Othole excited to get the year started
GRANTS, N.M. - For many runners, cross country is about more than the race itself. The preparation, team bonding and excitement before the starting line can be just as memorable. For Alynn Othole, those moments are what make being part of the team enjoyable.
When asked about her favorite part of a cross-country meet besides racing, Othole described the excitement that builds before the race begins. From watching other runners finish to cheering on teammates, the atmosphere helps create an adrenaline-filled experience.
“I think it’s just the beginning of preparing for the actual race,” she commented. “Bonding with the team, looking at all the other previous runners, cheering them on while they’re coming in, and just the fun of it. Then, just the adrenaline of about to start the race really gets you going.”
Being part of cross country has also affected how Othole spends her time outside of school. After putting in the work at practice, she often finds herself exhausted by the end of the day.
“It really gets me really tired, you know, after practices,” she said. “I’m always too tired to do anything, so I just get home, do a little bit of work and go straight to bed.”
One of Alynn’s proudest moments has come from realizing how much she is capable of on the course. Seeing her speed improve gave her more confidence and encouraged her to continue improving.
“Just knowing that I can actually run that fast in just a couple minutes, it just really gave me a lot of confidence to do better than the previous years,” Othole said.
Running has also helped her discover abilities she did not know she had. After initially feeling nervous about starting cross country, she learned that developing confidence and understanding her pace could make running feel much more manageable.
“I was surprised that I can actually keep a good pace and I can actually run because my sophomore year was my first year running,” Othole said. “I was just really nervous, and then I realized how easy it could be for me if I just learn and have confidence in myself. It just taught me to be a better and more strategized runner.”
Despite becoming more confident, running can still come with worries. One of Alynn’s biggest concerns during a race is getting injured, especially when moving quickly around other runners or uneven terrain.
“I was always just scared of accidentally rolling my ankle or bumping into someone or just tripping over something that would get me injured,” she said. “I was just really terrified of that.”
After finishing a race, Alynn prefers to keep things light when it comes to food. Since eating too much after a difficult race can make her feel sick, she usually chooses something simple to help her recover and regain some energy.
“I usually don’t like to eat a lot because towards the end, you start to feel like you could get sick,” Othole said. “So I usually just get like a banana or just some little fruit and then just an energy drink, and that’s about it,” Alynn said.
Through cross country, Alynn has gained more than just experience on the course. From finding confidence in her abilities to learning how to become a more strategic runner, the sport has helped her recognize what she is capable of.
XC RUNNERS AT RAMAH ON SATURDAY
Over the weekend, Othole and her teammates beat out seven other female teams to take first place at the Ramah Mustangs Invitational. Emalynn Garcia finished in first place while Sianalee Chavez and Othole both finished in the top five for Grants.
On the boys’ side, the Pirates finished second overall as a team, with Kingston Martinez finishing seventh overall. Nathaniel Saltclah finished 10th while Raydan-Ray James (14th), Kyori Vallo (15th) and Elias Sarracino (17th) all placed in the top 20 for Grants.