When the results are not what you envision...

During my first year of college when I ran for Hampton University in Virginia, I was surprised at what I was able to accomplish in my running career as a freshman. I knew it was from my training and discipline in high school. My cross-country season was a breeze where I always placed in the top three at every match. I even made it all the way to the CIAA championship finals on a very chilly day with my California skin and placed seventh overall.

Indoor track was a new experience for me and even more rewarding where I placed third in the 1500m and second in the 1600m relays, and third in the 800m CIAA Championship finals; these races were back to back so I was pleased with my winnings.

So I could expect nothing less in my outdoor season, my favorite, so I thought. My expectations were high, my goals were set, and I was ready to win like all the other races. But the season did not pan out the way I thought it would. There were more disappointments in my judgment of races more than anything. I couldn't understand it because I had trained so hard for many
months, even between seasons. I was losing faith as a mid-distance runner and wasn't sure how I was going to pull myself out of this mindset. I humbled myself, got back in touch with the enjoyment of the races instead of the winnings and found my outdoor season almost over when I began winning in the top three again.

Yet there was one more blessing, one last hope I could count on--our 1600m relay team made it to the championship finals and I was on this relay team. Everyone knew we were the favored; we were expected to win. In my freshman head, of course, I switched my mindset back to winning, because this one race should be a breeze, I figured... (Please read the rest of the Producer's Corner #3 as a FREE member of our T.R.A.C.K. Live! community blog. Sign up by clicking here.)