Clean Start

Anyone who has ever run a race knows the importance of a clean start. You don't want to get out too fast and risk going anaerobic too quickly, or get out too slow and create a gap with the leaders that you will have to fight hard to make up. You also don't want to get tripped up and start the race scraped up and mentally shaken. Of course, you won't always get the clean start you were hoping for, but there will always be a new day and a new race where you can get it right.
Thus far, Utah State has been my new day and my opportunity to get it right. From the first week at camp, I fell in love with my teammates, the program, the town, and the amazing support system we have. I am completely taken aback by the love and support we receive from our coaches. They make it abundantly clear that they care about us as people, and they look out for our best interests while still guiding us to become the best athletes we can be. My teammates are a crew of fantastic nutcases. As is typical for distance runners, there is a wide assortment of personalities, but the common theme that connects us all is the dream that makes us all crazy and that we sacrifice for daily to pursue. The training room staff goes above and beyond  (Ily for real, Sonia). They have already put up with so much of my nonsense (sry I ran 20 miles on Sunday) and have been way more patient than I deserve. The team sports psychologist is absolutely phenomenal, and is already helping me to work through some of my mental blocks and cycles of negativity tied to performance. The running here is amazing. If you're willing to run a mile or two out of town, there is a network of single track trails up through the mountains. The only downside is that some of my teammates have informed me that rattlesnakes like to hang out on the trails sometimes, but the only snakes I've seen out there were the young men who nearly decimated me on their bikes yesterday so I'm a little skeptical about the existence of these rattlesnakes. ALSO our resources are insane. Presli transferred here this season from a Big Sky school as well, and we are both absolutely giddy about the size of the gear packs, the fueling station, the training room, etc.

This season, the goal of the team is to become the first USU cross team to ever qualify for nationals, and boy howdy if any team is going to be the first this one looks as good as any. These ladies work crazy hard, not just at running but at the last little details that separate good from great, and we are all bought into the program entirely. This last Saturday, we had our first meet at home. It was fairly small and relaxed, but it was a solid way to get back into cross and gauge our fitness. We all ran together through 3k then let loose for the final 2k, and I'll tell you what, seeing a pack of teammates that size still together almost two miles in was pretty sweet. We have our next meet in Provo on the 16th, and I'm over the top excited to see how we look with all or most of the girls racing. Honestly, I'm just incredibly happy to be here. I have been asked a lot of questions about why I would transfer after my successful final season at MSU and at times throughout the outdoor season I questioned whether or not I should leave myself, but when it comes down to it, the fact of the matter is I am happy and supported here, which is not something I could always say in Bozeman. I am grateful for the time I had there, but I am even more grateful for the new beginning I was given by Coach Gulden and USU.