Nick Dahl got his season off to a flying start last weekend at George School with an Independent School leading time of 16:02. His team also won the team title and are now preparing for the Bowdoin Invitational Saturday in New York. Dahl took a few minutes to reflect on his early season.
1. How did you feel in your first 5000? What was the race strategy?
My first 5000 was a great effort, and I feel as though we matched the intent of the day, while also respecting the progress that has to be made throughout the season. The plan going into the race was to spend the first two miles at a moderate effort pace, hanging back with Grayson Hepp and the rest of the lead pack, and when that third mile came, I was going to break away and finish the race with a strong final push. For the most part, the race went exactly as planned, and I was able to execute on that intent. With the exception of the first 600 meters, where I couldn't find Grayson (he had dropped back to about 20th, but we both ended up in the front after the brief confusion), the race went exactly as planned, and I managed to bring home a win for our team, with Grayson in a close second right behind me.
2. Did it feel good to finally get a 5k under your belt? Did it feel as comfortable as you would have hoped?
That first race was a great boost of confidence, and it proved to me, as was the case in all of the workouts we've been doing recently, that we're a fit team right now, and we have the strength to do some powerful racing. Finally getting a 5k under my belt was a great relief, since I haven't run a sustained effort at that pace in a long time, and I was glad to see once the race started that I didn't have too much rust to shake off. As far as comfort, it was exactly where I hoped it would be, and I felt strong enough to come away from the day with a positive mindset for our next few races. It was by no means an easy effort, and I did have to work incredibly hard because there were some great competitors in the field. George School did a fantastic job of hosting the event, and the meet attracted some great teams who made the race come alive. The course, as always, was in pristine condition, and we wouldn't have been able to run the times we did if it hadn't been such a respectable opening to this year's season.
3. How do you follow up the spring season you had? Where do you place your expectations?
The spring season last year was an absolute thrill to live through, and I know it's an indication of things to come. My belief is that once you get the habits down, and once running becomes more than just a sport in your life, as it has for me, there's no going back, and everything will fall into place if you make that level of commitment. Cross-country season is a different breed of racing entirely, so it's hard for me to put down a numerical value as a goal for the year, but I expect to see myself in a competitive position every single race, and I want to give everything I have to the team. I know it's impossible to come away from every meet feeling proud of the results, but I want to make it through the first two miles in every race, feeling as though I set myself up to succeed. And when it comes down to the finish, I want to know that I left everything on the line, whether I kill it and walk away with a huge PR, or fall short, and regroup for the next day. I owe my spring season to my coach Rob Hewitt, who plotted the training out wonderfully to ensure I peaked at the exact right moment, and to my teammates, who kept running alongside me until the end. We all have high expectations for our year this year, and I know that we have the potential to achieve it all.
4. It was a convincing win for your team. What do you think the team is capable of this season? What does this performance say about yourself and your teammates?
This performance says that I had the strength to follow a plan, but it speaks greater volumes about my teammates, especially those running all out. I loved the drive and focus we had, running in packs, and the dominant results made it that much better. I believe our team is capable of reclaiming the State title we've lost these last two years, and we're capable of building a team dynamic that draws everybody in, and unites us in a singular pursuit. My generation at GFS may not have the sheer raw talent of the team a few years ago that won Penn Relays, but we don't need it to be just as successful. This win says that we're ready to be the toughest team out there, and we have the capability to do great things. It says that we won't give up a single inch to anybody else, and we will fight, meter for meter, with anybody who's trying to get in our way. It's the start of the racing season, but it's a long way away from the start of this journey, which began on the first day of summer training. We've made it this far, setting ourselves up to be successful, so now it's time to reap the rewards of the trials of summer miles, and time to race with our hearts on our sleeves.
5. Would you say that you are right on track as far as your progress?
That's a great question. I always feel as though my progress is on track, yet there are so many factors that go into that statement, and I'm constantly breaking them down as I analyze where we are as a team, and what our goals should be. Fitness-wise, I know I'm in a perfect place. I spent this summer laying groundwork, which I'll use to build my fitness and endure, and I'm doing every training run exactly as planned. The workouts are also reinforcing this notion, as I have been consistently hitting the splits and feeling strong while doing so. The team is in a great place, and I strongly believe that we are a cohesive unit. I watched the entire varsity team, exhausted from their own races earlier in the day, get pumped for the JV Boys race, and I ran alongside them as we looped the George School course once again, trying to catch our teammates at as many places as possible to cheer them on. We had some phenomenal times come out of that JV race, including lifetime bests of up to three minutes from some of the guys. When athletes in the bottom third of the team are feeling that motivated, I know that we're doing something right. But that's the team, and as much as I want to help guide it, and influence it in a positive way, the progress is due to everybody's efforts. I guess I never settle and say that I've made it, because doing so causes me to lose some competitive edge. My progression as an athlete has been great, thanks to our training, but that's no reason to stop and celebrate. Whenever we make it to that point we're aiming for, it's great to appreciate the distance we've come to be there, but I never want to rest on my laurels and say "That's good enough for me", because good enough isn't enough. I'll keep progressing, yes, but the definition of being right on track will change as I change, and I can only do my best to keep on fighting for it.
6. You will be heading to Bowdoin Park to check out the NXN Northeast course on Saturday. What do you like about the course? What do you not like?
This is such an iconic course, and I love the character it has. That may sound odd to say about a stretch of dirt through a patch of the woods buried deep in New York countryside, but I really do mean it. Racing there last year was such an eye-opening experience for me, as a young athlete. I didn't come anywhere close to what I wanted, but I learned more from that race than from any race I've won. It's tough, it's muddy, it's everything that defines the sport, and that's what makes it great. That's what keeps teams coming back every year. I definitely have something to prove, if only to myself, when we go there to race. I don't like how I raced there last year, and I don't like the taste that my final effort left in my mouth at the conclusion of the XC season, but that's what will make this year so redemptive. This course beat me, and I wasn't mature enough to fight back, but I'm confident that won't happen again. I'm excited to go on the first overnight trip with the team, which will be a new experience for several of our athletes, and I'm ready to challenge myself and set a new standard for this year.
7. What can this team achieve at the NXN Northeast meet this season?
This year, the only thing I want from our team when the NXN Northeast meet rolls around is for every athlete to be able to say "I raced" when we leave. That means something different for everybody, and that's what makes it such an honest goal. For me, this statement means shutting down the voices of doubt, and being willing to go out hard, without the knowledge that I'll come back. It's definitely a scary course to take, racing at the peak of your fitness, because you never know if you'll be strong enough to finish what you started, but that's the difference between a great race and a legendary race. I want our team to be proud of what we were able to accomplish, and I don't care what that means we receive on the results page. Sometimes I think we value those little numbers more than they are worth, especially in cross-country. I want that last race to define our season, and to be the culmination of what will have been six months of toughing it out and committing to the daily grind. I want that race to be a representation of the 1,000 miles that got us there, and I want it to be a defining memory for everybody on this team. We are capable and willing individuals, and I think we're all ready to fight our own personal battles and win when we take on the NXN Northeast course.
