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Brenna Cohoon Athlete's Blog - April 24, 2019Published by
Blog #7 – One door closes (temporarily), another door opens
By Brenna Cohoon
About four weeks remain in this track and field season. Before we know it, the state’s best competitors will be in Charleston, Illinois, competing on the iconic blue track at Eastern Illinois University. Anyone with aspirations to compete in the state meet is currently pouring every ounce of determination into their training to get to that end goal.
Before this season even began, I set some high expectations for myself. I wanted the track season of my junior year to be everything I’ve ever hoped for, and more. However, I have had a few bumps in the road that have definitely slowed down my intended progress.
Two weeks ago, I had to back off of training for a few days due to some pain in my foot and a troubling visit to the doctor. Because of this, I did not compete at the Wheaton North Invitational. But a few days later, I was relieved to hear that everything was okay after getting a second opinion. Still, it was best for me not to race at the Distance Night in Palatine meet, so I could ease back into things and be ready to race well at Sectionals, and hopefully, State.
Nevertheless, lots of emotions surrounded me during last Saturday’s meet. Nervousness. Excitement. Pride. Disappointment. Joy. I was thankfully able to use this meet as motivation for the future and try something else that allowed me to experience joy on many different levels:
I was joyful because I was surrounded by the supportive running community that I feel so blessed to be a part of. Not only did I get to spend time cheering on my teammates and having a good laugh here and there, but I also had many opportunities to converse with athletes from other teams throughout the evening.
I was joyful because I decided to live in the moment and enjoy what I was doing. I had a blast interviewing everyone and experiencing the unique atmosphere of Distance Night in Palatine. I chose to be grateful and use this meet to gain some valuable perspective.
I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I think that I have been faced with some challenges over the past couple of months to teach me not to take anything for granted. Some people choose to see running as a chore instead of being passionate about it, but I do not wish to fall into that trap. Running is a gift that we should all cherish, no matter where in the process we are. Things can get frustrating, but we must combat that negativity with a positive mindset and try to find the silver lining.
Photos by Laura Duffy, Michael Newman © 2019
Editor’s Note – Brenna Cohoon did video interviews for DyeStat.com and ILXCTF.com Saturday evening at Distance Night in Palatine. You can view those videos here. |