~:[CH8 - Day 250]:~ Caught in a Crowd

~:[CH8 - Day 250]:~ Caught in a Crowd

In cross country, it's quite easy to get caught in a crowd. Aside from the blistering heat, the athletes had to deal with one of the most packed in courses they have had to race, ever. Rosemead kept the same size meet but crunched it into one day. The meet was already quite packed in, but this year, it was even more difficult to maneuver through the first 1/2 mile and sometimes even up to the two mile mark. It's definitely a parallel to life. We prepare so much for that moment and hoping that we can stand out, but when we get there, we face a crowd of people who are jostling for the same position. You get caught among the crowd, unable to break out of it. You must be strategic and persistent, but eventually, you can find your window if you look for the opportunity. The races required our athletes to remain headstrong and not lose confidence and focus as they made their way through the course. There is no way to predict how things will go. We may be forced to go out too hard or may fall in the process, but that's part of life. You're going to fail, but it's about getting back up from those failures and bouncing back with even more confidence. We had a pretty solid day with a good number of new personal records, but there will be better days ahead, much like we will all have in our lives. As while the crowds may keep us down for now, if we keep pushing forward, we will eventually find our way through it all.