This fall, we'll be viewing the New York Cross Country Season through the eyes of its' competitors. We've asked one girl and one boys to blog about their season. Through the triumphs and tribulations of training, racing, and everything in between, you'll be able to read what it's like to run in the Empire State.
For the girls, Sam
Peterman, a senior at Sweet Home High School, will be blogging for us.
Sam is a Top 5 returner for Class B at the New York State Meet, looking
to improve on last year's performance. She runs in Section 6, and will
be one of the top athletes across any classification in the Buffalo
area. Read about her journey below.
View Week 1 / Intro
View Week 2
Monday September 5, 2016:
Today I had an easy hour run. It was nice because today I was able to stay at home, and run around my town (I also got some good hills in as well). It was not the most comfortable run as I am just coming off a week of training that most likely had my most miles, so naturally my legs are a little more sore. Once when I got home I made sure I stretched out and rolled out in order to try to make my legs feel better.
Tuesday September 6, 2016:
Workout day today! 3x1 mile at tempo pace right into race pace 800, with 800 all out at the end. We had three minutes rest in between each set. My goal pace was 6:50 for the tempo and 3:12 for the 800. Going into the workout I was ready for something challenging, and it definitely was. This workout tested not only my physical ability, but also my mental ability to push through the pain that entailed this workout. I was able to finish it, and it felt very accomplishing. Afterwards I went into the weight room to lift and stretch out.
Wednesday September 7, 2016:
Today was not only a recovery day but also the first day of senior year! Today we had 70 mintues of aqua jogging, and it was great to be able to recover and to have a relaxing way to end the first day of school. After the pool we went into the weight room to do our lift as well. Going into this year of school, I really want to focus on the amount of sleep I get, as it effects how I run. I know that I wont be able to go to bed at a reasonable time each night, but I believe that if I focus on attempting to go to bed at a good time it will improve my running.
Thursday September 8, 2016:
This pre-meet hour couldn't have been any better. I ran on the trails around the school with a teammate to get onto soft ground and to get more practice running on different terrain. We took this run nice and easy, as we had a challenging workout a few days ago, and we really have been training through the past few weeks. After the run we did another lift in the weight room and later that night I took an ice bath since my legs still felt a little tired.
Friday September 9, 2016:
Meet day! Today I ran in a meet called Dash-in-the-Dark. This meet is my favorite meet ever because they light up the course you run on with portable lights and as you run they play music. This meet was a two mile race, and you run two one mile loops around the school grounds. It is also a relay race, the teams are made up of three people who all run the two miles. I was the anchor leg in this race. Overall I thought I ran well. It definitely went better than last week's meet and I was happy with how we did as a team. Although my time wasn't record breaking (I ran 12:06), I was still happy with the results. By the time I got the baton I didn't have anyone around me to race with, so I just ran the race as fast as I could given the circumstance. I also had a nice finish, and I learned that I need to remind myself to relax my hands throughout the race because that transforms my whole running posture. All in all, this race was fun and not bad.
Saturday September 10, 2016:
90 minute long run today. This run was okay as I was sore and tired from the lack of sleep I had (I'm still working on getting a good sleep schedule). Last night I got home around midnight from the meet and this morning I had to get up early to take the ACT exam. I ran this long run around my town and got some hills in. I also took another ice bath to help my legs recover.
Sunday September 11, 2016:
Day off and yes, I took another ice bath. I found ice baths to really helpful when my legs have been sore for a prolonged time so I am really trying to freeze the soreness away.
Total Miles: 39.78 miles
This week's lesson: Training will and will always be hard, and the moment it becomes easy is the moment you are not training hard enough. These past few weeks I have been pushing myself hard in training so it will pay off come November. Yes, it is nowhere near easy, but I know it will all be worth it. I may not be seeing extraordinary results now, but I know deep down they will come. I am training with a purpose, and this is what I love to do.