CHAT Cory - on success part 1 Part 1 With every race comes different stages of anxiety, pain, and even heartbreak, but there are always those times when you have complete success, as well as satisfaction. My County Championships during my 2004 Track and Field Season as a freshman were no exception to this principle. Have you ever had a race where a lot is expected of you and everyone is watching to see how you perform? During my first year of high school track I was 2nd on the varsity team with a 4:40 mile coming into the big race. My brother, Mike, who was a senior, was our best runner coming in at 4:34 that season. Yet, Mike was plagued with an annoying foot injury that shut down his chances of racing for the day. I was counted on to fill the breach. My season, thus far, had been very successful. I was noted to be one of the top 10 milers in the state and the best freshman distance runner by over 15 seconds. My 800-meter time was dipping close to 2:00 minutes as well. I was very happy and knocking down about 50-60 miles a week in distance, as well as workouts. Kids, hard work pays off. Tempo, fartlek, speed, and lactate threshold runs were novel for a week's worth of running for me. It got to the point where I didn't even feel the pain, but only focused on my form. Here is one of my favorite quotes on the issue. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King Jr. In any case, I was definitely ready for our first of three championship meets, which would be taking place within three weeks of each other. The first day of the County Championships, Thursday, I ran the 4X800 meter relay and our team finished second. I ran the last 800 leg in 2:02:37. It was a new PR for me but through all of the success for the day, I was already thinking about tomorrow's open 1600 and 800. In my mind, they were the keys to personal satisfaction and recognition. My name is Cory. I am 15 years old. I live in Maryland and have been running for 4 years, with a very serious training schedule. I am on a cross-country and track team, and hold records in the half mile, mile, and 2 mile. Currently, I have won the State Championship in all three and will be a sophomore this year. I had a very successful year of track, and running in general. I am now in full-fledged training mode again and am looking forward to cross-country in 2004. LINKS: Cory's Column EDITOR'S NOTE Cory will be sending us his best tips. If you would also like to contribute tips, send to KR, PO Box 209, Fiskdale, MA 01518 kidsrunning@hotmail.com Privacy Policy of Kids Running