As we all circle around minutes before the gun goes off, we are greeted with positive thoughts, and last minute instructions. We all rise our arms into the thin crisp fall air as we yell out in unison, with a deep hardness in our voices, 1, 2, 3...BEARS! This causes a deep tingling in your bones, but not yet... you have to save it. The time will come when you must look deep into your body. Around every corner or crevice where you must reach down and find any bit of fuel to put in the oven to keep you going for miles, minutes or seconds. Those times in races where your lost within yourself, with a million questions firing through your brain. You must brush off every negative thought look down and realize what you are here to do.
Yesterday was the best race, in my opinion, that Shawnee State has ever ran. We beat number 7th Ranked Aquinas by 50pts. Had a 38 second gap from our first man to our 5th. Keegan got 3rd (24:46) Michael got 4th (24:47), Galen got 7th (24:56), Brad got 13th (25:12) and I was our 5th man and got 18th. In order to win Nationals we need to duplicate this performance and have our top 5 guys run under 30th place.
We are now 27 days from toeing the line in Vancouver, Washington and to be honest I'm terrified. I've never been involved in a race of such high importance. To know we have a good shot of becoming National Champions and to have that pressure of 5th man who makes or breaks us scares the shit out of me. I'm trying to find ways to use this as a way of motivation. These next 3 weeks I really want to focus on building up my confidence, knowing that I belong up front and I'm willing to do anything for my team to take home the title. Though these days will seem like eternity, they could possibly be the most important days of our lives.
-BJW
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