Conference, and the end of the season....

So the week was going great, classes were done, and I had two days to just kick back, relax, sleep, hang out with friends, and prepare mentally for the conference race, then I got sick. I was very mad when I went to bed wednesday night not feeling the same, I had the chills and my nose was starting to plug up. Then in the middle of the night I woke with a dry throat, nasty fever, and two plugged nostrils. I was mad to say the least, "Two days before conference, the biggest race of my career!!". The same thing happened last year before state cross country, and I ended the season disappointed, I was determined to not let that happen again. I popped advil, drank water mixed with a silver electrolyte solution, and popped my Total Virex and Total Multiimmune. My mom works for a chiropractor, so I have a lot of homeopathic vitamins that I only take when I'm sick, and they kick butt. By friday, I woke up feverless and happy, but I wasn't sure if my illness would still cause me to crash in the race with lack of energy. I simply hoped for the best, ate good, and stayed hydrated. My race on Saturday did not go as I planned, I got beat by a former rival from High school who I didnt want to lose to. I moved very well in the first half of the race, but crashed in the second half. Oddly enough, I finished 8th on the team!!! I beat guys I have never beaten before!!! And I don't feel like it was a good race!!! Even though I did not finish how I wanted, I still finished well, and recieved multiple "good jobs" from teamates. The problem was that the rest of the team did not do so well, with our best runner dropping out with breathing issues and the rest of the guys turning in bad races. We finished 5th as a team, and Luther swept the conference on both the guys and girls side. Watching Luther accept all the awards, and seeing how close the team came to winning the whole thing just got me angry. I understand that my role as a freshman was not to be a varsity runner, but I was still disappointed, I want to win more than ever now. I do not want to sit through another meet like that. Now that I have a season under my belt, I know what I have to do to help this team make that happen. Next year, I will be able to handle way more miles than I did this summer, and I will be able to make the jump from good runner, to great one. My body is pretty much wasted from the season, but now that I have survived my body is stronger, and when I get some much needed time off my legs are gonna be ready to rock once again. I'm hungrier than ever to get faster and to achieve my goals. Through the last couple weeks, I corrected my form, making my pace faster and far more efficient, unfortunetly, my body was not used to the form, and my lower legs suffered as a result. The last couple weeks my legs have hurt more and more. But once I strengthen the muscles, and get used to my new form, I will be much faster. I know what I have to do, and I know what I want to achieve. I'm in a fantastic position right now, I survived the freshmen season with no injuries, I corrected my form, I ran through pain and soreness to one of my best performances all year, and I learned how to train properly. This winter is going to be the best winter of my career, I will train harder than I've ever trained, I will push myself harder than ever, I will settle in to my new form, I will gain back the speed I had at the end of track last year at the blue oval, and when I hit the track in February, I will be able to contribute to Wartburg Track and Field!!!