View Workout (Joe Heebner)
XC 2011: Reflections
November 16, 2011 (Night)
Exercise Type: Other
Comments:
There's a lot to be said about this season, some of which have been covered by others but bear repeating. I'll start with an analysis of my goals from the start of the season, which were:
1. Don't get injured
I had a rocky start with some minor things on and off. Nothing kept me off for more than a few days and my knee hasn’t been bad either so this is more or less a success. A success that needs to continue.
2. Move towards the top 10
Well, I guess I got this one. Position on the team for me was kind of unimportant this season, and I would rather not have achieved this goal because others got injured but I think that was part of it, however bittersweet. I don't really know where exactly I fall (aside from towards the back), but hopefully if I'm improving and I'm the back end, everyone up front is getting faster too. I felt like I was running better later in the season than I was at the start, so for me that counts as another success.
3. Don't be burned out by the end of the season.
Probably did the best job with this one of the three. Although I'm not constantly pumped right now like I was at the start of the season, I'm far from burnt out, and the mileage that I can get in now because of this will help me next year in cross, if not in track this year. The last several weeks, I’ve felt great in training and hopefully that will continue. I have a lot of mental energy left to go around for running so I’m looking forward to track.
My overall take on the season:
Personally, I was happy with how I ran this season. While the times were slow, I know I got tougher this season and I can bring that into track and next year’s cross country season. I put in the training I needed to during the season. I was consistent with the essentials which I think is a crucial difference from last year. One phrase that sticks in my mind right now is "keeping each other accountable". Being a part of this team has kept me pretty accountable so far, and I want to continue hold up my end of the deal. Frequently, I catch myself wasting time on the internet or whatever other distraction, which makes me feel guilty because I know by fooling around, I’m not doing something else that will help me support the team. Supporting the team means making the right decisions when no one is watching. For me, the hard part of supporting the team is focusing on academics and sleep. I wasn’t perfect in that respect this season, but I’ve improved from last year. If I can continue to improve in this area, I will be ready to give everything to the team when the time comes.
However, for me the biggest part of the season wasn’t how I ran. It was how the team did. Every time I'd head out from Veale across the railroad bridge this season, I'd feel a surge of pride that I was a member of this team. Regardless of the fact that we didn’t make nationals this year, I feel that we achieved our team goal of leaving a legacy. Everyone was committed from the start to the finish and the connection between everyone was something like I’ve never felt before. In training and racing, you all made me proud. You are role models for me, and it’s up to me to follow your example. You guys were more than role models, though. Being on the team with all of you made every day of effort worth it. From dragging myself out of bed for early swims, to finishing up the essentials on the track even after everyone else had left for dinner, from muddy, tough mile repeats along Fairhill, to the recovery runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays and breakfast after Sunday morning runs, everything I put into this season came back to me multiplied tenfold because I was giving to the team. I will do anything I can to help the team move forward. A 30-minute 8k might not be an ideal starting point but I won’t let that be a reason to hold back. I would go to hell and back for any and every member of this team and I want my running to reflect that as well. I said earlier this season that if I made a list of my favorite people in the world, there wouldn’t be many people on it who aren’t members of this team. It’s been an honor and a joy to be a part of what we had this year. Running in meets is fun but it’s also fun to support your teammates and I hope that that support made a difference. Thank you all for everything; this season was awesome.