10 Lessons I Learned during my First Year of College

1. We > I. Teams, families, and communities are more effective than isolated or self-seeking individuals.
2. It's not all about you. Refusing to be self-centered is extremely counter-cultural.
3. Suck it up. A Christian woman that I admire once said, "If you fall during the tribulation, you will never see the blessing." You have to keep pushing if you want to see the fruit of your labor. A synonymous quote on my dorm wall reads, "I am not finished when I am tired. I am finished when I am done."
4. Friendships rarely just "click". They are pursued after common interests are discovered, and their growth is watered through experiences, encouragement, affirmation, tears, and sweat. It is impossible to ignite friendships with those who remain invulnerable.
5. Fear of rejection keeps us isolated, alone, bitter, and depressed. After a while, if you let it become a piece of your identity, it gives you a sense of entitlement to be self-absorbed.
6. Be skeptical. When it comes to intellectual/political/spiritual discussions, you don't have to swallow what you chew.
7. Trust. Recognizing your complete dependence on God will help you sleep 10000000 times better.
8. "Opportunities multiply as they are seized" (The Art of War) You have to take the intiative. People aren't going to come to you and say "Oh I heard that you are just fabulous at ______, I have a job that would be perfect for you!" The reality is that you have to seize opportunities, even if you have NO IDEA what you are doing - this helps you grow like crazy!
9. Learn to say "No". While you are going about carping the diem, it is important to let some opportunities pass by. Otherwise you will burn out and will be utterly ineffective in everything you do.
10.  Your life is significant. Believe it. There will come times when you question your purpose, your situation in life, and your reason for living. If you don't have purpose and vision, you will have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.

We Met a Monk

 

Silence. Solitude. Trickling fountains. The women's soccer coach took a handful of athletes to Saint Leo's Abbey for a Sunday retreat focused on prayer and self-evaluation. The only element that interrupted the zen of the moment were the ants crawling everywhere - in a rare stroke of genius I had remembered to bring along a blanket, which helped fend off the crawling creatures.

 

It is interesting that even though this retreat was open to all athletes, the only ones who showed up for the 6 am gathering were females (besides the soccer coach). Feel free to form your own thoughts regarding the male athletes of our campus. Maybe someone should have sent them the memo that a vow of celibacy wasn't required to get on the bus.

Nabbed It!

The open door. The light from the stairwell shining into my dorm. Is that Molly? Wait, is that Sabrina in my room!? Is this real? Sabrina is telling me congratulations and is handing me a letter. Be ready by 6? Meet in front of Ave? No camera call until 7:35? Alright.
Thus went my 5:30 AM wake up call and welcome into student leadership. Fumbling around, I finished getting presentable before walking over to the front of Ave, where 70 or so students were milling around and congratulating one another. Still in shell shock, I reread the letter that stated that I had been chosen as to serve as staff writer for the Creative Communications Team. This wasn't a dream.
I didn't blog about this earlier, but a while back I heard that our university was starting a new creative communications team that was offering staff writer positions - something I was totally interested in. I went to the mixer, filled the application, helped with the conference afterparty, went through the interview, and left it in God's hands.
So that is how I ended up bleary eyed and confused in the morning. So crazy how one hour I was curled up underneath my covers like a baby and the next hour I was at Chic-fil-a surrounded by the university's student leaders. It was humbling.
What have I learned from this experience? Well, I was second guessing myself before I applied, envisioning scenarios where I tried and was denied. Thankfully God brought to my mind a quote from a book had reading (The Art of War) - "Opportunities multiply as they are seized". Not a Bible verse, but some old-fashioned battle advice.
I am absolutely stoked to have received the spot, and have one of the best leaders around - I knew I wanted to work with Sabrina the moment I met her.
I feel like I just graduated from high school yesterday and now I find myself in the middle of my spring semester at college. I feel overwhelmed by how God worked everything together beyond what I could ever have planned or imagined.

The Art of Spectating a Race

 

 

5 AM Sunday morning I drove the cheering crew to Tampa, not guided by a GPS, but by directions scrawled across notebook paper in black ink. By God's grace we survived without an accident, ticket, or mishap. 

Spectating for the half-marathon was like watching a running fashion show - in between screams of "You go girl!" and "Looking good!" we were commenting "I love her neon socks" or "check out that tutu".
After a Starbucks stop we headed over to St.Pete Beach for some tanning and ultimate frisbee with the team.
I had my first encounter with driving on the highway at night on our way back to campus from the beach. Tired and terrified, I almost gave the wheel to Mary or Rachael.

 

Strawberry Shortcake & Such

Cross country went out with volleyball for some team bonding over strawberry shortcake. Everything you see in the bowl above was demolished.

 

Grocery shopping is one of the most fiancially eye-opening experiences when you go from living at home to college. Everything is totally overpriced - for example, the items that you see above cost $17.47, and will definitely not last a full week. Meh.

 

 

 

A Complaint From The Not Haute Society

Dear females strutting to class with 5 inch heels and coordinated outfits, I am writing to you on behalf of the rest of us ladies who walk to class in hoodies and ponytails. Your curled hair, lipstick, and mascara has us wondering where your priorities lie. Where do you draw the energy, not to mention the time, to pursue aesthetic perfection every morning?

Sincerely,
The not haute society

XC Nationals!

 

Sometimes you just get tired of sitting. Perching is the new thing.

 

 

Rachael being smart and stuff. Biology majors.

 

Trouble-makers.

 

Coach drove for a total of 36 hours - 18 to Ohio and 18 back.

 

Pre-race dinner at Olive Garden.

 

Presenting the surprise scrapbooks to Coach and Mary. Sierra did a stellar job putting them together as well as conducting a covert mission to circulate the books around the bus for everyone to sign without either coach noticing. Skill.

 

Traveling to Ohio allowed me to see autumn for the first time ever. Like woah, the trees are red and orange.  0_0

 

Me with the best graduate assistant coach ever :)

 

The fabulous fire ladies - can't wait to see the things God is preparing us for next season!!!

PR in South Carolina & The Halloween Hustle

 

Superwoman and Batwoman, ready to run.

 

Coach brought down the Halloween Hustle tradition from when he coached at Roberts - all runners dress up in the most creative costumes they can think of and keep them on for a hard speed work out.  The funniest part was warming up by running through the middle of campus in costume. People were videotaping the eccentric herd of xc runners as we ran through the dorm courtyard, past the library, past the cafeteria, and down El Prado. I couldn't stop laughing.

 

Last weekend we rode for 6 hours to South Carolina, where we had our team dinner at an Italian restaurant. Hello carbo loading.

 

Team devotions :)

 

 

My shins were absolutely killing me, so I filled up my adidas gym bag with ice from the ice machine and hauled it on over to the bath tub. I decided against melting the ice with my own body heat and ran some warm water to raise the temperature to a cheery 39 degrees. It felt totally hardcore - like I was a pro or something. I freaked out when Rachael went in for her turn because Chels turned on the blow dryer in an attempt to warm up Rachael's shivering upper body - I was like "Electrocution! Have you not seen the warning labels?! Blow dryers and water are not friends!" So yeah, I save lives.

As the title of this blog indicates, I set a PR for this race, cutting my time down from 23:10 to 21:23. I listened to coach's advice and focused on nailing a solid 2 mile and hanging on for dear life during the last mile. During the race I told my mind to shut up about the pain and made my legs keep up with Katye's swishing ponytail. We eventually caught up with Beth and made an intimidating pack before I fell behind them at 2.5 miles. I know I can PR again if I stay with my girls the entire race.

 

Gorgeous course! We made friends with a team from Columbia International University during our cooldown (the girls in the bright yellow tanks). I love how running inspires such a sense of community. That and everyone is much friendlier with endorphins flowing through their bloodstream.

 

Escaping The Midterm Madness

 

That is ambrosia right there. Mind-hyping endorphins in a can for when your essay is due in four hours. The only downside is that it left me so jittery that I kept making spelling typos. Holla spell check. (No mom/dad/concerned relatives, I didn't drink both cans in one sitting.)

 

The really rad thing is that I only have one midterm this week. Uno. My Mass Communications prof moved our exam for next week (which is not even a midterm), so I only have to study for my Christ Culture and University midterm. Total win.

All of my poor freshman friends are doing crazy things like biology and  calculus, and I am just like "journalism major over here, woot woot!" I am already planning on taking the easiest science course available either next semester or my Sophomore year. Now that I am no longer in highschool, there is no way that I am ever taking a science and a math class at the same time again. Ever.

 So yah, everyone else is cramming until their brains fall out while I am like "9 pm bedtime baby!!!" Trust me, I enjoying it while it lasts - my serenity will probably come crashing down around December when finals roll in.

 

Sweet dreams - I am working on decorating my dorm wall with running related posters, inspirational quotes, and Bible verses. I think it would be totally cool to decorate an entire wall with Rave Run photos from my Runners World magazines (RW readers know what I'm talking about). Speaking of RW, I am seriously considering unsubscribing and switching to Running Times magazine. I have read RW for 3 years now, and it seems like they just keep recycling the same stories - not to mention the same cover models. RW was good when I began xc for the first time and ran my first half marathon - now that I am more competitive I think that RT has more to offer. Not to mention that RT is cheaper.....

Sooooo glad my mom convinced me to take the back massage chair thingy to college - it had just been stuffed into a corner back home but is now getting some serious use.

I am totally stoked to announce that I reached a 44 mile total for last week - that is the farthest that I have ever run in a week. My legs, not to mention my entire body, have never felt this powerful and strong before. 

 

 

 

What's Up Weekly Synopsis

 

 

 

My endeared friend's affirmation that I am indeed fabulous totally made my day.

Yes, I bought a 15 oz coffee cup from the bookstore - that's a grande in Starbucks lingo.

 

 

Care package from my family when I was suffering from the worst cold ever - stuffy nose, fatigue, cough, congestion - yes, I know you are dying to read all of the snotty details, but I will refrain. 

 

 

The ever intimidating mid-race face of death.

 

23:54. Disappointed.

 

My best friends - foam rollers and sphere-shaped objects that roll out all the knots in my quads, calves, glutes, back....

 

 

Collegiate Race Recap and a Personality Test

My Tia is an absolute life saver, sending me Starbucks k-cups to brighten my mornings and evening homework sessions. When I asked how I would live without her, she responded with "decaffeinated". Truth. She is that special person in my life who bought me my first Starbucks drink when I was ten years old - salted caramel hot chocolate.  It was love at first sip.

 

 

As you can tell by my face, Friday's xc race was death. Reminscient of the battle scene in Narnia, the race began on a flat grassy plain that gave way to rolling, sandy hills. I covered the first half mile in 3:26 and was feeling pretty good, Bethany and Rachael were right behind me and our rivals had begun to decluster and spread out in front of us. I totally thought that the race would play out like the last one - surge up to a group of girls, stay with them, then pass them and repeat. I clocked a 7:26 for my first milesplit but wasn't too worried, I reasoned that the loose sand slowed me down a bit but that I would gain momentum as the race went on. Nope. The entire course consisted of loose sand and long hills. It was like being stuck in the Matrix, where the sand was draining my energy and fight with every stride. Bethany passed me by the 2nd mile mark, but I had zero oomph to keep up with her. I finished with a time of 24:28, 26th out of 63 girls. I guess it didnt help that I had a cold, which has only worsened since the race.

 

Warning-the following information is probably only interesting to those in my family, as is this entire blog. If you could care less about where my tuition dollars are going and my personality type, you may want to go back to lurking on your friend's profiles on Facebook.

For my Christ, Culture, and University class I took the Myers-Briggs personality test, which was so accurate that I am wondering if scientists have been stalking me since my birth and taking case notes.  The test consists of 93 questions, which ask about your tendencies/preferences in certain situations. Your answers to the questions show whether you lean toward being introverted vs extroverted, intuitive vs sensing, thinking vs feeling, and judging vs perceiving.  

I am classified as an INTJ - introverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging.

According to the book, those with introverted intuition and extraverted thinking:

• "want and need challenge, and they often have a high need for achievement. They have a driving need to be competent, and they often set high standards for themselves."
• "they are always analyzing their actions with an eye to improvement"
• "self-critical"
• "an exceptionally strong need for independence"
• "will power"
• and my personal favorite - "Respect is given to others only on the basis of their competence and understanding, not on the basis of their position. When INTJs are certain of their insights, they will ignore the system and rules."
• "determined"
• "vision oriented"

I think that my family and close friends would agree that I reflect most, if not all, of the above statements. Now I understand myself better.

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Snapshot of life as a College Freshman

 My day usually begins with my cell phone alarm going off around 6 AM. After that, it is pretty much a blur of cross country work-outs, consuming caffeine, studying, listening/trying not to doze off during class, and accepting my 20 new friend requests on Facebook (slight hyperbole). This post is a simple snapshot of my university life, sprinkled with subtle hints for those of you dying to send me care packages. :)

 

  

My dorm habitat - I am totally into aqua blues and lime greens, not to mention hot pink. The plan is to eventually install a fridge under the microwave.

 

What do I snack on? Green tea, coffee, popcorn, dark chocolate, unsalted almonds/peanuts and Clif bars. Not to mention brown sugar.
Before going to college I could not nap, I had too much energy or would start thinking about my marathon-long list of things to do. Not anymore. At about any time of day, especially after hard cross-country work-outs, I can slide into my bed and pass out for a 20 or 30 minute power nap.

 I chill with the ice tub about four times a week.

 Collegiate sports definitely take a toll on the body, but I don't plan on being sidelined for the season because I wasn't keeping up with injury prevention. My left calf has been driving me CRAZY, so I have been icing every day, elevating my legs when I read or before I go to bed, and I finally ordered a pair of hot pink compression socks for recovery. The last thing I want is shinsplints. Hopefully I can hitch a ride to Walmart soon so I can pick up a foam roller. If you don't know what I am talking about, a foam roller is a wonderful device that loosens up your muscles and rolls out all the knots in your leg muscles. Google it :)

Sometimes I bring the ice with me. Accessorizing like a runner girl. 

 

Now that I have rambled about my running life, time for the next most important element of my existence: eating. I have been devouring fruit, veggies, salad, soup, and wraps like there is no tomorrow, not to mention the amount of water, coffee, and tea that I chug drink everyday. The above pic is an example of what I eat for lunch. The salad bar also has either quinoa, barley, bulgur, or wild rice everyday that I like to mix with my soup or salads.

 

 

Proof that I don't wear running shorts and hoodies to every class. Only to some classes...

 

 I happen to live off of hot pink and light blue post-its notes - they are like pieces of my mind that I can post all over my planner and laptop so I don't forget any of the million events/essays/assignments/social gatherings that come my way. I just dislike the yellow and orange post-its....they come off as so demanding.

For those of you nerds/creepers wondering what classes & activities I am involved in, here is a quick run-down:

I am currently taking a 15 credit course load and was able to knock out 30 credits worth of general education requirements thanks to the AP classes that I slaved under in high school.

My classes include: Intro to Mass Communications, Liberal Arts Math I (the easiest math course available), Intro to Radio, Intro to Psychology, and my Honors course (Christ Culture & University).

I am currently working on an article for my university's newspaper profiling the stellar cross country team, and hope to become involved with the television program. My mornings and/or afternoons are pretty much devoted to running.

 

 

 

Dorm Day!!

After a four hour drive infused with anticipation I finally arrived at my university!
It took me and my Texan roomie a few hours to set up and such, but I am pleased with the results. The most depressing part of the day was plopping down $155 for my Liberal Arts Math packet. And maybe seeing my parents cry as they hugged me goodbye, but that was more bittersweet.

I thought I would feel competitive of those around me and would spend my hours fighting not to compare myself to others - nope. It is like a big burden has rolled off my back and I simply appreciate people for who they are and dont care for comparing my height, clothes, weight, or hair to theirs anymore. It's just like, whatever, I have been meeting and talking to random people and am constantly smiling simply because I am happy to be where I feel like my gifts and talents can be nurtured and implemented. Like my university's president said, God expecially created you with a Divine Design that no one else can quite match.
This post is a bit ramblesome but that reflects the activity of the next few days as I settle in. :)

Runner Girl Tips

Some of the things I learned about running while in highschool had to do with experiences that happened outside of the track.

Take care of your gear. AVOID putting your dry-wick running apparel into the dryer; the heat can set gross odors into the fabric and damage the elasticity of sports bras. Just throw your gear into the wash on cold and hang it out for a few hours to dry.

Run inspired. Some people are motivated to move with music, I find motivation to complete my core workouts and blog entries by painting my nails with bright polish.

Visualize. When my quads are burning during Spinning class I imagine myself competing in the Kona Hawaii Ironman race, pushing me to pedal faster. Visualizing my goals gives me that extra oomph in training for competition.

Get creative. During my senior year of high school I painted my experiences as a female runner for my AP concentration. Painting, journaling, or playing an instrument help relieve stress.

Show your pride. Confession: I am proud to be a runner, and am absolutely psyched whenever someone new to the sport joins in.

Get crafty. This goes into the same category as creativity. I made this magazine holder for my Runners World magazines and running logs from the cardboard box that my racing flats were mailed in.

Stay hydrated. In highschool I was the girl who had a waterbottle on her desk or in her gym bag for every class - nothing has changed in college.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil."

Kiss my Kicks. It is super important to find a shoe that your feet love. A well-fitted shoe can go a long way in keeping you un-injured and happy during your runs. Personally, my favorite pair of sneakers are Saucony's Progrid Guide 4. I actually bought 3 pairs of these shoes in a row after one would wear out (two of them are featured in the photo above). 

Beat Blisters. A pair of dry wick running socks can help keep your feet dry and blister free. I remember wearing cotton socks during a rainy 5 mile run during cross-country practice that left me limping afterwards from unforgiving blisters.