Chuckles

We ran 100 meter races today as a last hoorah for the season. I can't even begin to describe how horribly they went, but they were also incredibly fun. Thanks once again, girls. In keeping with the silly attitude of today's practice, vie compiled a couple of my favorite funny running quotes. Enjoy! "The faster you run the faster you're done." "If we were playing tag, you'd be it forever." "My mascara runs faster than you..." "It's rude to count people as you pass them... Out loud." "Running is a mental sport, and we're all insane!" "If it were easy it'd be called your mom." "My sport is your sport's punishment." "Will run for chocolate." "Running: Cheaper than therapy" "I overtrain so I can overeat!" "Kick assphalt" "Your pace or mine?" "Fast girls have good times." "The faster I get there, the faster I can start eating." "See Dick Run. See Jane Run Faster." "I bust mine so I can kick yours!" "Running: Cheaper than plastic surgery." "Athletes run. Everyone else just plays games." "Why are all these people following me?" "Endorphins: Runners' drug of choice" "I found my happy pace."

After the fact

In addition to being a good competitor, all runners must learn the graceful art of losing. No matter their talent level, even the best sometimes don't come out on top. On the days when asthma acts up, pneumonia clogs the lungs, a dog dies, or it's just a plain old terrible race, it's important to remember that the competition isn't just about winning-- it's also a test of personal character, and this character shows through very distinctly in times of failure. Truly embracing the sport of running means handling a loss with poise, control, and respect. When the inevitable second place comes, a true competitor is able to gracefully accept the results. I've seen every manner of failure, from the first seed girl who drops out of the race to the struggling first-year runner frustrated at being stuck in the back of the pack. I struggle with perpetual discontent at what i feel is inadequacy, so I personally understand the inclination to yell, cry, pout, or lash out. But running is about so much more than just the act of running; it's about the mentality, the challenges, the lessons learned, the progress made. I've had some wonderful examples of gracious athletes in my time to guide me through these aspects of the sport. One graduated a couple years ago but, in the time that I knew her, taught me how to separate the athletes I knew from the competitors I saw in races. In a race, the other girls are meant to be passed, but after the race is over, they become human beings again, with thoughts, feelings, and a desire to win just like everyone else. Though they may have been competition a few short minutes prior, across the finish line they are to be respected with a handshake and a congratulations, no matter if they beat me or not. The other role model is still on my team and reminds me constantly, through not only words but also actions, that runners must have a short memory. It's okay to be disappointed but dwelling on a poor race will not help anyone. She shows me how to conduct myself in all situations and I really look up to her. Through my experience and the lessons I've learned from these girls, I've constructed some rules for myself that help me keep my emotions in check in times of disappointment. 1) The finish line is in a public place, so remember that you are being watched. Tears, while sometimes inevitable, are better shed in your own room later that night. At the very least try to postpone the waterworks until the cool down. 2) Sportsmanship is not an option, it is a requirement. You will shake hands if necessary, congratulate your competitors, and look them in the eye while doing so. This is the bare minimum requirement. 3) Don't let people know you want to beat them. This general rule encourages me to remember that after the brace, we are no longer competitors. We are all human beings with the desire to win but we also have feelings, and being competitive outside of the race can lead to really catty, hurtful behavior. 4) No passive aggressiveness, and no silent treatment. Though you may want to just curl up in a ball or hip check that annoying girl for drafting off you and then passing you at the last moment, remember that the rules are different during the race. Going into it you accepted the stakes, and you must now accept the outcome. Snarkily taking anger out on others won't change it. 5) Don't be fake. People can tell if you're blowing smoke, and finish line congratulations should be real or shouldn't be said at all. 6) Don't make excuses for a bad race. If there was legitimately something wrong, it's fine to acknowledge, but constantly blaming others or the conditions ruins your credibility and makes you seem like a whiner. It's best to accept the honest truth that not all races are perfect and it's okay to accept your own shortcomings. 7) Most importantly, have a short memory. Take a lesson from each race, but otherwise don't let one failure bring you down. It's no good to dwell on something in the past; take the energy and put it towards something useful to improve future races. I hope that someday I can follow these rules as well as the girls I run with. Graceful competition is a much more productive and enjoyable experience than poor sportsmanship, and if we could all accept a bum race and move on, the running world would be a much brighter place. I'm making a personal commitment to have a better post-race attitude because, though often overlooked, what happens after the race is as important as what happens during it.

Go pro(tein)

Whether you're a recreational runner or an Olympic athlete you should never underestimate the power of protein. This simple chain of amino acids composes not only your muscles, but also the vast majority of the rest of your body tissues. This means that in addition to helping build strong, fast muscles, protein helps maintain the entire body including nails, hair, skin, and even organs. Athletes need to consciously intake enough protein to support their trAining, a fact often overshadowed by the sheer demand for carbs. In fact, much of the benefit of a workout can be lost if adequate protein is not provided to repair muscles. The guideline is to have a good source of protein with at least 5g within an hour of working out. This way, broken down muscles can rebuild stronger. Daily, an adequate protein intake is about 25 grams, an easy target if you know where to look. The obvious choices are meats. A serving of beef, pork, turkey, or chicken all contain at least 7g of protein and are very popular and easy to get into your diet. However, for those of us who are less prone to meat, beans and legumes are a greatvplace to start. A serving of most beans contains at least 5g of protein, a very respectable amount. In addition, quinoa, tofu, and eggs all pack a protein punch. Milk contains both protein and carbs and is thus a perfect drink for after a workout. Nuts, easily eaten as trail mix, are a protein powerhouse. There are many other adventurous options for the protein conscious runner, and you don't need to buy protein bars or special supplements to hit your target. If all else fails, however, or if you're simply looking for an easy way out, a protein powder such as provasil can be quickly mixed into drinks for a shot of protein. I'm currently trying this and will report back with results. The point is, no matter where it comes from, protein helps muscles rebuild and the body keep running strong. Keep an eye out to make sure you're getting enough of it to get the most out of practices and in turn perform well in races.

The first taste of summer

Running through the dense woods of northern Minnesota, I finally hit the groove I've been looking for.  Summer running is where I excel, mostly because I enjoy it.  Memorial day at the lake signified the beginning of one of my favorite seasons, especially the time off from competition and the opportunity to enjoy wholeheartedly the opportunity to run.  The cool gray skies hung low overhead as I trekked over the rolling hills and down the twisting gravel road away from my grandpa's cabins.  The birds had just begun their morning chatter when my mom and I set out for our usual six miles.  As the clouds lifted and light began to filter through the leaves and pine needles, gaining intensity with every minute, I felt my legs waking up with the world around me.  We started out slowly, relaxed, getting into the groove between scattered bits of conversation.  It was interesting-- neither of us felt the need to talk much, only to enjoy the sound of the other's footfalls and the light tap of residual water dropping from the trees above us.  Comfortably warm and finally in my stride, we hit the turnaround point and my mom told me to go my own pace on the way back.  We've done this for a long time now, where we run together until I break off to do a bit more speed.  She likes it that way, says she doesn't want to feel like she's holding me back.  And no matter what I say about liking a conversation pace, she pushes me to push myself for the last few miles to get some real training benefit.  With this in mind, I slowly broke away, lowered my arms, sprung a bit more on the balls of my feet, and tapped into my aggressive stride.  With each half mile or so I felt better and better, progressively getting faster until I reached almost race pace for the last quarter mile.  It felt amazing to accelerate through the woods, a long and sustained run but hard at the same time.  Most cabin-goers were still comfortably tucked in their beds, dead to the world but helplessly content while I experienced the thrill of strength.  It's always invigorating to run at those times, when nobody's up save for early forest life.  The fire came back to my belly as I encountered the excitement of feeling powerful.  The runs I went on this weekend brought back another dimension to my love of the sport.  The purity and vitality, the wholeness one feels when traipsing through the woods, achievable through strong running.  This was a tiny taste of summer running, just enough to make me greedy for more.

Memorial day

I apologize for the lack of posts, I will be out of town and wonderfully isolated, but am working on a post for when I get back and have enough Internet connection time to actually post! In the meantime, celebrate America!

Coming to a close

As the season comes to a close, I would like to take a moment to recognize the amazing girls I've been running with for so many months. Many of us have been together since cross country, but no matter the timeframe, you've all made trebling, tough training more than worth it. As our coach said today, we would not all be here if not for the support and companionship of the girls surrounding us. We began the year unsure of ourselves, stepping into the shoes of those who came before us and worrying that they may not fit. In the midst of that, theree were a couple ground-shaking changes to contend with that were neither predictable nor controllable, yet we managed to take each of the turns and adapt, ultimately succeeding beyond what we ever thought possible. Then, despite the adverse conditions in our second season, we persevered and made the best of each situation. The leadership of our captains and many others kept us focused and motivated, if only for the sake of dedication and discipline. Finally, we looked ahead to this final season together. Yes, I will have another year of high school sports, but this year's experience was unique and cannot be replicated after our seniors have moved on. Faced with the final stage of a finite time together, we have embraced both eachother and the sport for what they're worth, not letting fatigue or impatience wear us down. Though I will have finished my season by this time tomorrow, those who remain will have the chance to fully realize the potential they've been honing for the past three months. I wish them all the best as they wrap up one of the craziest, most awesome years. Girls, I am so blessed to know each and every one of you. You are amazing people with great hearts. You're willing to sacrifice both for yourselves and others, keep going when the going gets tough, and encourage eachother sincerely through the whole ordeal. Though we all have our good days and bad, you are always simply there, teammates, companions, and friends, which is all I ask. Getting to know you all has been one of the best things ever to have happened to me, and I thank God that you are all in my life. Thank you for making my runs worth running and my day so much brighter. Those leaving next year, I will sorely miss you and will be rooting for you in whatever you choose to pursue. Those who remain, I'm grateful and excited to have another year to share with you. It's going to be another wonderfully hectic year in an amazing journey, but for now, I'm content with where we've arrived. I hope you are too.

Rumor has it

There's a distinct running grapevine that I've experienced morer and more this year. It started with inter-cross country relationships in the fall and has evolved into a complex network of hearsay and gossip that is facilitated by the ample time we runners have to spread the word. When not out of breath from workouts, we are constantly talk. Often, this talk centers on fellow runners. I recently heard about a certain middle school boy who has blown the competition out of the water. I initially took this to mean he could run a sub-six minute mile, and was determinedly unimpressed. However, my brother kept saying he could run under five minutes. Yeah right. But today, running 150s on the track, I saw it first-hand. This kid was running at least 100 meters in front of the pack and continued to open the gap. As I head the times announces over the speakers my jaw literally dropped and I was so distracted I missed the start of my next sprint. But seriously, this kid was good. It's funny how this runners' line of gossip travels so quickly, but also that it is relatively accurate. My theory is that there is a lot of fact checking in a big group of runners flitting down the road. We are all subconsciously listening to eachother and unafraid to pupe up or butt into another conversation to out in our two cents. This provides for a bit of accountability and really cuts down on tall tales. Also, we're all really interested in the hearsay and want to get to the bottom of it... And the actual bottom of it, the reality-- not just sensational news. This intererst crosses grade boundaries, as illustrated by this impressive middle schooler; social boundaries, because we come from many different groups; and even school boundaries, seeing as many of us keep up to date on the high profile, competitive highschoolers from our conference and section. In all, the running community is much more than just a group of individuals sharing a hobby. We all become linked incidentally though this network of athletes.