It’s a fickle thing - some races you’re fully engaged and riding that line and living just outside that zone. You’re locked in and competing and you’re taking runners down one after another, gaining ground, and floating over the course. However, when you’re not in that place - you can find yourself falling back into your comfort zone and struggling to make any ground on your competition let alone getting out of the comfort zone. It’s the worst when you start out pushing hard thinking you’ve achieved escape velocity and you’re going to murder the competition only to get handed a piano that launches you back into comfort. It happens! My best advice - assess the why (pacing, heat, etc.) and move on - you have more ahead of you!

Discover the "Refocus and Reset Drill," a mental performance exercise designed for cross-country runners to enhance mental resilience during tough races. Learn how to visualize challenges, break your runs into manageable chunks, and shift your goals mid-race. This guide offers practical steps to help you maintain focus, control your mindset, and push through fatigue, ultimately transforming your race experience. Build your mental strength and conquer race day with confidence!

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The Toughest Words
The toughest words to say are often “I’m sorry” or a blended and hopefully non-sarcastic, “I’m sorry I made you feel that way”. This is what my early high school and college years taught me how to say. Whether it was friends, teammates, or partners over the years - learning to recognize a mistake that you’ve made and owning it is tough. I learned quickly that if I took ownership and I did it quickly when I felt it - I felt uncomfortable for a far shorter time. When we let fear of confrontation enter the picture, the process of healing is delayed and in it that space grows resentment, frustration, and anger.