This week on the podcast, I'm doing a solo episode.

Going into my junior year, my confidence was sky-high after the summer training block of my life. As I have documented on the show, I got hit with major adversity and sickness multiple times throughout September and October.

While I didn't realize it at the time, I had it in my head that my performance would be the deciding factor in how the team performs in the postseason.

And while this could have been true, that mindset created a toxic, self-centric mental outlook. I tried to take so much control, refusing to surrender to my body and the season, that I fell. Multiple times.

It was only after we won Metro for the program's 4th-straight time that I truly internalized and shifted my mindset from myself to the team.

Not only did this take pressure off slightly, but I oddly enjoyed the process of training and racing so much more. No longer was I working out and racing to hit splits and run a major time. I was executing the training and racing to drag my teammates along and chase greatness collectively.

Varsity racing teaches you so much.

I tell of that lesson and many others on the show today.