Baker Cross Country and Track

"Why Not?"

2008-04-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Baker women's 4x400 meter relay team has done it again. We qualified for outdoor nationals last week at the Conference track meet at Central Methodist with a time of 3:58.66, a new school record. Where, I might add, both the women and men's team placed third overall.
It had been a successful weekend already with personal records for me in my split of the 4x800 meter relay and the open 800 meter run. Katey Wegemer had already competed in nine other events, Kelsey Heckathorne had qualified for finals in the 200 meter dash and set a new personal record in the open 400 meter dash, and Ashlee Miller did her usual sweeping of all her events. We were dead tired. While warming up we decided, "Why not?" (which was also our team motto for the weekend). Why not just go bust out some sub-60 second quarters and qualify for nationals. And we did just that.
Along with the success of the Baker Track and Field team comes a minor downfall. Our team qualified so many people in so many events that according to NAIA rules they cannot all go. So, in the excitement of qualifying there is a difficult decision to be made.

Stuck in a Rut

2008-04-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's about that time of season again when we all get stuck in a rut. Track has been going on since January, which seems like an eternity ago. Just around this time it becomes increasingly important to keep focus, but it also becomes increasingly difficult to do so. My next round of tests are rolling around and with the extra studying that comes with that it is easy to let track slip my mind. Every weekend from here on out has a track meet scheduled in it and that is discouraging as well. But on the bright side, we get to visit amazing Kansan vistas like Wichita, Lawrence, and Emporia. And how could I forget about my site-seeing in Hays, Kan. It was just fantastic; you could sit in the van and see the whole part of western Kansas.

Even with all other things going on in my life right now, track has to remain a priority. So, at least I know that at the end of every day I am required to spend 2-3 hours of my life at the track. And speaking of the track, you could all mosey down there Tuesday to support the 'Cats at the Baker Quad meet.

A Place in the Record Book

2008-03-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

As mentioned previously, our 4x400 meter relay had to set the school record to qualify for Indoor Nationals in Johnson City, Tenn. We qualified with a time of 4:08.2. Well, not to brag or anything, but we finished 19 of 23 in a time of 4:05. That time broke our own record by three seconds. In addition to that, and to make it even more impressive, our alternate ran.
Our normal anchor leg, Ashlee Miller, participated in the pentathalon, the long jump, and the high jump. So, it would be too much for her to also run the 4x400 meter relay. Regan Boyer stepped up and ran. The order was rearranged and I was moved to the anchor leg. I was petrified.
Instead of having the heats separated from fastest to slowest they were evenly distributed. This meant that all the girls in our heat were amazing runners. I didn't know it at the time, but the slowest girl in my heat, besides me, ran around a 56 second 400 meters (that is phenomenal). As we stripped off our sweats I also began to realize that I was not buff enough to be in this race. Most of the teams we were competing against were all-star runners with amazing natural talent. Our team from small-town Kansas was simply a group of hard working girls.
Needless to say, even though we didn't make it to finals, we were extremely proud of ourselves. It was a successful mission.
Our first outdoor meet is this Saturday. It's here at Baker, so let's see all our wonderful supporters out there cheering.

In Preparation

2008-02-27T18:54:00.000-08:00

As the rest of the team starts to transition to outdoor track workouts, ten of us have our focus set on Indoor Nationals in just under two weeks. There is a lot to do on top of keeping a strong mental focus during practice.
We leave early Wednesday, Feb. 5, from "beautiful Baldwin City" (according to Coach). So, that leaves me with the chore of collecting piles of homework. I am not happy to say I am missing two tests that I can't make up until after Spring Break.
There is also the laundry issue. It has formed its own community in my room again. I actually think it’s staring at me as I sit at my desk ignoring it. Inevitably, it will all have to be washed before I leave so I have something clean to wear.
And of course there is the packing itself. Hopefully I can manage to remember all the essentials in what I'm sure will be a scurry Tuesday night to shove all items in my suitcase.
Besides all the smalls things, the trip looks to be an enjoyable experience. I will let you know how it goes because I honestly have no idea what to expect.

Just Call Me Murphy

2008-02-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

Murphy's Law roughly states anything that can go wrong will go wrong. That statement seems to be holding quite true for my life. The past few days have been overflowing with bad luck.
After a long day of fighting through minute problems, I had a clumsy moment that ended being the cherry on top of what is about to be as sucky-week sundae.
A good friend of mine, Chris Scheideman, was picking me up outside Irwin to go to Sonic. I wasn't in a hurry, I wasn't messing around, and I definitely wasn't looking at the sidewalk. As soon as my shoes touched the glassy surface my body was briefly airborne before I hit the pavement. Luckily, my greater trochanter, the large bone in your upper thigh that seems to stick out a little bit, broke my fall. I was immediately welcomed by sharp, stabbing pains down my leg and into my lower back. Chris kindly got out of the car to make sure I wasn’t dead, and I tried to brush it off as much as possible.
In the morning I realized there was something wrong besides just a bruise and some soreness. I ended up sitting in a doctor's office for a couple of hours waiting for x-rays. As of now I do not have any fractures, but I can't run until all the pain is gone when I am walking. So, with conference coming fast I am patiently waiting for things to hurry up and heal.
The only good news is that things have to get better from here....right?

4:08.8

2008-02-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

Butterflies are pounding inside me, I can feel them colliding with the sides of my stomach. There is energy tingling up every inch of me. I strip off my sweats as Katey Wegemer, our first leg of the 4x400 meter relay steps to the line. BANG! Katey soars away with the sound of the gun, two laps later she hands the baton to Kesley Heckathorne for the second leg. We are right in the mix of the pack. She flies past on her first lap, and I shuffle down to the exchange zone. As she fights the pain of the last stretch, I can feel myself anticipate the feel of the cool metal in my hand. Our exchange is sloppy, but once it is safely in my hand I am gone. Around the first corner I pass two girls and slip into second. The first 200 meters are gone in a flash as I feel myself digging deeper. I swerve into the second lane to pass the first place girl and pull back into the curve for the final stretch. My stomach is no longer filled with butterflies, but in a knot. My head is pounding and I know this is as fast as I can go. With all my teammates screaming me on, I hand the baton to Ashley Miller, our final leg. Handing off to her in first place position means one thing, victory. I try to watch her leg as I fight the extreme pain that is the 400. Kesley screams, "62!" a four second personal record for me. All the coaches are going crazy as Ashley crosses the line well ahead in first place. Now for the agony of waiting. The screen refuses to show us our official time. Finally we know.

4:08.21. Less than six tenths of a second faster than the qualifying mark. Nationals, here we come.

Work'n For the Weekend

2008-01-27T17:16:00.000-08:00

With three meets under my belt, I am finally getting used to the unique qualities that compose the indoor season. The tracks have ranged from 160 meters to 300 meters, making each race a completely new experience. My races got turned upside down when I realized I was going to have to face the mental challenge of more laps per race.
The first meet at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, was a new experience all around. The biggest struggle was the air. Running indoors kills your throat. I have exercise induced asthma anyways, and breathing air that dry really does a number on your breathing.
The size and air are aspects that I will get used to as more meets pass. As a team, our main goal is to train through indoor to peak during our outdoor season.
Next weekend we have a meet at Cornell in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. Wish us luck!

Clean Up

2008-01-04T08:28:00.001-08:00

We're back. The 'Cats bundled up in tights, under armor, hoodies, hats, and gloves to fight off the winter chill. As we sat in the gym most of us wondered if we had ran enough over the break to get us through this practice alive. We soon found out that we wouldn't be running. Immediately after the sigh of relief came the groan. Instead, we would be clearing the snow off the track.
When we got to the track, we went out in small teams and alternated the work (as to make sure none of us froze). There were two guys in the front with snow shovels, then two more guys with upside down rakes, and then a trail of about six girls with brooms. We kept this formation and switched every six minutes. Two hours had gone by and we weren't even down with the first curve.
My thoughts? I thought I had left the farm? Why do we have a maintenance crew if we have to clear the track? After two hours of everyone complaining, including me, we had cleared 150 meters, apparently enough for coach. We were done.
I would have to say, I think I would have rather had an actual practice. We will have practices on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon because of promising weather. The forecast predicts 60 degrees, I'll have to dig out my shorts!
Our first meet will be on Jan. 11, in Lamoni, Iowa.

The Bright Orange Book

2007-12-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

We had a team meeting instead of practice on Friday. From now until Jan. 3 practices will be on our own. In place of having team practices for the next three weeks, we were given bright orange books with our workouts in them. They have been stuffed full of interval workouts, weight training schedules, and results of past meets.
On top of the information we need to train on our own, the meet schedule for the season is printed on the back. After taking a gander at it, I realized just how much time track is going to consume. Compared to cross country, track is a long season. Indoor track rolls straight into outdoor competition with only a week off in between (if you qualify for nationals, two weeks off if you don't).
There was a little humor handed out with the bright orange books. On the inside cover lists the Coyote Track and Field Faculty. As athletes received their books they quickly noticed the misprint. Turns out that Coach Kindler's previous team, Kansas Wesleyan, was the Coyotes. Needless to say, the 'Cats gave him a little grief for the mistake.
Break is looking to be relaxing if the expected ice storm doesn't prevent me from heading home when I wanted. Hopefully, the roads will be cleared by then, or better yet, we just won't get any ice.

Dropping Temperatures & Increasing Speeds

2007-11-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

As the temperature drops the splits for our intervals speed up. Now when Coach calls the distance runners over, that is not me. I am headed off with the sprinters. Odd, I know. Just a few weeks ago I was running over three miles for a race. Now I will be running less than a mile.
The workouts are consisted of shorter intervals at a faster pace; a much faster pace. It is such an increase that I am using muscles that my body forgot I had resulting in some extreme soreness. It's okay though, my gimpy walk has to make some people smile. On top of the faster pace, I have started lifting three times a week; creating muscles I definitely do not have.
One of my biggest challenges so far has been a hurdle drill. Six hurdles are set up touching each other to make a continuous line in one lane. You then have to step over the hurdle without turning sideways or swinging your leg over. This is supposed to improve flexibility and work on coordination; neither of which I have been blessed with. After we did that a few times every other hurdle was raised. We then had to go over one and then under the next with our butts lower than our ankles, all with only one foot in between each hurdle. Now imagine me going up, down, spinning, smacking into hurdles, and mumbling sarcastic remarks about how stupid this is. It was quite the show for the rest of the team. Needless to say, I will have to keep working on my flexibility and coordination.
As for the rest of the Cross Country runners, they are off to Baton Rouge tomorrow morning to participate in a half-marathon. Good luck to all of them.

On the Track

2007-11-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

I attended my first track practice yesterday afternoon, and compared to the fall season of cross country, track's workload is looking promising.
Let me fill you in on the happenings of the rest of the 'Cats. Some of the cross country runners are going to Louisiana for a half marathon in Baton Rouge the beginning of December. To prepare for this, they are spending their off season logging as many, if not more, long-slow miles. Yesterday they went on a ten mile run while me and some other middle distance track people switched to actual track practice.
Our workout consisted of walk/jogging to the track, stretching, drills, and done. Yes, that is correct. My watch, which I did not have to use because I did not have to run continuous miles, read 4:14 p.m. A miracle for me. Needless to say, I am looking forward to practice this afternoon and tomorrow. A red, eight-lane track beats ten miles any day, for me at least.
Dec. 8 is the first chance for the Wildcats to compete. Only a few tracksters will get to compete at the first meet. It is mostly division one and division two schools, so Coach will only be taking the athletes that he feels are ready for strong competition that early in the season. As for me, I doubt I will be in those select few with my illness a few weeks earlier and just now getting back into training, but nevertheless, I have high hopes for track..

Back to Writing but Not to Running

2007-10-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

If you are here because you clicked the link from the cross country article, then you already know how the HAAC conference meet went for me. I did not go at all. Around 3 a.m. I woke up with a 102 degree temperature and a sore, swollen throat. After calling coach, I spent the morning of Sept. 20 sitting in a walk-in medical center in Lawrence trying to get some relief from my symptoms, while my teammates lined up on a moist, windy course.
I was treated for strep throat on Saturday, but as the antibiotics proved to be providing no relief I returned to the medical center on Monday morning only to test positive for Mono. I stayed in Lawrence for the next few days while my boyfriend made sure I was staying hydrated and keeping my fever down.
After suffering through five days of a swollen throat and fever I drove the three hours home to see my family doctor. There they took more of my blood and confirmed the medical clinic's advice to not run for a minimum of four weeks.
The women's team came in fifth, which is two places lower than expected. I feel bad for not being able to run for the team, but there was not a whole lot I could do about being sick. I wish them the best of luck at the regional meet next weekend, and hopefully I will be able to train soon and get ready for indoor track.

Did You Say Stop?

2007-10-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

The single most bizarre and irritating experience in my cross country history happened on Saturday at the Mid-States Classic in Winfield. All 32 teams were lined up, the gun went off, and about 600 meters later the leaders took a wrong turn. Almost 40 women in the front pack missed a left hand turn and got at least a 200 yard lead. After mass confusion on the course, of which I found myself almost to a complete stop, the rest of the pack continued on the right course. Around the one mile mark people were telling us to stop running. The race was officially stopped and one hour later all the women lined back up and raced again.
Next Saturday is the conference meet held in Olathe. Being so close to home will be convenient and beneficial. We won't have to leave incredibly early in the morning like last Saturday (5:45 a.m.) and we will be able to go to the course ahead of time and run on it. The womens team is ranked third in conference and there are high hopes for the race.

Mid-Season and Midterms

2007-10-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend was splendid. There was no nervousness and no exhaustion. Even though we ran both days on our own, not having a meet provided a much needed stress-free break. Getting to spend time with my family was great, and I have to admit I got a little depressed as I drove away from them on my way back last night.
This week looks to allow us fresh legs for Saturday's meet at Winfield. Tonight will bring a hard workout followed by easy miles tomorrow morning (6 a.m. to be exact). From now on the Baker 'Cats Cross Country team will be up before the sun on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but relieving us of practice in the afternoon.
With midterms all this week, I'm sure most of us will be feeling some extra stress and spending late hours in the library. The good news is that if the freshmen have GPA's above a 3.0, then they no longer have to clock in three hours a week in the library (even though I'll still be spending that much time in there anyways).
The miles have been backing off with Conference approaching, and that is wonderful news. It's amazing how fast this season has been going, and soon I won't have anything to blog about. But until then, I'll keep you posted.

Time For a Break

2007-10-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

As the season reaches the halfway point, we finally get a weekend off. Sweet relief lies ahead with a weekend lacking a meet. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy competing, but this is going to be a beneficial break.
Not only will it help us rest our legs before the Mid-State Classic at Winfield, it's going to give the team a chance to go home and spend time with their families. I plan on spending my weekend back home in Cheney chatting with my parents, going shopping with my grandma, and getting to chill with my sisters.
As far as last weekend's meet at Jones Park in Emporia went, a lot of the team had new personal best, while I struggled to finish the race. It was a warmer day on a grassy, tree covered course which aggravated my exercise induced asthma. Needless to say, the next meet will be a better one for me.

Proof

2007-09-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

The BU Wildcat Cross Country team found proof that Kansas is indeed as "flat as a pancake" (at least in some places). Saturday's meet was held at Marion Reservoir about two hours west of here. A ditch next to one of the roads the course intersected was the biggest incline for the whole 5K.
When coach told us the course was going to be flat I was initially excited. Finally, a course with some relief. Well, it wasn't more than a mile or so into the race before I realized just how monotonous this run was going to be. There was absolutely zero change, as far as elevation was concerned.
The scenery was interesting, though. The first part curved pretty distinctly to the right and then wrapped us back around into a "nature trail." This part was a nightmare for anyone with allergies, mostly because we were surrounded by sunflower-like plants on both sides. Then we disappeared into the trees for quite a ways before emerging back into the sunlight in front of the spectators.
Overall, we had a good meet. We finished fourth (and it might be worth mentioning, Kansas Wesleyan, coach's old school, finished two spots in front of us...awkward) and the top three girls, Mary, me, and Amber, were all within three seconds of each other. This week we compete at Emporia. Gun goes off at 5:00 p.m., and this one is close enough to invite you all to come watch.

Welcome to the Big Time

2007-09-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

As I crossed the 5,000 meter mark of our 6,000 meter race, I heard a man announcing the time of the first finisher. My initial thought was, "Wow! That is soooo not fair." Then I had to chuckle to myself (as much as you can chuckle after 5,000 meters). The girls crossing the finish line had blown my pace out of the water, they had pushed harder than me to get there first, it was perfectly fair, and reasonable for that matter, that they finish before me.
We were in the 21st chute on a starting line longer than I had ever seen before (to give you an idea, the 21st chute put us about in the middle). It only took a matter of seconds after the gun went off for me to get lost in a sea of 223 runners all headed for the same narrowing curve up ahead.
The good news is that I didn't take out too fast with the pack this time. I knew there was a reason I was running for Baker University and not Nebraska or K-State. The bad news was that I started out way too slow. I remember hearing a coach yelling to his runner that she was in 119th place; I was just a few behind her. I worked my way up the pack the entire race. I crossed the finish line behind only 86 of the 223 competitors, with a time that landed me the 13th fastest 6K time for BU. I was satisfied.
The rest of the team did well, too. Our pack time remains close, which is a good thing (pack time is the amount of time difference between the first BU runner and the last BU runner to cross the finish line).
It was a rather chilly morning, which helped keep our heart rates down and our minds off the longer race. This week's practices are supposed to be plenty easy in order for us to have fresh legs for the meet at Marion Lake this weekend, hosted by Tabor.

The Ups and Downs

2007-09-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already noticed, my blogs are getting distanced by more and more time each entry. I will go ahead and blame this on an increasingly busy schedule, and also, the fact that I've needed almost a week to regain enough strength to type.
Consider the following: wake-up, sometimes a morning run, inhale some breakfast, off to class, grab some lunch, head to the library for study hall, get back to my room and change for practice, spend 15 minutes complaining about how I don't want to go to practice, get to practice, run, abs, stretch, weights, dinner, crash.
The good news is mileage is slowing down. Coach is easing off a little bit, and we're getting our legs back underneath us. The bad news is between allergy season approaching and having practice in the chilly rain, most of us are getting colds. It's okay though, it makes our voices sound funny, and that'll make us laugh.
This week we head off to Lincoln, NB, to run at the Woody Greeno Invitational, where we will be reminded that there are a lot of incredibly talented runners in this country. And also, that there are a lot of hills in this country. I will let you all know how we hold up.

One Down, Another One on Friday

2007-09-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Our first meet went well. The girl's team came in fourth overall, versus last year's seventh place finish. As far as my personal experience, you can call me a fortune teller. My previous post pretty much explains what happened. That's okay though, at least I was prepared.
I'll tell you the one thing that kept my mind off how nervous I was right before the race; stripping down from sweats to spandex! My high school uniform consisted of a close cousin of the basketball shorts and a loose tank top. Saturday's attire was a change. Of course, as soon as the gun went off my mind wasn't on how uncomortable I felt.
Tomorrow we leave for a meet in Missouri. The course should have "rolling hills," which in this part of the country I've found to be close to mountainous when you have to run them. Other than that, it should be fun getting to experience my first away meet with my new team.
Oh, and props to my roommate, Mary, for coming in number one on the girls side.

On Your Mark

2007-08-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

In less than 24 hours I will have stood on the starting line of my first college cross country meet. I will have taken out too fast with the pack. I will have died in the middle of the race. I will have crossed the finish line with my stomach inching up my throat. Last but not least, I will have realized that it's just another race and my nerves will be gone.
Until that moment, I will continue to feel a queasy swirl in my stomach. I have reason to believe that butterflies have gone on a spawning frenzie and found shelter in my tum. My weekend doesn't start until the race is over tomorrow morning. Even with classes out of the way, no homework, and a three day weekend, the race is the lingering obstacle in front of a few days of freedom.
I'm not just nervous about my debut as a college runner. I am excited as well. There are no expectiations of the first meet, especially as a freshman. The team should do well, and I know we will have fun with the meet.

Brushin the Dust Off

2007-08-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

When I was told that these blogs were supposed to be a "fun and entertaining" insight to Baker Cross Country, I thought, "How in God's great world am I supposed to make running sweat-soaked, sun-burnt mile after mile seem "fun and entertaining?" Well, it's a good thing I'm a person up for a challenge.
The first week on campus seemed rather surreal to me. Being a freshman in college comes with a lot of change and transition. Add 50 miles a week on top of that transition and BOOM! that "dream-like" quality becomes a quick reality.
I had run - what I considered - a decent amount of miles this summer, so when the first week of practice started I knew that I'd be brushing some dust off those slow, steady strides. After having experienced those first two weeks of practice I would like to change to word "brush" to "power-washing" the dust off. The workouts are still tough and the mileage is still high, but I believe it's safe to say that I'm a lot more comfortable with weight of practice than I was the first week.
Throughout the past 17 days, the team has spent a lot of time together, including not just hours in practice, but eating meals together, going camping, and just hanging out in the spare time we have. The upperclassmen girls on the team have been amazing in welcoming the new freshmen and encouraging us to keep with the hard work even when it is on tired legs.
We have our first meet this Saturday at the golf course here in town. We would love to have your support. The girls race at 10:00 and the guys at 10:45.