“Control what you can control, let go of the rest.” This is a quote Colleen Quigley once sent me when I asked how to overcome nerves. This quote can be used for hobbies other than running, for life in general. I bring this quote up because over the few years I’ve done high school XC, I’ve come over plenty of little potholes in the road of life. Freshman year track season was my first hiccup. I have hyperextension in my legs, so my knees go farther back than normal. Because of this, I have many small run-ins with IT band pain. It was the week of the Lebanon meet. I was finally growing as a runner into the direction I wanted to. Then, sir IT band flared up on my right leg. It felt like someone punched the side of my knee. When my athletic trainer told me I would have to take 2-3 days off, I thought it was the end of the world. I got home after that practice and cried. I thought my season was over. Looking back, 2-3 days is minimal. However, I thought I would be done, and I wouldn’t be able to showcase the potential I was working so hard to display. I took 2-3 days off, then it was back to normal. Since then, I have had about one of these run-ins each year, but now I understand that while I can’t control the pain, I can control my fitness. I would cross train and do upper body weightlifting. This story is very important of showing the runner I have become, because if I just quit right then and there, I would’ve been done for good. However, I controlled what I could and before I knew it, I was placing 8th in the state for the 3200. The whole point of this story is to remind you all, it is totally normal as a runner to have small injuries or even larger injuries here and there. I started summer training about 3 weeks ago, and this motto is definitely still important to me. Whether it is pickups or the iconic Old 72 in Cornwall, I always think about what I can control on the run. I can control pace, mindset, and positivity. So, I focus on those 3. I hope this journal entry helped some of you gain some positive vibes, and I wish everyone the sickest and most fun June, peace out. 🙂