Rocha’s big year comes to a close at nationals

Catarina Rocha sees the value of running in the nationals for a first time. She just wishes she’d done a little better.”My time (18:34) is a good time,” she said, after finishing 31st out of 40 in the national Foot Locker cross country championships in San Diego on Saturday. “I’m usually around that in a 5K.”It was a good experience for me,” said the Peabody High sophomore. “But it was really a fast race compared to what I’m used to.”She says that since it was her first experience running with some highly-trained and skilled runners, she decided “to run my best and just see what it was like.”I feel good about doing this, and being in the nationals,” she said. “I just wish I could have come in higher. But it’s my first time running. Next time, I’ll have more experience.”Rocha says there isn’t a whole lot more one can do in preparation for such a race.”Maybe just run more,” she said. “Train a little more, maybe. Be a little more confident in myself.”This year was kind of an experiment to see how far I could go,” she said. “Next year, I’ll have to set goals about how I run and how I get there. I’ll just follow the schedule my coaches give me.”She said she was nervous as the race began, “but I was also excited. Like I said, I’m disappointed I didn’t place higher, but I also have to learn that in my first year, everything’s not going to happen the way I want it to.”She said that she wasn’t intimidated by the talent in the race as much as she was just awe-struck by it all.”In the beginning,” she said, “everybody went out fast to get their pace. But in the middle, when they really got going, I couldn’t keep up.”I also panicked a little, I think,” she said. “It was, like, ‘wow! These girls are really fast.’ I was a little overwhelmed. I tried to compete with them. Maybe next year, I’ll be able to compete with them more.”I also got a stitch about two miles in, and it stayed there the whole rest of the race,” she said “I think it probably came from being nervous and not breathing enough.”Rocha, whose parents (Jose Rocha and Gina Braz) are longtime runners, played soccer last fall, but found she enjoyed running more as she took part in indoor and outdoor track.Now?”Absolutely, I want to continue (running),” she says.She runs distances in the winter and spring, but also throws the javelin during outdoor track.”It was just something to do,” she said. “It’s fun. My best was 98 feet last spring.”For the record, it was the longest throw of the season.She certainly wants to go back to the nationals next year, and she’s prepared to do what needs to be done to get there.”It’s an honor to go to nationals with everyone,” she said.