Katie Rainsberger: Third Trip to Portland

Katie Rainsberger earned her third consecutive trip to NXN with a big come-from-behind win at NXR-SW. Photo by Alan Versaw.

It's difficult to get Katie Rainsberger too shook up about the weekend ahead. One, she's naturally a bit on the side of unflappable. Two, she's been there twice before and more or less knows the drill. She knows what the potential stressors of the big weekend are and how to manage her way through them.

Just this afternoon she finished her last hard workout before the big event. She reports a workout of 8 x 400 meters at 70 seconds or less per with two minute recoveries as if it was just another day at the track. Nothing to get excited about, just the last step of sharpening.

Her demeanor is settled as she heads into what could become the biggest race of her high school career to date, "I don't think I'm too worried about placing, winning, or the people around me. I just want to go out there, improve, and run to the best of my ability."

Okay, it's those last two parts that might have the rest of the field a bit concerned. There's only so much improving you can do on a sixth-place finish from last year. And, if Rainsberger runs to the best of her ability, some very nice things could happen.

Rainsberger has responded well on the big stage before. Brooks PR, Desert Twilight, and NXR-SW come to mind pretty quickly.

Pressed a little harder about nerves related to the field she's facing, Rainsberger divulged, "I do know several of the girls who are coming, and it is hard to totally block out who's coming. But going into this race my goal is to block out thoughts of everyone else and run the way that I can."

The strategy worked well in Casa Grande a little over a week ago when Rainsberger set back calmly while Lauren Gregory built a lead of something on the order of 30 meters deep into the race. Evidently, Rainsberger has a great deal of confidence in the race she has trained to run, and perhaps most especially her ability to finish that race.

It doesn't hurt that she's coming back for her third year. "I know the routine, and I'm more confident now."

But it's not all the same as it's been the last two years. A new course this year means that Rainsberger will have to figure a few things out right alongside the first timers. Additionally, Rainsberger admits, "It's going to be weird to be there without Elise [Cranny]. She was always someone I could look to as a mentor."

The mentoring days, of course, are over, but you get the feeling from talking to Katie Rainsberger that's she ready to fly solo. Check in on Saturday to see if the third time is the charm.