Natalie's 7th grade cross-country season ended yesterday with her District meet. This was the only meet of the season in which 7th and 8th graders were split into separate races. Here's how she fared, by the numbers:
Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: 11:00
Pace: 7:20/mile
Place: 10 of 34 (2nd of 7 for her school)
For this race, she averaged a pace faster than her previous best 1 mile time (7:21), which bodes well for a possible sub-7 mile in track next spring. In her first meet, she averaged 8:04 per mile, so she improved quite a bit, even with a very sore heel.
Which brings us to our next step — getting her heel checked out. I'll be making an appointment with a local PT doctor soon (today, hopefully) to see what's going on. We're signed up for a little 2-mile fun run on November 12th (which she ran last year), but we'll play it by ear. I see a lot of potential in her as a runner, and we certainly don't want her to begin her running career with a bad injury.
I'll follow up with any news after the doctor's visit.
Hope it's not a calcaneus stress fracture or a bone spur abrasion against her Achilles. I'd recommend not scheduling any more races with her until she's professionally assessed, has been given the green light to run, and is pain-free for at least a week!
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