Simplot Games

This weekend was the 37th annual Simplot Games.  Since I haven't raced since Nike Nationals back in December, my coach thought it would be a good idea to get one indoor race in before the outdoor season started as a way to get used to racing again.  We also thought it would be best not to do the entire indoor racing circuit, as racing from January to the end of May has often left me overtrained and worn out in the past.  Simplot is the last big indoor meet I could do without a qualifying time from previous indoor meets, and it is about a month from my first outdoor meet, so it seemed like the perfect way to get back into racing before Chandler Rotary.

I haven't done too much speed work yet, so I registered for the 3200m.  Prelims were on Thursday night, so I drove down with my family and J-cub that morning.  I did plenty of knitting on the drive down, along with a little napping and watching of movies.  My race was around 6 and I had too much time on my hands to stress about the fact that I hadn't raced in several months and wonder if I would qualify for finals or not.  When we got into the bull pen, I chattered obnoxiously at all of the girls in there and said I needed to pee probably ten times.  The race itself wasn't bad at all.  I was just aiming to get into finals, so I didn't have to push myself too hard.  It was 16 laps, as the track was only 200 meters, and that was a bit mentally taxing.  The air at indoor tracks is typically dry, and this was no exception.  Other than that, it was nice to race again.  The pace was faster than I had gone for my tempo runs in practice, but it felt much better.  It's always great to run with other people.
I didn't have to race at all on Friday, so my teammates, family, J-cub and I went to the awkward little mall in Pocatello and to a movie.  Most of them went to McFarland, which made me intensely jealous, as I went to Jupiter Ascending with J-cub and my sister instead-she is a dancer, and I didn't think she could take any more running references for the weekend.
Finals were today, one of the last events of the meet.  I definitely went out too fast for the first mile, but I was still very pleased with how the race went overall, considering the fact that it was my first meet in several months and I had to run a decent speed 3200 two days before to get into finals.  I ended up taking fourth and medaling, which was totally amazing.  I've never medaled at Simplot before, and it was a great feeling.

How College Recruiting Helped Me Transition Into Adulthood

Wow, that title was a mouthful.
Anyway.  The fall of my junior year, I began my journey into the college recruiting process with an email from Coach Weese at Montana State.  I had received letters previously, but they didn't seem quite as serious, as they were all the generic letters that colleges send out to long lists of high school athletes.  This was my very own personalized message from a coach who actually wanted me to come to his school.  It was definitely a very interesting process.  I had to learn how to talk to coaches, and how to reject coaches from colleges I had no interest in-that was probably the hardest part.  It was completely different from talking to high school coaches.  With high school, you just get what you get.  With college, it's like a choose your own adventure book.
For most of my junior year, I was in contact with several different coaches.  Jim told me that it was best to get to know coaches early on so that you can establish a relationship with them, and better choose which will be the best fit for you when the time comes to pick one college.  Come July 1st before your senior year, coaches can start calling you.  The most stressful thing about that day for me was trying to talk to coaches I'd never spoken to before.  It's much easier talking on the phone with those you've already been in contact with for some time.  I also had home visits from three different coaches.  They all presented great things about their colleges, and made my decision even harder.
By last fall, I had my choices narrowed down to three, and it was time to take official visits to their campuses.  My first visit didn't feel quite as serious, as I went with my dad, and it was only a few hours from my house.  It felt more like my home visits did, fairly laid back.  I got to meet the team, and visit with some academic advisors, as well as go for a few runs to see how I would like training there, but for the most part, it was more like a family trip than an actual college experience.
My second and fourth visits were probably what made me feel most like an adult.  It was the first time I had traveled anywhere completely alone, and was out in the world without my parents or teammates.  I was having what felt like a college experience, and I was able to actually envision myself at the schools.  I got to converse with advisors and coaches on my own, and feel like I was more of an adult than a child sitting in a high school being instructed on how to make my future.  It was awesome.

Anti-Pickup Lines For Female Runners

If you are a female runner, chances are you've been catcalled, whistled at, shouted at, and/or leered creepily at at some point or another.  Much as I wish it wasn't true, this is often something that simply comes with the sport (as well as several others).  Since we as a sport wear fairly limited clothing most of the time, cut for speed, breathability, and movability, it leaves us open to unwanted remarks from fellow pedestrians and those obnoxious kids who sit in the back row of your English class.  Our very sport leaves us open to comments about our sanity, and what exactly we think we're doing.  So, I've composed a list of ways to respond to tacky pickup lines on the run, as well as frustrating commentary from those you share the sidewalk with.
Pedestrian:  "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" *high fives from other eight grade boys*
You:  "Hopefully the Olympics." *high fives self and runs away*

Pedestrian:  "What's the rush?"  *sips soda beckons you in to their sedentary ways*
You:  *stops and explains that you are doing an interval workout, with a pace that will hopefully bring you closer to your goal of x:xx.x in the mile, and runs away, leaving them baffled*

Pedestrian:  "Nice shirt.  Where's the other half?"
You:  "I sold it to the devil in exchange for my PR in the 3200."

Pedestrian:  "You're crazy!"
You:  ...There really is no disputing this.

Pedestrian:  "Nice bum!"
You:  "Thank you, I made it myself." *runs away and calls the cops*

Random Driver:  *barks*
You:  *wonders why Kearns is so weird*

Pedestrian:  "Bro, do you even lift?"
You:  "Yes, though my workouts are meant to tone my muscles rather than increase their size.  You see, as a distance runner, I need to be small and lithe rather than bulky and swole."

Songs Worth Running To

Since I run on my own several times a week, I've found different ways to keep myself entertained, especially for longer runs.  Sometimes I watch Netflix on the treadmill, and sometimes I simply daydream or ponder life.  Most often, though, I listen to music.  The best feeling on a long run is when you reach the seven mile mark of a ten mile, with motivation flagging and thoughts wandering to the things you could be doing at home, and your favorite running song comes on.  For myself, running with music can often help me to stay excited and pretend that I'm in a Nike commercial or something.  It also probably makes me look like a goon at times, especially when a good song comes on and I start grinning.  (Or grimacing in a manner that could almost resemble a smile)

One of my favorite artists to run to is definitely Betty Who.  Her music often has a kind of light, dreamy feel, but still has a good beat.  Her songs are the type that you can't help singing to.  The most recent album, Take Me When You Go, has definitely been the best so far.  (Fair warning, you may want to seek out a radio edit).  The Betty Who station on Pandora is also typically great for running to.

Pros and Cons of Running With Other Humans

Over the summer, I was (and still am) on my own training schedule.  Often, since it didn't line up with the high school's training schedule, this meant I would be running on my own.  Several weeks into the summer, I finally got a chance to run with another human being, and I can honestly say I have never appreciated it as much as I did that day.  I had forgotten how much more relaxed a long run can be when you have someone beside you chatting about life, goals, plans for the future, and what you watched on Netflix last night.  I didn't think about that experience much until today, when I got to trade 8 miles on the treadmill watching Bones for 8 miles outdoors running with one of my best friends after I bumped into him in the hall.  So, here they are.  The pros and cons of running with and without people.

Pros of Running Alone:
-You have time to think deep thoughts.  Some of the most amazing epiphanies I've ever had have come while I was out alone on a trail somewhere, pondering the meaning of life.  Some people swear by yoga for meditation, but for me, it's always been all about running.
-If you desperately need to pee in the middle of a run and there are no bathrooms around, you don't have to worry about accidentally mooning a friend.
-If you're having a bad day for running, you don't have to beat yourself up trying to keep up with them, or get frustrated when you can't.  You can just take it easy.
-You can listen to music without getting in trouble with anyone.

Pros of Running With People:
-You can talk about just about anything.  While I've had some amazing epiphanies alone, I've also had many a great conversation while running with friends.  You don't truly know a person until you've spent ten sweaty miles with them just saying whatever comes into your head.  And when you need to vent about something, venting to someone while running is scientifically proven to be at least 500% more efficient.  (Or something like that)
-If you desperately need to pee in the middle of the run with no bathroom in sight, you can have your friends stand guard on the trail and make sure you don't accidentally moon a stranger.  (Which is much worse than mooning a teammate)
-You have people to help push you during workouts.  If you've never attempted an interval workout alone, try it sometime.  It feels much easier when you have several people who run your pace pushing you to do your best, and making sure you don't go too fast or too slow.
-You can make some really good friends when you run with people.

Running and People

When you really like to run, you tend to get a lot of opportunities to meet some really amazing people.  Fortunately, I'm one of those lucky few who gets to meet and compete without some of the best kind of people out there.  Thanks to running, I've met a lot of great human beings over the years.
It all started for me freshman year.  I was a lowly transfer student with few friends, and the only thing I really had was running.  I was still fairly shy with my own teammates, though, and it wasn't until the first outdoor track meet that they heard me really speak for the first time.  After that, I became great friends with all of them, and found my voice.  They taught me to be myself, even if not everyone around me likes the person I am.

Me and the seniors, homecoming 2013

Some of the best friends I've ever had were made because of running my sophomore year.  Alli, Sarah and Maddie were all in my grade, and they were on the team as well.  I went to Footlocker and ended up rooming with Alli and Sarah.  That weekend, Alli broke the toilet within five minutes of arriving, we all got Ramen noodles from the vending machine and had to resort to using pencils as chopsticks for them, and Alli got violently ill in the middle of the night.  We somehow ended up in the same jewelry class together, and spent most of our days clowning around and trying unsuccessfully to make something cool.  The closest we ever came was making pendants that read "PCXC YOLO SWAG", which we wore with great pride.  There are some things you just can't live through together and not end up friends.  Maddie C. (Not to be confused with the Maddie W. mentioned earlier) also transferred to Park City from Judge Memorial that year, and in her, I found a true friend who supported me through the good times and the bad.  Annie, Ali and Emily were the seniors that year, and they were also people who I always knew I could go to.  They were the best examples of leadership and caring, and they are the people that I strive to be like this year for my own underclassmen.  They were all there for me, whether I had a good race or a bad.

Alli and Me (and our matching shark shirts)

Outside of my own team, I also had wonderful opportunities to meet people.  Junior year, I was privileged enough to go to NXN.  Unfortunately, since it was one of the first times I had ever traveled without my team or any close friends, I didn't get to know many of the girls there as well as I would have liked-I'm actually a very awkward human being sometimes if you meet me in person, and I have a hard time being social on first encounter.  (Probably another reason why meeting all of these people is good for me).  I also became good friends with another Utah competitor, Lucy Biles, last year.  We both raced Arcadia and Great Southwest during track, and I got the chance to know her a little better than I had previously.

Maddie and me rebelling at regionals 2014

I think this year was the best of all to meet people so far.  My friend Courtney and I both qualified for NXN, and got to room together.  She's really an amazing girl, and she's one of the kindest people I know.  Since she is good friends with the Davis team, I also got to know some of them a little better.  I even owe my relationship with Jacob to running, in a way.  One day at Nike, he asked if he could have my number so we could go for a run together, and he's been my favorite running partner ever since.  (Even if he does whine about running sometimes.)

Sometimes he even admits to knowing me in public

Team Camp 2014

Finally, my coaches.  I've been blessed to have several men and women in my life who care enough about me to want to help me advance in my running career.  Steve and Wyant were my coaches freshman year, and they were the ones who got me really hooked on running.  Steve was encouraging, always pushing me to reach not just for a better time, but for a better self.  He believed in me and my abilities far before I believed in myself.  Wyant was one who kept me excited about running, and hungry to do better.  If a competitor ever caught me, he would push me to train through it and aim to catch them at the next race.  Miller came into my life sophomore year, and became much like family to me.  He was the type of coach that I felt comfortable talking to about anything.  When I had a bad race, or even just a bad day, I always knew I could go to his room and cry to him about whatever was bothering me.  To this day, he remains a huge influence in my life.  And then there's Jim.  He offered to help with my training after I had a rough ending to my sophomore year, and I owe much of my success to him.  Not only is he a brilliant athletic trainer with countless accolades and experience working with athletes far more capable than I am, he is a kind coach.  Some coaches get their athletes to work harder by abusing them, by telling them that they can't do something and hoping they'll try to prove them wrong, or by pitting teammates against each other.  Not him.  He has several degrees in athletic training and exercise science, and he has done the research to know what methods benefit the athlete best.  He has always known what I was capable of far before I realized myself, and he helps me to reach any goals I set for myself.  Whenever I am unsure of myself or my abilities, he is there to remind me of all the work I have put in, and let me know where I stand.  Not everyone is lucky enough to have such influential people in their lives, but running has been kind enough to place them in mine.

The Southwestern Sasquatches, NXN 2014

I look forward so much to meeting everyone else that there is to meet through running.  I'm already excited to meet my teammates at Montana State, and get to know all of them better.  I love what running does for me, and the opportunities it gives me.

Eating Healthy

If you asked one of my friends or coaches about my eating habits, they would probably laugh.  I definitely do not have the stereotypical distance athlete's diet.  My idea of the perfect snack is Kit-Kats dipped in Nutella, and I've been known to eat an entire cake by myself in a matter of hours.  Is it a delicious lifestyle?  Yes.  But will it make me a better runner?  I wish I could say yes, but alas, I haven't heard much about diabetes making one faster.
So, as of today, I've decided (or rather, re-decided) to eat healthier.  I've made this goal several times in the past, but more often then not, I end up at Smith's after a ten-mile day with my mom's credit card and a box of donuts staring me in the face.  Those must be the days of the past.  To help me in my journey to healthier eating, I've recruited my favorite training partner and best friend, Jacob.  He is under strict commands to enforce my new desire to eat better, and to not enable me to buy anything like cake or donuts when we're at the store together anymore.
Since I know I'll just end up having a crazy chocolate-binge if I quit cold turkey, I've decided to allow myself something massive and sugary once a week.  Hopefully this will be enough to keep the part of my brain that is constantly wailing, "CHOCOLATEEEEEE!" at bay.
#prayforlys2k15

My First Ten Mile

When I was younger, I used to listen to my sister talk about her long days with a mix of horror, disgust, and adoration.  Ten miles at once.  It sounded like the stuff of nightmares.  The most I had ever run at one time before entering high school was four miles.  The fact that some people even did as much as six was astonishing to me.  The summer before my freshman year, I got up to eight, but never attempted the timed ten-mile that my older teammates did every Monday.
Finally, the day came.  It was the first week back in school, and it was timed long-run day.  I hadn't hydrated at all that day, and it was about ninety degrees out.  I hadn't really planned to do ten miles, but it was a new course, and the teammates that I usually ran with were going for it.  I quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to find my way back without them, and I didn't think another two miles would be so bad.
I have never been so wrong in my whole life.
The first five miles passed without incident.  I kept up with the girls, and I didn't even drown in my own sweat.  The second five miles went somewhat less smoothly.  Suddenly, my lungs were burning and my legs no longer wished to continue.  I had to pee with an astonishing desperation.  I thought my bladder was going to explode, and I was extremely dehydrated.  I finished the run with a blazing time of 89:97.
I love looking back on this first long run every time I have a bad run or a rough race.  Since my freshman year, I have cut over twenty minutes off of my ten mile time.  It's great to see your training pay off, and to know that even if you have bad days, your hard work is still there.