A few weekends ago, I was faced with one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make in my running career.  Scratch that – it was THE most difficult decision.  The scene: The Payton Jordan Invite hosted by Stanford, my third time racing on the Stanford oval.  The goal: Running the Olympic Trials ‘A’ standard to guarantee me a position on the starting line in June.  The result: A painful decision to drop out just two miles into the 10K race.

Let me start by backtracking just a bit.  The plan for this outdoor track season was to run just two track races in preparation for the Olympic Trials in June.  The first would be the 5k at Mt. SAC Relays that would serve as more or less of a tune up race for the 10k to be run the following week (9 days later to be exact) at the Payton Jordan Invite, a meet known to produce scorching times.  After all, World, American, and collegiate leaders and records and Olympic standards etc. have all been set on this very unassuming track situated on the edge of Stanford’s picturesque campus.

Mt. SAC went okay, but ultimately I didn’t achieve the result I was looking for.  I went into the race ready and expecting to run in the 13:40s.  I was on pace and comfortable through about 4k, when I immediately felt a shift, tightened up, and lost control and confidence.  I ended up running 14:07, meaning my last 1k was…painful, to say the least.  If nothing else, I came out of this knowing exactly what the pace feels like that I needed to run to achieve the Olympic Trials ‘A’ standard the following week in the 10k (28:15).

One of the nice things about racing Mt. SAC and Payton Jordan this year compared to last was that I didn’t have to fly back home for a week of finals in between.  A few teammates and I were fortunate enough to be able to stay with a few Stanford grads and great new friends about 15 minutes from Stanford’s campus.  We were able to avoid the battle of having to recover from jet-lag (twice) before our races at Payton Jordan.

Then, after a week of relaxing, sightseeing (highlighted for me by our visit to Alcatraz), and making new friends, race day was upon us.  My race didn’t go off until 10:20 pm – that’s a long time to sit around and wait!  Eventually, the time passed and the gun went off right on schedule.  Something was different this time, though, compared to all of the other 10ks I’ve run in the past.  I felt “off” right from the start and made the decision at two miles that this night unfortunately wasn’t my night.

I suppose it happens to many runners at some point or another during their careers, but I wasn’t prepared for it to happen in an Olympic year when the stakes were so high.  After debating for a few days about whether to run another 10k to try to move myself up on the descending order list for the Trials, I decided to go in another direction and instead I will be running the US Half Marathon Championship in Duluth, MN on June 16th (the week before the Trials).

So, I’m now back to training hard and getting ready for the Half Marathon Champs.  Hopefully I’ll be able to rebound from my disappointment with the track season to have a successful (extended) stint of racing on the roads.

Good luck to everyone with whatever upcoming races you may have!

ML

That title had a much better ring to it in my mind.

Moving on, I knew that I was falling behind, but I didn’t realize that it’s been two full months since my last post.  Time is really flying here in Minne-SNOW-ta.  Since there’s a lot to catch you up on, I’ll use a couple of sub-headings so you can read it one part at a time if you’d like.  Here we go!

New Car

My original automotive plan was to try to squeeze a little more life out of my Acura (at what point does it become a lemon?) and drive it from Maryland to Minnesota.  I figured that since I’d taken good care of it for the last seven years, I should be able to continue to use it until I established my bearings and could more comfortably afford a new car.  However, life happens as it does and I was uncomfortable driving that distance so soon after my August incident.  In my mind, the best thing to do was to sell my car at home and buy a new one in Minneapolis.  After some back and forth about what to do, my parents took it to have a few things fixed in case I decided to keep it, but were told that it would cost a couple thousand dollars.  WHAT?!  I guess my gut instincts were right.

Just a few weeks into my time in Minnesota, it became clear that my transportation situation needed to change.  I was able to use a bike to get around a bit (to the grocery store, to the gym, to the coffee shop) but it was difficult to get out of the house to see friends, run in different places, or explore the Twin Cities.  Foreseeing this a few months ago, I had already done some research on new cars and knew that I wanted a Ford Focus.  However, I didn’t feel comfortable making my first big purchase on my own, so my parents flew out to Minnesota to help me shop for a car and see Minneapolis.  They arrived on Saturday morning and by Monday, I’d signed all of the papers for my new 2012 Ford Focus!

My new 2012 Ford Focus

It actually worked out really well because our team is sponsored by a local car dealership, Owatonna Ford Chrysler, which provided me with a great deal and experience.  Fun fact: Owl City‘s Adam Young is from Owatonna and purchased a new souped-up Mustang the same day I bought my car.  Famous by association?  Okay, not quite, but just go with it.

The time that I’ve had this little guy has been great for the most part, except for one minor thing that happened about two weeks ago, which leads me to the next section…

The Accident – A Different One

‘Twas a beautiful, albeit snowy, Saturday morning in Minne-SNOW-ta  – well, actually, it wasn’t.  I went out for a long run in the morning  during the first snow of the season.  I thought to myself, “Self, it could be refreshing to run in the snow and it can’t be that cold yet, right?”  After all, isn’t it weather like this that some people say makes them feel alive?  That may be the case for some, but I think I need to spend a little more time acclimating before I can say I agree.  That said, the only truly unbearable part for me was the horizontal sleet (do they use that term anymore or do they just call it a “wintry mix” now?) that was hitting me in the face like knives.  I suppose the 20 mph winds didn’t help either.

My POA (plan of action) was to tackle the rest of my long run on the treadmill at Life Time Fitness.  Think about it.  It would be warm and free of nature’s elements, I could mechanically control the pace, and even maybe catch up on some Food Network shows to help the time pass.  That part of my day was fine, but getting there…that’s a different story.

On my way to the gym, which is 4 miles from my apartment, I quickly realized this may have been a mistake.  As the snow started to accumulate, the roads instantly froze, sending careless drivers in all directions.  Knowing the state of the roads, I was cautiously driving about 15 mph when a woman went through her stop sign and pulled across my lane right in front of me from a side street.  When she realized I would not be able to stop in time because she cut me off so closely and it was icy, she made a terrible judgment call and rather than committing to her turn, she stopped.  I successfully maneuvered to avoid T-boning her car, but was unsuccessful when it came to the car coming towards me in the next lane.  Luckily (very, very luckily), my car suffered no damage and the accident was not my fault, so I will not be responsible for the damage inflicted on the other car.  It was kind of a downward spiral from there as the woman refused to exchange her insurance information with us but instead flaunted irrelevant aspects of her life and tried to initiate a screaming match.  Does she know that I’m Italian, Hispanic, and from New York?  Okay, forgive the stereotypes, but all I’m trying to say is that I’m confident that I could have held my own against a Minnesotan’s words if that was the only option.  My more sensible response?  I called the police and had them take care of it.

New Apartment

I’ve also moved to a great little apartment right on Lake Harriet.  Even though the apartment needed a little work (a fresh coat of paint does wonders!), the area and the view from my front door are incredible.  Check it out:

The Building

View from Front Door

It’s a one-bedroom apartment with a bathroom, living room, kitchen and lots and lots of closet space (so much so that I converted one of my closets into a pantry).  It’s right on the water, and as I’ve found out over the past few weeks, the lake is home to a few bald eagles!  I have to say that it’s pretty awesome to go for a run right outside my apartment with bald eagles flying twenty feet above my head.  The apartment is also just around the corner from several of my Team USA Minnesota teammates, as well as Linden Hills and 50th & France, which are two great areas for eating and shopping.  All in all, I couldn’t be happier with the location of my new place

Manchester Road Race

2011 has been a year of a lot of firsts for me, and my participation in the 75th Annual Manchester Road Race added yet another: this was the first time I’ve ever raced on Thanksgiving.  And believe me, this is no small-town Turkey Trot; instead, registration was capped at 15,000 and the elite fields had long since been established.  I arrived in Connecticut a few days before the race and stayed with a great host family.  They fed me, transported me, took me on a course tour, showed me around town, and provided great conversation.  Then came race morning.  I’ve already said that it was the 75th anniversary for the race, but there was another huge milestone anniversary that morning – the 50th since Julia Chase-Brand ran this race for the first time.  Why is that a huge milestone?  Well, she was the first woman ever to complete a road race and thus has been called “the first true American woman road racer.”  She even wore the same gym uniform she wore on this day back in 1961 – now there’s a testament to olden day seamstresses.

When the gun went off after the flyover, so began my first race in almost six months and my first as a professional.  I almost immediately felt laborous at our opening pace, but I thought we’d settle in and I’d get used to running that fast.  The lead group and I came through the first mile in 4:18, and then we started a 1+ mile climb.  Oyyyy, by the time we crested the hill, I found myself off of the lead pack but still ahead of the next group – a place I affectionately refer to as “no man’s land.”  Lemme tell ya…not a fun place to be.  I ran a lot of the 4.75 mile race on my own until I started to catch a few guys in the last mile.  I ended up a decent 12th place overall.  While it wasn’t quite what I wanted, it was a good starting point and rust-buster knowing the lack of race-specific workouts we’ve done and the fact that at the time of the race, there were still 31 weeks until the ultimate goal, the Olympic Trials in June 2012.

One of the things that I’ve found really interesting about post-collegiate racing is that at any given time, the competitors are likely preparing for different events.  Some of the people at Manchester were starting their season, others were finishing, and still others were right smack in the middle.  It’s not necessarily like the college system where everyone is peaking for the same championship meets.  Granted, many will focus their attention on the US Championships and this year the Olympic Trials, but take a look at how many US National Championships there actually are.  That’s quite a few, so chances are that not everyone will peak for the same race.  In my case at Manchester, I was ending a 6 month racing hiatus, and my season will continue this weekend.

Up Next

I’ll be racing in Seattle this weekend at the USA National Club Cross Country Championships so check back next week for a report on how that goes.  Hopefully I’ll have some good news to share with you!

What a weekend!  My coach and I made the tough decision not to race the USA 10 Mile Championship even though it was practically right in our backyard, but I was still active all weekend making appearances and volunteering with Team USA Minnesota.

It all kicked off on Friday morning with a hard hill workout down by the Mississippi River.  I was on my own for this one as most of my teammates were running the Medtronic TC 10 Mile, but I’ve grown to embrace solo workouts so I didn’t mind.  There’s something about being out there by yourself with nothing in front of you but an open road…and maybe the occasional car that drives by to taunt you.  Just kidding – that doesn’t actually happen here.  On the contrary, the people in Minneapolis are extremely supportive and health-conscious, and as such the Twin Cities were recently named the healthiest and fittest cities in America!  I’m glad to be a part of that statistic.  Getting back to the point, the workout went well and I’m happy to report that my fitness is coming back around.  Our patience since the accident seems to be paying off, and now I just can’t wait to get back into racing!

After the workout and a quick shower back home, I headed over to the St. Paul side of the river to man the LifeTime Fitness/LifeTime Run Club Booth at the Race Expo.  While I was there, I signed autographs and chatted with passers-by who really impressed me with their stories and varied backgrounds that led them to run the marathon, 10 mile, 10k, or 5k.  To see such unique people all united by their love of running was truly inspiring – more on this in a minute.

From the LifeTime Booth, I went straight to the elite athlete panel discussion, where I joined three of my teammates, Antonio Vega, Jon Grey, and Megan Hogan, to field a variety of questions from the public about running, training, life as a professional runner, etc.  It took us a few minutes to get warmed up to the crowd and vice versa, but once we got going the time flew by!  We started to get into a groove and I, for one, did not want it to come to an end, but alas, we had another event to get to – the VIP Reception hosted by Twin Cities in Motion.

I was excited at the chance to be able to attend such an event for the 30^th running of the Medtronic TC Marathon, where my teammates and I would be mingling with sponsors, community partners, Charter Club Members (those who’d run all 29 previous marathons), elite athletes, and race officials.  There aren’t very many races that put on something like this, but others should take notice of how exceptionally well-organized all of the events were this weekend, and it should be their goal to emulate that success.

Sheesh – and to think that was all on Friday!  On Saturday morning, I was up bright and early to help with the 10k, 5k, and family events that encompassed a mile, half-mile, and diaper dash.  Several of us were running back and forth between the start line, where we led warm-ups for the little ones, and the finish line, where we placed medals around the necks of anyone under 18 years old who finished one of the races.  This was by far the most profound part of the weekend for me and was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever seen.  Aside from watching kids as young as three years old finishing a 5k with their parents, I also watched people from all walks of life cross the finish line and burst into tears at their accomplishment.  Parents and their children embraced, siblings celebrated, friends exclaimed their support for one another, and the general atmosphere was beyond incredible.  Whether it was their first race or their 50^th, these people were rightfully proud of what they’d done for themselves or for the organizations they were running to support.  In fact, I’m almost moved to tears as I sit here writing about it (I’ve got that feeling in the back of my throat – you know the one I’m talking about).  Whatever their reasons for running may have been, I feel honored to have been able to witness their experience with them.

Next up, the elite technical meeting for the USA 10 Mile Championship.  Though I wasn’t competing, I went for the experience and also to meet with a potential sponsor, who will remain nameless for the time being (but I will say that our meeting went very well!).  I have been to a couple of technical meetings in the past for the USA Cross Country Championship in San Diego, CA and the USA 15K Championship in Jacksonville, FL, so I knew what to expect.  It lasted about a half-hour, during which the race director mainly discussed logistics of the race and details pertaining to the elite athletes.  It may seem strange, but considering I have such a detail-oriented, Type-A personality, I rather enjoyed learning about all of the specific components behind-the-scenes that would enable a smooth execution on race morning.

Then, finally, as if it would never come, Sunday was race morning.  I was up at 4 and out of the house by 5:30 to go to the elite athlete gathering area with my teammates to run with them and wish them luck before their race.  After joining them for a few miles on the warm-up, I went to the 8-mile mark to watch and cheer them on.  Why the 8-mile mark?  No, it had nothing to do with the Eminem song or movie by the same name, but it coincides with the 24-mile mark of the marathon, so it’s a great spot to watch both races without exhausting yourself to get from point to point.  It also happens to be where the Twin Cities Running Company, affectionately known as TCRC, parks their RV for the annual race day festivities.  They occupy the same cheering zone every year to … well … cheer and also to serve breakfast (waffles, fruit, a variety of baked goods, etc.) throughout the morning for runners and spectators.  Could there be a better spot to hang out for 6 or 7 hours on a Sunday morning?  I think not.  Spending time at this particular spot was reminiscent of my college days when I would spend hours in the dining hall on Sunday mornings as my teammates trickled in from finishing their long runs.  Oh geez, now I’ve got myself feeling nostalgic.

After supporting the 4-hour plus marathoners as they stampeded through the streets of St. Paul, I called it a day and went back to the house for a long run of my own – not quite a marathon that day for me, but don’t worry, I’ll get around to that soon.

You might think that I would follow up such an eventful weekend with a laid-back, nothing-planned kind of weekend, but that’s not really my style.  My parents are flying out here to Minnesota from Annapolis – their first visit to the Twin Cities – so I have to be sure to show them a good time!  We’ll be going to see my new apartment that I will hopefully be in by the end of this month (it’s right on Lake Harriet), we’ll be going car shopping, and who knows what else we’ll get into.  I hear the apple picking is pretty sweet this time of year

Until next time,

ML

-Henry David Thoreau

I guess that’s just another way to say that the bad comes with the good, don’t you think?  So far 2011 has not been a great year for me.  One might say that I’ve had some misfortune.

August 20 was not a good day for me.  I was 95 miles into my first week of workouts under my new coach with Team USA Minnesota, Dennis Barker, and the task on this particular morning was 18 miles with 15 of them at a pace of about 5:15 per mile.  Sadly, despite the fact that I was feeling great and gaining momentum with every passing mile, at approximately 8:57 am, I was struck by a black SUV.  I was 11 miles into my run on the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail.

In the weeks since the incident, I’ve been incessantly recounting what I can, which truthfully isn’t much.  I remember about 20 seconds before I got to the road, but I have no recollection of seeing the road or knowing that I was approaching it.  I remember seeing a flash of the car to my right before it hit me – that’s how I knew it was a black SUV.  Then I remember waking up in the ambulance some time later.  Interestingly, though I don’t recall being conscious while I was lying on the road causing a traffic jam, I was able to give a witness my mom’s cell phone number, which allowed her and the rest of my family to get to me before I was taken to shock trauma.

After the accident, I was unable to run or exercise in any way, shape, or form for two weeks due to my TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and some bleeding in my brain that concerned my doctors.  This was the worst part of the whole ordeal.  I had already taken time off after my disappointing track season and was looking forward to my Fall racing schedule, especially once I realized how fit I was getting (I’d also been looking forward to racing on the roads since the few road races I competed in during the Fall of 2009).  However, rather than focusing on what I couldn’t do, I reminded myself every minute of how incredibly lucky I was (and am) that I was (and am) still able to run.  As I sit here one month and 5 days removed from that fateful morning, I continue to count my blessings and be thankful that I was not more seriously injured.

One major blessing I’ve had the fortune of receiving is Team USA Minnesota.  I’ve become part of a close-knit family here where everyone is extremely supportive.  Just last night, a bunch of us got together for a bonfire at Cole and Meghan Armstrong Peyton’s house.  Combine a cool Fall evening with a warm fire, s’mores (even gluten free ones!), and friends – could it get much better than that?!

In addition to my new team, I’ve also been able to explore the seemingly limitless resources Team USA Minnesota offers its athletes.  In the past week alone, I’ve seen a doctor, a chiropractor, a physical therapist, and a massage therapist, and I’ve been using an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill, an underwater treadmill, and most recently an ElliptiGO.

My new coach has also been great in making sure that I am clear of any complications that have arisen from the accident.  In fact, he encouraged me to take advantage of many of those resources I just listed so we could work together to carefully create a training plan that will get me back to racing without resulting in injury.  Our patience appears to be paying off, and now that I’ve been running again for a few weeks, I can tell that my fitness is coming back around.  Workouts are going well, my flexibility and core strength are improving, and I’m feeling more and more confident about racing again, hopefully soon.

From me to you until next time, happy running!  Be safe!

ML

I received a message yesterday from a visitor to my website named Andrew asking me how I managed to rise to the upper echelon of the NCAA and secure a contract to run professionally based on what I’d run in high school.  Since it’s a question I hear pretty frequently, I decided it would be a good idea to address it here.

To start off, the first time I ever really considered myself an athlete was in the Fall of 2002 when I was a rising freshman at Broadneck High School in Maryland.  Sure, I had been playing sports for years – I started soccer and baseball at age 5, basketball at 5 or 6, swimming at 8, etc. – but I reached a new level of commitment that summer when I was faced with the increased academic demands I was about to take on as a high schooler.  I chose to continue to pursue soccer and year-round swimming as two of my top priorities and met for practice 6 days per week for each, compared to once or twice per week prior to high school.  Shortly thereafter, I joined a nationally-ranked travel soccer team and the track team to stay in shape during the off-season.  With most of my time being consumed by soccer and track, swimming fell by the wayside and was relegated to a summer-only sport.

Because of the explosive speed I needed on the soccer field, my focus in track became the sprinting events from 55m to 300m.  I wasn’t exactly what you would call “successful” in these events but I discovered that I loved to run.  My sophomore year, a scrawny little freshman named Matthew Centrowitz joined the soccer team, but we found that we were having more fun running for punishment than we were playing soccer.  Nonetheless, we still thought of it as our “Fall sport” and track as our “Winter and Spring sport.”  That year, I moved up to cover distances ranging from 400-800m, and though I still had little success, I realized that the more I ran the happier I became.  As my junior year approached, Matthew and I were dreading playing soccer for another year, so instead we tried out for the cross country team, wondering if we’d make it (despite the fact that we heard our coach wouldn’t cut you unless you walked).  We went on to be County, Region, and State Champions two years in a row (the next time I’m back home in Annapolis, I’ll pull out and post some great old pictures of us together).  “Hmm… maybe I’m better suited for longer distances,” I thought.

I continued to move up in distance throughout my junior and senior years, committed to run for University of Richmond, and graduated in 2006 with personal bests of 2:00 for 800m, 4:24 for 1,600m, and 9:44 for 3,200m.

Now that you know how I gradually became a distance runner, rather than going year-by-year through college, I’ll talk about my holistic approach that has allowed me to progress consistently and helped me to earn a professional contract with Team USA Minnesota (in no particular order):

1.  Health and Consistency in training.  In my opinion, this is the most important principle of competitive running.  You won’t have the chance to be successful if your training is frequently interrupted by injuries.  Therefore, you’ll need to discern what your body needs in order to stay healthy and injury-free.  The often-mentioned “base” is not built over a few weeks or months, but rather through years of dedication and lots and lots of miles.  And yes, this even includes running when it’s cold outside (sorry, Northerners).  If you make excuses not to run, don’t complain when your results aren’t what you want them to be.
2. Rest. Without rest, your body loses its ability to repair muscles after harder efforts.  This is one principle that took me years to truly understand.  I always thought that if I ran myself into the ground every day, I’d have to improve eventually, right?  Wrong.  Going down that path will more than probably end in injury, impeding your ability to follow Principle #1 above.  Let your body recover with scheduled easy runs and plenty of sleep and you should start seeing improvements.
3. Remember the purpose of each of your runs.  Have a reason to be doing every run or workout and think about it during that session.  Just as hard days should be hard, easy days should be easy.  If you’re not sure why you’re doing a particular workout, ask your coach.
4. Nutrition and hydration.  This principle is ignored even by professional runners, but it should not be overlooked.  Once a Runner by John Parker popularized the belief that “If the furnace is hot enough, it will burn anything,” suggesting that it doesn’t matter what you consume if you are working out hard enough.  However, I disagree.  As a general rule, try to stay away from processed foods as much as possible.  Not sure how?  This family took on a challenge not to eat processed foods for 100 days, and it has since become their new way of life.  Their website offers great information and advice on eating a well-balanced diet that does not include processed foods.  As for liquids, most people live in a constant state of dehydration – don’t let yourself be one of them.  My drink of choice?  Water.
5. Work on your flexibility.  There is an ongoing debate surrounding when it is best to stretch, but personally, I stretch before and after every run.  I use Active Isolated Stretching before and many of the same stretches after, but I hold them longer to get a deeper stretch.
6. Follow a strength training program that works for you.  If implemented properly, a strength training program can certainly improve performance, but perhaps the more important role it plays is keeping you injury-free (again, see Principle #1). Notice that I did not say that it has to be a “weight training program.”  There is a difference, albeit subtle.  Strength training, while it may include lifting weights, may also be based on a foundation of body-weight exercises, resistance training, core conditioning, etc.  Also remember that your core is not limited to your abs; instead it can be defined as all of the muscular anatomy that controls and supports your spine and pelvis (and by some also extends to your shoulders and knees).  A simple search on the Internet will give you plenty of options for strengthening your core.  I to try to find different exercises to add to my repertoire every time I prepare for a core session.
7. Confidence in your training and in yourself.  If you don’t believe in your training, then chances are you won’t execute well when the time comes to race.  Believe in all of the miles and hard work you’ve put in, believe in your coach’s ability to coach you, and most importantly, believe in yourself.

This is by no means an all-inclusive list of running principles nor do I suggest this is the secret formula to running well.  However, it reflects my opinion on some of the things that have worked to advance my career thus far.  For more running tips, visit:

Running Times Magazine

Competitor Magazine

Runner’s World

Thanks again to Andrew for the idea for the post!

ML

Well, after having my future up in the air for the past few months since graduating from college, I’m finally starting to get all of my ducks in a row – err…spiders in a web?  I’ll get right to the point first and then I’ll back-track a little bit.  Drum roll please…..

I have officially signed a contract with Team USA Minnesota and I will be moving to the Twin Cities in less than two weeks!

Okay, now for the back-tracking.  In my last post, I wrote about the RunPro Camp/Conference that I attended a few weeks ago.  It took place in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and after getting a taste for the area, I knew I wanted to go back for more.  That’s why I submitted my application to Team USA Minnesota the minute I returned to Maryland, hoping that I would be invited for an official visit.  It would be much like the college recruiting visits that I went on 6 years ago – has it really been THAT long?!

Just a few days later, I received an email from the President of the training center, Pat Goodwin, saying that they would like to set up a visit.  YES!  One step closer to figuring out my future!

I took that visit last weekend and I loved every minute of it.  I went from Friday to Monday, giving me the chance to get to know the team, the coach, and the area and to see if it was a good fit for me.  As I’d predicted a few weeks ago, I immediately felt very comfortable and welcomed, and perhaps more importantly, I was able to envision myself being happy there.

Over the course of the weekend, I toured the team’s facilities, went to an outdoor concert and an art fair, had a barbecue with the team and some of their friends, got to know Minneapolis (and saw some phenomenal views of the city) – oh, and we made sure to get in a bit of running, too!  It was a great weekend and I came away from it with a great feeling.  Doesn’t get much better than that!

Next up, I’ll be moving to Minnesota in less than two weeks and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity!

Until next time,
ML

As you probably already know, I graduated in May and finished my collegiate eligibility a few weeks ago, and even though time since then seems to have frozen, it’s actually been flying by faster than usual!  Each day begins and ends with a mixed combination of running, swimming, and strength training and is filled in between with the Food Network, HGTV, photography, projects around the house, and a variety of other activities that keep me busy.

This past weekend, I occupied some of that free time by attending the first-ever RunPro Camp hosted by Team USA Minnesota and USA Track & Field.  According to the RunPro.com website, “the purpose of the RunPro Camp is to personally connect aspiring professional runners with the resources necessary to pursue a professional running career.”  While a lot of the information that was presented over the course of the 4 days may be available if you know where to look and who to ask, having it all packaged and offered in the way that it was is an invaluable resource.

It’s only been a little over a month since I finished running collegiately, and it is already very obvious to me that if I want to succeed in this sport, I’ll need to have the support and resources that this camp helped to explain.  The camp gave all of us the opportunity to create a network of other runners in similar situations as ourselves, get information on training centers and coaches, learn about sponsorship requirements, determine the appropriate approach to representation, become familiar with USATF, and find out about elite race recruitment.  In addition, it provided sessions on health care, drug testing, community involvement, and finances and taxes framed specifically for runners.  As you can see, it was a packed couple of days with very little down time!  Anyone who may have been struggling on their own not really sure of how to navigate the world of professional running is now well-equipped with all of the information they need to chase their dreams.  Personally, the camp made me realize how feasible running can be as a profession if you have the sincere desire to pour your heart and soul into it.

The 21 runners in attendance this weekend all show real promise for success in the professional realm, whether that may be in the shorter, mid-distance track races, on the road running circuit, or in cross-country competitions.  Wherever we’re heading, we all know one thing – we’re not ready to give up on our dreams of making it to the next level.  In order to get there, we need to take accountability for our own careers and make it happen, because nobody is going to hand it to us.

Before I sign off, I’d like to thank Team USA Minnesota and USATF for all of the hard work that they put into making this camp a reality.  What they are doing for the state of running in the US is undeniable and I feel honored to be a part of the first camp designed to ease the transition into professional running.

Stay safe running in this heat!

ML

This past weekend was a great one for the University of Richmond Track & Field team.  Ten of us competed in the NCAA East Region Championships in Bloomington, Indiana in different events: the 10k (Julie and me), 5k (Andrew, Nicol, Amy, Jill), 3k steeplechase (Andrew, Nicol, Jenn), hammer throw (Meaghan), discus (Monica), and javelin (Heather).  Everyone competed hard and even though some people may not have had their best days, our team was able to get five people through to the NCAA Championships, to be held next week in Des Moines, Iowa and hosted by Drake University.  Those five were Heather (javelin), Andrew (steeple), Nicol (steeple), Amy (5k), and me (10k).

As for my race, by Thursday (race day), I found myself slightly apprehensive, yet still confident at the same time.  I was 4th at this meet last year and went on to place 9th at the NCAA Championships, and I knew I was capable of qualifying again and hopefully I will improve my place this year to get on the podium in the final round.

After being taken to the line and doing a few strides, the gun sounded and we were off.  I had almost forgotten how hectic it can be when you put 48 people on the starting line!  We jostled for positions for about 200 meters, at which point I settled into about 5th place and stayed there for most of the race.  Going into the final lap, I knew I was in a group of ten so there was no need to kill myself over the last 400 meters and I was able to qualify comfortably in 8th place.  The goal going into the weekend was just to get through this round, and I was able to do that, which meant I got to spend the rest of the weekend relaxing and watching my teammates compete!  I was even able to spend a few hours by the pool while there was a break in the competition schedule.

I’m extremely excited to represent University of Richmond in my final collegiate track race next week in Des Moines, and I’ll continue to post updates here on the website so you can join me in my final weeks competing for UR!

Below I’ve attached a few photos courtesy of Mike Scott

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Happy running!

ML