LO2 – Challenge: Undertake new challenges and develop new skills

I competed in Cross Country with my school for the first time in two years! Historically, cross country has been challenging, although I greatly enjoy participating in it. I’ve struggled finishing races due to heat exhaustion, vomiting and under-fuelling. This severely challenged my love for the sport, as I feared races and wondered if I would finish in one piece. However, after the reintroduction of cross country two years later, after some brief hesitation, I decided to undertake the challenge. A mid-distance runner at heart, I was using mainly cross country to build up my general fitness for track season, but also as a way to test myself. I am at the moment doing the bulk of the training by myself. This type of training feels foreign and slightly intimidating, but I am up for the challenge of regaining my love for the sport of cross country. I had my first cross-country race this past week, and while the time was not what I hoped, I came away with the win and was happy that I went out hard and didn’t let fear dictate my race. I hope to build on this as the season progresses.