Yesterday it was beautiful outside until the track meet started at 3pm! Then the rain clouds slowly started to crawl across the sky and settle themselves above the track.
I was able to high jump (which I also won but also I was the only girl!) and improved from last week but not by much. I just wasn't able to put everything together. I will practice tomorrow and have one more chance to get everything right!
I then ran hurdles which was going great until I came to the 7th (of 10) hurdles! I managed to hit that hurdle which slowed my momentum down greatly. If I can manage to not hit the hurdle I am confident I can run faster!
After finishing the hurdles, the rain really started. It was like the flood gates has opened! I still ran the relay but it was tough with rain and wind blind siding me after 200m!
Overall it was good and now with my new high jump score I have 3394 points! I have been checking weather.com everyday now and it says for Sunday and Monday the temps will be in high 70s!!
Happy Wednesday! I am jealous of all your bloggers out there that have been doing nice outside runs!
Showing posts with label Track Meet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Track Meet. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Warning
Warning: Bitter blog post ahead...
The track meet yesterday was good and bad. The morning was good, the afternoon was bad.
In the morning I threw shot first at 10:30am. I haven't been practicing and managed to get into 5th place. I then had to leave to warm up for 100m hurdles and I didn't get to compete in the finals for shot and therefore couldn't move up my position. The winning throw was 10.07 meters (or something like that) aka RIDICULOUSLY low and if I had thrown in finals I think I could have won it.
I ran hurdles and got a time but it was just horrible and my hip flexor hurt.
Then I did long jump and jumped very consistently so I feel confident going into the Heptathlon next weekend.
The bad part started when I had to watch the 4x400m relay win and wasn't even part of it. It was almost as bad as having to sit out of Pentathlon in Indoor track this year. The girl who took my spot ran well but I hate how my coach didn't even give me a chance. There is a lot more drama to this than I have posted about but let me just say I am SICK and tired of political BS and manipulative girls.
I bet if I didn't do like 4 events every meet that I could run the 400m dash just as fast as the girls on the relay.
In 7 days I will be competing in Heptathlon for the state meet. Then my college athletic career is pretty much over. I am slowly coming to terms with this and will start my 15k training on May 3rd.
In 34 days I will be graduating and will be starting a new portion of my life. I have so much to be thankful for. I had 5 years of competitive college athletics in which I help to set a few records! Its just hard to see all the good things when something I really wanted has been taken away from me for no good reason.
Sorry for the depressed/angry post. Emotionally I am in a really weird place right now. I NEED to get my head together for next weeks competition because Heptathlon is going to take all the physical and emotional strength I have.
**A few weeks ago my best friend gave me a belated birthday gift (Thanks Jackie!). She had made up a basket filled with my favorite things. Included was dunkin donuts coffee, which I has this morning and it was delicious and also Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. I think that is going to be the next book I read! Anyone else read it??
The track meet yesterday was good and bad. The morning was good, the afternoon was bad.
In the morning I threw shot first at 10:30am. I haven't been practicing and managed to get into 5th place. I then had to leave to warm up for 100m hurdles and I didn't get to compete in the finals for shot and therefore couldn't move up my position. The winning throw was 10.07 meters (or something like that) aka RIDICULOUSLY low and if I had thrown in finals I think I could have won it.
I ran hurdles and got a time but it was just horrible and my hip flexor hurt.
Then I did long jump and jumped very consistently so I feel confident going into the Heptathlon next weekend.
The bad part started when I had to watch the 4x400m relay win and wasn't even part of it. It was almost as bad as having to sit out of Pentathlon in Indoor track this year. The girl who took my spot ran well but I hate how my coach didn't even give me a chance. There is a lot more drama to this than I have posted about but let me just say I am SICK and tired of political BS and manipulative girls.
I bet if I didn't do like 4 events every meet that I could run the 400m dash just as fast as the girls on the relay.
In 7 days I will be competing in Heptathlon for the state meet. Then my college athletic career is pretty much over. I am slowly coming to terms with this and will start my 15k training on May 3rd.
In 34 days I will be graduating and will be starting a new portion of my life. I have so much to be thankful for. I had 5 years of competitive college athletics in which I help to set a few records! Its just hard to see all the good things when something I really wanted has been taken away from me for no good reason.
Sorry for the depressed/angry post. Emotionally I am in a really weird place right now. I NEED to get my head together for next weeks competition because Heptathlon is going to take all the physical and emotional strength I have.
**A few weeks ago my best friend gave me a belated birthday gift (Thanks Jackie!). She had made up a basket filled with my favorite things. Included was dunkin donuts coffee, which I has this morning and it was delicious and also Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. I think that is going to be the next book I read! Anyone else read it??
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Track Meet Report and Photos!
We finally were able to have a track meet this weekend...it was sunny outside but it was SOO windy! I seriously hate wind and it made me miss Indoor Track!
My first event was the Javelin Throw. This was my first time throwing it in a real meet and I tried to have a laid back attitude. I just needed a mark so that I could get points for Heptathlon and qualify for the State Meet. My first three throws were ok, nothing special and somehow I managed to get into finals. With all throwing events you have three throws, then the top 8 competitors get three more throws aka Finals to determine the winner! My second throw of finals was perfect and I ended up moving into 6th place! Woohoo!
I found shelter and was able to warm up a bit before heading back out to warm up for high jump. The officials ran the meet sooo slowly and I knew just as we started high jump that the 200m dash was going to be starting as well. Basically the official was retarded and I said that I was going to my running event and he called my name to jump! I was angry but managed to clear the first height before sprinting off to the starting line.
There were blocks in my lane (lane 3) and I quickly began to set them. I was not even ready when the official said "On your mark!" My mind was racing and I was just trying to get myself ready. I slowly got into my blocks and I was sitting back when the official said "Set!" I hadn't even placed my hands down on the TRACK!! Thank goodness the official told us all to stand up because something had gone wrong with another girl! The second time around was much better but my start was not perfect. I managed to place 15th overall with a time of 29.05 seconds.
Once finished with the 200m dash I walked back over to the high jump area and was given a few minutes to relax before being put back into the jumping lineup. I was not mentally focused on my jumping and I realized after the meet and looking at the pictures B-rabbit took that I am not arching my back as I go over the bar (See the second picture for visual) I seem to be touching my chin to my chest as I jump which leads me to stick my butt out and therefore knock over the bar! Funny thing on touching my chin to my chest - not only do I do this in high jump but also when baking a cake. I put my chin to my chest and stir the batter! I don't know what is wrong with me!
The 4x400m relay was the second to last event and I was really looking forward to running it and getting a time. Unfortunately my coach decided to pull us from the relays and we went home. The worst part was that none of the team told the women's relay teams so we started warming up and had no idea!!
In previous posts I have mentioned that I have been upset about the 4x400m relay. To be quite honest I know that I can run it and be on the relay team and help them go to the regional meet but I feel like I am not going to get that chance. Here is why I think that:
Yesterday at practice my head coach came up to me and asked me which events I wanted to do for the conference championship meet this weekend. I still need to do 100m hurdles for heptathlon and have a few options for other events. I asked my coach if he was going to put me in the 4x400m relay and he said no. He said something about there not being a lot of time between now and Heptathlon (aka multis) States and some other stuff I seem to have forgotten.
I feel like he doesn't want me to run the relay because he thinks that because I ran it in Indoor that is the reason I got hurt. I want the chance to run it and I want to go to the regional meet. Basically it is my "Senior Wish" to run and compete on the relay. So this morning I stopped by my coach's office and tried to talk to him about me being on the relay. My only two goals for track was to compete in Heptathlon on Outdoor and run the relay! I wanted those two things so badly and now I feel like I have been pushed aside. I didn't know how to accurately tell my coach how much I want to run the relay.
This weekend, another girl is running the relay with the three other original members. This girl, lets call her Beth, is a good runner and we train together regularly. I have nothing against her, she is a very nice girl but I just think that I could run it faster. We will just have to see how this weekend goes...
And now the moment I know you all have been waiting for - Pictures from the meet!!!
Running the 200m dash
High jump - Please notice the chin to the chest and the pink spikes!
My first event was the Javelin Throw. This was my first time throwing it in a real meet and I tried to have a laid back attitude. I just needed a mark so that I could get points for Heptathlon and qualify for the State Meet. My first three throws were ok, nothing special and somehow I managed to get into finals. With all throwing events you have three throws, then the top 8 competitors get three more throws aka Finals to determine the winner! My second throw of finals was perfect and I ended up moving into 6th place! Woohoo!
I found shelter and was able to warm up a bit before heading back out to warm up for high jump. The officials ran the meet sooo slowly and I knew just as we started high jump that the 200m dash was going to be starting as well. Basically the official was retarded and I said that I was going to my running event and he called my name to jump! I was angry but managed to clear the first height before sprinting off to the starting line.
There were blocks in my lane (lane 3) and I quickly began to set them. I was not even ready when the official said "On your mark!" My mind was racing and I was just trying to get myself ready. I slowly got into my blocks and I was sitting back when the official said "Set!" I hadn't even placed my hands down on the TRACK!! Thank goodness the official told us all to stand up because something had gone wrong with another girl! The second time around was much better but my start was not perfect. I managed to place 15th overall with a time of 29.05 seconds.
Once finished with the 200m dash I walked back over to the high jump area and was given a few minutes to relax before being put back into the jumping lineup. I was not mentally focused on my jumping and I realized after the meet and looking at the pictures B-rabbit took that I am not arching my back as I go over the bar (See the second picture for visual) I seem to be touching my chin to my chest as I jump which leads me to stick my butt out and therefore knock over the bar! Funny thing on touching my chin to my chest - not only do I do this in high jump but also when baking a cake. I put my chin to my chest and stir the batter! I don't know what is wrong with me!
The 4x400m relay was the second to last event and I was really looking forward to running it and getting a time. Unfortunately my coach decided to pull us from the relays and we went home. The worst part was that none of the team told the women's relay teams so we started warming up and had no idea!!
In previous posts I have mentioned that I have been upset about the 4x400m relay. To be quite honest I know that I can run it and be on the relay team and help them go to the regional meet but I feel like I am not going to get that chance. Here is why I think that:
Yesterday at practice my head coach came up to me and asked me which events I wanted to do for the conference championship meet this weekend. I still need to do 100m hurdles for heptathlon and have a few options for other events. I asked my coach if he was going to put me in the 4x400m relay and he said no. He said something about there not being a lot of time between now and Heptathlon (aka multis) States and some other stuff I seem to have forgotten.
I feel like he doesn't want me to run the relay because he thinks that because I ran it in Indoor that is the reason I got hurt. I want the chance to run it and I want to go to the regional meet. Basically it is my "Senior Wish" to run and compete on the relay. So this morning I stopped by my coach's office and tried to talk to him about me being on the relay. My only two goals for track was to compete in Heptathlon on Outdoor and run the relay! I wanted those two things so badly and now I feel like I have been pushed aside. I didn't know how to accurately tell my coach how much I want to run the relay.
This weekend, another girl is running the relay with the three other original members. This girl, lets call her Beth, is a good runner and we train together regularly. I have nothing against her, she is a very nice girl but I just think that I could run it faster. We will just have to see how this weekend goes...
And now the moment I know you all have been waiting for - Pictures from the meet!!!
Running the 200m dash
High jump - Please notice the chin to the chest and the pink spikes!Ok I am done venting and everything...its been a rough day and its only 11am!! I hope everyone else is having a better day! Thanks for reading!!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
State Track Meet
Today was quite an experience!!
I got to the track and went to the trainers area. I got a heating pad thingie and put it on my hip. I really like heating up my hip because it makes it feel soooo good! After I put heat on it, I feel like I can run and jump!
The trainer then wraped my hip up REALLY tight. I couldn't tell if I was having pain in my hip beacuse of my hip flexor or because of the warp jobie!
I ended up throwing a seasons best in shot put of 10.15 meters (Translated to feet that is 33 feet 3.75 inches) and got 12 place of 18.
The 4x400m relay ran without me today (Alison ran in my place and she did great). They ran a 4:10.48 which is the exact qualifying for the regional meet next weekend. I am sad that I can't run - especially since a lot of the athletes did very well and are going on to compete next weekend.
Overall the hip felt pretty good - after throwing I had to immediatly remove the warp thingie because it was so tight it was cutting off the circulation in my other hip and therefore I was going numb! My hip felt tired later on in the afternoon but tonight I have had no pain. I feel like my brain thinks there is pain in my hip when there really is not! Its like pseudo pain!!
Tomorrow I am headed to Florida with B-Rabbit and his family for Spring Break! I have a hard time packing! I am always worried that I will get down there and not have something that I need!! I don't know how much I will post but Ill be keeping up with the blogs as much as I can.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend! I can't beleive that tomorrow is March 1st!!!
I got to the track and went to the trainers area. I got a heating pad thingie and put it on my hip. I really like heating up my hip because it makes it feel soooo good! After I put heat on it, I feel like I can run and jump!
The trainer then wraped my hip up REALLY tight. I couldn't tell if I was having pain in my hip beacuse of my hip flexor or because of the warp jobie!
I ended up throwing a seasons best in shot put of 10.15 meters (Translated to feet that is 33 feet 3.75 inches) and got 12 place of 18.
The 4x400m relay ran without me today (Alison ran in my place and she did great). They ran a 4:10.48 which is the exact qualifying for the regional meet next weekend. I am sad that I can't run - especially since a lot of the athletes did very well and are going on to compete next weekend.
Overall the hip felt pretty good - after throwing I had to immediatly remove the warp thingie because it was so tight it was cutting off the circulation in my other hip and therefore I was going numb! My hip felt tired later on in the afternoon but tonight I have had no pain. I feel like my brain thinks there is pain in my hip when there really is not! Its like pseudo pain!!
Tomorrow I am headed to Florida with B-Rabbit and his family for Spring Break! I have a hard time packing! I am always worried that I will get down there and not have something that I need!! I don't know how much I will post but Ill be keeping up with the blogs as much as I can.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend! I can't beleive that tomorrow is March 1st!!!
Monday, February 23, 2009
DNS
I went to the meet Saturday with my team, I stayed over with the other Pentathletes, I arrived at 9am at the meet. I ran a few laps and warmed up, I started to sprint and felt pain.
I did not compete.
I am doing ok with this - I was pretty upset when I had to tell my coach I just could not compete. It was hard to watch the other girls compete so I focused on helping my other boy teammates (they came in 2nd and 3rd!!) I have been slacking on the commenting on blogs because I really haven't been too happy and I don't want to spread my negativity.
I went to rehab this morning (I sound like I am on drugs!) and the trainer gave me 3 exercises to do and honestly I am really glad that I didn't run yesterday because I have minimal pain in my hip.
I am hoping for a quick recovery. The hip flexor is such a tricky thing, but I'll be doing my exercises all week and icing every few hours and also taking my drugs (aka aleve). I hope everyone else had a great weekend and is doing well!!
I did not compete.
I am doing ok with this - I was pretty upset when I had to tell my coach I just could not compete. It was hard to watch the other girls compete so I focused on helping my other boy teammates (they came in 2nd and 3rd!!) I have been slacking on the commenting on blogs because I really haven't been too happy and I don't want to spread my negativity.
I went to rehab this morning (I sound like I am on drugs!) and the trainer gave me 3 exercises to do and honestly I am really glad that I didn't run yesterday because I have minimal pain in my hip.
I am hoping for a quick recovery. The hip flexor is such a tricky thing, but I'll be doing my exercises all week and icing every few hours and also taking my drugs (aka aleve). I hope everyone else had a great weekend and is doing well!!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Track Meet - Pentathlon
Friday I competed in my first Penthatlon since high school. There were ten girls from 4 different colleges (Two colleges of which were small Division 1 schools, while I compete in Divison 3).
Warm ups for hurdles went well but the official who was starting the race rushed me through the set (the official says on your mark and we get into the blocks - he isn't supposed to say set until all the girls stop moving) and I didn't have my hands placed and he said SET. The gun went off and I attacked the hurdles - and apparently I attacked too much because my trail leg (my left leg) hit the hurdle and it messed my steps up. I was pretty upset but I somehow still managed to run a faster time. Interesting....
Between events for Pent, we are given 30 minutes (at the very least). High jump was next and just like with Hurdles I looked great in warmups but once we started competition I just couldn't seem to get everything together. High jump is all about making sure to jump up first and then arch your back and finally kick your feet over the bar. Each time I managed to forget one part of that and so I didn't jump as high as I wanted.
The third event was shot put - which is probably my favorite since I have been throwing since 8th grade and it is basically the reason I got into Pent in the first place. I haven't been throwing as far as I wanted and my steps have been off. I ended up placing third in this event which helped me gain points on the girls ahead of me.
You might be wondering what I mean by points. Well Pent is 5 events and so we complete each event for a distance or time, etc etc. Then each distance is scored and we are given a certain amount of points.
The fourth event was long jump. I was feeling good - not tired at all but somehow I just wasn't jumping as far as my PR. My coach was there - the multis coach (we call him that because he coaches the girls and guys for the multi events like Pentathlon, Hepthalon, and Decathlon). It was hard because he was telling me all these things to do and it felt like I was just thinking too much.
The final event was the 800m! Now the girls always seem to complain about it - I just do it because we have to do it and really it is quick event. You are running for less than 3 minutes! I was in 9th place going into the 800m and I was looking for a PR. As soon as the gun went off I jumped into second place and just sat on the lead girls butt. I could hear my coach yelling to me and encouraging me.
I stayed in second until one girl made a move with about 250m left. I should have followed her but I didn't and that was a mistake - but I learned and next time will be a little better. I ended up taking 3rd place in the 800m and running a PR. Heres a list of results:
55mH - 10.31 seconds
High Jump - 1.38m
Shot put - 9.88m
Long jump - 4.40m
800m - 2:38.05 (minutes:seconds)
My final points was 2533 which is very close to my seed value (which is all my best attempts/runs from all previous meets). I guess I am pretty consistent but I just need to do better. I came in 9th overall which was disappointing but I guess I deserve that because I haven't put the time into all my events like I should have. Its like my coach said - I have gotten out of this what I put into it. I need to put more into this so i can finish this season without regret. Hopefully in the next two weeks (before the state Pent competition) I can improve and preform better.
This whole Pent thing might be hard to understand - i take for granted everything because I have been doing it for so long. Thanks for reading - I am actually thinking about getting outside for a run this afternoon since it is nice and sunny.
Warm ups for hurdles went well but the official who was starting the race rushed me through the set (the official says on your mark and we get into the blocks - he isn't supposed to say set until all the girls stop moving) and I didn't have my hands placed and he said SET. The gun went off and I attacked the hurdles - and apparently I attacked too much because my trail leg (my left leg) hit the hurdle and it messed my steps up. I was pretty upset but I somehow still managed to run a faster time. Interesting....
Between events for Pent, we are given 30 minutes (at the very least). High jump was next and just like with Hurdles I looked great in warmups but once we started competition I just couldn't seem to get everything together. High jump is all about making sure to jump up first and then arch your back and finally kick your feet over the bar. Each time I managed to forget one part of that and so I didn't jump as high as I wanted.
The third event was shot put - which is probably my favorite since I have been throwing since 8th grade and it is basically the reason I got into Pent in the first place. I haven't been throwing as far as I wanted and my steps have been off. I ended up placing third in this event which helped me gain points on the girls ahead of me.
You might be wondering what I mean by points. Well Pent is 5 events and so we complete each event for a distance or time, etc etc. Then each distance is scored and we are given a certain amount of points.
The fourth event was long jump. I was feeling good - not tired at all but somehow I just wasn't jumping as far as my PR. My coach was there - the multis coach (we call him that because he coaches the girls and guys for the multi events like Pentathlon, Hepthalon, and Decathlon). It was hard because he was telling me all these things to do and it felt like I was just thinking too much.
The final event was the 800m! Now the girls always seem to complain about it - I just do it because we have to do it and really it is quick event. You are running for less than 3 minutes! I was in 9th place going into the 800m and I was looking for a PR. As soon as the gun went off I jumped into second place and just sat on the lead girls butt. I could hear my coach yelling to me and encouraging me.
I stayed in second until one girl made a move with about 250m left. I should have followed her but I didn't and that was a mistake - but I learned and next time will be a little better. I ended up taking 3rd place in the 800m and running a PR. Heres a list of results:
55mH - 10.31 seconds
High Jump - 1.38m
Shot put - 9.88m
Long jump - 4.40m
800m - 2:38.05 (minutes:seconds)
My final points was 2533 which is very close to my seed value (which is all my best attempts/runs from all previous meets). I guess I am pretty consistent but I just need to do better. I came in 9th overall which was disappointing but I guess I deserve that because I haven't put the time into all my events like I should have. Its like my coach said - I have gotten out of this what I put into it. I need to put more into this so i can finish this season without regret. Hopefully in the next two weeks (before the state Pent competition) I can improve and preform better.
This whole Pent thing might be hard to understand - i take for granted everything because I have been doing it for so long. Thanks for reading - I am actually thinking about getting outside for a run this afternoon since it is nice and sunny.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Track Meet #3
Even though it is Sunday, I am still so excited because of the results from the track meet yesterday!!
I did 55m Hurdles again (10.76 seconds), about the same time as last week but I managed to 3 step instead of 5 step. Every week its one more thing that is improved! Indoor is really nice because 55 meters goes by really QUICK where as for outdoor, 100m for hurdles now seems like a long way!!
I did long jump as well (4.53m) but I still am having trouble being consistent with my running approach. I just need to practice, practice, practice.
OK on to the good stuff (or at least I think so!)
THE 4x400m RELAY!!
I did my extended warm up like usual (1.5 miles plus strides after) but since there were 15 teams at this meet, every event took forever! We were in the first heat (the fast heat) running against a few of our big rival schools!
Abby ran this week as the first leg of the relay and she stayed right with the lead girl. It didn't look like she was pushing hard at all; at the last curve she sprinted and came in at the same time as the first place runner. I received that baton from Abby and beat the previously first place team (lets call them the Yellow Team) to the curve. The third place teams runner (lets call them the Blue Team) passed me again along the straightaway but I stayed right on her heels (and I mean that literally, I hit her spikes about 3-4 times the whole race). I was itching to pass her again but as I came across the 200m/start/finish line I could hear my coach. He said -
"Next straightaway"
That's all I needed to hear and I knew exactly what to do. It was like I was just running on instinct and pure desire. As we came to the straightaway (with about 130m left) I passed the girl from the blue team (the yellow team was in third place) and took over the lead. I knew I was pushing myself way beyond anything I had done before but I just did not want to let that girl beat me. I came off the last curve and everything just went blurry in front of me. After a few more steps everything came back into focus and I handed off the baton to the third runner.
I stumbled off the track and couldn't catch my breath. I leaned on a hurdle and all of a sudden my hamstrings and quads couldn't support my weight anymore and I sunk to the ground. Previously in other meets, I had been in pain after running the relay BUT nothing like this! It took me until well after the race was finished to recover. We ended up coming in 2nd overall with the Blue Team beating us (they over took the lead back during the 3rd leg and the yellow team came in third).
When I finally was able to walk over to my coach I found out my split -
63.84 seconds
I was in shock! I am just so happy that I ran that fast! The funny part is that Abby ran the EXACT same split as me (I know she can go faster though!) And the other funny part - I remember almost every moment of this race where as in previous relays everything just blurs together because it goes by so fast. The final time for our relay was 4:20.18 which is very good for this time in the season! We still have over 15 weeks to go till the end of the season!
Today I am sore in my legs and I am just taking it easy. The athletics website for my college had a picture of me from the hurdles yesterday but as it says my college name right across my running top I can't really share that (I look funny anyway!!) I am in the lab now trying to get my work done early this week so I don't stress out! I hope everyone is having a delightful weekend - Its actually about 30 degrees outside today, a wonderful change from the 3 degrees (feels like -15 degrees) it has been all week.
I did 55m Hurdles again (10.76 seconds), about the same time as last week but I managed to 3 step instead of 5 step. Every week its one more thing that is improved! Indoor is really nice because 55 meters goes by really QUICK where as for outdoor, 100m for hurdles now seems like a long way!!
I did long jump as well (4.53m) but I still am having trouble being consistent with my running approach. I just need to practice, practice, practice.
OK on to the good stuff (or at least I think so!)
THE 4x400m RELAY!!
I did my extended warm up like usual (1.5 miles plus strides after) but since there were 15 teams at this meet, every event took forever! We were in the first heat (the fast heat) running against a few of our big rival schools!
Abby ran this week as the first leg of the relay and she stayed right with the lead girl. It didn't look like she was pushing hard at all; at the last curve she sprinted and came in at the same time as the first place runner. I received that baton from Abby and beat the previously first place team (lets call them the Yellow Team) to the curve. The third place teams runner (lets call them the Blue Team) passed me again along the straightaway but I stayed right on her heels (and I mean that literally, I hit her spikes about 3-4 times the whole race). I was itching to pass her again but as I came across the 200m/start/finish line I could hear my coach. He said -
"Next straightaway"
That's all I needed to hear and I knew exactly what to do. It was like I was just running on instinct and pure desire. As we came to the straightaway (with about 130m left) I passed the girl from the blue team (the yellow team was in third place) and took over the lead. I knew I was pushing myself way beyond anything I had done before but I just did not want to let that girl beat me. I came off the last curve and everything just went blurry in front of me. After a few more steps everything came back into focus and I handed off the baton to the third runner.
I stumbled off the track and couldn't catch my breath. I leaned on a hurdle and all of a sudden my hamstrings and quads couldn't support my weight anymore and I sunk to the ground. Previously in other meets, I had been in pain after running the relay BUT nothing like this! It took me until well after the race was finished to recover. We ended up coming in 2nd overall with the Blue Team beating us (they over took the lead back during the 3rd leg and the yellow team came in third).
When I finally was able to walk over to my coach I found out my split -
63.84 seconds
I was in shock! I am just so happy that I ran that fast! The funny part is that Abby ran the EXACT same split as me (I know she can go faster though!) And the other funny part - I remember almost every moment of this race where as in previous relays everything just blurs together because it goes by so fast. The final time for our relay was 4:20.18 which is very good for this time in the season! We still have over 15 weeks to go till the end of the season!
Today I am sore in my legs and I am just taking it easy. The athletics website for my college had a picture of me from the hurdles yesterday but as it says my college name right across my running top I can't really share that (I look funny anyway!!) I am in the lab now trying to get my work done early this week so I don't stress out! I hope everyone is having a delightful weekend - Its actually about 30 degrees outside today, a wonderful change from the 3 degrees (feels like -15 degrees) it has been all week.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Track Meet #2
Good Morning!! The track meet yesterday went GREAT!!
Friday night I was nervous and sorta had trouble falling asleep, and then Saturday morning I woke up before my alarm. I made myself a big breakfast of raisin oatmeal, one egg, a banana, a super big glass of water, and a cup of coffee.
I got to the track at 10am and started warming up. My first three events went by very quickly since there weren't a lot of people at this meet. I was pleased with my times/distances but really was focused on the relay.
Hurdles - 10.7 seconds
Shot - 9.89 meters
Long jump - 4.20 meters
After all these events, all that remained was the 4x4 relay which I was running without Abby or Alison (they were in the 4x200m relay). I started warming up really early because I have realized that I need a longer warm up to get my muscles going for the sprint.
Before I knew it, it was time to go and the first leg was off (a distance runner). She ran very well and stayed right behind the lead girl the whole way. As she rounded the curve onto the final straightaway she sprinted and came in at the same time as the other girl. I had a terrible hand off with her but I got the baton and sprinted into the lead (I could hear my sprinting coach yelling for me to beat her to the curve!) I didn't know how far behind me that other girl was but I just kept thinking "there is no way I am going to let that girl beat me."
After I handed off we had about a 3 second lead (I think) and the other two girls carried it and we won by almost 2 seconds!
The best part of this was that I had the fastest split - 66.41 seconds!! A new PR!! I was ECSTATIC!!! I couldn't believe it - my first lap was 32 seconds (2nd leg 34 seconds) so I know that I need to work on getting my second lap equal to my first.
My head coach pulled me aside with another assistant coach afterward and said "You look like you are in really great shape and a good runner! Keep up the good work!" I had talked to my head coach previously about this race and he had said that he wanted me to be fresh (that's why I didn't run the 800m) so that he could see how I did in it. I am hopeful that I will have a place on the relay team and get to go to the big meets but I will have to wait and see!
B-Rabbit had a swim meet yesterday too and my parents and I stayed to watch it and he did very well! We went out for dinner afterward to Pizzeria Uno and I had one of those deep dish numero uno pizzas. Last night I felt sooo sick when I went to bed (it just came on suddenly) and then my roommates woke me up at 2am (cause they were drunk - no big surprise there!) and I still had a lot of stomach pain. Anyone else had anything like this? The only problems I have ever had when eating after running is with milk/dairy!
Anyway, I am off to watch the girls basketball team play today! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Friday night I was nervous and sorta had trouble falling asleep, and then Saturday morning I woke up before my alarm. I made myself a big breakfast of raisin oatmeal, one egg, a banana, a super big glass of water, and a cup of coffee.
I got to the track at 10am and started warming up. My first three events went by very quickly since there weren't a lot of people at this meet. I was pleased with my times/distances but really was focused on the relay.
Hurdles - 10.7 seconds
Shot - 9.89 meters
Long jump - 4.20 meters
After all these events, all that remained was the 4x4 relay which I was running without Abby or Alison (they were in the 4x200m relay). I started warming up really early because I have realized that I need a longer warm up to get my muscles going for the sprint.
Before I knew it, it was time to go and the first leg was off (a distance runner). She ran very well and stayed right behind the lead girl the whole way. As she rounded the curve onto the final straightaway she sprinted and came in at the same time as the other girl. I had a terrible hand off with her but I got the baton and sprinted into the lead (I could hear my sprinting coach yelling for me to beat her to the curve!) I didn't know how far behind me that other girl was but I just kept thinking "there is no way I am going to let that girl beat me."
After I handed off we had about a 3 second lead (I think) and the other two girls carried it and we won by almost 2 seconds!
The best part of this was that I had the fastest split - 66.41 seconds!! A new PR!! I was ECSTATIC!!! I couldn't believe it - my first lap was 32 seconds (2nd leg 34 seconds) so I know that I need to work on getting my second lap equal to my first.
My head coach pulled me aside with another assistant coach afterward and said "You look like you are in really great shape and a good runner! Keep up the good work!" I had talked to my head coach previously about this race and he had said that he wanted me to be fresh (that's why I didn't run the 800m) so that he could see how I did in it. I am hopeful that I will have a place on the relay team and get to go to the big meets but I will have to wait and see!
B-Rabbit had a swim meet yesterday too and my parents and I stayed to watch it and he did very well! We went out for dinner afterward to Pizzeria Uno and I had one of those deep dish numero uno pizzas. Last night I felt sooo sick when I went to bed (it just came on suddenly) and then my roommates woke me up at 2am (cause they were drunk - no big surprise there!) and I still had a lot of stomach pain. Anyone else had anything like this? The only problems I have ever had when eating after running is with milk/dairy!
Anyway, I am off to watch the girls basketball team play today! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
What day is it??
Where to begin?
Well I have been on vacation for a week and I don't really know what day it is anymore. I just wake up, work out, eat my three meals, read a book/watch some tv and sleep!
After taking off Christmas Day, I headed out yesterday afternoonish for a nice long warm up jogaroo and then 5 hills. I did 2.4 miles slowly in the snow and slush and was careful to get out of the way of the cars speeding blindly to the mall. My run was an out and back, and when I reached my driveway I pushed on to the hill that is literally just 50 feet further on. I ran 5 hills starting at the bottom (where telephone pole #1 was) and sprinting until I passed telephone pole #3. I focused myself and worked on pumping my arms and picking up my legs faster. One of my new years resolutions will be to work on my speed - I have decent endurance now I need to be fast!
The hills felt great, in fact the whole workout felt good. I just tried to be positive and enjoy being outside. I wore one of my new pair of spandex I got for Christmas as well as my new reflective vest that is super bright orange so that people can see me!
After that workout I headed to the mall quick with my mom - I am an avid scrapbooker and I have been trying to organize all the pictures in my house. I took all my baby pictures out of an acid filled book and now I am redoing it, so I needed new acid free pages! As I was looking at things I got a call from B-rabbit. He invited my family and I over to his house for dinner! I was over-joyed when my mom and dad agreed to go and we had a great time! I am so glad that our families get along!
This morning I woke up and headed to my college because there was a Winter Track meet (at the indoor track!) and I was helping out as well as possibly competing! I didn't really feel like running the 800m and we didn't have enough girls for the 4x4 relay so this afternoon (while the meet was still going on) I walked into the gym and warmed up on the bike fr 15 minutes then ran hard on the treadmill for 3 miles. Then I lifted - bench press and leg press. When I got back to the track, I found out that we had enough girls and were going to run the 4x400m relay!! I was second leg again and could feel my legs were tight but I just went with it! My legs hurt when I finished but I think I held my form well throughout the race (although I wasn't able to stay up on my toes and sprint that way for the whole 400m, I only lasted for about 275m). I was delighted to find out that my split was 67.25 seconds and we won the relay!!
I am glad that I ran it because it just helps me to become mentally stronger for future meets! One step at a time, one day at a time - if we keep a positive attitude and train hard we can achieve our goals!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Keep up with those workouts!! After this long post, I don't really have anything else to say! Thanks for reading!
Well I have been on vacation for a week and I don't really know what day it is anymore. I just wake up, work out, eat my three meals, read a book/watch some tv and sleep!
After taking off Christmas Day, I headed out yesterday afternoonish for a nice long warm up jogaroo and then 5 hills. I did 2.4 miles slowly in the snow and slush and was careful to get out of the way of the cars speeding blindly to the mall. My run was an out and back, and when I reached my driveway I pushed on to the hill that is literally just 50 feet further on. I ran 5 hills starting at the bottom (where telephone pole #1 was) and sprinting until I passed telephone pole #3. I focused myself and worked on pumping my arms and picking up my legs faster. One of my new years resolutions will be to work on my speed - I have decent endurance now I need to be fast!
The hills felt great, in fact the whole workout felt good. I just tried to be positive and enjoy being outside. I wore one of my new pair of spandex I got for Christmas as well as my new reflective vest that is super bright orange so that people can see me!
After that workout I headed to the mall quick with my mom - I am an avid scrapbooker and I have been trying to organize all the pictures in my house. I took all my baby pictures out of an acid filled book and now I am redoing it, so I needed new acid free pages! As I was looking at things I got a call from B-rabbit. He invited my family and I over to his house for dinner! I was over-joyed when my mom and dad agreed to go and we had a great time! I am so glad that our families get along!
This morning I woke up and headed to my college because there was a Winter Track meet (at the indoor track!) and I was helping out as well as possibly competing! I didn't really feel like running the 800m and we didn't have enough girls for the 4x4 relay so this afternoon (while the meet was still going on) I walked into the gym and warmed up on the bike fr 15 minutes then ran hard on the treadmill for 3 miles. Then I lifted - bench press and leg press. When I got back to the track, I found out that we had enough girls and were going to run the 4x400m relay!! I was second leg again and could feel my legs were tight but I just went with it! My legs hurt when I finished but I think I held my form well throughout the race (although I wasn't able to stay up on my toes and sprint that way for the whole 400m, I only lasted for about 275m). I was delighted to find out that my split was 67.25 seconds and we won the relay!!
I am glad that I ran it because it just helps me to become mentally stronger for future meets! One step at a time, one day at a time - if we keep a positive attitude and train hard we can achieve our goals!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Keep up with those workouts!! After this long post, I don't really have anything else to say! Thanks for reading!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Track Meet Report
Friday night was a pretty eventful day - Since all three of my events were towards the end of the meet, I took the second bus and met up with the sprinter girls who were already there. Since this was my first track meet I was unsure how fast the meet would progress.
Usually our indoor track meets are held at only a few places that actually have good indoor tracks. This was a dual meet which we usually don't have and it was at a near by college that has a horrendous track. First of all this track isn't 200 meters like most indoor tracks, its about 210 meters so all the starts are not at the finish lines they are scattered randomly. Second, this track is partially in a tunnel! A freaking tunnel!!? I don't know what engineers designed it but they were apparently not thinking straight!!
I started warming up for the 800m (there were two other girls from my team running this event with me). Just after I put on my track spikes, one of the throwers came over and told me that mens shot had just finished and womens shot would start soon. I sprinted over to the the shot put pit and explained my situation to the official. He said that I could get some throws in first to qualify me for finals and the come back after I ran and throw my final 3 throws. Let me explain - in college field events like shot and disc, etc there are first 3 regular throws, then the top ten go to finals and get three more throws. Since there were only 6 girls this meet, I was guaranteed to get into finals.
I threw two throws (9.3m? and 9.72m) and sprinted back to change into my spikes and continues warming up. The 800m race started soon after I got back and I was off! I aggressively pushed towards the front of the pack but made sure not to exert any extra energy than necessary. The first lap my split was 38 seconds and I didn't even feel out of breath, the second lap I continued to follow the four girls in front of me and my split was 1:17. Every time I passed my team I could here Alison screaming for me!! It all went by so fast and before I knew it I was on the final lap and I felt really good. With about 100m left I pushed past a girl who had slowed down and into the finish. One of the girls from my team won the race and I came in 4th. It wasn't that bad but I thought I had gone much faster and made it under 2 minutes and 40 seconds. (My ultimate goal in this is to go as fast as I can!! hehe or at least 2:30).
I didn't have any time to find out my time (I didn't even see the clock as I sprinted to the finish because I was so focused) and I went back over to the throw shot. I had three throws and was in 5th place. Last year at my first outdoor meet I was very nervous and only threw 9.3 meters. My farthest throw going into my final shot throw was 9.85 meters. My name was called and I stepped into the circle. I focused all my energy and thought "ok actually throw this big 8 pound ball, no more wimpy girl throws!" Then another thought popped into my head - Think about a time when you were mad a B-Rabbit and channel all that anger into throwing! I know thats prolly not the best thought but guess what! IT worked! I threw 10.12 meters! For not practicing at all before this meet I was pretty happy!
While my meet was going on B-rabbit was at his swim meet which happened to be at the same college and was literally right next to the track. I popped my head into the pool area after finishing shot and talked to him. He had been swimming when I ran the 800m so I was hoping he would be able to make it for the 4x4 relay.
I had a lot of time before the relay - they had to do the 400m, 500m, 55m finals AND the 3000m for both women and men! We (the relay team) practiced our hand offs for a bit and continued to warm up - soon it was time to lineup for the relay. Abby went first and set a blazing lead with a 64 second split! As soon as I got the baton from her I took off - I could hear the sprinting coach telling me to increase the lead immediately. I sprinted towards the tunnel and heard my dad yell "run with your heart!" and then heard loud whistling. I could hear the other teams second leg girl behind me but I concentrated on moving my arms and staying on my toes. I came out of the stupid tunnel and finished my first lap - I saw the head coach ahead of me and zoned in on him listening to what he had to say - he wanted me to kick in and move my arms more; to not let down or something like that. I continued on back towards the tunnel and I thought I saw B-rabbit standing with my dad but I just pushed on.
My arms were hurting and I knew I was slowing down and my form was off as I came out of the tunnel, but soon I came upon my teammate and handed her the baton. I found out later that my split was 68 seconds which I was proud of.
We ended up coming in second (of two teams) because the final leg girl ran a 59 second 400m! Which was insane but oh well we did well for the first time. I was happy to run a 68 after running the 800m. In better conditions (a better track like the one at my school) I am sure I would have run faster in both the 800m and relay. Every time I came upon the first tunnel curve I almost hit the wall because it was such a sharp turn!
After the relay was finished I saw that B-Rabbit had in fact seen me run the relay and I was so happy. I couldn't ask for anything more from him - He is so supportive of me and is always trying to help me get better! I really liked the fact that we both had meets at the same place but this only happens two more times for the rest of the season : (
I know some girls took pictures from the meet but I am not sure if I will get them at all. I did run in the under armour underwear and I will post my thoughts on those maybe tomorrow or later on next week. Also last night was the Athlete Formal - more on that later too!
Thanks for reading - I wanted to get all my thoughts out so I would remember exactly how I felt for this meet but everything went very fast - I think in a bigger meet with more teams it wont go as fast. Thank you also for all the support and encouraging words! They were really helpful and very thoughtful! I hope everyone had a good weekend!!
Usually our indoor track meets are held at only a few places that actually have good indoor tracks. This was a dual meet which we usually don't have and it was at a near by college that has a horrendous track. First of all this track isn't 200 meters like most indoor tracks, its about 210 meters so all the starts are not at the finish lines they are scattered randomly. Second, this track is partially in a tunnel! A freaking tunnel!!? I don't know what engineers designed it but they were apparently not thinking straight!!
I started warming up for the 800m (there were two other girls from my team running this event with me). Just after I put on my track spikes, one of the throwers came over and told me that mens shot had just finished and womens shot would start soon. I sprinted over to the the shot put pit and explained my situation to the official. He said that I could get some throws in first to qualify me for finals and the come back after I ran and throw my final 3 throws. Let me explain - in college field events like shot and disc, etc there are first 3 regular throws, then the top ten go to finals and get three more throws. Since there were only 6 girls this meet, I was guaranteed to get into finals.
I threw two throws (9.3m? and 9.72m) and sprinted back to change into my spikes and continues warming up. The 800m race started soon after I got back and I was off! I aggressively pushed towards the front of the pack but made sure not to exert any extra energy than necessary. The first lap my split was 38 seconds and I didn't even feel out of breath, the second lap I continued to follow the four girls in front of me and my split was 1:17. Every time I passed my team I could here Alison screaming for me!! It all went by so fast and before I knew it I was on the final lap and I felt really good. With about 100m left I pushed past a girl who had slowed down and into the finish. One of the girls from my team won the race and I came in 4th. It wasn't that bad but I thought I had gone much faster and made it under 2 minutes and 40 seconds. (My ultimate goal in this is to go as fast as I can!! hehe or at least 2:30).
I didn't have any time to find out my time (I didn't even see the clock as I sprinted to the finish because I was so focused) and I went back over to the throw shot. I had three throws and was in 5th place. Last year at my first outdoor meet I was very nervous and only threw 9.3 meters. My farthest throw going into my final shot throw was 9.85 meters. My name was called and I stepped into the circle. I focused all my energy and thought "ok actually throw this big 8 pound ball, no more wimpy girl throws!" Then another thought popped into my head - Think about a time when you were mad a B-Rabbit and channel all that anger into throwing! I know thats prolly not the best thought but guess what! IT worked! I threw 10.12 meters! For not practicing at all before this meet I was pretty happy!
While my meet was going on B-rabbit was at his swim meet which happened to be at the same college and was literally right next to the track. I popped my head into the pool area after finishing shot and talked to him. He had been swimming when I ran the 800m so I was hoping he would be able to make it for the 4x4 relay.
I had a lot of time before the relay - they had to do the 400m, 500m, 55m finals AND the 3000m for both women and men! We (the relay team) practiced our hand offs for a bit and continued to warm up - soon it was time to lineup for the relay. Abby went first and set a blazing lead with a 64 second split! As soon as I got the baton from her I took off - I could hear the sprinting coach telling me to increase the lead immediately. I sprinted towards the tunnel and heard my dad yell "run with your heart!" and then heard loud whistling. I could hear the other teams second leg girl behind me but I concentrated on moving my arms and staying on my toes. I came out of the stupid tunnel and finished my first lap - I saw the head coach ahead of me and zoned in on him listening to what he had to say - he wanted me to kick in and move my arms more; to not let down or something like that. I continued on back towards the tunnel and I thought I saw B-rabbit standing with my dad but I just pushed on.
My arms were hurting and I knew I was slowing down and my form was off as I came out of the tunnel, but soon I came upon my teammate and handed her the baton. I found out later that my split was 68 seconds which I was proud of.
We ended up coming in second (of two teams) because the final leg girl ran a 59 second 400m! Which was insane but oh well we did well for the first time. I was happy to run a 68 after running the 800m. In better conditions (a better track like the one at my school) I am sure I would have run faster in both the 800m and relay. Every time I came upon the first tunnel curve I almost hit the wall because it was such a sharp turn!
After the relay was finished I saw that B-Rabbit had in fact seen me run the relay and I was so happy. I couldn't ask for anything more from him - He is so supportive of me and is always trying to help me get better! I really liked the fact that we both had meets at the same place but this only happens two more times for the rest of the season : (
I know some girls took pictures from the meet but I am not sure if I will get them at all. I did run in the under armour underwear and I will post my thoughts on those maybe tomorrow or later on next week. Also last night was the Athlete Formal - more on that later too!
Thanks for reading - I wanted to get all my thoughts out so I would remember exactly how I felt for this meet but everything went very fast - I think in a bigger meet with more teams it wont go as fast. Thank you also for all the support and encouraging words! They were really helpful and very thoughtful! I hope everyone had a good weekend!!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Meet Results
I am still working on writing up a mini report from my first track meet - Overall things went really well. We got an email from our coach this morning congratulating us on a job well done at such a horrible track location (more on this later) and also saying that our competitive spirit was very impressive and that for the first meet our times and distances were very good!!
Results:
Shot Put - 10.12 meters!!
800m - 2:42.28
4x400m relay split - 68 seconds
Results:
Shot Put - 10.12 meters!!
800m - 2:42.28
4x400m relay split - 68 seconds
Friday, December 12, 2008
On your Mark, Get Set, GO!!
I made a big checklist of all the stuff I need for today - I have my uniform top, a t-shirt, a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt and my warm up jacket as well as, spandex running shorts, spandex pants, and my warm up pants!! I will be layered up so my muscles stay nice and warm!
I think I have everything! I packed most of the stuff (extra socks and clothes, etc) last night plus my ipod and camera. Did anyone see the Victoria's secret fashion show last week? Well that first song by Usher - "What's your name?" has been in my head and I definitely got it on my ipod now so I can listen to it and let it pump me up! Its got a great beat too so I will run fast!!
I said last week I would show what I had bought when I went on my running clothes shopping spree!! Here's a few things, plus all my stuff in a pile, packed for the meet!!
All My stuff packed up and ready to go!
Under Armour undies!
Under Armour spankie shorts
My NEW Spikes!!
Well in just a few short hours I will be on my way to the meet! I am feeling good and have been hydrating all morning! I am thinking positively and just going to go out and run and know that my body is ready for this!! Happy Friday!!
I think I have everything! I packed most of the stuff (extra socks and clothes, etc) last night plus my ipod and camera. Did anyone see the Victoria's secret fashion show last week? Well that first song by Usher - "What's your name?" has been in my head and I definitely got it on my ipod now so I can listen to it and let it pump me up! Its got a great beat too so I will run fast!!
I said last week I would show what I had bought when I went on my running clothes shopping spree!! Here's a few things, plus all my stuff in a pile, packed for the meet!!
All My stuff packed up and ready to go!
Under Armour undies!
Under Armour spankie shorts
My NEW Spikes!!Well in just a few short hours I will be on my way to the meet! I am feeling good and have been hydrating all morning! I am thinking positively and just going to go out and run and know that my body is ready for this!! Happy Friday!!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
It's Official!
The finalized roster is out and here are my events!
Shot put
800m
4x400m relay
I am running the relay with Alison and Abby and also a freshman. Abby is first, I am second leg, the freshman is third and Alison is last. I am pretty excited about running this so we will see how it goes.
Now on to my goals:
Since I haven't practiced shot I am hoping to throw 10 meters (PR from last year is 10.43 meters)
I am hoping to run a PR in the 800m of 2:39 or lower (PR from last year is 2:41)
I am hoping to run a 67 second split in the 4x4 relay (time trail from october 2008 is 71 seconds)
Uniform pick is later on today, then we have a light practice. I plan to make a nice pasta dinner tonight and get to bed early! Did I mention I was super excited!!??
Shot put
800m
4x400m relay
I am running the relay with Alison and Abby and also a freshman. Abby is first, I am second leg, the freshman is third and Alison is last. I am pretty excited about running this so we will see how it goes.
Now on to my goals:
Since I haven't practiced shot I am hoping to throw 10 meters (PR from last year is 10.43 meters)
I am hoping to run a PR in the 800m of 2:39 or lower (PR from last year is 2:41)
I am hoping to run a 67 second split in the 4x4 relay (time trail from october 2008 is 71 seconds)
Uniform pick is later on today, then we have a light practice. I plan to make a nice pasta dinner tonight and get to bed early! Did I mention I was super excited!!??
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