By Jenna Dozeman
Mile after mile, your legs feel like they are going to collapse, but you know you still have a long way to go. How do you find the mental strength to keep running? This is a brief look into the mental aspect of running with Cora Williams.
Since sixth grade, Cora has been running more and more in hopes of improving her lifetime personal records throughout her high school cross country career. However, it hasn’t exactly been the easiest task for her, given each meet brings new and additional pressures that started to pile up in her freshman year of running.
The Hawkeyes ran in three OK-Blue Jamboree meets and six additional meets, not including Regionals. The further they got into the season, the more pressure there was for Cora to keep improving her times as the other teams did as well.
“The less I think, the faster I run,” Cora explains. “If I think too much, I usually run slower.”
Cross Country is just as much a mental sport as it is physical. In order to succeed, mental toughness is key.
Coach Pertner has been the girl’s cross country coach at Hamilton for many memorable years. He has had tons of experience with coaching cross country over the years and has a very straightforward view of how your mind affects your running.
“One foot after another; It’s simple, but it ain’t easy!” He explains.
So how are you supposed to overcome your mind with all the pressure in running, is a great mystery that only you can answer.
“Don’t think, just find someone and go,” Coach Pertner tells Cora, “and go faster than you think you should.”
Partway through the season, Cora had to take a short pause from running to recover from a minor injury. This is not exactly the news you want to hear right in the middle of training.
“When I was injured, I was riding a bike in constant loops every day. Running again made me feel free and so confident,” She explained, “but also nervous for the first meet and practice.”
Cora’s first meet after taking some time off running for an injury was at a smaller meet in Wayland. The cold and breezy wind whipped the faces of the runners as they stood anxiously at the starting line.
Cora Williams running at the Wayland Invitational.
One quote Cora likes to think about in times like this is, “Pain is temporary, quitting is permanent.”
Cora came back placing 10th overall and after running she felt like she finally gained more confidence again.
Each cross-country course contains 3.11 miles, yet some courses have twists and turns and others have straight shots full of cheering people. At the beginning of the race you must ask yourself; What is my motivation to keep pushing through the pain?
Whether it’s in the woods, in a field, or in her own neighborhood, she is out doing what she loves; running. With the cross country season sadly to an end, she is planning on playing basketball in the winter and running track in the spring.