JT Invite @ Bulldog Athletic Complex

Since this course was unveiled in 2017, I have felt drawn to it. Although the old course at Camp Henry Horner was a classic XC course, replete with uphills and downs, twists and turns, and grass and gravel, it was tough for spectators to see a lot of the action. This new course, however, allows coaches and fans alike to see the racers multiple times. Moreover, our bees have consistently raced well at the new course, including several Regional races to be remembered. So as we headed out to the Bulldog Sports Complex this year, it was with these positive memories in mind.

Frosh/Soph Women:  This group had a great day! April lead the pack with a big race. She placed 10th and earned her first XC medal. She ran a smart race, building as the race unfolded. She also had a great kick! Sweet race, April! :) Candy was second with an outstanding effort. On this more challenging course, Candy nabbed her third consecutive sub 30 race. More importantly, she looked super-confident from the jump, getting out hard in the first mile, and eating up the competition throughout the race. She did an outstanding job of attacking the hill and using her teammates to push herself. Great day, Candy! Saleema was our third bee with the race of the day for sure! She dropped 2:49 from her previous best (at home just days earlier) to earn a new LPR of 30:54! The time is exciting, but HOW she achieved it is moreso! Saleema became a real racer today. She got out hard, pulled on Candy, attacked the hills, and used every corner as a chance to fly. In the final 300, she accelerated, pulling closer to a girl from Marian. At the same time, a girl from Grant was working on Saleema. On the final turn, the girl from Grant passed Saleema, but Saleema did not relent--she responded by accelerating more to keep up with the Grant girl. With less than 10 meters to go, it looked like the Grant runner had bested Saleema, but she put in one last burst to pull ahead in the final steps! I was near the 300 mark, and Janelle's parents let out a cheer as they watched Saleema triumph! It was so cool to watch Saleema's competitive side shine. It is equally fun to see her racing confidence grow. Proud of you, freshie! Our next finisher, Dani, had a great day, too. Sporting her new spikes, she looked SO impressive on the hill and driving around each turn. She had a great kick today, too. All of this added up to a sweet SPR--dropping 22 seconds from our race at home earlier in the week. Awesome work, Dani! You are going to rip a new LPR at Lakes...I just know it!  Our final finishers--Yaritza, Valery, and Nathaly S. did a great job of attacking the hill today and finishing with sweet kicks. Great job, freshies!  :) Overall, I was excited about the energy that this group provided. Way to start things right, women!

Varsity Women:  This was a weird day for our varsity crew: we were missing Jana due to a college visit, Juju due to a family retreat, Lauren due to resting her foot, Rachel due to her rude knee, Arwen due to her rude knee, and Norah due to a rude sickness! But according to Sheila, when a door closes, a window opens! Alex and Janelle took the opportunity to run with Fia and Norah today, and they learned a ton! Fia was our lead bee today with a strong second half race. She caught a bunch of girls throughout the race in order to place 14th and bring home a medal. She looked solid today, getting in some valuable hill reps with power so that the flat courses at the end of the season feel like a piece of cake! Nice work, Fia! Alivia was our second bee with a very even race. Like Fia, her hills looked great, and she had an outstanding kick! She earned a ribbon today for her strong effort! Janelle was our third finisher with a great race. She did a great job of bringing her third mile down and finishing strong. Her kick was epic, pushing past a competitor from Lakes in the final meters. Sweet work, Janelley! Alex was our final bee in this race. Although her second mile did not go the way she had hoped, I am tremendously proud of her for for finishing with pride and working through a mental block. Overall, great work, crew! :)

Open Women: Our chicas worked so hard in this race. Sofie had a nice breakthrough today, getting out strong and running negative splits! (8:24, 8:08; 7:53). This is hard to do because you get the privilege of running up the hill twice in the first mile, and once in the second mile! It was fun to watch Sofie keep passing and eating the whole way! Her efforts earned her a sweet ribbon today--8th place! At the start, she was in the 20s, so she caught SO many people today! Her leadership helped pull along our next two bees:  Tyla and Nathaly. These two looked so tough today! Tyla slayed the hill every time, and she did a beautiful job of eating up competitors post-hill. She also did a beautiful job of kicking hard at the end. Like Sofie, she earned a ribbon today, finishing in 14th place. Also like Sofie, she ran negative today (8:51; 8:46; 8:18)! Awesome focus today, Tyla! Nathaly's race was similar to Tyla's! She is really feeling her fitness lately, and her race today showed that. She looked incredible on the hills, and she was so responsive to cheers to catch sleepy runners ahead of her. Her kick was on fire, and she was able to nab the last ribbon of the race in 20th place. Sweet race, Nathaly! :) Eva and Cici were our next two finishers. They worked together or pulled on each other throughout the race. Although both reported not feeling like an A-day before the race, they fought hard through it today. They are a great example of how you can still have a strong race when your body is not cooperating. Proud of you two for working through some mid-season soreness to triumph over JT's hill! Sheila was our final bee today, running a strong race too. Like Eva and Cici, her time does not reflect her effort today. She did a great job up the hill, and she zoomed back into the woods with 1000 to go. Nice work, Sheila! 

After the stellar racing of Tuesday, I did not know what to expect at this meet. It is hard to get up for two races in one week! What I was most proud of today, though, was how the team started to lean into each other. It was cool to see the positive energy of the frosh/soph women as they cheered on their teammates in later races. It was cool to see the team celebrate our medalist and ribbon-earners. And it was great to hear everyone's post-race thoughts on the bus. We are moving in the right direction, and I can't get enough! 

Quick note--sorry this one is a bit late! I was trying to get Bee Pink stuff organized and caught up on grading. I am writing this on Sunday, 10/6. Since JT, we have had two OUTSTANDING workouts:  The Zion-Benton on Tuesday and 1000s on Saturday. What impressed me most about each workout was the consistency of everyone's effort, and the self-direction. For the Zion-Benton, you each were responsible for your own workout once the clock started. There was not cutting of corners. You all did SO WELL pushing though the discomfort to get the most out of yourselves! On Saturday, YOU controlled the mood at the starting line. Based on the results, it must have been good energy over there, because I was floored by what you were able to do! I was so stoked after this workout, especially after watching that dessert 400! WE ARE READY to race fast on Friday and Saturday. We have one more push on Tuesday to internalize that race pace. I can't wait to see what you can do!  Until then, please, please, please--take care of the little things. Fuel right. Sleep right, Think right. Study right. Take care of yourself and your beautiful teammates! Let's have fun in championship season!  SO PROUD OF YOU ALL!