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A couple reminders that might help you before you race. Take 5 minutes before you start your warm up and put yourself into a relaxed state by doing “centering breaths”. Slow deep breathing in (good air) through your nose down to your belly, and slowly breath out (all the bad air) through your mouth. Think about relaxing your core by making your muscles flatten out. As those breaths continue to go in and out let the relaxation grow though out your body. Get yourself into the moment by listening to the sounds, feeling the air, smelling the smells and seeing the sites. Tune out all the distractions, by focusing on your body and relaxing it. Stay with your body and being in the moment and do not be thinking of anything else. When you feel like you have a good hold on being in the moment with your body then go for your warm up. Begin your warm up by energizing your muscles and staying in tune with your body. DO NOT FOCUS ON THE END PRODUCT but focus on the here and now. Feel the awesome energy and strength you have. Review your race using “On the Field Visualization” by picturing in your head each stage of the race and making it feel easy. As you approach the starting line, concentrate on your centering breaths, your body and being in the moment – Smell the smells, feel the air, listen to your body (if it is tense in some area focus on relaxing it using the same relaxation techniques that we talked about at camp). Use your strides as fine tuning your energized legs. Remember a relaxed muscle will fire faster then a tense muscle. Find a focal point, your first stage in the race, and focus on that (a tree, a poll, a top of a hill, etc.). Your final step is to stand as tall as you can on the starting line, get a big fat grin on your face, look up into the sky and tell yourself “I am ready”. Refocus on your point and do not take your eye off that until the race starts and you are past that point. Break your race up into stages and only think about that stage and what you need to do. Good Luck and let me know if it helps!! PS: If you try this before practice every day you will learn to focus your body much better. It is a skill, the more you train the mind the better you get. GOOD LUCK!
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH!
Remember practice makes perfect so make sure what might happen on the cross country course you are working on in practice. For example, did you know that when you make a turn you automatically slow down. What to do: Always work on picking the pace up around turns. Did you know that you will get bumped a little in racing? What to do: Practice getting bumped in practice so that it won't throw off your racing plan. There are so many different things that can happen in racing but the more you plan for the less they will affect you. Good Luck!!
Carry Me
It wasn't until after I finished the race, When reality slapped me in the face. Too hard to hold back any tear, I confronted the failure that stained my senior year. My confidence was shot, my passion - gone Lost was it I had worked for all season long.
I was devastated; few could make me smile. I questioned running yet even another mile. Why did it have to turn out this way? This poor performance ruined much more than my day.
I was both physically and emotionally burnt out - All optimism had turned to doubt.
For a while there, I didn't know where to go; The healing process was just way too slow. I needed someone to pick me up and help me along, Carry me through the destruction to find where I belong.
Through this prayer, I found a glimmer of hope, Telling me it was time to move on and that I had already had ample time to cope. Forget about Conference; Regionals proved to be yet another story. With a new best time and a trip to Sectionals, I no longer needed to worry. So, now as I make a run at State, Thanks to all who supported me, proving that things can never be
Good Luck and see you next month!
Janet Leet
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