Holding On: Chasing Nationals While Managing Stress and School

By Editor: Brianna Robles

As the outdoor track season winds down and the stakes grow higher, I find myself hanging on—tight. Nationals are looming, and every workout carries the weight of expectation, grit, and hope. It’s not just about placing well or setting a personal best anymore. It’s about proving to myself that I can handle everything on my plate: the physical demands of training, the mental toll of personal stress, and the academic pressure of wrapping up the semester before diving into summer MBA classes.

Each morning starts with a choice: do I let the weight of it all hold me back, or do I lace up, dig deep, and keep going? Most days, I pick the latter. But it’s not easy.

Training has reached the point where my body feels constantly on edge, recovering from one session just in time to get pushed again. The track is both my sanctuary and my battleground. I’ve had workouts where I felt like I could fly, and others where I questioned if I’d make it through the reps. But through it all, I’ve learned that consistency, not perfection, is what carries you to the next level. I don’t have to be the strongest every day—I just have to keep showing up.

On top of the physical grind, personal stress has crept in. Like the looming uncertainty of life after school have all found ways to add noise to an already full mental space. Some days it feels like I'm holding my breath, waiting for a break that never quite comes. But I’ve learned to lean on my support system and let myself rest when I need it.

Academically, it’s crunch time. Final projects, papers, and exams are piling up, and with summer MBA classes on the horizon, I know there won’t be much downtime once this semester ends. That’s why I’m making a conscious effort to finish strong—both to maintain my GPA and to honor all the effort I’ve already put in. I owe it to myself to not just coast across the finish line, but to power through it.

What keeps me going is the vision of the life I’m building: one where I’ve earned my degree, grown through the grind, and proved to myself that I can handle pressure without losing my purpose. Every tough track session, every late-night study session, and every moment of doubt is part of something bigger.