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Welcome to Inside Lehigh Athletics, your chance to take a glimpse into the on and off the field lives of Lehigh student-athletes. Seniors Carolyn House and Sarah Seiler are members of the Lehigh cross country team. House was a medalist in the 10,000 meters at the 2006 Patriot League Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and is a multi-year member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. Seiler is a biochemistry major from New Jersey who won the 2005 Lehigh Valley Championships. Check back soon for their latest update.
October 12
Lehigh/ Lafayette
In the words of a former beloved captain, we ran like **** (poop) through a goose.
One of the most intense races of the year, but we got ‘er done. For the seniors, it was nice to come away with the biggest dual meet win in years.
Disappointment of the meet: None. Everything was perfect and wonderful, even school.
Paul Short
WE WON!!!
Ok, not really, but close… we got 14th. Sadly, Princeton (ranked #7 in the nation) edged us out by a mere 362 points. We are confident that we will take them down at Regionals.
Spandex city (and not just the girls). Picture yourself standing on the line with close to 300 girls in bathing suits and spikes, all staring at a little man in the middle of a field holding a white flag and starting rifle. As the cannon (rifle) goes off, there are only three things going through our minds: dodge said little man with rifle; sprint; and dear god, don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall.
Metal trees. Three hundred girls stampede towards a hairpin turn on slick grass, lined with rope. At this point, you’re still being taken out by the pack, you don’t even have to think about pace; just avoid the tiny, pointy elbows being thrown everywhere.
Dodgeball. From the metal trees to the bridge that marks the two mile point, you just have to dodge every runner that started out way the heck too fast and are now hobbling along. On a good note, no matter how bad you do, you’re still going to look compared to them.
Gradual Hill of Death; (censored)
Finish; some might say that girls were flying in like candy off a conveyor belt (apparently the little pieces fly off all together, really fast). Others might say girls crossed the line… a lot.
Highlight of the meet: The one and only opportunity to witness a false start at a cross country meet. As over three hundred guys stormed off the line, the field was shocked to hear canons (starting rifle) being shot off in rapid fire calling them back.
Highlight number 2: No one from Colgate carried off a pan of delicious home-baked brownies that had been prepared for the barbeque by our wonderful, beautiful/ handsome, intelligent, supportive, generous, loving, trusting, sweet, adoring, kind-hearted parents. (Please send money.)
Disappointment of the Meet: The distinct lack of crazy personal stories by our beloved starter/official during the award ceremony.
Next: Friday 13th. Flying to Arkansas by way of Detroit. We’ll let you know how that went sometime this semester.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
September 10, 2006 - First week of school
The main goal of the week was to get reacquainted with the library and still get in all the miles. Most upperclassmen are rejoicing in the fact that they no longer have 8am’s. We have also now realized that a sufficient morning routine only takes ten minutes: hit snooze three times; fall out of bed (if your bed is a mattress on the floor, replace “fall” with “roll”); brush teeth; put on flip-flops (notice, getting dressed is not necessary, pajamas are sufficient); grab breakfast; begin speed-walking to class. Note: runners do not make plans to walk to class with others as runners do not stroll. Every minute spent strolling to class is a minute that could have been better spent sleeping.
The freshmen are starting to realize:
- Naps are essential to college life.
- Athletes have practice during naptime.
- They should leave an hour in advance for any class in Chandler Ulman.
- Even though we’re running peak mileage, we still get winded going up stairs.
- Every meal at the dining hall is an all-you-can eat buffet.
Disappointment of the week: The entire student body has to cram into Fairmart since Linderman is still under construction, making it more of a social hall than a place of study.
Lehigh Valley Champs
Weather: Icky
Freshmen and booty shorts had their impressive debut in Division I Collegiate athletics. Our ability to pack-up and work together during the first half of the race gave us confidence in the team’s future. Kutztown was stronger than anticipated, but Lehigh women were still able to secure 7 of the 10 coveted t-shirts. The men once again swept the meet with a perfect 15.
Disappointment of the meet: Underclassmen were appalled to discover the men’s soccer team was relocated to another field that is not surrounded by the women’s 6k course.
Second week of school: Gnat Season
Workouts + High Mileage = Exhaustion. We are now consuming anything that looks even remotely edible. Every run this week is either a workout, an insane distance run, or involves mileage on the gnat-ridden course. We have learned that gnats are good for two things: Protein and coverage without the need of a t-shirt.
Disappointment of the week: People always say “what goes up must come down,” but what they didn’t mention is that in a distance run, what goes down must come up.
Next week: Lehigh/ Lafayette
The girls’ team is geared up for next week’s meet and hoping that we will enjoy our biggest victory in years. We are pleased to have home-course advantage.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Pre-Season Cross Country Camp
Day 1: Ungodly hot.
Total water weight lost: Four pounds
Upperclassmen ran five miles on the canal in the morning. So nice to be back in South Bethlehem where honks and catcalls constantly reassure us that the miles we’re putting in are worth it. Apparently this area is appreciative of spandex shorts and sports bras, which is good because we only wear them for aesthetics, not because we’re running in 95 degree weather.
In the evening, the entire team gets together for the first time so that the freshmen boys can be intimidated and the freshman girls can be ogled. Oh, and to run a five mile tour of Bethlehem.
Disappointment of the day: Rathbone’s fresh-baked cookies have been replaced with horrid store-bought ones.
Day 2: Disgustingly humid, although made slightly better by sporadic showers.
Total water weight lost: Six pounds
Upperclassmen met in the morning to run 4 miles on the canal.
Highly anticipated 11 mile run past a sewage treatment plant. The sophomores found out for the first time that they could really pound a distance run and the team realized what we are capable of this season.
Disappointment of the day: Carolyn realized what a nerd she really is when she woke up at 4:30 in the morning and couldn’t go back to sleep because of how excited she is about the season.
Day 3: Really hot.
Total water weight lost: Five pounds
Team ran Center-Main six together. You know it’s hot when you have to stop for water three miles in.
Sadly uneventful trail run in the afternoon.
Disappointment of the day: Coach Deb actually found Jacobsburg, depriving the team of a run through a random backwoods town and our annual tour of Pennsylvania.
Day 4: Shock, hot again. 8 am practice is getting old by this point.
Total water weight lost: Six pounds
Normal morning routine: roll out of bed, put on shoes, run.
Afternoon: Run on trails at Jim Thorpe, followed by a swim in the lake, dinner, and volleyball with random campers.
Disappointment of the day: We may be athletic, but there is a reason we run— none of us have any hand-eye coordination.
Days 5-10: Well, it’s August, so every day was hot.
Total water weight lost: A lot
The seniors ran a total of 65 miles in six days and coach forced us to do a complete lifting routine for the first time in four years. Power cleans: not our favorite. More importantly, Rathbone brought back the usual cookies and we would like to thank the Goose, we love you.
Disappointment of the week: Coach Deb thwarted the tradition of having a freshman boy push her into the pool.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
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