Why do I run?

     Whenever someone asks me if I play a sport and I respond that I am a runner, the most common response I receive is a grimace accompanied by a phrase something like, “Oh my God, I don’t know how you do that. I hate to run.” I would try to explain it to them, but it would entail too much effort. Even if I did explain, honestly, they probably still wouldn’t understand. Most people don’t understand the reasons why I run, but I wish they did. Running has been such a rewarding experience for me throughout my life and I wish others could also give running a try, because I think they would enjoy it as well.

     I recall a shirt the high school cross country team had made while I was on the junior high team. On the front of it the shirt said, “Why do I run?” and the back of the shirt said, as if answering the front said, “Why do I breathe?” (Okay, actually the back of the shirt said, “Why do I breath? because some dummy spelled breathe wrong and no one on the team noticed, but that is besides the point.) This may seem like just a silly quote, but for the last four or so years, the answer to the question of why I run really does seem this simple. Simply put, I am a runner. A great deal of my life revolves around running. I would not be who I am today if it were not for running.

     Running was not always such an important part of my life, though. When I was younger I was a competitive gymnast. My school did not have a gymnastics team, but I knew I wanted to be a part of a school team. So, naturally I tried out for the cheerleading team when I was in 7^th grade. After the tryouts I waited by the phone for hours, anxiously awaiting the call that would determine my fate as a junior high student. The call never came and I cried to my mom a lot that evening. Although I did not make the coveted spot on the cheerleading team, I knew that I still wanted to compete in a sport. The other options for the fall were soccer, swimming, basketball, and cross country. Basketball and soccer each required a lot of skill, and let’s just say, I was not that coordinated. I didn’t really like to swim that much. I hated getting water up my nose. However, I had always been a little talented at running. Whenever we would run laps at gymnastics I would easily finish first, and I had even won the 400m at the 6^th grade junior Olympics. (Okay, this may not seem like a big deal now, but as a sixth grader doing well at the junior Olympics was like winning a gold medal at the actual Olympics.) For these reasons I decided on cross country.

     The first couple years I enjoyed running, but I definitely was not fully committed. I never ran on my own and I didn’t really care too much about my race times. As I got older I became more and more dedicated to running and at the same time discovered the reasons why running would become so important to me.

     One of the biggest reasons I love to run is because I thrive on competition. Running is one of the purest competitions there is. All of the competitors line up together on the line, the gun goes off, and it is a fight to the death until the first runner reaches the finish line. In a sport such as basketball or soccer, a player can rely on their teammates for help or make a lucky shot or goal. In running, the only one you can rely on is yourself. There is no aspect of luck. When it comes down to it, the runner who is most prepared will win. I love that raw sense of competition. I may not have the most talent in the world, but if I dedicate myself to running, my hard work can work wonders for me.

     I love the simple joy of running. Competing against other runners is fun, but I also find enjoyment on training runs. I love to be able to go on a long run on a country road or trail. I don’t worry about what pace I am running at or how far I may go. There is something distinctly pure and unique about a solitary run surrounded by nature. So often we take advantage of our surroundings. Oftentimes I hear students here at St. Francis complaining about the fact that our school is in the middle of nowhere. As a runner, this has never been a complaint of mine. I love the rural area our school is nestled in. My teammates and I run down the back roads around here that most people don’t even know exist, and this has led us to appreciate the area. I can do an early morning training run on a dark dirt path through a farm, and look out at the horizon to see the sun rising from behind a mountain covered in changing leaves. I can do a run we call “Three Mile Island” and run past a random house surrounded by three lakes with small islands in the middle, and a junkyard full of items from generations gone by. I have even stopped to pet new born baby cows at a dairy farm, something I probably would have never gotten to do otherwise. I have run along the rim of the Grand Canyon and along the waves crashing onto the beach as the sun rose above me.

Above: A picture of the Loretto countryside. 

     Running is a way for me to push myself to achieve feats I never thought I could. As a ninth and tenth grade runner, I was probably a little less than average. I was the fourth or fifth best runner on my team, and sometimes as low as eighth. If you told me as a ninth grader that one day I would be on scholarship at a division 1 school, I would have never believed you. I am still not an amazing runner by any means, but my dedication has proven to me that if I keep working hard anything is possible. In distance running, the only person who can truly hold you back is yourself. I finish my races feeling that I can always work a little harder, run a little faster, or go a little farther in order to reach my goals.

     I run because it has helped me to form meaningful relationships. The majority of my best friends have been people I have ran with. They go through the same trials and tribulations that I have encountered, and we are always there to lend each other a helping hand. The goal of accomplishing a common task can truly bring people together. It makes you work for a cause that is bigger than yourself. On long training runs, you have the chance to talk to your teammates about everything under the sun. This really allows you to get to know each other on a higher level than you do in normal relationships. We have struggled together, and I would do anything for my teammates.

     I run because it is more than a sport, it is a lifestyle. People who play contact sports may enjoy them during their youth, but not too many people play basketball, soccer, or football until they're well into their elder years. I can continue to run as long as I want to. I have been to road races where 80+ year old women have finished. In their eyes as they receive recognition I see pure love of the sport. Running also keeps me in good shape, which is a plus! I never have to worry about looking bad in a bikini come summer. A lot of people run simply for the physical benefits of it. Of course, I like being in shape, but that is not one of the primary reasons I run. I stay in shape so that I can compete to my best ability. I do not run to stay in shape simply for the reason of staying in shape.

     I run because I have faith. It makes me appreciate the incredible body that God has blessed me with. Running has made me realize just how much the human body is truly capable of enduring. Whenever I am in pain during a workout or race, I think back to the pain Jesus experienced while hanging on the cross. For him I continue to run. God has blessed me with a talent and I intend to use that talent to my best ability. Running has made me experience the natural beauties created by God. Through running I have been able to build relationships with people who share my beliefs in the glory of God. Before races my teammates and I huddle together and pray to God, thanking him for the ability to run that has been blessed upon us.

     I know not everyone will enjoy running as much as I do. It takes a huge commitment, one that many are not willing to give. However, I hope some of my reasons for running can convince someone else to give the sport a try. It may just change their outlook on life, like how it has changed mine. 

     Success as a runner does not come easily. It requires hours upon hours of training. Some professional runners log as many as 150 miles a week. I don’t run nearly as much, the most I have ever ran over a weeks time was about sixty-five miles, but that still comes out to an average of more than nine miles a day. I have completed workouts that made me fall to my knees in agony. Sometimes I feel like I literally cannot take another step. Runners often have to make sacrifices when it comes to social life. Going out late on a Friday night with friends is not an option when there is a race, long run, or track workout at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. I don’t have the option of procrastinating on my work until 12 a.m. like other college students, as sleep is a luxury I cannot afford to give up.

Training, sleep, and discipline are  the  more obvious factors that can affect a distance runner’s success, but running is also a very mental sport. It doesn’t matter how many miles you have put in or how fast you run intervals during your track workout if you experience a mental breakdown during competition.

Nerves have been something I have struggled with for my entire running career. In fact, I do not think there is a single runner out there who does not get nervous for important races. However, a good runner will not let their nerves get the best of them. Nervous excitement can actually be a good thing because it gets your adrenaline pumping, but being too nervous can prevent a runner from competing to their best ability.

Controlling my nerves has been especially important to my personal success as a distance runner. I have a disorder called Vocal Cord Dysfunction, which is similar to asthma. During periods of intense activity, sometimes my vocal cords slam shut instead of opening up when I am breathing in, making it extremely difficult to breathe. Stress greatly contributes to Vocal Cord Dysfunction, so if I get too worked up about a workout or race I will not be able to perform to my ability level. It is a terrible feeling to have to drop out of a race or workout because I simply cannot breathe.

Over time, I have become better at managing my stress levels. I have found that I usually perform better if I stay calm before a race and listen to music. If I sit on the bus and nervously think about the race, it is almost a guarantee that I will have trouble breathing. Every runner has different routines that they follow before races to help them relax. Some people follow routines before races religiously. There is not a one-size fits all framework for what a runner does before a race, so each athlete should see what works best for them to help them calm down. For example, I have had some teammates who would always wear the same sports bra, underwear, or socks for each meet because they thought it was lucky. Some would always do their hair the same way. Due to nervousness, a lot of runners go to the bathroom three or four times in the hours leading up to the race. My teammate Sarah would always visualize the race in her head because it helped her feel more comfortable. On the other hand, I have known other runners who try not to think about the race at all prior to its start. Most runners take ice baths the evening before important races. There is conflicting research on whether ice baths actually improve performance, but sticking to a routine that you believe helps you run well will help you stay calm. I have even had teammates who always eat the same meals on the three or four days leading up to meets. Many of my teammates read the same inspirational bible verses before each competition. 

Professional coaches and researchers have done studies on the effects of nerves on race performance. They have discovered the best ways to help people relax and run to their best ability. One of my favorite running books is a classic training book called Lore of Running, by Dr. Tim Noakes. Throughout the extensive 900+ page book he gives training advice to help runners succeed. One chapter in particular focuses on the mental aspect of running. I have read this chapter countless times, and I often read it before big races. Noakes emphasizes the importance of mental training during the precompetition phase of running. He says that it is important for runners to set goals for themselves. Their goals should be attainable and not too lofty, but they should also push limits. Having a clear cut goal will help runners push themselves, even when they fear that they are not capable of doing so. 

Noakes says that research has shown that the same mental processes occur in the brain while visualizing the completion of an activity that occur when the activity is actually performed. For this reason, he writes that it is important to visualize your races before hand.

Dr. Noakes also writes about focusing solely on the aspects of a race that you can control. Doing this, I believe, has definitely helped me improve as a runner. During my junior year we were at a track invitational and clouds were hanging ominously over the stadium. As soon as the gun went off for the 4x8 relay I was competing in, the rain started pouring down, the wind was whipping around violently, and lightning lit up the sky. I stood on the starting line, waiting for my teammate to hand me the baton for my leg of the relay. As I started to run, the rain streaming down my face made it feel like my contacts were falling out. I couldn’t see more than a foot in front of my face, and the wind was pushing against me. Under such circumstances, it would have been easy to justify a poor performance, but I focused on the factors that I could control and was able to run a personal record. I could not control the weather, but I could focus on my form and racing tactics to help me to a solid performance.

The mental aspect of running is definitely hard to master, but being mentally and emotionally calm leading up to and during races can dramatically improve performance. As a runner, I have learned different ways to improve my emotions, but it is still a learning process. Each runner needs to try different techniques for calming their nerves and see what works best for them, as everyone is unique. Best of luck to all my fellow runners and remember, stay clam!

Sources used in this entry:

Noakes, Tim M.D. Lore of Running. 1985. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL.

Also, thanks go out to my teammates for offering their input on pre-race habits. 

The Transition to College Running, Continued.

Hey everyone!


     Last time I wrote about the transition to college running, focusing on dorm life. In this entry, I would like to continue writing about the transition period, but focus on other aspects.


        First of all, differences in training may be the most significant change you will encounter. Chances are, you will be training much harder in college than you ever did in high school. Before college, I had never consistently ran doubles before. (A double means running twice a day) During cross country, we would practice at 4 o'clock every afternoon, plus two or three 6:30 a.m. practices each week. When running extra miles, it is important to make sure that you are eating enough and taking care of any aches and pains you may have. Also, make sure you wake up for practice! Set two alarm clocks if you have to. Doubles can help, but only if done properly. When running on a lack of sleep, I found that it was much more beneficial to gain another hour of sleep than to wake up to run a half hour. The best solution is to get to bed at a decent hour so that a lack of energy is not a problem in the morning. 


      I went from running around 35 miles a week as a high school runner, to 55 or more as a college freshman. During my first collegiate cross country season, the extra mileage left me feeling worn out. I would often get frustrated because I was not feeling great on my runs. However, I always tried to keep in mind that the hard work I was doing that was making me worn out would eventually pay off. At the same time, it is important to remember that freshmen should not be doing the same amount of mileage as the older girls on the team. It has taken them three or four years to build up to where they are, so freshman shouldn't rush into it! Building up mileage too quickly can lead to injuries and burnout.


     Another big adjustment was eating all my meals in the school cafeteria. For the first month or so, I could hardly ever get through a run without my stomach being in pain. I attributed this to change in cooking styles and ingredients. If cafeteria food is upsetting your stomach, try to stick to more plain foods and avoid greasy entrees. Also, remember that just because the cafeteria has endless options, it doesn't mean that you should load up your plate with everything available. Runners should never become obsessed with nutrition, but eating ice cream at every meal is probably not the best way to improve and perform at your best ability.


      Adjusting to a new coach and team was definitely not easy for me. I had a good relationship with my high school coach, as he helped me improve a ton, and I trusted his training techniques. Coaches are always going to vary in their training and coaching techniques. 


     In high school, my coach spent a lot of time talking to us about our goals, and always explained the purpose behind every workout. My college coach definitely did not. It is important to remember that all coaches are different, and you cannot constantly compare your new coach to your old coach.  
     The team atmosphere is very different in college. Everyone is very committed to what they are doing, because they are competing at such a high level of competition. During high school, most of the girls on my team were doing it just to socialize and stay in shape. Besides me, there were probably only three or four girls who took their running very seriously. I was used to leading each workout and run in high school, because I was among the best on the team. Suddenly once I arrived at college, I was not the top dog anymore. I was no longer leading every workout, and a lot of the time I was struggling just to keep up with the girls. This was very frustrating for me, because I am a huge perfectionist and always want to be the absolute best at everything I do. However, I just had to keep in mind that in the long run, having people around me who would push me to run harder would help me to become a better runner.


      There are certainly a lot of changes that occur between high school and collegiate running. At times, the adjustment period can be very intimidating and frustrating. You can complain about the changes and day dream about returning to your high school days, or you can handle the changes in stride and use them to your advantage. Just remember that the transition is rarely easy for anybody, and that the challenges along the way are just road blocks to be overcome on the path to success!
By the way, here is an awesome article on this same topic by the most respected magazine in all of running: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=25233. 


Happy running,
Kylie