Track Season's Just Around the Corner

It's been months since I've written last and I think that's okay. Life has been plenty busy and I've had a lot to focus on outside of writing. I recently decided to change my career path from medical school to physical therapy school. As a biomedical major, I think it's every students dream to become a doctor. And as much as I dream of having a doctorate of osteopathy, the classes I am taking right now have just made me miserable. So instead of being a biomedical science major with an emphasis in pre-medicine, I've decided to be a biomedical science major with an emphasis in physical therapy. That may not seem like much of a change to you, but it's required a lot of letting go on my part. Realizing that I would be happier with a more specialized doctorate than a generalized doctorate has been a big step for me. It sounds really silly to anyone else who isn't interested in science but to me it was a giant change. I hate letting go of control, for me this is letting go of control. But for a good reason. Now instead of taking years of undergrad worth of chemistry, physics, and introductory to pharmacy, I get to focus on what I truly love. Anatomy, physiology, exercise science and my all time favorite: sub cellular biology, (I don't discriminate though, all biology is my favorite).

Wow... I'm a nerd.

I think this type of self awareness applies to the rest of my life too. I really wanted to throw down an incredible cross country season. I felt guilty that my coach had brought me all the way from New Mexico to run for him when I was running so slow. I wanted to show my teammates that I was a lot more than the girl who had fractured her legs. But the more I focused on owning up to my name, the more discouraged I got. I realized that I needed to stop focusing on getting back to being the same runner I had been before my injury, and start focusing on the type of runner I was going to be afterwards. Let me tell you, amazing things happened. I gave up on the identity I had built for myself and strived for something better. Instead of getting upset when I couldn't match my pre-injury paces I started celebrating every mile. Instead of dreading hard workouts I was thankful that I at least got to run. Instead of pushing my body beyond the point of repair, I exercised self respect and humbled myself to my coach's training. Instead of getting nervous for races I let my legs, arms, and heart do what they do best; I let myself fly as fast as I could. I may not have ended this 2017 cross country season as the fastest on the team, I didn't even make the travelling squad like I had the year before. But I did end the season with healthy legs, something I have never ended any season with, ever in my whole entire life. And it's just continued to get better. My off season workouts post injury are faster than my in season workouts pre-injury. My legs are not only faster than they were before my injury, they are more developed, better taken care of, respected and ready.

10K Here I come. 

Focused on Faster

     Beginning this cross season has been so exciting for me! Obviously I am still regaining the fitness I lost during my injury and its been humbling to say the least trying to get back up to where I was before I fractured my leg. I am finding myself starting from ground zero again when it comes to my speed and strength. Thank goodness though for patient amazing coaches, muscle memory, and encouraging teammates!

     I really want to tackle the subject of integrity and the importance of sticking to your goals. As a long distance athlete more than half the requirement of our sport is being mentally tough, staying focused and prioritizing what's most important. I've seen a lot of my old teammates and friends who I used to run with fall off the bandwagon because they stopped focusing on their goals.

One of my favorite sayings is:

The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.

    This is so true and can be applied to any aspect in your life. If you want to be the strongest, fastest, best athlete that you can possibly be you have to act like it. Skipping practice, doing the bare minimum, having a bad attitude, and not prioritizing your goals will get you nowhere in the long run. In high school I used to get so frustrated with myself when I didn't meet my expectations. I expected myself to always place in the top of every race and always be standing on the podium. When this didn't happen I would beat myself up over it and psycho analyze the race to figure out what went wrong. My old coach used to pull me aside after those bad races and tell me, "Ten minutes. You only get 10 more minutes to be upset but then I need you to focus on the next race."This advice has gotten me through this current cross season so far. Yes I'm a little out of shape. Of course I'm not running the times I used to before my injury. Yet. Obviously I'm pretty dang sore from our Monday workouts. Am I where I want to be? Not yet. Am I going to beat myself up over it and cry because I'm not easily accomplishing my goals? ABSOLUTLY NOT.

     But I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to maintain a positive outlook. I'm going to stay focused. I'm going to put my health first and stay true to my training. If there is anything in my life that isn't setting me up to accomplish my goals, I'm going to get rid of it; toss it in the trash. I'm going to surround myself with athletes who are strong and fast and have the same goals as I do. I'm going to come to practice to deliver and contribute.

     In long distance running you very rarely get results immediately. It's a process, if you want to run a marathon you train up to a year in order to be healthy and fit enough to run that distance. If you are going to race a marathon you train for YEARS to build up the endurance, speed, and base needed to not only finish the 26.2 miles, but race them as well. I like to look at my running career the same way, especially after coming back from this major injury. It's a process. It takes focus, patience, hard work, and smart training to get to where you want to be. And I'm going to trust the process because my goal isn't to be as fast as I was before I broke my leg. It's to be faster.

Traveling: The Essentials

     I always have a hard time traveling. When I fly it feels like every single sports injury I’ve ever had in my life comes back on the plane. I ache, my legs swell to tight knots of muscle and my lower back injury from senior year of high school always acts up. My sport requires me to travel a lot so I’ve had to adjust and find ways to make traveling less hard on my body. Here’s some tips and tricks to make the next time you travel more comfortable, especially if you’re an athlete.

1.       Hydrate: This is so important. When you fly, or even travel long distances in the car, your body naturally gets dehydrated. You most likely aren’t around the normal watering holes you have back at home. The more dehydrated you get the more your muscles ache and the more time you need to recover from your flight before you can get back to full training.  I always carry an empty water bottle with me to fill up and always end up buying a spare water bottle and Gatorade once I get past security in the airport. Coffee and caffeine are diuretics: meaning they will dehydrate you. So no matter how tired you are, drink some water instead. Your body will thank you.

2.       Take pain medicine: I’ve flown a lot now to understand that I can’t skip out on my Tylenol when I travel. The pressure from the airplane is really hard on my legs. Even if I’m not hurting by the time the plane takes off I still make myself take some pain medicine because I know I’ll be needing it.

3.       Wear comfortable clothes: I’ve seen way too many women at the airport wearing dresses and heels to fly on the plane. This is ridiculous. Wear sweats. Wear your old running shoes or a pair of Birkenstocks. Wear a sports bra. I like to get up and stretch before and after my flight and there’s no way I could do that if I was all dressed up fancy for no reason. Also if you’re a runner and you’re wearing heels for the duration of your flight, have fun trying to run the next morning. Because you won’t.

4.       Foam roll: This is what helps me the most. After my flight or if I have a layover I ALWAYS pack my roller stick with me. Being able to roll out my tight swollen shins and calves makes such a big difference. I take 20 minutes or so to roll my calves, my Achilles tendons, my quads, IT Band, low back, and shins. Rolling out your legs promotes new blood flow and flushes the swelling out of your legs and back out into your blood stream. The tightness that accumulates in your lower legs after flying can all be flushed away once you roll. I’m obsessed with my rollers. I have the Stick, a plastic roller, two different foam rollers, a hand roller and then a pool ball that I use to massage out the bottoms of my feet. Rolling out may hurt at first but it’s the best thing you could do for yourself. And for the record, everyone wondering if their giant plastic roller will make it past security worry no more! I’ve never had a problem bringing my roller with me in my carry on.

5.       Eat right: DO NOT TAKE TRAVELING AS AN EXCUSE TO EAT LIKE AN UNSUPERVISED CHILD IN A CANDY STORE. Seriously people. Use some self-control. You will feel so bloated and disgusting if you eat all that nasty airport food. My best advice is to eat a big meal at home before you leave for the airport. I always stock my carry on full of granola bars and say no to all treats on the day that I travel. If I have a layover and need to eat, I usually stop at a café and buy organic sandwiches and kettle chips, any drink that I order I ask for no added sugar or vanilla. If you have a longer flight and like to snack bring along a pack of gun to chew on. I never understand those people who load up on snacks and spend their entire flight aimlessly eating. Whatever you do please don’t drink soda or energy drinks. Soda and energy drinks are made from the devil himself. The fastest way to gain weight, clog your arteries, and overwork your heart is to pump yourself full of that liquid sugared crap. Just drink water people, or a sports drink. Remember food is fuel, not a past time.

6.       Visualize: During the time I’m in the air flying I like to turn on my favorite workout playlist and visualize myself going through the motions. I imagine myself running as hard as I can down the track, using perfect form. I focus on every single muscle in my legs and arms and tell them how they are going to work. I imagine what it’s like to hear my spikes hitting the track over and over again.  I imagine myself during a race doing everything perfectly.  Since flying makes me a little nervous, when I focus on running I calm down. I take the time to practice control and visualize the type of athlete I want to be. You have to be honest with yourself when you do this. Take your biggest weakness as an athlete and visualize yourself defeating it. For example I don’t feel like I have a strong kick at the end of my races. I visualize myself running the last 400 meters of a 5k as fast as I can. I practice speed and perfect form in my mind over and over again so that once I do step on the track I’ll already know what to do.

7.       Wash your hands: this is simple guys. Airplanes are actually really gross if you think about it. Essentially they are just giant germ tubes. Bring hand sanitizer, wash your hands, and don’t get too close to people. You will get sick. I promise you that if you aren’t cautions you will get sick from someone else’s germs and have to take a week off of training and end up out of shape. This happened to me when I flew home last December and I caught the nastiest cold that didn't go away for weeks.

Following these simple steps will hopefully improve your next traveling experience. This past weekend I flew home to Washington and didn't land in the airport until midnight. Taking care of your body will decrease the need to recover and you'll be back on your feet running in no time!

Going the Distance

     I'm just going to be real, those first couple months down at ENMU were tough. I lived by myself. I woke up at 5am for practice, afterwards  I would shower, rush through breakfast in order to get to classes on time and then go back to my little dorm, change into a second pair of running clothes and rush to my second practice of the day. There were times I ran until my feet were bleeding. If you think I'm kidding I have blood stains on my running shoes to prove it. I would run until I threw up, I would run until I couldn't see, hear, even feel my body anymore. And then I would go back to my dorm, drag myself to the shower, eat dinner, stay up all night doing homework and then get up the next morning to do it all over again. Becoming a college athlete was to this day one of the hardest things I've ever done, but one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had.
     Being a long distance athlete is just like being in a long distance relationship. Last year I learned a lot about both. Here's some personal advice from someone whose gone the distance and knows what it's like to "be there and have done that."

     Endurance is key, it takes a heck of a long time to build up and a very short amount of time to loose. In long distance running endurance is the base to all success, you will literally get no where without it. In long distance relationships endurance is just as vital. Those first couple months I spent away from my high school sweetheart were some tough ones. We fought against living in two different time zones with extremely conflicting schedules. My Kyle worked two jobs in addition to going to school that first semester. The only time we had to talk with each other was when he got off of working the night shift. Mind you he would get off of work at 11pm his time, which was 12am my time, don't forget that I also had to wake up at 5am to run in the mornings as well. We had to set new boundaries, bypass road blocks and find new ways to support and love each other all while being 1,512 miles apart. There were some days that being away from Kyle was completely miserable. But we endured through the hard stuff. Just like any long distance run, it's going to get tough. The truth is it's going to be hard, the defining moment is when you want to give up and throw in the towel, that's the moment you need endurance the most. If you can just put one foot, theoretically and physically, in front of the other for just a little bit longer it'll start to become easier and you will be so thankful you didn't quit. I'm so glad I didn't give up on running when it got tough and I am extremely glad Kyle and I didn't give up on each other those first few months spent apart.
     With any long distance sport or relationship sacrifice is incredibly important. I could write a never ending list of ways that I have sacrificed in order to be a long distance athlete. I have sacrificed sleep, money, friendships, time, comfort, and countless other things all in pursuit of my athletic dreams. To me those sacrifices are all worth it. And when it comes to long distance relationships you need to learn to sacrifice as well. Learn to stop being so freaking selfish. Take your selfishness and throw it in the trash. Not the recycling bin, the trash. Then proceed to burn it all up so that you don't have any left. People these days go into relationships thinking, "what's this person going to do for me?" when in reality a real relationship consists of two people constantly thinking, "What can I do for this other person." Kyle does an amazing job at sacrificing for our relationship. He is one of the most unselfish people I know. Me on the other hand, I've had to learn along the way. Kyle would send me long texts the night before my championship races so that I could wake up to a heartfelt message full of inspiration and support. He mailed me care packages of groceries and my favorite snacks to make sure that I was always getting enough to eat. The days I was overwhelmed from having a bad practice or a bad race he would FaceTime me and sing me my favorite songs to help me calm down. For Christmas he helped me buy plane tickets to come home to him and even planned a surprise trip to visit my grandparents who live up near Canada. He made me breakfast and blueberry tea in the mornings and ran along side me in the cold snow when I had to train. Kyle is the perfect example of being unselfish and I look up to him so much for that. If you are unwilling to sacrifice for your sport or your relationship than you better be prepared for a complete and utter lack of success.
     Goals. Goals. Goals. When it comes to being a long distance athlete you will not accomplish anything without short term and long term goals. I can't tell you how many team meetings I've been to over the years just to discuss season goals. Goals require planning and hard work. If I had to endure and sacrifice the things that I do for running without an end goal in sight it would make all my suffering seem pointless. Why in the world would I run until my feet bleed if I didn't have a reason to? It would be ridiculous! The same applies to long distance relationships. You need to sit down and have a talk with your significant other about goals. One thing Kyle and I always do is plan out the
next time we will see each other. When I saw him during Thanksgiving last year we had a plan to visit each other for our anniversary in December. In December we had a plan to visit each other at my parents house in Pennsylvania during the summer. Having these sort term goals made the distance seem less difficult. We would count down the days until we got to see each other again, giving us something to look forward to. It wasn't until Kyle and I had been doing long distance for 5 months that we sat down and had the long term goal talk. This is important for any relationship and any long distance sport.  Kyle and I decided that we needed to close the distance as soon as possible. It took months and months of planning on my part to make this happen. I was already very unhappy at ENMU and knew I couldn't stay. I decided to transfer. After gaining permission from the athletic director, my coach and the NCAA I received my release papers and started looking for new schools. After additional months of looking I chose to transfer to Central Washington University which was conveniently 45 minutes from the town I grew up in as a child and 45 minutes away from my high school sweetheart. The decision to transfer schools especially as a college athlete is not for everyone, in fact I don't recommend it. There's a butt ton of paperwork and stress involved. But transferring was perfect for me. So many unnamed factors played a part in me needing to leave ENMU, and I'm so happy to be moving back home and ending the distance with my sweet Kyle.
     After only getting to see each other 3 times in the past 12 months, Kyle and I are beyond thrilled that later this month, almost exactly a year from when I first moved away from Washington, I will be moving back. This time to stay. With a new coach, a new team, a new apartment, and a new ring on my finger symbolizing our race to end the distance and my personal race to become the best long distance runner that I could ever possibly be. A promise.

    

Advice for the New Runner

     I can remember my first run. I was eight years old and knew absolutely nothing about running except that I really liked the feeling of going fast and could beat all the boys at recess in the little races we used to have. I know what you’re thinking, at eight years old I was already showing signs of being a masochist. I knew from walking to school every day that four times around the block equaled a mile so I put on my sneakers and ran as fast as I could. When finished  with the mile I stopped to catch my breath, then I did the only reasonable thing, I went inside to the kitchen and put my head upside down in the sink, turning the cold water on full blast. Later that day I convinced my parents to sign me up for the closest city race. Thus my love for running began.
     Under normal circumstances the first time you go running is going to be a lot worse. I’ve had plenty of terrible, horrible, miserable runs throughout my life and can tell you stories that’ll scare you away from running indefinitely. You could probably save yourself some misery on your next run if you follow these five steps.

1.     Go poop before you run! I’m serious guys, it isn’t even funny. The last place you want to be is 3 miles into your long run with no bathroom, toilet paper or privacy and the strongest urge to poo. To save yourself from getting the runs on the run just use the bathroom before you head out the door. Don’t feel like you need to go? Think again and do it anyway. Also don’t eat anything that’ll make you need to use the bathroom before you run. I once ate mashed potatoes and a corn dog before a 6 miler and I won’t go into graphic detail on what happened but it was bad, and I’m not proud of it. You get the picture? Use the bathroom before you run and don’t eat before you run either.

2.     Safety first. Always run with your phone or a running buddy, this one’s important people. I’ve been attacked by a dog twice while running and followed by men on different occasions, one of which required me to call the police. For your safety run with a phone or at least a partner. Always be aware of your surroundings when you’re out on the roads. I love to listen to music when I run but always keep the earbud closest to the road turned on low or completely silent. Also don’t be stupid and go trail running alone. Growing up in Washington if you went trail running alone it meant you could potentially be attacked by a bear. So be smart and don’t do that.

3.     Less is more. No, don’t get excited and think less running is more because it’s not. But the less amount of clothes you wear while going running is. I have made the mistake so many times of throwing on too many layers on a chilly day resulting in having to cart heavy, sweaty, baggy clothes home on the last half of my run. It’s better to start your run off chilly and take the first mile or so to warm up than to sweat too much underneath all those layers and end up hot, grumpy and dehydrated. That goes for gear too. If you are going on a 5 mile run leave your fuel belt and gu gels at home. Trust me, you’ll survive without it. You’ll also save yourself the embarrassment of being laughed at by other runners who don’t need to strap 47 water bottles to their chest to make it through such a small run.

4.     Wear the right shoes!! If you’re going to take anything away from this article please learn to wear the proper shoes. It’s taken me a long time to find the right pair of running shoes for my body. I’ve unfortunately learned from the consequences of experience. Five years ago I fractured my foot in pair of Nikes, this caused me to lose my regional title and my spot in the state championships. In order to train right and be healthy you must have the right pair of shoes. This might require you to learn more about how your body responds to training; your running economy, and your form all play a part in keeping you healthy. If you’re training or racing in the wrong pair of shoes you will get injured, 100% guaranteed. Running shoes are the most important gear for our sport. For your health, comfort, and safety please wear the right pair for you.

5.     Have Fun! That sounds pretty cheesy, I know. But it's true.  If you don’t remember to make running fun you will lose all motivation and passion for the sport. Last track season I got really injured and had forgotten how to have fun in my training. I was miserable because I’d gotten so caught up in having success as an athlete that I missed the point. Running is supposed to be fun! Running is natural, primal almost. Even when it’s hard running is what our bodies were made to do. You can’t forget why you run. For every hard workout you do, take the time to relax in your training and enjoy just getting out there, logging those miles and having a good time!

This blog can also be read on www.runfittedblog.com