With the rising sun, I slowly drag myself out of bed to engage in some serious LSD, or long, slow distance as it’s known in running circles–10 miles of “easy” running to build up muscles and endurance.

On Nov. 9, 2013, I represented Dreyfoos at the State Finals for high school cross country in Tallahassee.  The weather was brisk and chilly, perfect for running, and the course was challenging.  I hadn’t seen the physical layout before, only having seen an overview on the internet.  There most striking feature was a hill known as “the wall” which runners have to go up not once, but twice, in the 2-loop course through woods and fields.  With heightened anxiety after a 7 hour drive, my heart was racing along with my legs.  Due to the tremendous amount of excitement and adrenaline pumping, I got out to a very fast start of 5:10 for the first mile.  As it turns out, this is a common mistake for younger runners.  Several competitors ran even faster at the beginning but were not able to keep up the grueling pace.  In running, as in life, patience is a virtue.

After hitting the wall for the first time, my time at the second mile was 10:30, still good enough for a school record if it were track season.  It was my fastest pace yet. The trail through the woods provided great cover for sneaking up on unsuspecting runners.

While it was a challenge to finish strongly after hitting the wall again, I struggled to the line, yet somehow managing to set a personal 5K record at 16:37.  This was good enough for first place in class 2A for Palm Beach County and 23^rd place throughout the state.  After the race, it was gratifying to receive the praise and congratulations from other coaches, fellow teammates and my father, who couldn’t have been more proud. What did it take to get to Tallahassee?  Eating Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions, of course.  I am often asked, “How did you improve so quickly?”  There is no real secret to success; it involves determination, dedication and commitment.  Although the difference may seem minimal, a lot of effort is expended in improving my time by even a few seconds.

While running does involve hard work, Lady Luck also plays a factor.  With hundreds of bodies trying to fit in a small space, it is easy for a hapless runner to lose a shoe after getting tangled up with an unsuspecting opponent.  Taking 30 seconds to find a lost shoe and replace it firmly upon one’s foot seems like forever in the middle of a race.  Errant runners have been known to stray off the beaten path if it is not clearly marked, usually with disastrous consequences.  You would be surprised  how often a seemingly  dry pasture give way to a muddy swamp.

There is a certain beauty in running in that it involves not only physical prowess and luck, but also mental preparedness and strategy.  Using the latest research in sports psychology, I found that it was beneficial to journal my thoughts before a race in order to appease the emotional side of my brain so that it would not interfere with my focus during the race.  Most of my writings outlined bothersome issues that were on my mind such as an unexpected test grade, a late start to a meet, a puzzling comment from a friend, or just plain nervousness.  However, I also found it was beneficial to journal positive feelings, such as excitement or readiness, in order to help maintain the positive outlook so necessary for success.

Although cross country season is over for this year, I can already hear my dad calling on Sunday morning for the next ten 10 mile run in preparation for the next track season.  My response to amateur runners hoping to improve, with apologies to Robert Frost, goes something like this:

“My bed is lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.”