Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Kind of the nature of cross country, where they suffer together.
[00:00:02] Speaker B: Suffer together.
[00:00:04] Speaker A: They become close, so.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: And welcome back to another episode of in the Nest. I'm your co host, Matthew Tomlinson, and we're joined today by cross country head coach Jeremiah Girardi. Coach Girardi, how we doing?
[00:00:28] Speaker A: Good. How are you doing?
[00:00:30] Speaker B: Good, thanks. Well, we're excited about this episode. This episode is a recap on this previous cross country season. We're excited because there's been a lot of buz these last couple of years with cross country because, I mean, this is your third year as head coach. This is our third year with the program. And it's just been so exciting and so cool seeing just how the growth and just the impact that our runners have had and the success that they've had, too. It's been awesome. Would love to start off by talking about this previous season. Coach, can you give us your thoughts and a rundown on this previous cross country season?
[00:01:03] Speaker A: Sure thing. Yeah, we started. I'll start off. We had two guys and two girls get to the national meet again with booyah. Kate, Anna for the girls and Caleb christian for the guys. So we were definitely a younger team this year, losing three seniors on the.
[00:01:17] Speaker B: Girls team, especially good runners at that, too. Yes.
[00:01:20] Speaker A: So we were young. It's kind of weird. Our leaders were sophomores this year, so we're definitely young. But I was really happy with how they did, especially how the sophomore class was able to step up and lead the young freshman class. And I anticipate that will continue to happen.
[00:01:40] Speaker B: Yes. I mean, the sophomores that we have on this team are, I mean, they're talented, they're very fast runners, and it's been cool to see. Like you said, four runners made it back to nationals like Kate and Anna and Caleb going back to back. And then Christian being the newcomer, that's been really cool to see. And Bethany was right there.
[00:01:57] Speaker A: He was getting there.
[00:01:58] Speaker B: Yes. Right there.
[00:01:59] Speaker A: So she continues. I see that happening, too. And I think Claire could qualify as individual as well. And she keeps at it.
[00:02:06] Speaker B: Yeah, it's fun because we had five returners.
No, we had four returners and three new runners this year because Claire, Kate, Abby.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: Claire was new.
[00:02:21] Speaker B: Or Claire was new. That's right. She joined after that. So it's cool to see, like you said, the young leadership, like the returners, but then the freshmen, but they're only just a grade ahead of them, which means the future is looking good. It's still looking good because with so many young runners, you can only carry that momentum, usually you put in that work in the offseason, you get faster. And so good things are on the horizon, coach. Good things are on the horizon.
[00:02:44] Speaker A: I agree.
[00:02:45] Speaker B: Yes. And so it's been fun.
We had enough for a girls team, but we're still needing more guys, which we're going to get there because we are going to get there.
[00:02:57] Speaker A: We will get there.
[00:02:57] Speaker B: And it's just like, just like I said earlier, the success that we've had with especially, like Kate, how she finished all region, which is like, that's a big accomplishment. That's a really big accomplishment. And she pr this year, too, which was really cool to see.
[00:03:15] Speaker A: I think next year all the returners have some big goals, and they have in mind, too. We've talked about those already with them, and we're starting offseason stuff. As soon as they come back from break, let's go. We will start. And I think they're motivated and prepared.
[00:03:30] Speaker B: And it's like, I know Shane and I have talked about know on the know a lot, but the group that you and your wife, who's also the assistant coach, have, they're such a good group together. We always talk about, it's so much fun seeing you guys having meals in the cafe and you guys are always doing stuff together. And it's just so encouraging just to see the cross country team, the group that we have and just how close they are.
[00:03:55] Speaker A: Yeah. That makes it really special. I think it's kind of the nature of cross country where they suffer together.
[00:04:01] Speaker B: Suffer together.
[00:04:03] Speaker A: They become close, but it's a lot of fun. I know. Yeah. We regularly do our team devotionals every week together at dinner time, and then just pasta dinners pre race, and then just other culture kind of building stuff and getting to know each other as well. Then a new kind of thing that we're starting with the guys team especially. We'll have to figure out what to do with the girls. But Labor Day fishing day, Labor Day fishing day.
[00:04:30] Speaker B: That sounds like a lot of fun.
[00:04:31] Speaker A: So I took the boys out this past year on a fishing trip and smoked them. So that was good.
[00:04:38] Speaker B: Did you catch any big ones?
[00:04:39] Speaker A: I caught more than they did.
[00:04:42] Speaker B: That's the way it goes. But, yeah. So looking back, obviously we had four races and then the super regional and then the national meet, which is what we also had last year.
A little different in the schedule this year. How we had three races and three straight weeks, and then we were off for like three weeks. So is there kind of, like, strategy behind that with race, race, race, break or do you like. Because I know we talked about in glag last year, every other week kind of has been.
[00:05:09] Speaker A: I prefer every other week, but this is kind of how the cards, the meets we could get into when we.
[00:05:16] Speaker B: Yeah, and it's always fun. I know. Again, Shane and I talked about this all year, but just the competitiveness, especially on our girl side.
We're playing, we're running against big schools and they're right there in the top ten, top 15.
It's super cool and encouraging to see that all these big schools are running together. Like, who's that that just passed me? Oh, yeah, that's the girl from Emmaus. What in the world?
[00:05:44] Speaker A: So they can definitely compete with the bigger schools.
[00:05:48] Speaker B: They definitely can, and it's awesome. Talk a little bit about some highlights from this year. Do you have any particular highlights that you have from this season with any runners or any moments, team bonding moments on trips or anything like that? Obviously nationals is one of them.
[00:06:05] Speaker A: So it was a good time this year. During our preseason we took a trip to Lake McBride. Had some good memories there. Just playing on the beach and going for a run, of course.
And just that and I know handful of them. Brought their fishing poles again. We like to fish as well.
[00:06:24] Speaker B: Come fish and run cross country hand in hand.
They fit well together.
[00:06:30] Speaker A: No.
A couple of things that obviously stick out right offhand. Is Christian running literally his first eight k?
[00:06:38] Speaker B: Literally.
[00:06:38] Speaker A: Yeah, his first eight k in qualifying for the national league. So he had a great race at the Bettendorf.
[00:06:45] Speaker B: I don't think people think how impressive. That's so impressive. That is so impressive. Like your first eight k you've ever ran and you qualify for nationals.
[00:06:52] Speaker A: He pr'd his five k within that eight k, so he just had an outstanding race and this continued to get better from there throughout the season. So that was really huge.
[00:07:01] Speaker B: It was fun all year to see like Christian, Caleb Christian, Caleb, Christian. How they were always passing each other in the times.
[00:07:08] Speaker A: They have a really funny relationship, a big brother, little brother type of thing. It's great to see and I know they definitely play off each other and they don't want to be beat by one another.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: That's good to have, too, because that causes you to run faster when you're running against a close friend and you don't want them to beat you.
[00:07:26] Speaker A: Oh, exactly. It's really great. I love seeing it. They poke a little fun at each other once in a while. It's all in good fun. They really care about each other, so it's great.
[00:07:36] Speaker B: That's good.
Kind of looking ahead towards next year, it looks like we're going to be hosting the super regional, which is. That's so exciting. Like we get to bring in twelve to possibly 14 schools into town and doing a race at the soccer complex that have a strategic map that you're drawing out. But that's really fun. That's so cool.
New program. Relatively new program. And we get to host this super early into our program's history. That's really exciting.
[00:08:08] Speaker A: Yeah, we're really excited for it. And it's historically a very fast course for those who run there, so getting especially middle to end of October, it'll be fast, so I'm looking forward to that. And, yeah, just have an opportunity to kind of like, put Maus out there a little bit, too, and kind of show that we're leaders within the region.
[00:08:30] Speaker B: And the NCCAA and it'll be fun to have, like, it's literally a home meet so the student body can go out and support, which is. It makes a big difference for sure.
[00:08:40] Speaker A: Definitely does, yes. For those who get some new people at some cross country races, might be surprised at the running around that the spectators do as well.
[00:08:48] Speaker B: They're sprinting the whole time.
[00:08:50] Speaker A: It looks that way, for sure.
[00:08:52] Speaker B: Yeah. Also, speaking of next year, it's exciting seeing the work that you and your wife have been putting in with recruiting. Looks like there's going to be a really good incoming class that we're super jazzed about.
[00:09:06] Speaker A: That is certainly the hope.
[00:09:07] Speaker B: That's certainly the hope for those listeners out there. Is there anything you want to tell them about why you should join our cross country team?
[00:09:15] Speaker A: Yeah, I just think what's really special.
[00:09:17] Speaker B: About which you should.
[00:09:18] Speaker A: Which you should is really special about us is just how at Mayas, we have the opportunity to grow, obviously, academically, athletically, and adding that spiritual aspect to it as well. So I think that's just what's really special about running for us at Emmaus and just how the tightness and the closeness that we can be as a team. It's really great family atmosphere. I know, obviously my wife as an assistant coach, and then our two children are the assistant assistant coaches, assistant to assistant regional manager coaches.
So it's literally a family, like, within the family.
[00:09:56] Speaker B: Literally, yes.
[00:09:57] Speaker A: So it's just a really great atmosphere and we love the team and I know we have a really cool relationship.
[00:10:03] Speaker B: With them, and I must say it's just a testament to the success we've had. We've had runners every year in this program that have made it to nationals, and not many other programs can say that. That every year they've had consistent runners that have made it to nationals.
[00:10:17] Speaker A: Three for three so far.
[00:10:19] Speaker B: Let's go.
[00:10:20] Speaker A: Getting full teams there, so that's the next thing to get on the board.
[00:10:25] Speaker B: Yeah. We're so thankful that just the testament, obviously, that cross country has been and the success we've had and the dedication that you and your wife have put into these runners, these individuals like you, like the family environment, the family atmosphere. It's here at Emmaus, but on the teams itself, it's even tighter. And it's just so cool to see that they love one another. They're each other's biggest supporters and sometimes biggest critics, but it's needed. And so just seeing how much they're together in practice, outside of practice, just throughout the day, is just like. It's just really cool to see.
[00:11:04] Speaker A: Oh, yes.
Just fun. Like, the sophomores especially, just seeing the growth from year one to year two. And I know Kate and Anna have become pretty much inseparable.
They told a story. They went to their own homes one weekend, and I told them to do their long run, and so they were apart for their log run. So they literally, they called each other while they're running. While they're running.
[00:11:34] Speaker B: That is teamwork right there if I've ever heard of anything.
[00:11:37] Speaker A: Yes, they're pretty inseparable, which is really cool. Yeah. Really close team.
[00:11:44] Speaker B: They are. And, man, like I said, they're both sophomores, too, and they've taken the region, they've taken the nation by the storm, and so super exciting to see what could happen these next couple of years.
And then Caleb, once he finally got healthy with his knee, I'm excited to see him good to go all next year.
[00:12:07] Speaker A: Him just learning to balance his other stuff outside of school in cross country. I know he's ra and involved in just everything, holding so many directions.
He told me, like, the last three, four weeks, he kind of just figured that aspect out. And by far his best race this season was at our national race. So I think there's some big things.
[00:12:29] Speaker B: To come with Caleb, which is a new location. Through the past couple of years that we've been at over in Indiana. How did that go for you guys, would you say?
[00:12:37] Speaker A: Yeah, it was a cool.
[00:12:39] Speaker B: Because that'll be the race for the next two years.
[00:12:41] Speaker A: Right? This year and I think 2024 and I think somewhere else.
[00:12:46] Speaker B: Somewhere else. Okay, so next year, then?
[00:12:49] Speaker A: Yeah, it was a really cool course. It's definitely laid out a little differently than last year, which is expected for a cross country course. So I really liked, within the course, there was a cool wooded section. So for probably the girls ran probably a kilometer. It was like strictly through the woods, like on pretty much a deer trail to some extent. And then the guys did that same kilometer in the woods twice. But, yeah, I really like the wooded part.
[00:13:16] Speaker B: I love that about cross country, how there's so many different terrains and environments like you run through. You could have one race where it's just like, you're literally running on a golf course or the next week, you're literally running like the death hill down south in the Quad Cities or like, yeah, like this. You're really running through the woods and it's just like, I think that's pretty cool.
[00:13:34] Speaker A: Course is different, for sure.
[00:13:36] Speaker B: Like, oh, what are we going to get this time? Yeah.
[00:13:38] Speaker A: Sometimes throwing a rainstorm and making muddy while we're at it.
[00:13:42] Speaker B: Or was it last year when it was like 90 degrees out on that one race? And it's like, you just never know. What?
[00:13:48] Speaker A: That's an option as well?
[00:13:50] Speaker B: Yes. That's an interesting. Would you rather run in rain or in heat?
[00:13:55] Speaker A: Rain.
[00:13:55] Speaker B: Rain every day. Rain every day.
[00:13:57] Speaker A: Yeah. Mud adds to the experience.
[00:14:00] Speaker B: When you ran, did you ever have any crazy weather runs?
[00:14:04] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. The best one, like, crazy weather runs, it was in Joplin, Missouri, where we had our national the last couple of years.
During the course, it rained like three days straight before. So at times in the course I remember there was standing water, probably like a foot deep. So we were running through standing water. It was great. It was so memorable.
[00:14:26] Speaker B: You're getting the fish line going.
[00:14:29] Speaker A: Yes. Took a little time to dry out the shoots.
[00:14:33] Speaker B: Those are bad boys in the dryer. Yes. That's fun. Well, coach, we appreciate you joining us on the podcast. I mean, like I said, the future is looking bright. We're excited because after this, we're going to be talking to Kate and Caleb and getting their rundown of the year, their experience so far as an Emmaus eagle cross country runner and man, like I said, we're excited. So third year head coach Jeremiah Girardi, come run for us. It'll be fun. It'll be a great year. We got a great team, a great program, and we have great success already. So thank you guys for joining us, and we'll see you at the interviews.
[00:15:13] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:15:15] Speaker B: And we're back. And we're here joined with sophomore runner Kate Jansen from Jackson, Minnesota. Kate, how are we doing?
[00:15:23] Speaker C: Good.
[00:15:24] Speaker B: We appreciate you being on the podcast?
[00:15:26] Speaker C: Yeah. Thanks for having me.
[00:15:27] Speaker B: Of course. Thanks for being an Emmaus eagle, actually. So I just want to talk a little about you, Kate. What are you studying here at Emmaus?
[00:15:34] Speaker C: Obviously Bible and then business.
[00:15:36] Speaker B: Do you have any plans of what you want to do with that afterwards?
[00:15:39] Speaker C: Honestly, I want to do something in ministry, and I know it's a super big need to have people on the administrative side of things.
[00:15:46] Speaker B: That's good. It's very much needed, and it's super important. I just want to talk about. So this is your second year here running for the Eagles. Do you have any highlights from this past season that you can think of or fun team moments or hilarious moments or anything?
[00:16:03] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't know. There's always funny things that happen.
One I was thinking of specifically, I guess, would be one time we were going out on a run, and we do, like, a time, so we run out for a certain amount of time, and then you just turn around and go back. But we had turned around and gone back, me and coach Elizabeth and Anna, and then we saw Claire running towards us, and we were like, why are you still running this way? Like, we're supposed to turn around? And she was just talking about, oh, I heard cows. And I was just running to try and find the cows. So then going on through the season, we brought that up all the time, and we have lots of inside jokes and stuff.
[00:16:39] Speaker B: Hilarious.
[00:16:40] Speaker C: So that's just, like, a small example of maybe some of the jokes we make.
It's really fun. We have a really fun team.
[00:16:46] Speaker B: That's good. Yeah. We talked about on the podcast all the time about just the family dynamics that the cross country team has, that you guys just. You love each other, you're there for each other. You're always doing stuff inside of practice, outside of practice, and it's just really cool to see that. And for you, you finished, again, top 25 in the nation at nationals, another all region award for running. Like, you got some hardware behind you.
[00:17:09] Speaker C: Yeah, sure.
[00:17:11] Speaker B: Right.
Kind of looking at.
We were able to have enough last year for a girls team. This year for a girls team. What's something that you really appreciate about Coach Gerard's plural?
[00:17:23] Speaker C: Oh, they're really great. They're lots of fun and super laid back and chill. So that's. It's really fun. We can have a good personal relationship with them, and they get to know.
[00:17:36] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:17:36] Speaker C: And they really like to make sure that we're having fun on the team, and so they make sure that they incorporate things in practices or at meets and stuff that we can just really build that team culture.
[00:17:47] Speaker B: Yeah. How do you have fun running, though? That's the real question.
[00:17:51] Speaker C: I think after you run enough times, you just are like, oh, this is just.
[00:17:56] Speaker B: It's a thing you do kind of. Yeah, just fun, I guess. Next question would be what has something you've seen either your growth as a runner or the team growth between your first year and this past year?
[00:18:08] Speaker C: That's a good question.
I definitely think that when I think about when we do our harder workouts, it's. It's always kind of like from the beginning season to the end of the season, you start with the harder workouts and you're like, oh, boy, this is going to be tough. And then as you go through the season, you know that one practice will be a harder workout and you just can approach it with more of a, okay, I did this last week, I can do it again this week. And then you just have a positive mindset throughout the whole workout, and then you can do a lot better in the workout and it's a lot more beneficial. And then that carries into races, too, to have a better mindset while you're racing.
[00:18:47] Speaker B: Yes. I think first and foremost, seeing your improvement like you pr last year and then your fastest time has been this year, too. So it's encouraging to see that continue building up of your time and everything.
Kind of looking ahead to next year. What's something you're looking forward to next year besides the dynamic duo taking everything by storm?
[00:19:07] Speaker C: Yeah. I am definitely excited for new freshmen on the team. Hopefully we'll have some.
[00:19:12] Speaker B: Me, too.
[00:19:14] Speaker C: And then I'm looking forward to hopefully provide we get to nationals maybe with our team advancing this year again like last year. And even my personal race at nationals is at the same course as it was this year. So hopefully next year I can improve on my time because I honestly wasn't the most proud of my nationals race and so getting the chance to go back there to the same.
[00:19:37] Speaker B: Yeah. Already being familiar with the course and everything will be a big advantage for next year, for sure. Well, we're excited about the cross country team. The future is really bright and we really appreciate you being on the podcast. Thank you, Kate.
[00:19:49] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:19:51] Speaker B: And welcome back. We're joined again by sophomore runner Caleb Ness from Iowa. Newton, Iowa. Caleb, thanks for joining us.
[00:20:00] Speaker D: Thanks for having me.
[00:20:01] Speaker B: It's kind of a theme, know, you being an ra, Kate. Being an ra. All the good runners are ras, I guess.
[00:20:07] Speaker D: Yeah, something like that.
[00:20:09] Speaker B: So tell us, Caleb, about what are you studying here at Emmaus, I'm studying.
[00:20:12] Speaker D: Biblical theology and ministry, and then I'm doing a minor in pastoral ministry.
[00:20:19] Speaker B: You have any envision of what you want to do with that after you graduate?
[00:20:23] Speaker D: I have some hopes, like, hopefully going into pastoral ministry, whatever that might look like. But right now, it's just kind of seeing what the Lord's will is for my life and pursuing that where I'm at right now. And then he'll lead me on after college.
[00:20:37] Speaker B: I love that. I love hearing that. Kale, this is your second year running on the team. You ran last year? Ran this year. Tell us any highlights or favorite moments from this previous year. Anything funny? Kate talked about the cow joke with Claire. That's been an ongoing thing this whole year.
[00:20:56] Speaker D: I don't know.
Last year was, like, a lot of team activities. This year, boys and girls team. We did a lot of stuff together as a team, but Christian and I also had a lot of inside jokes.
We're both very competitive with each other, and we just, like. I don't know. There'll be a race where he'd go faster than me and then a race where I'd go faster than him. Thankfully, he didn't beat me by the.
[00:21:19] Speaker B: End of the season. Right. Especially at nationals, the national race.
[00:21:21] Speaker D: That was just kind of a lot of fun having that.
Yeah, it was competition, but it was still really good to push each other and encourage each other in that way. So it was funny, but it's also fun.
[00:21:31] Speaker B: Last year was you and Brandon. This year it's you and Christian. Hopefully next year it'll be you and Christian and a few other fellas, but.
[00:21:37] Speaker D: Four or five other people, hopefully.
[00:21:38] Speaker B: That would be awesome. Yeah. Coach Jardy earlier mentioned that the Labor Day fishing tournament that you three had.
[00:21:47] Speaker D: He said, I had to mention that in this podcast, if I was on here, that he's better than me at fishing, which I will stand behind. Coach Gerardi is much better than me at fishing. I caught two sticks and he caught about three fish.
[00:22:02] Speaker B: Oh, dang.
[00:22:02] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:22:03] Speaker D: I'm coming back next year, though.
[00:22:04] Speaker B: Don't worry. Don't worry. Good. You're going to get him next year. Speaking of coach Gerardi, what is something that you really appreciate about coach Jeremiah or coach Elizabeth and just how they've coached the team these last two years?
[00:22:17] Speaker D: Something I really appreciate is just, like, their constant ability to just see where we're at and to be able to push us further in that time. And what I mean by that is just like, we had a lot of new runners this year, and I'm sure that was a lot different from last year. They had quite a few returning people, quite a few people who had actually run in high school. We had some people this year who had never run before. That's where I was last year. And last year, they weren't like, oh, you've never run before? Don't come onto the team. They're like, you've never run before. Let's help you achieve what we want you to achieve and push me on nationals last year. And so coach Jeremiah is really good at just seeing where people are at, but also an amazing encourager and just being able to help us as a team grow, personally as a team. But he's also really funny and he's really kind.
Yeah.
[00:23:14] Speaker B: And I love that.
Like you said, you were in high school, but you obviously ran before. But just like, his ability to turn people that haven't run prior into national championship competitors, and I think that's just so cool to see. Even like, yeah, you this year. Christian had never run an eight k, and he qualified for nationals on his first race. And I think that's just a testament to just how he understands the scientific behind running and all that. I think that's really cool. Yeah.
Looking back from your first year running to this year, either your personal growth or team growth, what's one big thing you can think of that's been like that you've seen growth in between the two years because obviously that's the goal to get better.
[00:23:57] Speaker D: But personally, I saw a lot of growth. It had to be mentally, just because this year I had a lot more.
I didn't have the chance to get a lot of rest and had a little bit of injury from that.
But it was really hard not getting a better score this season than I did. My personal best last season, I had a season best of nationals. So that was fun. But it's just really challenging mentally this year. And coach Jeremiah knew that, and he helped me with that.
[00:24:31] Speaker B: Especially having your nagging knee injury all season, that's. That's hard.
[00:24:35] Speaker D: I was sick for a couple of just. It was a lot of stuff going on in my body, and it was just like a lot of mental growth that I'm really looking forward to coming back next year, and hopefully, if I don't have an EJ whole season, that I can hopefully push through that. But it was just a lot of learning how to push through things, look to God for strength, and, yeah, that was the main thing I saw personally with us as a team, the beginning of the season, the team dynamic was a little weird because we had a lot of new faces. Like last year, it was a lot of new faces, but we all just hit it off instantly. This year, there was a lot more, like I said earlier, like girls team and guys team, and I don't have anything against that. It was a lot of fun, but it's just when you have such a small team, it's a lot more fun to do everything together.
But near the end of the season, we were all doing stuff together. We were hanging out. Nationals, even though the whole team wasn't there, it was still a lot of fun. Like, the four of us got along pretty well for the most part.
[00:25:34] Speaker B: That's good, and that's exciting even next year. You're familiar with that course at nationals from this previous year. That will help you next year at nationals. Yeah. But speaking of that, what's one thing that you say you're looking forward to next year for next season?
[00:25:51] Speaker D: Hopefully not a knee injury. Yes. But also, as far as I know, everyone that ran this year is coming back next year, so I'm looking forward to what the team dynamic will be, since we all know each other very well now and then, we have new people that we get to invite into the team and hopefully include in a bunch of activities. Have fun with them, have fun as a team, since we already know each other. But, yeah, I'm just really looking forward to that.
[00:26:15] Speaker B: Me too. I'm so excited about next year, I guess. Last question for you. How do you get past the wall, the running wall of, like, do you just turn your brain off, or do you think of random things, or how do you just get past that and put your head down and continue on?
[00:26:34] Speaker D: Something my sister told me last year that has helped a lot is she said that when she was running, she found it really hard to get past the wall, and she was like, this is her telling me what one of her friends told her. So this might be a little sound, a little confusing, but basically what her friend told her was like, be praying while you run, and as you're running.
[00:26:58] Speaker B: That'S actually really good.
[00:27:00] Speaker D: It was really good. It was like just having a simple four or five word prayer while you run and repeating each word with each step. And so something I would do is.
[00:27:11] Speaker B: Like, dear Lord, help me beat Christian.
[00:27:16] Speaker D: No, not quite. Sometimes, but no, it was just like, lord, help me with my next step. Something like that. And just repeating the next word with each step as you run. And that just helps you. It helps take the mind off of the pain, but also helps remind you.
[00:27:31] Speaker B: That I like, I really like that.
[00:27:32] Speaker D: While running, you're supposed to be glorifying God. This is something we can be glorifying God while doing.
So I'm thankful to my sister for telling me about that when she did, because this season, with how mentally challenging it was, it was only God that got me through it. And that's awesome.
[00:27:47] Speaker B: Praise him for that.
[00:27:49] Speaker D: Amen.
[00:27:49] Speaker B: But no, we appreciate, Caleb, you being here, a part of the podcast, everyone, sophomore runner, soon to be junior runner Caleb Nest. If you guys are interested in running, please reach out, talk to the Girardis, talk to myself, reach out to Caleb. There's a lot of really great things going on here at Emmaus and especially on the cross country team. Thank you guys for joining us. And it's a great day to be an eagle.
[00:28:11] Speaker D: It is.
[00:28:20] Speaker B: At the time.
