State XC Recap and Running Reset

The State XC meet on October 18th was a success in every sense. The girls finished 3rd, 13th, 14th, 17th, and 19th overall to capture the state title. Maya placed 17th with a time of 12:49, earning All-State honors. It was a long, emotional day—packed with excitement, nerves, and plenty of celebration.

After that high, I hit a bit of a post-race crash and ended up taking the last four days off from running. Other morning commitments, paired with the return of dark and cold mornings, didn’t help my motivation either.

This morning, though, I finally rallied and got back out the door. It was cold (41°F), windy, and still dark—41 isn’t terrible, but the wind made it feel worse, and I’m not quite mentally ready for winter running yet. Still, I managed 6 easy miles at an 8:27 pace and felt surprisingly good. A few days of rest also seem to have helped my Achilles—it’s less sore than it’s been in weeks.

I’m sitting at 77.8 miles for the month, so there’s no reason I shouldn’t still reach 100. Even during the downtime, I’ve kept up my 12,500-step daily goal, so at least I’ve stayed active. It’s probably time to start transitioning to the treadmill, though. The change in routine is always a mental hurdle—but at some point, I just need to bite the bullet and get it done.

In the end, this past week was a reminder that recovery—both physical and mental—is part of the process. The highs of racing and the lows of rest are both temporary, and the key is simply to keep showing up. One cold morning at a time, the routine finds its rhythm

again.