The All-Ohio race consists of every college cross country team in the state. There were so many teams! The reason I say that the worst is over is because we no long have any more hilly courses for the rest of the year. All the girls are very excited about that!

The last race, which was in Delaware, was the worst because of the amount of hills there were. This race is so tough that most people lost about a minute on their average time.  Then, throw in the fact that it was muddy (see below) and it made for a very tough race. I am very proud that our team finished with everything we could give.

We left early on Friday to head that way. When we got there, we only had about an hour until we had to run. We did not get to walk most of the course, but we were able to get ready to run our hearts out. I can personally say that I was very excited when I finished.

People always ask me why I run cross country. The feeling of accomplishment that you get when you are done running is the best feeling in the world. Not too many people can finish what we just did, and it makes me feel like I have really worked hard. Everyone on the team can probably agree with me with that. Our practice really does pay off.

There is no meet this weekend. It is so nice to finally have a free weekend to relax (even though most of the time is spent sleeping and on homework). Because there was no meet, practice was more intense than normal. The only thing that worries me is that girls on the team are starting to get injured. Let's pray that they get better!

Practice yesterday was in Fredericktown. The amazing thing was how our team bonded. Some of us are at our breaking points with stress, but the team helps so much. We all know how much we rely on each other to make our days better. The team has officially become a family. We may have our occasional fights, but they do not last longer than a few minutes.

The next meet is not until the 16th at Wilmington. I know our times will keep getting better. Remember to pray for the injured girls. God Bless!

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