Today was Murray. I did about a 2 mile warmup and then did strides. I was in JV Girls this time. I tried to get a good position because I know how boxed in you can get if you don't (experience from last year) and I didn't want that to happen again. Well, I still got boxed in, some girl made me come close to falling, and I wasn't to happy about that. Out came the elbows :) Okay I never actually elbowed anyone but by using my elbows I like to think that I held off a few people trying to pass me. Anyway, I was in the front with a ton of Davis girls, and it wasn't too encouraging when all everyone was yelling was "Yeah Davis, go Davis, Look at Davis, Davis rules" and such. Every once in a while I would hear an "East!" and that was nice :) Then when we were coming back around by the start line I could hear Bill, and actually, I was happy to hear him telling me to stick with them. I was really annoyed at this point with all the cheers for Davis. So then I tried to block out the cheering for Davis because I realized it was better that way, better thoughts = better race. So I focused on trying to stay on the Davis girls, but eventually I slipped. On the snake I lost it mentally and backed off, then the rest of the race I was chasing them, except for a few parts. When it got to the point to start kicking, I wasn't feeling it, but I knew I needed to. Bill yelled at me to catch the 2 girls ahead of me to be in the top 20, so I tried, but then I backed off when another girl came up on me and I told myself it was over. That I should not have done. I should've fought that girl until the very end. Then I reminded myself that I really wanted that medal so I tried to pick it up again, and was able to until I saw the start line, and started kicking, but I decided the girl was too far ahead. I think that maybe if I had sprinted that last bit I might've caught her, now looking back. It didn't hit me hard until I got the card that showed how I did. I knew I didn't get a medal, but I had expected that. What I didn't expect was to be 21st, missing the medal by only 1. I thought it had to be at least 3. Then I kept replaying in my head what I did wrong, and how if only that last 800 I had pushed that whole way, then I would've not only been in the top 20, but gotten a much better place. I think that feeling was worse than the hurt I would've had the last couple minutes of the race. Then I did a cool down of 4.25 miles. I was originally going for 3, but then decided to go an extra mile with Sarah, then realized I was over 4 so I finished to 4.25 I guess this is a lesson to be learned. Maybe I needed it, to remind me what it's like to lose by only one. All I can say is I'm never letting that happen again. | 