Round 1 Race Recaps

The season is officially underway!! So far I have raced 4 times (check out my “2015” page for more time, place, and location details) and have been pretty pleased overall with the results and progress. This year has felt very different from the start and racing has been no exception. I have been happy to feel more competitive, responsive, and confident going into and coming out of my competitions despite not yet running any P.B.’s. I have also felt more forgiving and patient with myself and am actually allowing myself to enjoy the process of a slow but steady uphill trajectory. I have my sights set on a long, healthy, FUN season and at this stage, I see greater value in focusing on things that build me up rather than tear me down. 

OREGON RELAYS- 3k Steeplechase

A few weeks of steeple specific work coming off of our USATF event summit in Chula Vista at the end of March had me feeling a little antsy and excited to get a race under my belt. The first opportunity I had was right in my backyard at the Oregon Relays. It was fun to get to race the event for the first time with the support of old friends and also neat to be able to show some of the new friends who I’ve just met this year, what the steeplechase was all about. I had a loose plan to get faster by K’s throughout the race, but actually ended up doing just the opposite. None-the-less, Ian and I felt good about the effort. It was an unusually warm day and there was a bit of a breeze. I led from the gun and was on my own for pretty much the whole race.  It probably wasn’t my fastest season opener but it was not far off of where I have been the past few years and I felt smooth and strong.

There was a little anxiety going into the competition because of the changes that I have made in training this past year. I have been feeling positive and happy about things but I know that unless these good feelings actually translate to fitness and fast times, it doesn’t really matter. I want very badly to believe that they will but because the nature of my training is so different, nothing but actual racing will truly tell.

Four awesome pictures from the race can be found on my friend Phil's website, Tracktownphoto.smugmug.com

LANE (Community College) TWILIGHT- 800m

800, yeah baby!.......Umph.

A little speed work never hurts. It has literally been probably since my sophomore year in college that I have raced an 800 (about 7 years?!!!). Training this year has given me more confidence in my speed and running fast and I was excited to see what I could do. My main objective from the race however was to prepare myself for an upcoming 1500m at the Payton Jordan Invitational.  It is tough to get as good a quality effort in a workout as it is in a race, even if it is low key. This was a perfect opportunity- only a few miles down the road and against girls whose primary event on the community college team was the 800m.  I hoped to get a good start through 200m, settle in for 400m- expending as little energy as possible while not slowing down, and then bring it home the last 200m with everything I had left. Surprisingly, I found myself in the lead at 200 and unknowingly allowed myself to slow down too much through the next 200. With 350m to go, I already knew I had saved too much and started my end kick early. I was pleased with a win but would have really appreciated company the first lap to keep me honest. First time over that distance in a while, I walked away with good work in my legs but hungry for another go! 

When the real race was over, I jumped in to pace the 3k. Wish I could find a picture of the amazing double rainbow just overhead!

Thanks Romaine Soh for the great pictures! 

PAYTON JORDAN INVITATIONAL- 1500m

Since working with Rowland, I have grown to love getting a 1500m effort in my legs about a week before a big steeple. I try to keep it pretty low key in my mind, telling myself that it is a means to an end, not a primary focus in order to ease the nerves. I do like the challenge and always want to try to run my hardest. Many of my steeple competitors have significantly faster 1500m P.R.s than I do which motivates me to no end! With no real reason to believe I am in shape enough to get it, I set my sights on the ambitious goal of 4:10 (my P.R. is 4:12). Only hours before the race however, I thought better of that benchmark and decided to try to take the opportunity to race competitively and focus on place instead. I was in the 3^rd heat and believed that I could contend for a win if I executed properly. I got out well, had a great position just on the outside of lane 1 and felt strong enough to cover a few moves throughout the race without expending unnecessary energy. I was second at the bell but had no extra gear as first crept farther away and a few others came from behind. Unlike other similar races, I did not feel that I backed down or faded back as much as I just didn’t have the gas to accelerate at all. Overall, I was thrilled to feel competitive and in control and know that that finishing strength will come.

 More photo cred to the great Romaine!

JAMAICA INTERNATIONAL- 3k Steeplechase

Hopping on the plane, I knew the name of my hotel and that I was about to run a steeplechase but that was about it. I had no idea what time my event was, who I would be running against, or anything about the rest of the meet.  I didn’t care too much however because I was just excited to be on the road again!! All the little details about competing over seas came rushing back from the last time I did it about two years ago. There are so many added factors you don’t usually have to think about that come into play. The meet ended up being heavily sprinter, jumper, and thrower focused (surprise, surprise in Jamaica) which made for a perfect introduction back for me. The women’s 3k Steeplechase was a field of five- 2 Americans, 1 Panama athlete, 1 from Puerto Rico, and 1 Jamaican. All but 1 I had raced against in the US in the past. I realized that I was the favorite on paper but I was nervous about the heat and breeze. I have not run especially well in humidity and hot temperatures in the last few years so I decided to run as conservative as possible for the first 2k and focus on competing the last K. At the time of the race, it was very warm but there was no breeze to worry about. Instead however, there was a hazy, smoke/smog lingering that had me a bit worried about my breathing. The water pit was way on the outside of the track so the race began only about 40 m from the finish line and the first barrier followed shortly after, making an interesting start. Lucky for me, one of the other girls took it out and led the pack. I sat on her outside shoulder and tried not to hang close but not too close. By the straight going into 3 laps to go, I was ready. I made a move and in my head heard my dads voice telling me, “don’t take the lead until you are ready to win”.  Yep, I was ready to win. I opened my stride and finished strong. Thanks to the girl that took it at the start, the time was faster than I anticipated but nothing to write home about. I was happy with the win and my little trophy of Jamaican art.

Friendly folks on the plane got me prepped and excited about what I would
find when I landed for the first time in JAMAICA!!

Roommate for the weekend and now new friend on the circuit-
Whitney Ashley. Cheer for her in the discus ring!! 

The calm before the storm- my first look at the
stadium the day before the race.

Pre-race meal of traditional  Jamaican cuisine...so good but try
not to over do it, I have to be able to race well tomorrow!

Treated like royalty, we athletes even get a police escort
on our way over to the track for the races!

Looking a little different jam-
packed with crazy fans!!

Missed the picture from the award stand
but these were our trophies! 

A close up of my beauty...Jamaican woman picking Aikee fruit, the
country's national fruit. A key ingredient for a dish they love called
'Aikee and Saltfish'. Wish I would've gotten to stay long enough to try it!
I'll just have to go back!

I'm a sucker for all things native when I travel (especially food related, as you can tell).....'when in Rome'...or Jamaica....

My $.02 on Iron Supplements

I had an email exchange recently with someone who was wondering about my take on Iron Supplementation for female runners. This poor runner has literally spent her entire college career (4 years) trying to get her iron levels in a reasonable zone. I'm certainly no doctor or even and expert but I have some personal thoughts on the issue from my experience in the sport. I decided to make my response public in case it could be helpful to others as well…..

"In my personal experience and in talking to other runners throughout my career, it has been made apparent that different bodies absorb iron differently. 

Profound, I know. 

But seriously, I've had teammates who have really struggled with this too. They were directed by a doctor to take this amazing wonder supplement and did not see much of an improvement but then they started taking a basic Ferrous Sulfate liquid form available over the counter at your neighborhood pharmacy and BOOM...Iron back to normal levels. They shared this story with me so I decided to try their 'miracle find'. Definitely didn't work the same way....AND I had some pretty knarly side effects (black tongue, stained teeth…etc). 

I've seen the best results personally with Solgar brand Chelated Iron pills. When I went up to the OTC in Colorado Springs, the sport med doc shared with me the name of the iron pill he recommended to the endurance athletes that go up there to train- Feosol. It is a pretty high potency form, not for the faint of stomach. I decided to gave it a try while I was there- if the sports Dr. for Team USA recommended it, it MUST be good…. when my next blood test rolled around, I actually noticed a slight decrease in my levels. To me, this proved yet again that each body is different. 

Unfortunately, the best way to figure this out takes a while and can be expensive. Get your blood tested. Hit it hard and consistent with one form. Test again and compare your levels. I really don't think that any doctor will be able to tell you which form is 'better' for you. He should, however, be able to point you in the direction of the highest quality, highest potency, highest bio-available. I would start your experimentation there but understand that your body is unique and you probably won't know how it will react to something until you try it. With so many options on the market, just don't waste time trying to force it to absorb something that it does not want to. It probably won't happen. 

Thats really all I have to contribute on the topic. Best of luck in this. Let me know if you think differently or have any more specific questions.  "

The inequality of sweat

 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/211174952996142/

Olympic athletes are in a unique position in the United States. Four major sports (American football, baseball, basketball, and hockey) have the American fan market on lock down and capture a large majority of sports T.V. time. There are many theories to try to explain why more Olympic sports have not made the popularity and profitability jump beyond the Olympic cycle. It is certainly not for lack of excitement……take men and women’s volleyball for example- high scoring, fast pace, and impressive specimens of athleticism and grace! It’s not for lack of hard work and dedication…..think rowing- where most teams are out on the chilly lakes of America at 5:30 am everyday, rain or shine! And it’s definitely not for lack of international success…..think about the track and field medal count every Games! So why have some sports really taken off while others continue to struggle to support their stars?

            After studying business for a few years, I now believe that a lack of successful application of basic business principles could potentially have a lot more to do with it than the sport or athletes themselves.  In a sport like American football for example, what began as a few individuals motivated to find a way to make their passion for the game into something lucrative, is now a multi-billion dollar industry, supporting countless jobs from analytics, broadcasting, athlete representation, league management, facilities, tickets, apparel, merchandise, to team ownership! Sport business pioneers have transferred their own passion and love of sports to thousands of others and created fans that have now become dedicated enough to back their enthusiasm up with personal, hard earned cash (and a LOT of it!). This comes in various forms, from tickets to memorabilia to opportunities to participate themselves. From this success, a culture has been created around athletics in America that all sports can benefit from if we recognize it as the opportunity that it is and are willing to take advantage of it.

 http://imgarcade.com/1/gatorade-sweat/

            However, from its ancient Roman beginnings to now, the Olympic Games have always had a stigma around the relationship between athletes and money. This certainly doesn’t mean that there is no money associated with the Games though. It is no secret that billions of dollars flow through fans, sponsors, cities, broadcasters, etc. every time the event is rolled out.  So why is it that many of the athletes are forced to work multiple jobs while training just to put food on the table and pay rent. “Spirit of the Games” or not, athletes have to be able to eat and live comfortably in order to be successful on the court, field, or track.

            After studying business, I see that this is not simply a matter of athletes being exploited. There is a lot we can be doing for ourselves to help capture more of this value.  We have a lot to offer. Our talents and work ethics excite and inspire people.  They want to see us achieve our goals because they understand that what we are doing, very few people are capable of. They see we are special and they want to associate themselves with us. Our primary product is entertainment and, medal or not, we are all entertainers (Thank you Sally Pearson!). In order to maximize our experiences and potential, the fundamental motivations we had when we began participating in our sport as children, should never be compromised.  But the bottom line is, when we graduated from Rec league and become collegiate or professional athletes, sports becomes business.  In order for us to ever have a shot at funding our own training, we must be willing to shift our mindset and accept a slightly new perspective.

https://twitter.com/usainbolt/status/490506648570433536

            The sport culture in America has elevated athletes from all disciplines to ‘Role Model’ status, increased corporate awareness of sports as a means of marketing, and opened up more opportunities for lucrative television contracts for everyone. The door has been jarred open. Recently, non-traditional sports have been figuring this out and have begun to step through. Snowboarders getting thousands of dollars doing sick videos to promote products, rock climbers making their dreams possible through corporate endorsement, even unicyclists and hikers have been able to leverage the sporting culture in America to appeal to the masses and make money doing what they love.  I went to business school to figure out how they are doing this and if we as track and field athletes, can better utilize the basic business principles of branding, marketing, and sponsorship to help us realize our true value. 

Same Ol' Olympic Dream…….only different.

There have been many new developments in my life over the last few months and I am excited to finally fill you all in!

First things first, I have FINALLY graduated! As of the beginning of December, I officially have an MBA from the University of Oregon in Sports Business! As you will hopefully read in my blogs, I had a great experience and learned a lot that I believe will be very helpful not only down the road when I am ready to hang my spikes up, but also now, while I am still flying over water pits. (I plan to release a blog series in the upcoming months at bridgetfranek.blogspot.com about what I learned and how it can be applied to track and field. Please stay tuned!)

Soooo, what’s next, you ask????  School certainly opened my mind to many new opportunities and paths and there were moments over the last few years that had me questioning whether or not I should just walk away sooner rather than later. However, I am still young in running years and potentially only now coming into my running prime. It’s going to be a long road, out from the depths of academia back to the Mondo surface of the beautiful oval office but I have decided to recommit to the sport for a few more years to see what I have left in me! And so begins…..same ol’ Olympic dreams, only different……

I have decided to remain in Eugene, Oregon, or TrackTown U.S.A., however, I am now running with a different post-collegiate team. This team is coached by an old OTC Elite teammate and friend of mine, Ian Dobson, and is filled with tremendously positive, talented individuals who I truly enjoy spending time with. This particular groups mission goes beyond Elite athlete development and strives to use track and field as a platform for positive change in the community through youth and adult running. (To learn more, check out our website-www.teamruneugene.org.) Having lived and trained here for four years, I have been welcomed into this community with open arms. I have met incredible people of all ages who have become a family to me in a foreign, far-away place. I cannot adequately express my gratitude for this and truly want to give back in a meaningful way. This is a huge reason I am still in the sport and largely why I chose to remain on this team and in Eugene.

Two summers ago, having completed the dream I had set out to achieve in the steeplechase, I gave myself the opportunity to walk away from the sport. Their were a few reasons I was considering leaving. (1) I had accomplished the thing I had been primarily striving for (an Olympic team and final!) (2) there are so many things in life that I still want to do and pursue that I have not been able to because of my commitment to running and (3) as much as I love the sport, training at this level always left me with a slight feeling of selfishness- pursuing my personal potential with such passion and focus, sometimes seemed to squelch out any hope of positively influencing the community around me. 

However, through this soul searching moment of my life, I am very grateful for the support of the community surrounding me (friends and family, Eugene, Penn State, Ohio…), my teammates (OTC, TRE, Penn State, Crestwood…..), God, and my Olympic experience. They helped me realize just how powerful my time, energy, and experiences in the sport can actually be to others around me. 

Much like the individuality of a runners training plan, our motivations and intentions can be equally as personal. I believe I was pulled back into the sport because this is where my God given gift is and where I can make the biggest positive impact for good. Now in a new stage in my career, as I lace up my shoes every morning, I am motivated by something different than before…..Steeplechase, running to my potential, my athletic journey, is about putting myself in the best position I can to make a positive difference in the world around me.

In the spirit of allowing this attitude to transcend athletics and permeate the entirety of my life, I have been looking for meaningful and correlated ways to fill in my time without classes and financially support myself.

For the next 7 weeks, I will be in charge of 4 P.E. classes of elementary school students through a program called Healthy Moves. Twice a week, I am going to assist with a similar program through Kidsports in Eugene called the Physical Literacy Project which is also geared towards getting kids moving and active. This program is also for elementary aged students but is after school. This spring I will be an assistant coach for aGirls on the Run Team as well. I just recently went through the training and am very excited about the curriculum and opportunity to help young girls learn about themselves and the world around them through the lens of running!

The organization, In The Arena has recently accepted me onto their team and has agreed to generously help financially supplement the time and energy I am going to be putting into all of these programs! Their mission is to give Olympic hopefuls the support they need to be able to volunteer with kids in their communities and truly be recognized as the role models that they are! I am so honored to become a part of this amazing and inspiring group of athletes!

In my left over time, I have been trying to use my sports marketing degree to explore the idea of non-traditional track and field sponsorships (outside of just shoe and apparel companies). Through my various conversations, I have been led to believe that there may be local businesses or corporations that would be interested in being part of my journey now that I am no longer being supported by Nike or the Oregon Track Club. I would like to be able to prove to local corporations that elite runners can positively contribute to their corporate mission and goals in ways beyond a simple jersey logo. Many cycling teams and other sports survive solely on local support and with Eugene being the icon of track and field that it is, I believe that there is tremendous potential. It is definitely a big project and the jury is still out about whether or not it will be successful, but it is worth a shot now that I have an insider insight into business and a real need for financial assistance. I will be going into more detail on the specifics of what I've been up to in my blog if you are interested to hear more of my thoughts on this topic. And, if any of you work for, or know of a company in Ohio or elsewhere that might be willing to consider becoming an integral part of my Olympic journey, I would love to chat!

As always, Thank you, Thank you for all your support and encouragement in the past and now as I move forward! You have no idea how much it really does mean to me. I am so excited for this new chapter to begin! The year has started off on a great foot and I know that bigger and better things await on the horizon!!

In the coming months I will be excited to share my experiences in the community and on the track. Please stay tuned.

Thank you for reading! I wish you all the best for 2015!

As Winnie the Pooh so elloquittly states it……T.T.F.N…..tata for now!