Is cross-country season almost over? Indeed it is. It's Conference Week!!!!
Wow, already my last Cross-Country Championships in the USA are coming up.......
The week flew by quickly; on Thursday, 10/27/2022, we left for Denton, Texas. The flight was a good 3h long, and there was a time difference of one hour. :)
Friday 10/28/2022
I woke up very very early, as usual. My first thought was - oh God, there we are again with the travel feeling; my Whoop values on red alert and exhausted like nothing. Haha, I am really happy about today's rest day!
The weather didn't play along. :( The whole day rain and the temperatures were about 10-13 degrees C during the day.
For the course check, we left at 9 a.m. The run was wet and cold, but the course was really fun. A cool course...I was just curious how the rain would affect the course. :D
I spent the rest of the day eating and working - time flew by. I only let the university slide a bit; oops the deadlines are approaching - but everything works out in the end, somehow ;).
Saturday 10/29/2022
Race day!!!! 5 am, I woke up; then I had my hotel room breakfast. The starting gun of the 6 km race went off at 9 am. We warmed up thoroughly and lined up at the start line! I love competitions early in the morning.
Start!!!! It was cool but dry!
The start went quite well; we ran down the straight, and quickly everyone found their position. I stayed in the chase group and tried to tame my thoughts. It went quite well - just run.
It quickly became clear; the rain had left some marks. There were a few muddy spots and puddles; I was ankle-deep in mud. The first time came directly to my face a smile; I LOVE that - but it costs strength. (Fortunately, our start was before the men;)) Haha :D
For the first kilometer, we were extremely fast - 3.15 min/km. I felt really good, and kept my position in 9th place. The last 2 km became very hard; my lungs constricted, and I cramped up. The last kilometer I, unfortunately, let up a bit - just run; just finish; I can do that; my legs won't give way; pull through; go. A final sprint was no longer possible :D.
Finished 14th with a time of 21:46 minutes - 2nd Team All-Conference. Yes!!! I am satisfied and happy.
I got the most out of the day. I am not where I used to be. It takes time. But: the journey is the goal, and I took steps forward again. I felt better in the race; I managed my mental battles, and I had fun. I enjoyed running through the mud, and I fought until the end. That's all I can do. :)
As a team, we finished in 7th place. The girls did a great job; everyone did their best. In 1 week, regionals are coming up. Then it's time to step it up again. I am already looking forward to it.
The trip home was looooong. We spent the rest of the day at the airport until our plane finally took off at 7:30pm. At 12:30 am, I was finally in bed - puhh. It's time to rest.
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