Nov. 23, 2009
This past Wednesday most of the girls cross country team left bright and early in the morning only to get on three different planes taking us to Chicago, L.A. and then finally Portland, Oregon! We spent the next two days getting used to the course, eating amazing food, exploring Portland, and enjoying time together as a team.
OK, that sounds really cliche but it’s true. Our team really gets along well and we really enjoyed every bit of our trip.
One of the highlights was on Friday night when the NAIA national banquet and character awards were held at Nike headquarters. We were able to spend time exploring the incredible campus that has gorgeous buildings and amazing facilities.
We then had a dinner and after the awards were given we were privileged to listen to running legend Alberto Salazar, a former collegiate and U.S. cross country champion, who later won three consecutive New York City Marathons. His speech was inspirational and honest.
He talked to us about his own experiences and warned the crowd of over 1,000 runners and coaches to not make running the greatest thing in their life. He realistically pointed out how empty fame and success are and how short-lived running careers (if you can make it to that point) can be. There has to be something greater in our lives.
I loved how he was very simple and humble about how he approached us. It was a great message to hear and totally not the one I was expecting to hear.
The next morning was freezing as the inspired lot of us drove over to the course. In true Oregon fashion, it started to rain and Jenn, Abby, and I resorted to hiding behind trees to block the wind while we waited to cheer on the boys team. It was a wild race. People always laugh about running sports and say how wimpy they are compared to their sports.....oh I only wish they could have seen these races.
Imagine a line of over 300 runners all of whom qualified to be in the race, guaranteeing that most of them are decently fast and competitive runners. Now take that line and start them off all at once in a race that begins at a sprint to get a good start. Then take their path and funnel the course down from 80 meters wide to 3 or 4 meters wide all within the first 400 of the race.
It is quite an amazing sight. Not to mention that less than 200 meters after the course narrowed, it takes a sharp turn among trees. Therefore you have tons of runners having to physically push others to get into the pack to avoid running straight into some of the trees.
It was the same ordeal for the girls, but luckily they had much better weather. Right when their race was about to start the sun partially came out and significantly raised the temperature. The girls had an amazing race: working around the same loop 3 times (the same one the boys had already torn up by running around it 4 times) with all the deep grass and thick mud that sucked out their energy until they finally reached that last hill up to the finish.
Katie and Lydia both achieved All-American status and most notable was Carolyn Case with a season PR! The team finished ahead of the rankings getting 6th place!
It was incredible.....a great way to end Coach’s last race as our Coach and Lydia’s last year on the team. You both will be missed next year. Thanks for all the leadership and everything that you have brought to the team. Thanks for putting up with all of us underclassmen, and helping us have the season we did even though it was such a young team. Lydia, I hope you are never without hot chocolate and Coach, I hope you are never without Mountain Dew. Love you both!
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, and love, and discipline"
2 Timothy 1:7 (team verse 2009)
Nov. 16, 2009
This past Saturday was the NCCAA Cross Country Championships. It was a bittersweet day because it was our wonderful Coach King’s last home meet as head coach of the Cedarville women’s cross country team.
Coach King has played a major role in the development of the cross country and track teams for both men and women over his past 41 years of coaching. Over the years, Coach has made the cross country team the most successful sport at Cedarville - winning the school’s only NAIA team national championship, countless NCCAA championships, and winning the All-Ohio race last year where we competed against schools across Ohio including many NCAA Division I schools.
Coach and Mrs. Coach (Joyce King- his sidekick and wife) can both be found in the Athletic Hall of Fame at Cedarville, however, their legend is most apparent to me through the countless people I have met, over my one and a half years of competing for Cedarville, who have either been coached by or have been directly impacted by this loving couple.
Coach even created the first cross country course here on campus a few years ago that is appropriately known as the "Elvin R. King Cross Country Course." It is another addition that Coach has made, and will remind every runner of his great impact on the Cedarville cross country program.
On Saturday, bright yellow hats dotted this course creating some frustration for us runners who are used to easily finding Coach in a crowd by this trademark, however, it was a fun way to honor his last home meet.
The weather on Saturday was simply wonderful, we had blue skies, sunshine, and perfect temperature (for those of you who remember last year’s icy rain and chilling wind will understand how much this was appreciated).
The girls ran one of their best races of the season allowing us to come off with a win! The most notable performances were that of Sarah Stevens and Rachel Wong. Sarah has had an amazing season and this Saturday she got a personal best by running under 20 minutes! This is quite an accomplishment for any runner and it was so exciting to see her beat that barrier especially since she has been fighting some painful injuries this year.
This coming Saturday she is one of the seven runners who compete at NAIA Nationals! Rachel also had an incredible race this weekend. All year she has been been struggling with injuries. She has kept working hard in spite of being disappointed and frustrated. It is so hard to still work hard when you are in pain, but Rachel is quite the trooper and it was fun to see her smiling during the race again (still don’t know how she does that). She ran her fastest time for the season and hopefully she will bring it down even more at Nationals. Both of these performances were a big help in pulling off our victory and snagging the NCCAA championship title yet again.
On Wednesday morning our team will be flying out of Ohio and going all the way across the country to Washington state. Yes, that’s right, Washington. On Saturday they will compete in the NAIA national meet and I can’t wait to see how they wrap up our season.
It is going to be so much fun for all of us and hopefully it will be a great memory for Coach’s last meet. Coach, we love you and how much you have influenced us as runners. Thanks for the dedication and care you have put into each of us. Good luck ladies!!
No reserves. No retreats. No regrets.
Nov. 9, 2009
The American Mideast Conference Championships were on Saturday and despite tired legs and a few bizarre injuries, the Cedarville Lady Jackets had a strong performance. The team ended up getting second to Malone. Katie and Lydia got first and second!
As we head into this next week, the ladies have to be careful to taper (where you adjust and lower your intensity of workouts and mileage so that you can peak at the time you want to) and let their legs rest as they head into the final two races of the season.
This upcoming Saturday we have the NCCAA Nationals held on our home course. It should be nice and cold just like last year, but hopefully minus the slicing cold rain and wind. Some of the teams coming into the race are supposed to be really strong and so that should be great to give our team some more opportunity to chase after some people and hopefully use their competitiveness to get a good time and place.
Whenever I run cross country races, or at least when I used to, having good competition that was somewhat close to me helped me forget about everything in my body that ached and I was able to focus on beating the runner to that finish even if I felt awful (let’s face it, no matter what, that 3.1 miles is going to hurt so might as well get something out of it). And then of course, I could go up and congratulate her afterwards because in the end it is really just a game that hopefully we love to do.
But really the whole point is just to realize that so much of running is mental and we have to find ways to get around mental blocks that we either consciously or subconsciously have to run to our potential. Good luck Lady Jackets! Run hard and have fun.
Every year as hosts of the NCCAA Cross Country Championships we try to select a ministry for the teams to donate to. It is a great opportunity to benefit and bless some local ministries. Teams participating are encouraged to contribute and if anyone else wants to help they are more than welcome. Below is a description of this year’s ministry that we are supporting called Changing Lives Now:
Changing Lives Now is an inner-city holistic ministry located in the heart of Springfield, Ohio. CLN is a comprehensive ministry that works with men and women living in an economically depressed neighborhood a few block from downtown Springfield. CLN conducts a variety of ministries, such as jail ministry, discipleship ministries, a variety of Bible courses, a food ministry called Angel Food Ministry that offers quality food at a discounted price, and an Adopt-A-Block ministry focused on building relationships and ministering to both spiritual and physical needs in their neighborhood.
CLN is an amazing ministry that has made an incredible impact in Springfield on God’s Kingdom. One of CLN’s primary ministries is the Libre House, where CLN takes men off the street who are enslaved to sin and addictions and disciples them one-on-one for over a year. CLN’s has just recently opened a church on the CLN campus, which the organization has been remodeling for some time. God is at work in Springfield, and it is exciting to support and encourage those in trenches when God is strongly present! Please pray and consider donating generously to Changing Lives Now and make an impact upon God’s Kingdom for eternity!
Thank you.
"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." Habakkuk 1:5
Come out and cheer on the cross country teams on Friday night for the open race and Saturday morning at 10 a.m. for the varsity race.
"Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it" Lou Holtz
Nov. 2, 2009
This upcoming weekend we have our AMC meet on our home course. It is supposed to be a great race and hopefully, we will have a strong performance against Malone.
We are coming into this race as the underdogs which helps take some pressure off. But hopefully this will allow the team to rise to the challenge and not pay attention to ratings. Ratings are not always accurate. The win obviously goes to whoever has the strongest performance on race day.
When you look and see how many factors go into each race, and how much some people’s performances can fluctuate each race, our women have to remember to keep working hard and run each race the best they can and not to limit themselves by ratings made up by people that aren’t even running in the race.
Next, we have to keep an eye on all the injuries that have acquired on the team. It is quite incredible how many hurting things people have been struggling with this season. Although we don’t always have the performances that we desire, the dedication that is shown by these girls even when they are in pain is awe-inspiring. Most of them not only run through lots of pain, but they also have to give up some extra time from their day to go to the training rooms.
It is easy to cheer-on and look up to people that have amazing performances, however, the runners that struggle with injuries really inspire me. It’s those I see running three miles in immense pain, who have terrible races, and then get up the next day to do the running they need that really inspire me. Our girls have had great attitudes and keep working to not get disappointed. We only have about 3 more weeks of the season left and they are still working hard. Great job ladies! We will be praying and cheering for you as you finish up your season.
"Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, but by the opposition he has encountered, and the courage with which he has maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds." - Charles A. Lindbergh
Oct. 26, 2009
This past weekend we ran up in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the Aquinas Invitational. Just like last year, we were greeted with rain and freezing cold. The course was surrounded with vibrant colors, leaves were covering the ground, and the freezing river was flowing beside the course.
Pulling out our spandex and gloves we geared up to run my favorite course. The chilling wind picked up at the slippery, crowded start and it was hard to stay mentally tough as a runner from another team fell within the first 100 meters of the race, taking down a few others with her, and got trampled.
During the race, we encountered puddles of water that filled their spikes, deep mud, and poles marking the course that you couldn’t see until they smacked your leg. In spite of the chilling temperature and very muddy course, many of our runners had personal records for the 5K and we won the meet. Awesome job ladies!
On our way back home we had a delicious dinner at Johnny Oswald’s restaurant and a very unfortunate event occurred. As we were pulling out of the parking lot of the restaurant the back end of the bus got caught on the curb lifting the back wheels up just enough so that we couldn’t budge (just as a side note: this was a lady driver).
So there we were, blocking a lane and a half of traffic in Michigan, in a huge bus that said BUCKEYE on every side. When it became apparent that we weren’t going to move, we all had to pile out of the bus leading us to wild games of red-rover, seeing how many people we could fit into one snuggie, adventures to a nearby coffee shop, and the entertainment of watching various attempts to free the bus finally ending in two tow trucks and a policeman coming to our rescue.
Sadly, it still took about another half hour to 45 minutes to get us back on our grueling trip home. Six hours and another stop for food later, we made it back to the cornfields safe and sound.
These next two weeks we are going to be preparing for three consecutive weekends of competition: AMC, NCCAA Nationals, and NAIA Nationals. Everyone keep working hard, we’re almost done!
"In the dust of defeat as well as the laurels of victory there is a glory to be found if one has done his best." - Eric Liddell
Oct. 19, 2009
This past Sunday, I got to cheer on my mom as she ran in the Columbus marathon! It was incredible to see thousands of people, young and old, waking up early in the morning in the freezing cold and willingly go run a 26.2 mile race.
I got my long run (8 miles) in running around to cheer my mom on and lets just say I was pretty thrilled I didn’t have to run about 18 more miles. Props to those runners who have endurance like the Energizer bunny. For now I think I will stick with the shorter, faster races and let my endurance be that we have a never-ending running season.
We only have about five more weeks until the end of the cross country season which is bitter-sweet because after letting our legs rest for two weeks we begin training for indoor track which goes straight into outdoor track. Then, once track ends we get another fabulous two weeks off before we start training again for cross country.....yea, its pretty intense but it’s what we do.
This coming weekend we are going to be heading up to Michigan to the Aquinas Invite. It is one of my favorite courses that we run. It is wonderfully flat and goes right next to a small lake and there are gorgeous trees all around. So, basically I’m really excited and I hope our team runs well up there even if it is as cold and muddy as it was last year.
Earlier this year Chris Cross had to ask me to clarify what I was talking about when I was describing our workout to him. I never really realized how runners will talk about running things and other people will have no idea what that means. And since runners are such fabulous people that you most definitely will want to talk to, I thought I’d help some of you out with our "lingo."
1) Fartleck: alternating fast and slow intervals where the slow intervals ("resting") get shorter as the workout goes on.
2) 100, 200 400, 800, 1000 etc.: when we refer to numbers such as these we are referring to a distance in meters usually on the track. I thought this was pretty self-explanatory but some of my friends actually didn’t know this.
3) K = Kilometer. So our races are 5 kilometers long.
4) _____pace: usually refers to either the mile pace or the time per 400, 1000 or whatever kind of repeats we are running.
5) LSD: Long slow distance run.
Oct. 12, 2009
In track I surprisingly run mainly sprints, hurdles, and field events. Basically, I never do anything over the 800 meter run (that’s about a half mile for those of you who have no idea what track is).
Keeping this in mind, you can just imagine how thrilled I was to find out that we were so lucky as to have another 1,000 meters added onto our 5,000 meter race this past Saturday. Yes, as if 5,000 meters wasn’t enough, I know.
Luckily our girls are incredible and although it was everyone’s first-ever 6K and the course was full of random puddles.....we still got second place! Congrats ladies!
This year really has been quite amazing. It seems like we’ve been passing out injuries like candy.....and yet we are still being competitive! So, in honor of the gimps on our team, I am going to tell you about the wonderful world of athletic trainers.
This year, Chris Cross is the head athletic trainer for our team along with the help of Sam Wichael, a junior AT major, and a few other students. They do everything from taping ankles, to wrapping ice bags on legs, to stretching, to Ultra Sound therapy, and to this weird new gadget thing that Chris got (I’m pretty sure it’s overpriced, purple play-doh toys that are supposed to break up scar tissue), to staffing our home meets even when the weather is nasty. To sum it up, they are awesome.
The only warning I have is that you might become friends with trainers if you are in the training room every single day, you are outgoing, and you are maybe a tad bit ridiculous. Once you become friends with them they ridicule you incessantly! And then they don’t even invite you to their party.....don’t tell Chris but I’m still going to crash it.
Anyway, thanks to our fabulous trainers who put up with our shenanigans and what not. Hopefully we will get to see our team compete injury-free the remainder of the season and witness what we are capable of.
"Now bid me run and I will strive with things impossible" - Shakespeare
Oct. 5, 2009
Sunshine, wind, inches of mud, and lots of hills pretty much sum up the course for the All-Ohio this past Saturday. This was not an easy race in any sense because not only are you running against about 300 other runners, but running through the mud for the entire 5K wears out your legs and makes the race more difficult physically and mentally.
Despite these trying conditions, our team was amazing and snagged a 6th-place finish overall, ranking 2nd for the NAIA/NCAA Division II schools. It was a great testimony to see how the team came alongside Hannah Lamos when she collapsed at the end: helping her drink water, encouraging her, and congratulating her on the race even though she felt like she did terrible.
The whole team worked really hard this race and although we didn’t do as well as last year, everyone displayed good attitudes and demonstrated camaraderie as they cheered each other on.
As runners, food is a normal topic of discussion and we really enjoy eating good food away from campus. So, after the meet the team got to come to my house in Columbus for dinner. We ate tons of food, talked, and had a relaxing time before having to head back to Cedarville (and by relaxing I mean some girls played with my crazy 6-year old and 9-year old sisters or played ping pong while the rest of us slept on couches).
All-in-all, I would say that is was a great race day and now we get to start working towards our 6K race in Terre Haute, Indiana this weekend.
No retreats. No reserves. No regrets.
Sept. 28, 2009
For those who have not run the All-Ohio course, let me enlighten you on what we have experienced in years past: 98 degrees of humid mid-day sunshine on a golf course that is a constant set of hills (they were so considerate to put the finish line at the end of one of these hills) with 40-something collegiate teams from everywhere in Ohio including NCAA Division I.
So, needless to say, if this wonderful cool weather continues to Friday our team will be more than happy. Despite the conditions, All-Ohio is always such a fun race simply because of all the schools and people we get to run against.
A few tips for racing in a big cross country meet:
1.) When you feel miserable on race days it doesn’t hurt to remind yourself that everyone else has to run the same course under the same conditions you do.
2.) Don’t allow yourself to get psyched out...running long distance is a mental battle.
3.) Breathe..."you don’t breathe so good, you don’t live so good" =).
4.) Use downhills. This may sound simple but you’d be surprised what you do when you’re that tired.
5.) Finish strong...you’re gonna feel like death anyway so might as well get a better time or place...get a quick turn-over and pick up those knees!
6.) Watch out for spikes hitting your legs...and of course watch out for little girls with sharp elbows.
Good luck ladies!!
Sept. 21, 2009
On Saturday we competed in the 19th Annual Friendship Invitational at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course. Bright and early, dew still on the ground, we headed over to the course.
The 16 teams competing, including teams such as Ohio State and Ashland, were slowly arriving splotching the starting area with color. Flags were flying, ribbons whipping in the wind, a huge line was forming at the port-a-potties, the athletic trainers were helping their small plethora of athletes as well as trying to get Chris Cross (head athletic trainer) to try to catch a football and a frisbee simultaneously, teams running in their small packs, runners working to tie on the strange cardboard chips that were invented by someone who wanted to cheaply find a way to make us suffer....yep it was race day.
Katie Gillespie was a total boss as she took second place with a time of 17:34! Her hard work and dedication is definitely paying off. Lydia Wong had a strong performance finishing the 3.1 miles in 18:36. Following close behind were Carolyn Case, Hannah Lamos, Neola Putnam, Sarah Stevens and myself to complete the top seven for Cedarville. Sadly, it was not the strongest race for most of us and we placed second behind Ashland.
All-in-all it was a great first race on the home course. We had an awesome turnout of fans who faithfully cheered us on. We’ll be working these next two weeks as we prepare for the All-Ohio held in Delaware, Ohio....be there.
September 14, 2009
As we start this new week our team is focusing on our next meet which is held here at Cedarville. It is always fun getting to run against other teams on our own course. There are certain advantages to being used to the turns and small hills that sometimes can have an effect on the outcome of the race. It should be a great chance for our girls to get some mental toughness for our races to come.
Today we had a great workout on the golf course. With Lydia gone for her internship, the girls really have to step up to keep working hard and stay focused as if we had the experience of an older team. Freshmen and sophomores alike powered through each 1,000 repeat and those of us who were injured at least ran the second half with the girls.
It is hard for people who have never run cross country to fully understand what it feels like to get through a hard workout. There is really nothing like it. People so often ask me why I would do a sport where you just run. They argue that it is the punishment of other sports.
However, getting through a workout on a hot afternoon in the sun gives you a sense of power no matter how completely drained your body is. It is quite a testimony to the amazing bodies God has created for us and what they are capable of.
Therefore, to see the girls demonstrate the determination and diligence to run the warm-up, run the workout that drained their energy, run the cool down, lift, stretch, and get in the ice bath, was a fabulous site. Our team really shows a maturity that you would not expect from such a young group. It is really encouraging for me to see dedication to the team and a willingness to work hard.
In addition to this, just today Coach King told us that OSU is bringing a bit of their team to the Friendship Invitational this weekend. It will be a great opportunity for us to transfer that determination and diligence into a solid race and keep working towards using competition to be the best we can be through the ability that God has mercifully given us.
"You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great." (Psalm 18:35)
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Psalm 115:1)
September 7, 2009
Our team verse for the 2009 season is, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, and love, and discipline." (II Timothy 1:7).
As we enter the 2009 season it would be easy for our young team to be timid because we only have three returning runners. Our team is comprised of nine freshmen, five sophomores, and one senior.
Some of the girls have never even run a cross country race before let alone a college one. In addition to this, we have had several injuries and sicknesses hit us as well.
However, on Friday at the Shawnee State Invitational, our team was anything but timid. They attacked all 5,000 meters of the course and grasped our very first victory of the season.
Katie Gillespie, a freshmen from the Akron, Ohio area, won the race with a course record-tying effort of 18:06. She was followed by Lydia Wong, Carolyn Case, Hannah Lamos, Neola Putnam, Rachel Wong, and Jennifer Hollander to complete our top seven and seal the victory.
Being injured and sick I did not compete in this first meet, however, this gave me the awesome opportunity to get to watch some of these girls compete for the first time. Just a little over three miles of hills, fields, and grass can be a grueling sport to do and yet this did not stop our girls from smiling afterwards, telling each other how they felt and celebrating our win.
It was awesome seeing how they all acted with great sportsmanship and demonstrated a love for the sport. Although we have a lot to learn as a team, it was a bold start to the season and a great success as we get ready for the weeks to come.
Carolyn Cann, who is in her second season with the Lady Jackets, is a sophomore nursing major from Columbus, Ohio. She was a 2009 NCCAA and American Mideast Conference champion on the track.
