Cross Country | 10/6/2023 6:17:00 AM

Jayla Jones is a senior North Carolina A&T track and field athlete out of Detroit, Mich. She and her Aggie cross country teammates competed in the 2023 Adidas Cross Country Challenge in Cary, N.C., on September 15, 2023. Ahead of the Aggies cross country meet Friday in the Cedric Walker HBCU Cross Country Challenge at the WakeMed Soccer Park, Jones gives AggieNation a first-hand account of what it is and was like to run the course three weeks ago. 
 
It is hard to keep my mind focused on the goal instead of negative things. During my freshman season, I sustained a hamstring injury throughout the year. My sophomore year went smoothly, but my junior year, shin splints caused me to have a late start to my season.
 
As I prepared for the 2023 cross country season, a nosebleed prevented me from running the first meet of the season, the "Friday Night Lights" at Elon University. There have been so many injuries and setbacks during my time at A&T that I lost my confidence.
 
Therefore, as someone who is not a cross country runner, running my first meet of the season, the Adidas XC Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., usually doubt would flood my thoughts. I'm not ready to run. Do I trust my new coach? Why am I even running in a cross country meet?
 
But not this time.
 
I trusted my training. I trusted my coach and believed in myself, which gave me confidence. My goal during the 5k run was to record a time between 20 minutes and 30 seconds and 21 minutes on a tricky course with plenty of hills, including one 800-meter hill near the finish line.
 
As I approach the final hill, I feel fine physically, but the mental aspect of competing returns. I'm uncomfortable. That's okay. I want to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. My senior season is not about this 800-meter hill. It is about my 800-meter personal event during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
 
Middle distance/cross country coach Quamel Prince tells us to use cross country to help us prepare for our personal events. I would rather suffer now so the times I want to run come easier later.
 
While in the race, I focused on quieting my mind and just running, and when things got hard, I reminded myself of my goals. The 2:15.21 800-meter time that stands as my collegiate record must get replaced with something faster!
 
My first mile at the Adidas Challenge was approximately six minutes flat. When I saw the timer, I panicked a little. Why am I running this fast? But I told myself I wasn't tired. I have been training for this! After the first mile, I found my rhythm and the pace I wanted to run.
 
Usually, I would struggle up the hills, but I just focused on fixing my form and getting my knees up because that's what we have been working on at practice. Most people were running slower up the hills, so I took advantage and caught people on the hills around the second mile.
I am tired at this point. But if I slow down, my fatigue will get worse. Stay on pace and finish faster is what I am telling myself. I am almost finished. I tried to keep the pace going because I knew other runners would sprint to the finish. I am on track to run my goal and didn't want to risk losing that at the finish. So, I focused on catching two more competitors.
 
Near the finish, I peek at the timer. 20:50! I was overly happy, and I hadn't even finished yet. I sprinted through the finish. I ran 20:57. I completed my goal and now have a new college 5k personal best. The course was complicated because there were hills throughout. But staying focused and removing negativity and past setbacks from my thoughts helped.
 
The goal is to improve at my personal track event, the 800 meters; therefore, running those 800-meter hills will make me successful.