My Last Race of the Season — Music City Track Carnival 1500m

This was my last race of the season, and it was a season of firsts. From my first summer training block to my first ever cross-country race to an injury just a week later that had me out for several months, my sophomore year pushed me to my absolute limit. But through all of that, I rolled with the punches, fell, got back on my feet, and made it here: the last race of the season at the Music City Track Carnival in Nashville, running the pro men’s 1500 meters.

Last Race of the Season: Setting the Scene in Nashville

I arrived in Cleveland, Tennessee, for the meet and checked into one of the nicest hotels I have stayed in for a track meet. It had been a long day of travel, and it was only 1 p.m. The night before had been rough with one of the worst nights of sleep I have had before a competition. That is one of those things you cannot always control as a traveling athlete, and it is something every runner at this level deals with. You do your best to manage the variables, but sometimes the body just does not cooperate.

The Pre-Race Plan

The morning of the race, I went for a ten-minute shakeout run and grabbed breakfast before they closed the dining room. Then I sat down with the race plan. We do not deviate from the plan. We follow it step by step. My coach and I had mapped out every split, every move, and every tactical decision. In the 1500 meters, you cannot afford to wing it. The race is too short for mistakes and too long to survive on pure speed alone. Execution is everything.

A Stacked Field

The field for this race was deep. It featured a strong international presence, including athletes from Australia, alongside a competitive lineup of American runners. When you are lining up in a pro field like this, the level of competition is a significant step up from a regular collegiate race. Every person on that start line is fast, tactical, and experienced. There is no hiding in a race like this.

The Race

The gun went off and the race unfolded. In the 1500 meters, positioning in the first 400 is critical. You need to find a spot where you are not boxed in but also not burning energy leading. The middle laps are about staying in contact and running as efficiently as possible. And the last 300 meters is where everything falls apart or comes together.

This race did not go as planned. After months of training and coming into this meet expecting more, the result was not where I wanted it to be. That is the honest truth. But as I stood on the track after crossing the line, I knew that the result did not define the season.

Season Recap and Looking Forward

This season threw everything at me. An injury that sidelined me for months. The grind of coming back and rebuilding fitness from scratch. The mental toll of watching teammates compete while I was stuck on the sideline. But through all of that, I learned more about myself as an athlete and as a person than any personal best could have taught me.

To quote one of my favorite shows of all time, Ted Lasso, there are no winners and losers. There are winners and learners. And today, I learned. The season is over, but the work is not. This race was not the ending I wanted, but it is the fuel for what comes next. The offseason starts now, and I am more motivated than ever to come back stronger.

For more of my racing journey, see racing the biggest track meet in the world.