AAU Florida Cross Country Qualifiers

This past weekend, I competed in tthe qualifying race for AAU Cross Country Nationals. But let me explain. AAU is the Amateur Athletic Union and is host to many sporting events around the nation including the Junior Olympics, which are held in July. They also have a multitude of cross country and track events throughout the year and since the fall is cross country season, I decided to try to qualify for AAU National Cross Country National Championships in Decatur, Alabama on December 6th. The race showcases the best runners in each age group across the nation. But to qualify for this race you must place in the top 20 in age group at a state qualifying race. So that was the race I was participating in this past weekend. It was held in Altamonte Springs, which is just outside of Orlando. Our method of transportation was driving at 6:00 in the morning the day of the race. We got their with plenty of time and met up with my coach and his other runners. The course was held around a softball complex and, at first glance, it didn't look very hilly. And boy was I one to underestimate. My race was the last one of the day. It consisted of all the 13 and 14 year old boys and girls. The race course was a little complicated but it was nothing to worry about. The race would start with a straight-away then we would turn and stay on another path for about a third of a mile. Then we would begin two laps in the forest and come out and around the softball complex, finishing close to where we started. By the time the race started it was 9:30 AM and hot. But the field was suprisingly small with only 10 runners, which meant I would automatically qualify for the championships in Decatur when I completed the race. The race started and I began a mad dash to get my place in small pack. I was hanging around the back for the first half mile but right before the forest I made my move and past three runners, two of which were struggling and I knew wern't going to finish close to me. I tried to keep my quick pace up but with the rolling hills it was almost impossible. I found myself struggling even more on the second lap and on the home stretch. Finally I kicked it up and had a strong finish, finishing in 18:35 for a 4K. The time was what I expected but since it was a 4K the race played out differently. My coach said by the time Nationals roll around that my goal should be under 16:00. It may seem like a long shot but now I'm getting in some crucial training and I hope to be able to PR at the Pumpkin Run 5K in a week and a half. So long and keep taking advantage of this perfect weather!