Rylan Bendera
May 20, 2026, 3:29 a.m. • Run
4.0 mi 13:55 3:28 /mi
West Suburban Last Chance meet. Right off the bat, this meet was spectacular, I really hope it continues on in the years to come. Was not nervy at all in the hours leading up to the race, wasn’t really thinking much of it. Preparation was great in my opinion, I stayed hydrated, made sure to drink water throughout the day, and I ate foods that would benefit me. Warmup goes on, and it’s just me , and it allowed me to mentally prepare myself, just taking in the area around me. For the race, I do believe I went out a little too hard, 13 seconds faster than what I was paced for. However, I was feeling great. I latched on to some kid for a handful of laps before he fell back, and I was on my own. I still was feeling great, nothing was aching or hurting. Got out kicked by the kid behind me, he had some jets like no other. I’m glad with my PR, it shows how much I’ve come from the start to the end of this year, XC and T/F. It was really fun cheering on the team, as it was the last dance of the season. It was also spectacular watching all the seniors compete and give it their all knowing this is their last shot. This team this season was truly something special, it went by way too fast, I can’t wait to see what next year has in store for us all.
