ZACHARY'S RHEN LANGLEY ON HIS WAY TO A 5A 800m OUTDOOR TITLE!
My Journey
My four years running cross country and track for Zachary High School have been the
best but quickest four years of my life. To all my middle schoolers and freshman reading this,
when people say that your high school years will fly by, trust me, they will. So, cherish
everything and live in the moment as much as possible!
Coming in as a 14-year-old freshman, it felt like I was shot into a whole new world, one
with endless possibilities. Being a freshman, I did not really have a good perception of Louisiana
high school running, but knew I wanted to be great.
Throughout my freshman year cross-country
I discovered Milesplit! This was an amazing tool for me because I learned a lot about the history
of Louisiana Running and became familiar with some of the greatest Louisiana High Schoolers
of all time like Eric Coston, Ryan Travis, Bobby Beck, Karjuan Williams, and others.
I was
fascinated and hooked.
Looking at the times they had run in high school was mind boggling, I
couldn't comprehend how fast those times really were.
My first-ever cross-country season came
to an end in November 2019. I felt that my season was pretty mediocre, and it really motivated
me for my first high school track season.
The indoor season was much better than cross country. I loved being able to run different
events like the 1600m, 800m, and 3200m.This was the season that really established my love of
track and field. I could foresee so many opportunities in track and field.
One thing I noticed was
that a lot of the best runners in the state were very event specific. They were very good in one
event but not multiple events.
The indoor state meet was disappointing, placing 10th in the
1600m with a time of 4:39 and 9th in the 3200m with a time of 10:19. I was 2 seconds off my
season best in the 1600 and 11 seconds off my best in the 3200.
What's even worse than not
running PRs was not being able to contribute to the team score at all. We ended up placing a
close 2nd to a great Ruston team but no one was happy with our result.
"Motivation comes and goes, but discipline separates the good from the great runners,"
Zachary's Rhen Langley
Outdoor season was next up, and I was fired up to be able to race against the" big guys".
Sadly, we were not able to run our outdoor season because of the Covid-19 virus. This
devastated me, not only because I felt that a season was being taken away from me, but also from
all of the seniors who were ready to give it their all for their last track season.
That spring, it was
announced that we would be getting a new cross country and distance coach, Coach Julie Fink
who was coming from Runnels.
Because of the cancellation of the track season, I started to gear up for my sophomore
cross-country season. As I was starting to increase my mileage, I started to notice some pain in
my Achilles tendon, close to my heel. I didn't think much of this so I continued to run with the
pain, and it got progressively worse until the point which I could not run anymore.
I took two
weeks off and started some rehab exercises that I found online that would hopefully get me ready
for when I could run again. My first run back went terrible, still feeling the shooting pain in my
Achilles. So, I was forced to take more time off.
I visited a physical therapist who gave me great
tips and exercises to do to help my tendon repair and be able to handle the load I was giving it.
When I was finally able to run again, I felt pain, but it was dull and not sharp like it had been
previously.
Every run felt like I was running in mud, everything felt 100 times harder. My first
season with Coach Fink went awesome given the circumstances I faced in the summer. I didn't
quite run the goals I wanted coming into the season, but I couldn't be too mad because I was
injury free.
Transitioning into indoor season, I was now eight-months cleared to run and was making
some big gains in my fitness. In my season opener, I ran a 6 second PR in the 1600m with a time
of 4:31! I was shocked because I didn't expect it at all. Going in, I thought I could be somewhere
in the high 4:30s, but I guess I proved myself wrong!
Three weeks later, I ran the 1600 again and
ran the 3200 for the first time that season. The 1600m went like every other race, I stayed with the
lead pack for the first 1200-ish meters of the race, but what I did next separated it from past
races.
I made a bold move 400 meters to go to the lead and didn't look back. I ended up running
4:23 for an 8 second PR and my first-ever high school win! This was the race that changed my
high school running career forever as I knew I belonged with the best in the state. I came back
later that night and ran my first ever sub 10:00 3200m with a 9:42 for the win.
This would've
been shocking to me before I ran 4:23, but now I had an even better idea of my fitness. It was a
26 second PR which I could not believe.
I attribute this rapid improvement to Coach Fink. She
wanted us to buy in and be all-in so we could see the results and that's exactly what happened. I
was doing workouts that I wouldn't have imagined doing even three months prior.
Coach Fink
had to be a sorcerer, I thought.
Fast forward to the state meet, I came into the 1600m with the fastest time in the state and
came into the 3200m with the 2nd fastest time. I NEEDED to be able to score these points for our
team if we wanted to win the team title. I came into the 1600m with a lot of confidence and knew I
belonged.
This was the first race where I felt pressured to produce points and I kind of liked that
pressure.
As the race got underway, I did my best to stay in the lead pack. Going into the last lap,
we were all within steps of one another. I knew I had to win. Not only for myself but for my
team. So, with an all-out last lap, I crossed the line first.
The instant gratification I felt crossing
that line was unrivaled. State Champion! I really couldn't believe it. I was ecstatic!
I had to calm
down a bit to focus on the 3200m that was at night.I sat in 3 rd place almost all of the race feeling
comfortably uncomfortable. My head track coach was yelling, "If you get 2nd, we clinch the
title."
From that point in the race, it was all about getting in 2nd and staying in 2nd . . I got 2nd
along with a new PR and it was official, we were team champions.
Don't get me wrong, winning
my first-ever state championship was amazing but what I was most proud of was being there for
my team and scoring major points. They were counting on me, and I was counting on them.
When you are competing for something bigger than yourself, I believe that you will always find
that extra gear or dig a little deeper for your team.
After I let the title settle in for a couple of days, I set my eyes on the quickly approaching
outdoor season. The regular season went awesome. The first meet of the year I ran the 800m for
the first time and was instantly hooked, running 1:56.9.
A week later I broke 4:20 for the first
time. It was looking really close in points between us and Ruston, so I was all in to run the
1600m, 800m, and 3200m at district, regionals, and state. I was seeded first in all three events
and so ready for the state meet.
I was so confident going into the 1600m race and I lost it getting
passed with 100 meters left. With no response, I felt helpless and finished the race in 2nd . I had
given it everything, and still come up short.
I could not comprehend that I had lost. Everything
was going so right and then boom it all went downhill. I had to drop out of the 800m because I
had heat exhaustion. It hurt me so much that I couldn't even line up to give my team a shot at
points. I got a lot of water and electrolytes in my system and was determined that I would run the
3200m.
Lining up for the race, I knew I was out of it but still wanted to give it a go. I finished last.
Teammates comforted me and told me "You gave it your all and that's all that matters" but to me
it did not matter. We ended up getting 2nd as a team and I was to blame, bringing home a mere 8
points.
On that day, I was not the champion I had envisioned, and I had to live with that. This
was the first bad race of my career that helped me understand the importance of mental focus and
strength in running.
The following cross country season was a disaster. After the 2nd race of the season, I was
diagnosed with Achilles Tendinitis. I worked with a physical therapist to overcome the injury
and was able to run on it again.
The people that I had beaten numerous times in the past were
people I was struggling to even keep up with. Every race got worse and worse, and I was letting
my teammates down. I had no idea why I was feeling the way I was feeling but knew I had to
keep pushing. I had no desire to run, no motivation but knew my team needed me.
I had to
switch mentalities for the rest of the season and ditch the goals I had previously set. After the
season, I took two weeks off running.
That winter, I was determined to get back to the Rhen
Langley I knew I was capable of. I did not want to prove anything to anyone. Validation and
support are great to receive and having a wonderful support system is amazing, don't get me
wrong, but I wanted to prove to myself that I did not just belong with the best, I wanted to be one
of the best. I did just that.
At the 2022 Indoor Track State Meet, I won the 1600m and placed 2nd
in the 3200m. I was back, and I felt better than ever.
All those days where I questioned my abilities helped me with a new outlook on running--nothing is guaranteed. I had to appreciate the little things and stay grounded.
I developed a 24-
hour rule around this time that greatly helped my mental aspect of running. Whether I had a
horrible race, or a wonderful, record-setting time, I needed to flush it after 24-hours and focus on
the next race. All races where I failed or seemed like I failed were blessings in disguise.
Winning
is awesome and I strive to win every race I run but to be a good loser is the mark of good winner.
I used this advice to run big PRs in the 800m, 1600m, and the 3200m.
My junior outdoor track season really put me on the map recruiting wise. I ran a 4:12.01
1600m, 9:14 3200m, and a 1:54.0 800m. I was able to improve a lot from my sophomore year
because I trusted my training and tried my hardest to stay disciplined.
Motivation comes and
goes but discipline is what separates the good from the great runners.
All eyes were set on the
state meet. I came in again as the favorite in the 1600m run. At regionals, I noticed some major
pain in my Achilles/calf area and ended up finding out that I had strained my calf during the
regional meet.
I couldn't do my long run the next day because even walking on it hurt. I swam
that day and took the next day completely off in hopes of getting the calf right. The whole week
leading up to state, I ran on it and just told myself, "If I can get through these practices then I can
get through the race."
I was so fortunate to be able to run at the state meet, even though I got 2nd
place I was happy that I toed up on the line and gave it my all even in the circumstances I was
facing. Many people look and say, "2nd place again I guess he isn't built for the big stage", or
other things, but for anyone reading this, don't let those meaningless words get to you. You are
more than your running performance and cannot let one race define the season you've had.
I took
some time off and started back up for my senior cross-country season. The cross-country season
was much better than my junior season, though I didn't run the times I wanted to. I won multiple
meets and gave it all I had. Having a good cross-country season, I knew that track season would
be even better.
I had one thing on my mind for the 2023 season: dominate. Dominate my
workouts, run my easy days easy, get plenty sleep, eat healthy, and most importantly, stay injury
free.
By following these "guidelines" I gave myself, I was able to have the best season of my life.
I broke the indoor state record in both the 1600m and 3200m races and was the first Louisiana
high school runner to win the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m races in Division 1 indoor.
This was
something I had on my mind for over a year, and to finally be able to achieve it was just so
amazing.
All those days where I didn't feel like waking up early, those nights where I wanted to
hang out with my friends, those football games I missed, all of those sacrifices were so very
worth it.
Those sacrifices taught me lessons not only about running but also about life. If you put
time and energy into anything, you will improve. All those times I had failed in the years prior
were the reasons I am where I am today.
RHEN LANGLEY WINS THE 800m AT THE '23 STATE OUTDOOR MEET
I was now on the national radar and wanted to give a
national championship a shot. I ran in the New Balance Indoor National Championships in early
March and placed 15 th in the mile with a time of 4:10.87. This was also a 4:09.36 1600m,
meaning I ran a 4.6 second indoor PR.
After the best season of my life, I wanted to continue my hot streak with the #1 goal in
mind of winning an outdoor state championship. I continued my undefeated streak in the outdoor
regular season and had to make the decision on which race I wanted to run at the state meet.
One
of my goals of the season was to break 1:50 in the 800 so I wanted to break it at the state meet. I
ended up winning the state meet with a time of 1:51.55, just outside of that sub 1:50 range but I
couldn't be mad. I finally won an outdoor state championship.
Finally, after the past two years of
placing 2nd, all the ups and downs and lessons learned had all come together for one special
night.
If it weren't for those losses earlier in my career, I don't know if I would be in the spot
that I was in that night.
I have had an amazing support system throughout high school. I would like to thank my
coaches, teammates, family, other teams' coaches, and fellow competitors who have all played a
BIG role in my growth as a person and as an athlete.
I hope that my journey can help and inspire
other young distance runners in Louisiana. As one chapter in my life draws to a close, another
one begins. To be continued...
I leave you with this quote: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're both right"--by Henry Ford.