We had heard about how difficult the Nationals course was. We expected lots of mud and were mentally prepared for what the course could bring. However, we really had never raced in conditions as tough as those at Portland Meadows. While we respected the other teams, we didn’t want to be in awe of them. We knew if we raced our hardest we had the potential to place in the top ten. We were so excited that we qualified for nationals and were ready to leave it on the course. Making it to Portland was our biggest goal this year, and we thought of each victory in our season as a step closer to a qualifying spot at NXN.
We all agree it was by far the most challenging race we had ever ran with the ankle-deep mud and freezing wind. The beginning was so fast and it made us all nervous when there was a pile-up of fallen girls right behind our pack within the first stretch. Looking back on the race we are proud of our performance and the strength we showed on the course.
It was so much fun being out in Portland. Some of our girls had never been out to the west coast. We met other top-ranked teams from around the nation during the dance and in the hospitality room. All the other athletes were really cool and very friendly. Nike made us feel exclusive in the Hotel with our NXN credentials and warm-ups. We visited the huge Nike Headquarters and entered top-secret facilities (that of which we may not speak). The Athlete hospitality was really unbelievable.
Next year, we plan on training harder and smarter. We also plan on adding more strength work to prevent injury and prepare our legs for the upcoming conditions. We only lose one senior, so we hope to be more competitive next year. Overall NXN was an unforgettable experience. We felt honored to represent NC! Thanks Nike!
-The GHXC Girls