Two More Weeks. One More Minute

"If you’re going to doubt something, doubt your own limits." ~Don Ward

First things first. For your viewing and giggling pleasure: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/wlcsports 

Please excuse my blushing and eye rolling. The questions they asked in this interview were....well surprising. Like I'm really going to tell the entire world wide web my personal feelings about nervousness and how excited I really was about overcoming GIANT HORRIBLE adversity....Oh...wait...I guess I do that on here every day. Still, it's different when you're on camera. I swear!

So now that conference is over it's time to focus myself on what's next. It's tricky to find that balance between chasing a dream and still being realistic. 

Here are the facts. 

1. Between my last race and the conference race on Saturday I dropped 1 minute and 30 seconds off of my time.

2.  Last year at regionals I ran about 1 minute and 30 seconds faster than I did Saturday. 

3. That equals a 3 minute drop total. 

4. That's a heck of a lot of time in cross country

5.  A 1 minute and 30 second drop would potentially get me into Nationals. 

So what is the line then, where I should be realistic and where I should stop with my dreaming? I never thought I would come THIS far in the first place. Should I just be content with what I've already accomplished or should I keep going and hope for another miracle?  Is two miracles too much to ask for from my legs?

Part of me wants to think that if I build up enough confidence, if I go into Regionals fully confident, if only I believe in myself enough that it'll happen. That maybe my legs will remember what it's like to go that speed and be able to drop time just like I did at conference. Is it too much to ask? Or is it that I simply need to keep believing in myself and let it fall how it will. 

It's been said that the human spirit is indomitable {Roger Bannister-first man to break the 4:00 mark for the mile). But from a technical perspective I also know how difficult it is to cut off that kind of a chunk of time in just 2 weeks. And so goes the argument around and around my head. 

There is only one answer that I know. I can't not go for it. That would be, as stated in my post last week a waste of the most beautiful, wonderful gift and talent that I have.But it would be nice to know what my chances for success  are. Just saying...

This much I know: when I finish Regionals my entire heart and soul will be left out there on the course.