I'm Brandon Jauregui, although most know me as Brando. I was a four-year varsity cross country and track runner for Saugus High, graduating in 2009, and am currently running and seeking a journalism bachelor's degree at San Jose State University. I was also recently diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia on May 6, 2013.

I'm excited to share some of my experiences with the current crop of high school athletes in California. Here's a few lessons I've learned during the 12 years I've been running cross country:

1. Stay healthy. I can't emphasize this enough. It's impossible to do the other 11 tips I give you if you're stuck on the sidelines with an injury or illness. It's better to do less than do too much. One of the big reasons I haven't been able to reach my potential is because of injuries. I've spent more time injured than actually running over the last few years  because I've made some pretty ridiculous decisions in training, like increasing my mileage from 30 to 90 miles within a weeks time or completing an 18-mile long run at 6:19 pace when I clearly wasn't ready for a run of that caliber.
2. You get what you put into it. Someone who's running seven days a week and doing core is going to be more successful than someone who runs five or six days a week and doesn't do core. If you truly want to be successful in cross country, you have to work for it. It's as simple as that. The harder you work in this sport, you more you get out of it.
3. Do the "little things." One of the things I regret the most during my high school career is not doing these things, or being serious about them when I did them. This includes stretching, icing, eating healthier, core, drills, weights, getting enough sleep every night, and even missing several social events, like parties and sleep overs, during your career. The "little things" may not improve your performances instantly, but I can guarantee you they'll help in the long-run.
4. Consistency. If you're injured or sick, you can't run every day and your performances will suffer. During my career, I've learned if you just get out and run a few miles a day, even if it's not the amount you were aiming for, you'll improve. Stay consistent also includes finding the right weekly mileage for you and sticking with it, whether that's 40 miles or 80 miles. Some runners run well on lower mileage and some run well off higher mileage. For me, personally, my best cross country race was when I finished second in 15:15 at the 2008 College of the Canyons Summer Finals, which was during a 103-mile week. Find what works for you and stick with it. (P.S. I highly recommend not doing 90-plus mile weeks unless you slowly worked up to it. It took me four years to build enough strength to complete high mileage like that without injuries.)
5. Long runs. These make a significant difference, especially in the longer distances like cross country, 10K's and 5K's. Forget about pace! Think time and mileage. Go out once a week and find a nice 12 to 20-mile trail. Long runs will make a huge difference in how you fare during competitions, especially at the collegiate level and beyond.
6. Work on your weaknesses. Improving your weaknesses can take time, but it's worth it at the end of the day. During high school, I lost A LOT of races because I wasn't the quickest guy in the race. I'd give everything trying to out-kick the field at the end of races, but did so unsuccessfully. By senior year, though, I was the guy everyone was trying to out-kick. Even at the Foothill League Track & Field Prelims at the end of my senior year, I ran the 800-meter prelims for two reasons: 1. To break two minutes, and 2. To work on my finish for the 3,200-meter finals three days later.
7. Use your strengths to your advantage. Equally as important is using your strengths in races. If you're a speed-demon, sit back and kick. If your best races are when you lead the race, do so with caution. I won several races, including the 2008 Foothill League individual cross country title, by using my biggest strength. I knew if I sat back, then kicked from a mile out, no one could beat me. I had tried the same strategy at the Foothill League cross country opener in 2006 and won in a course record at Central Park, so I knew it would work in my final attempt at an individual title.
8. Find someone to train with. Whether that's another runner or a team, completing your workouts every day is way, way easier when you do it with someone. It's also easier to get out of bed every morning when you know others have to do the same thing as you. I've been blessed during my career because I've almost always had people to run with from Santa Clarita, San Francisco and San Jose over the last 12 years. The only time I had to complete most of runs alone was when I took a year off during the 2011-12 school year. The Saugus program was in season and I was building a base after a  knee injury that kept me from running for eight months, so runs were really hard and no fun at all, especially the two-hour Saturday long runs. So again, find someone to run with and cherish every run with them. Training with someone improves the overall experience, which leads to more positive performances on the course.
9. Prepare for a lot of lows. I know, more than most, how true this statement is. If you're never injured, you're not training hard enough. If you never have bad workouts or races, then you're God. My point? Every career has its lows, whether that's a bad race or a big blow to your career, like an injury or serious illness. For those who know me, you know how many lows I've had during college, from an eight-month knee injury to being diagnosed with cancer. Getting through the lows mentally and emotionally can be just as hard as the physical pain, so be prepared. Lows always happen!
10. Don't celebrate the highs too much. This can lead to cockiness or disappointment when things don't match up. If a workout or race goes better than expected, take a few seconds to celebrate, then move on. The only time it's okay to celebrate like it's your birthday is during a championship event. I remember during high school when I won the Seaside Invite by 15 seconds my sophomore year, despite falling and breaking my finger. I was ecstatic. A year later, I came back thinking I was going to easily repeat, but got demolished. I finished a disappointing third and was crushed emotionally.
11. Patience. It's a word all runners have to live by. I'm the most impatient athlete you'll ever meet, but being diagnosed with cancer has made me realize being patient is going to be more important than ever because it could take several months to a few years to start feeling like my old self again. A lot of runners expect results immediately, but that's just not how our sport works unfortunately. Building up success takes time and simply doesn't happen overnight. Remember that.
12. Have fun. This is the most important of the 12 because you're not going to be successful if you don't enjoy what you're doing. Have fun during runs and races, and equally as important, enjoy the experience. It's not every day you get to run on a team or travel around to meets. You probably won't ever meet people like your teammates during your lifetime. Almost all of my friends today are my teammates from Saugus, San Francisco and San Jose, as well as runners from around the Santa Clarita Valley. Cherish the runs with your teammates and the races against your competitors.

Brandon Jauregui

Saugus, CA

brandosblog.weebly.com

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @SaugusRunner