As I stepped unto the starting line this past Saturday, it hit me. The nervous jitters, the fear that I haven't trained hard enough for this season, and the doubt of not being able to reach my goals all went through my head. The first meet of a new season is always an eye-opening experience for many runners. It can tell you a lot about yourself, and I'm proud to say that it told my team at Water Valley some pretty positive feedback! This week we had three people run a PR on the first meet! Maris Lindsey and Peyton Ferguson, both 7th graders, ran their PRs in the 2-mile race at Myrtle Invitational. I also ran a PR of 18:20 in the 1-3A Boys race. The other runners on my team- Lillian Lindsey (sophomore), Dante Ramirèz (senior), and Matthew Dunn (freshman)- also ran a great first race. Lillian came in 5th place, and we both added a top finisher shirt to our collection. Overall, it was a very successful weekend, and we all have our minds set for an even better race at our next meet.
This weekend, as many of you know, is Labor Day Weekend. So my team will actually be taking an off week. We will be back next week for one of my greatest enemies- Hickory Flat Invitational. But just because we have an off week does not mean that we've stopped putting in work. This week I have focused on logging in some longer runs at a faster pace than I normally go. I have run a few mile repeats and hills, and I always run a few different types of sprints to help with those last home stretch "battles." I've also made it a point to make sure to be stretching after every run this week. Stretching is so important, and it is something that I've been skipping over lately. It can help prevent injuries, and we all know that we don't need that for the new season!
I wish all of y'all the best of luck that are racing this week. I hope that you stay strong and run hard! Make this the week that you train to reach your next milestone. Go set the PR you've been waiting for. And don't let anything hold you back. Yes, it takes hard work, but it will all be worth it!
See you on the course,
Coulter Clement