By Matt Browning
Being mentally tougher throughout the adversity of races is one area that Bishop Carroll’s Nate Smith wanted to improve on this year.
“I wanted to improve mentally especially during the middle of the race to not give into the voice in my head that tells me that the pain is too much to handle and I need to slow down,” Smith said. “That voice will always be there but every race and workout, I try to push back against what that voice tells me and to keep telling myself that I can handle the pain and keep pushing myself towards the finish line.”
Summer workouts were grueling for Smith and his teammates, but the hope is that it pays off in 2024.
“We had team summer conditioning every morning to help us stay in shape during the offseason,” Smith said. “We also had workouts during conditioning to help us improve and to get us ready for some of the harder workouts when the season started. An individual goal I have is to be top 20 at the state meet and
to go under the 16-minute mark. Our team goal is to get a podium finish at state.” \
Smith saw some of the inexperienced runners step up last season, which has him optimistic about Carroll’s chances at state.
“After seeing our younger guys step up towards the end of the season, I was really excited to see how they and our team would improve as they started running varsity,” Smith said.
