My Nationals Realization

I have been reflecting on Thursday night's race. After watching my teammate miss finals for the 400 meters yesterday, and a few other senior athletes at Nationals miss Finals in their respective events, I truly am recognizing that no race, season, or year can ever be taken for granted when it comes to running, or any sport, or even life really. You have to be thankful for what you have at that point in time, because there are NEVER any guarantees. I wish I could've come to realize this a little earlier in my career -- it would have saved me quite a few "pouting" type moments where I was way too harsh on myself and didn't savor what I had just accomplished. I have a tendency to compare times from last year to this year WAY too much when in reality, as I said, a lot of things change in a year, some that can't ever be explained or prevented. In my case, I felt FLAT on Thursday night, and I think part of it may have been my IT band injury. It has been very frustrating and has resulted in a LOT of time spent in the pool -- probably too much time in there. My eating habits are also quite atrocious-- not eating enough and going on binges of, among other things, Life cereal, at times. So, I need to get my nutrition figured out -- need to eat balanced so that I can get the most from my body ALL the time. I need to have a smart summer of training where I give my body a chance to recover.

I am SO thankful for the 8 times I have accomplished All-American status. It's an accomplishment I never ever in my wildest dreams could've imagined sitting on a bench in a St. Norbert basketball uniform my freshman year. Remembering that again helps me gain perspective and realize, hey, I've come pretty far, and that I need to be appreciative of what I have accomplished and not be too disappointed with missing out on that National title on Thursday night.

All in all, I of course REALLY wish I was running that 5K today, like I did last year, but I can't compare last year to this year, because there have been a lot of changes. And I think NOT running the 5K this year has helped me recognize the changes I need to make to be a better runner, and person :) By NOT running the 5K, I have learned a couple really valuable lessons, that I believe, in the long run (no pun intended ;) ) will give me a chance to take my running to that next level... perhaps to that National title I've always been seeking in my final XC season this fall, or perhaps beyond that in to the world of post-collegiate running. We'll see... only time will tell, and between now and then, I'm going to give my body a few days BREAK from running, because it desperately needs it, and then get ready for a spectacular and SMART summer of training!!!!! :)

Oh, and I cannot wait to cheer on my teammate, Emily Schudrowitz, in the 800m finals today!!! She was the 2010 NCAA Indoor Champ in the 800 & I definitely believe she can make it a sweep by winning it outdoors today! :]

A few great quotes I found... can you tell I love quotes? ;)

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present. ~Babatunde Olatunji

Life's a journey, not a destination. ~Aerosmith

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. ~Abraham Lincoln

Till next time... Happy Running!
~Jenny, aka KnightRunner
(couldn't be prouder to be a Green Knight!!!!)