eyestone yelled to me that I needed to get 5 more. I looked up with about 150 meters to go and saw a large group in front of me, I kicked hard, grimacing in pain. With spit spilling from my face, I passed 7 before the line to get 44th (passing a total of 29 guys over the final 3k).

I nearly collapsed as I stumbled through the finish chute. I asked my teammate Conner Mantz, who was waiting at the finish line (and had won the race) how the team did. He confidently told me that the team won, to which I was relieved. I found the scoreboard in the distance which revealed that we had taken the win over Colorado by just TWO POINTS! I broke into tears as I realized that very pass I made counted towards getting the team win.

Takeaways

I have reflected on this race many times. There are so many lessons to be learned for both running scenarios, and life. Here are a few that I have taken from this experience:

• It’s never too late to shift your mind set, and get back into the race.

• The race isn’t over, until you’ve crossed the finish line.

• You are important, even when you think you’re not relevant.

• A moment of pain is worth it for a lifetime of glory.