MCC senior and Duke Blue Devil signee Amanda Beach was 5th at State in 2A.  3 Weeks later she was 5th at Foot Locker South and a Foot Locker Finalist as the first Florida girl to cross the line.  2 Weeks later, she capped her senior cross-country season by finishing 12th at Foot Locker Nationals earning All-American honors.

She penned these thoughts shortly after her finish at Foot Locker South:

Things I’ve Learned

1. Put your best foot forward.

You can never be disappointed if you walk away from a race knowing you gave it everything you had on that given day. You won’t have the best race of your life every time, and you’re not going to win every race. That doesn’t mean you’re not good anymore. It just wasn’t your day. Don’t give up, keep giving it your best effort.

2. Be patient.

You might not achieve your desired outcome every race, but that’s okay. You may fall down, but all you need to do is get back up and keep moving forward. Don’t give up. Everyone has their time, and maybe yours isn’t now. You never know when your time will come, but when it does come, you will know. Seize it, own it, but don’t forget what got you there. Your strength came from never giving up and being patient despite the obstacles you faced.

3. Don’t dwell.

Learn to be okay with poor performances. When I say “be okay with it” I do not mean “be content with it.” Being okay with your performance no matter what means to walk away from a race feeling like you gave it your best effort, whether you achieved your goal for that day or not. Giving it 100% of your best effort is key here because if you do not give it your best effort, you’re leaving room for regret, and regret leads to dwelling on your performance. Instead of dwelling, learn from your race, then move on and look ahead to what you can do in the future without placing limits on yourself because of past performances.

4. Don’t be afraid.

As the 4x Olympian Shalane Flanagan points out, “Don’t let fear decide your future.” I’ve learned that when it comes to racing, relaxation is key. I can relate to everyone suffering from pre-race anxiety; It happens to the best of us. However, don’t let this affect you. Turn your anxious feelings into excitement and adrenaline. It’s hard, but it’s possible. Turn your fear into opportunity… no one expects anything more from you than your best. If you view every race as an opportunity, you won’t be fearful anymore because what is it that you’re really fearing? Failure, and failure isn’t always a bad thing.

5. Believe.

Everyone fails sometimes. You’re not always going to hit the mark. Don’t let this define you! Allow yourself to believe even if you’re alone in your belief. People are going to doubt you at some point, but don’t let their attitudes affect your belief in your own abilities. If Mo Farah allowed himself to doubt his abilities in the 2016 Olympics after he tripped and fell, he wouldn’t have won gold in that same race. He had to believe in himself! The truth is, you’re going to be alone sometimes. There will be times that no one believes in you but yourself, but you have to keep believing until everyone else believes in you too.