The week before school starts can often be a stressful time for students. End-of-summer-blues tend to kick in as the last days slip away. But this year was different, especially for the top 15 members of the Lourdes cross country team. The week-long training camp in Georgia gave the fastest runners an opportunity to grow closer as a team, exercise and train for the upcoming season, and have fun during the end of their summer break.
The girls and their coaches stayed in a cabin-like community on the edge of a small lake in Kennesaw, Georgia, a town located just 30 minutes outside of Atlanta. The week involved a series of workouts, fun outdoor activities, and local sightseeing trips. Each morning began with a different run around the area and a new theme. Neon, Monochrome, and “Chickn” shorts day are just a few of the themed outfits that were planned. One of the first things that the team had to adapt to was the hilly terrain, something that they weren’t used to. Compared to flat South Florida, Georgia was a completely different experience.
“The trails were super hilly and full of roots, so I was always jumping over things, running up and down,” senior Cristina Sanchez said. “Even what would be considered an easy run or an easy pace for us felt way harder.”
However, despite the bumpy trails and humid weather, the team still managed to have a fun time. They named an “MVP” each day and made sure to stay updated on Team USA’s ranking in the Track & Field races during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Some days they went kayaking, and one day the team went rock climbing. One of the most memorable stops was their visit to the renowned Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
“My favorite part about the cross country training trip was all of the bonding experiences between all of the girls and our coaches,” freshman Ava Barrera said. “We went to the Cataloochee River to go tubing, went to Six Flags over Georgia, and did a campfire where we all made s’mores. It was the best!”
It was a great opportunity for the freshmen to get closer to the rest of the team and have a taste of the community at Lourdes. As co-captains, Sanchez and her teammate Olivia Rodriguez decided to make the challenging week special by surprising the rest of the group with personalized hair ribbons, journals, and “Hell Week Essentials” goodie bags filled with energy bars and other treats. Journals may seem like a silly gift, especially for runners, but they can actually be very helpful. A lot of professional athletes use journals to track their progress throughout their running season and workouts, and it’s a good way to help the team start healthy habits early on.
Not all top team members were able to attend though. Senior Lucia Castillo-Rios, who wasn’t able to be present at this year’s training camp, emphasized how this fall will be her comeback season.
“Last year was a very rough year for me mentally and physically because I had these really big goals for myself and I knew that I could do them, but I wasn’t in the right mindset to go after them,” Castillo-Rios said. “I also got injured, so it has definitely left me hungry for more.”
Despite her injury and mental setback during track and field and cross country last year, Castillo-Rios has big plans for her senior year at OLLA. She has already started strong, placing 20th out of 300 girls in the school’s second meet of the season in Jacksonville, Florida. Although it’s only just begun, she believes that she will be able to rise to the top this year.
”I’ve been going to practice, but a lot of it has also been mental,” Castillo-Rios said. “It’s getting myself to accept that it’s going to be difficult but something that I’m capable of doing. It’s just a matter of sitting in the pain and being comfortable with it.”
Of course every season comes with its ups and downs, so it’s important to stay motivated and set attainable yet inspiring goals.
“Thinking of the race more as a performance rather than just a race helps me mentally prepare,” Castillo-Rios said, “You just have to imagine that you’re putting on a show and everyone’s watching you.”
Hopefully this mental prep will help all of our Lourdes runners sprint their way to victory this season.
