The transition from high school to college for cross country is very difficult due to the increase in race distance from 5k in high school to 8k in college. This adds an extra nine to ten minutes of racing, which hurts, a lot.
I began my first collegiate cross country season competing at the Harry Lang invitational at Colgate University. This course is only 4 miles, so it was a nice way to transition into the longer distance of 8k (which is roughly 5 miles). We attended this meet because it is where the Patriot League Championships were going to be held, so it was important for the team to see the course ahead of conference.
I ran 21:09 and was the 10th guy on the team (our number one had to sit out). This race was really hard as there is a large hill that just shatters any momentum you had before; however, there is a nice downhill for the last mile or so of the race that definitely helps you get moving before the finish.
My next race was the Coast to Coast Battle in Beantown Invite, hosted by Boston College at Franklin Park. I ran the 8k and SUFFERED. A lot of our guys were sick going into the weekend (including myself) and so we ran pretty horrible as a team. I try to block out this whole experience, because it was not how I envisioned my first 8k. On to the next one.
Next up was Lehigh’s Paul Short Invitational. This was arguably my best race in the season and I was happy with the progress I made from Beantown. I ran 26:11, which is now my 8k PB. All of our guys bounced back really well from Beantown and it was a great experience for the team. A lot of our guys ended up setting PB’s at Paul Short.
My last race of my freshman cross country season was the Princeton Invitational, which happened to be another poor race for myself; however the team ran great! It was one of those bittersweet moments, as I was so happy for the team… but I expected a whole lot more from myself. I ended up missing the conference team by one spot and I was disappointed to end on a bad note.
As a runner, it’s frustrating to not have the hard work you put in–the countless miles over the summer–come to fruition. That being said, I know I got better this season. While the races may not have indicated a jump, I was training at a higher level than I ever have before. Collegiate running is a four year process and I’m very excited to continue on the journey. Big PB’s coming soon.
Charlie's Racing Log 