Making the Transition to College Running

As I'm sure is obvious, running in college isn't exactly identical to the high school running experience.  For one thing, you don't see nearly as many pairs of Jesus sandals at a track meet and that is a huge culture shock.  So, dear readers, because I love you, I'm going to share some of the biggest adjustments/differences that I experienced so that you can mentally prepare for them.  Or if you're already a seasoned college athlete, I guess you can just laugh at my struggles.
Perhaps the most glaring difference that every wide-eyed new freshman will take note of is the difference in length of the championship races.  For the women, we only move up by 1k.  The poor guys have to run the 10k, which is double what they had to run in high school.  Neither one of these transitions really makes sense to me, and telling strangers your 6k time isn't nearly as satisfying.  They just sort of squint at you and go, "So...is that good or...?"  And you won't even know how to answer them because it's a 6k and you have absolutely no idea what is going on so you're in the same boat.  #FreeThe5k2k16
Racing itself is a big adjustment.  Freshman year in high school, I was just the gawky new kid who only owned two sports bras and felt awkward wearing spandex, so I didn't have many expectations for myself going into races and finished in the top 100 at bigger meets felt like a pretty big deal.  As time when on and I started actually caring about running, I began expecting to finish higher at these meets.  My junior and senior years, I placed top 10 in both Bob Firman and NXR, and finished in the top 50 at NXN.  So, this year, when I was back in the middle of the pack at pre-nationals, conference, and region, it was a little bit weird.  I just have to keep reminding myself that it's exactly where I started when I was in high school, and that I just have to keep moving up from here.
As far as pre-meet stuff with the team goes, it's entirely different.  Gone are the days of the coaches vs athletes laser tag battles and the post-race Krispy Kreme eating competitions on the men's team.  Because traveling is focused entirely on the race, you usually arrive and leave with only the time you need to prepare for and run the race.  Occasionally if there is extra time, you might go sightseeing or walk around the city, but you definitely don't go to theme parks anymore.  Team apparel is also very different.  Showing up to a meet looking like you were dressed by a blind homeless man is a big no-no in college, especially since you actually have matching team gear.  That has been a bonus, since my high school team only started getting matching warm-ups my junior year.  Also, mismatched uniforms are a thing of the past because you are sponsored by one brand and one brand only instead of piecing together uniforms out of the several you've had over the years in high school.  During the races themselves, there are far fewer team moms cheering for you, mostly because the team moms all live in different states.
When you go to college, you actually have to lift and do core.  Once upon a time, when my high school coaches would tell me I had to actually pick up weights in order for my time in the weight room to count, I would chuckle at their audacity and turn back to my conversation with my teammates.  Core was like church for a nonactive Christian-I would do it on Easter and Christmas, and sometimes when I felt like I needed a miracle.  Now it's required and my whole body is furious with me for not being more responsible before.  And ignoring an injury until it goes away doesn't work.  You get in trouble with the athletic trainers if you wait a month before going in to talk to them.  Sry, guys.
Finally and most unfortunately, you have to get your ferritin levels checked before every competition season.  When I heard that, my brain processed it a little differently as "You have to get a massive needle stuck in your arm and your precious red blood cells drained before every competition season."  I don't like blood draws in the slightest.  I don't handle them well.  I see a needle and revert back to three years old.  And the nurses all expect a mature adult when I walk in because I'm 18 years old, so they no longer offer me the pinwheel to blow on and distract myself from the stabbing.  The last time I had to get a blood draw for the indoor season, I got myself incredibly worked up before it.  The lady who stole my blood was incredibly unsympathetic and did not have any pity for my plight.  As soon as I saw the needle, I broke out in a cold sweat and stared determinedly at the opposite wall.  And like the brave little warrior I was, I passed out in the waiting room on the way out.  I'm hoping that technology will come up with a way to do all of these tests without all of the needles before outdoor season rolls around.
Needles and adjustments aside, my first season of competition has been great.  Having supportive teammates and coaches who helped me every step of the way was wonderful, and I look forward to the rest of my career at MSU.  #blessed

Using Athletics as a Justification

I've noticed a startling new habit in myself as of late.  It started around the beginning of my junior year in high school when I got really serious about running.  Anytime I needed an excuse for something, I turned to athletics.  GPA not quite where your mom wanted it?  It's because you're an athlete.  How can you be expected to run and do homework?  Did you eat something that was supposed to be for a special occasion?  You were probably blinded by your intense need for calories.  Is this the second week in a row that you've been wearing running tights?  Well, you just have so many of them and it hardly makes sense for you to keep changing back and forth between jeans and running tights when you're doing two-a-days.
Here is how a typical conversation with me might go when I've done something wrong:
"Lyssa, you slept in until 1..."
"I'm an athlete."
"Hey uhm, that cake was for everyone."
"I'm an athlete."
"So that assignment was due two weeks ago."
"Sorry, I'm an athlete."
"Just how long has it been since you took a shower or brushed your hair?"
"Don't ask silly questions, I'm an athlete."
And so on and so forth.  I have a very real problem.  I'm sure there will come a day when I'm more mature and I don't say things like, "Well, I already have 10 pairs of running tights, but I am a runner and I do go to school in Montana, so I should probably buy these.  They're on sale anyway!", but it will probably not be for quite some time.

Region and Season Recap

Before I get started with this post, I would like to apologize for the extended absence between posts.  I had a lot of angst about the end of my season and I was simply not in the mood to talk about it yet.  

Region this year was in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The course was fairly similar to the NXN Southwest course, with the biggest differences being that it was a 6k instead and it never really leveled out-you were either going up or down a slope the entire time.  This was nice on the downhills, but the uphills were not a good time.  I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this race since the conference meet didn't go all that well, and I was still having a lot of ups and downs in workouts.  My left hamstring had been giving me a lot of trouble, and I was just hoping it wouldn't lock up again like it did in Cedar City.  

The race went out fast, and honestly most of it is a blur at this point.  I remember the first half going well, then that all-too familiar "Oh no" feeling settling in around mile two.  I ended up finishing 51st with a time that was about a minute slower than I ran at pre-nats.  Since it was my first year competing on a D1 level, I wasn't too broken up about the way I placed, although I was definitely a little disappointed.  I came in with some big goals this year, and I still intend to pursue them through track.  

Yesterday, after my first week back easy running following the one-week break I took after region, I thought it might be wise to talk to the trainers, since my left hamstring was still bothering me after the break.  I was told that I have a strained hamstring, and probably have since conference.  For a full recovery, it could take between 4-6 weeks.  It was good to find out exactly why I was having so much trouble at the last two meets, although it was incredibly frustrating as well.  

The team will be having our first indoor track competition this Saturday at our Blue-Gold intersquad meet.  It should be fun to see where everyone is at right now and lace up our track spikes again.  The nice thing about competing in track at the college level is that most of the distances will be the same as or slightly shorter than what I competed in high school.  Also, I won't have to worry about a hilly course for the next nine months or so.