My fellow running monsters,
It has been a long time since I have written anything here. Far too long. Having read Andy's and Lucas's posts, I have been inspired to write something one last time.
I would like to begin by saying, the past four years have been some of the greatest of my life. It was all of you that made those four years great. I honestly don't know if I would have even made it through this last year without your support. Even though I didn't run track, the support you gave me through out the entire year helped give me the strength to be standing where I am today. You have know idea just how much you have helped and inspired me get through college. You guys are great!
The past four years have simply flown by. God has so greatly blessed me by bringing each and every one of you into my life. I will miss (and have missed) running with you. I will miss camp week, the runs at Pike Lake and Lapham Peak. I will miss the great running conversations, the team dinners, and yes, even the monster workouts. But more than anything, I will miss all of you. You are the ones that gave life to my running career over the past four years.
Even though I didn't have the greatest season of running in CC, we had a great run as a team, and I wouldn't trade it in for the best season of running in my life. This season was by far the best of my collegiate career. Winning conference for both the men and the women was a great way to end my collegiate running career. I can't say enough how amazing all of you are!
It was great to see all of you race again at conference this last weekend. Seeing all of you run like that awoke with in me the monster that has been hibernating for so long. I wanted so badly to get out their with you and join you. It made me sad that it is all coming to an end, and I wish I had many more years of running with you. It is a bittersweet ending.
But seasons come and seasons go. We all eventually have to move on. For every end there is a new beginning. So live for every moment that you have left in your collegiate career. It will be over sooner than you know it. I seriously feel like my freshman year just ended. Your senior year really does sneak up on you. Even though I will never again wear the falcon uniform, I'll always be a falcon at heart. I have all of you to thank for that. You are all amazing. I just can't say it enough. Like Lucas said, you are my family away from home. I wish I had more time with you.
So thank you. Thank you for making the past four years of my life as amazing as they were. Thank you for the laughs, the tears, the growth, the struggles, the fun, and the support. Stay falcon awesome!!
So this is it. Goodbye and good luck. I wish you all God's richest blessings on your future endeavors and pursuits. Keep running strong!
Live long and prosper.
Richard
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Monday, May 9, 2011
Don't Stop Believing
Wow. In a few days I'll be graduating from college. Goodbye CUW. Goodbye Buuck Fieldhouse, goodbye bluff, goodbye fish bowl.
Goodbye, team.
I know I haven't posted to this blog in months, and I was thinking about letting it die with the XC conference championship as our closing statement, but after reading Andy's most recent post I just had to sign off one more time.
I came to Concordia as a very confused 18-year-old, not really knowing who I was or where I was going in life. Running has always been a release for me, one of my favorite ways of unwinding and just forgetting about everything except the wind in my hair and the sound of my feet striking the ground. It's kept me sane. And so it was natural that I'd look for others to share that joy with me, which is why I wound up joining the team in spring 2008. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I've gone through a lot of ups and downs over the last four years, a lot of questioning and soul-searching, a lot of pain and punishment. Yet amidst all the confusion and chaos, there was always one thing I could count on to make sense. That was the team. The times we've shared will be one of the warmest spots in my memories of college: carving pumpkins at Andy's, running in the minus 30 windchills in the dark while wearing ski goggles, cutting through the clouds of flies every spring, running stairs on the bluff at 6 am, in the dark, in the rain, while Russ is shouting "Yeah baby!"...those were great, great times.
I know indoor track didn't go so great for me this year, and I ended up deciding not to run outdoor, but I hope you're all aware that this decision had nothing to do with any of you. You were the reason I almost didn't quit. You guys and girls, coaches and trainers, all of you...for four years you've been my home away from home, my second family, my fallback and support group. You've been there for me when I needed it most, helping me survive the nightmares of my own mind when you didn't even realize it.
When I was still new on the team there were some T-shirts floating around, perhaps from the year before, that said "In search of the miraculous." I believe that was the team's slogan for that season. Personally, I don't know what you guys were searching for, because it was all around you the entire time. This team is miraculous. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of training companions and friends.
So this is me saying goodbye, so long, and thanks for all the miles. I'm sure I'll see some of you, hopefully all of you, again at some point, but until then keep on running. Because the Spirit's fire never goes out, and the monster never dies. And once again, thank you for being my team.
You never stopped believing in me. I'll never stop believing in you.
Peace.
Lucas
Goodbye, team.
I know I haven't posted to this blog in months, and I was thinking about letting it die with the XC conference championship as our closing statement, but after reading Andy's most recent post I just had to sign off one more time.
I came to Concordia as a very confused 18-year-old, not really knowing who I was or where I was going in life. Running has always been a release for me, one of my favorite ways of unwinding and just forgetting about everything except the wind in my hair and the sound of my feet striking the ground. It's kept me sane. And so it was natural that I'd look for others to share that joy with me, which is why I wound up joining the team in spring 2008. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I've gone through a lot of ups and downs over the last four years, a lot of questioning and soul-searching, a lot of pain and punishment. Yet amidst all the confusion and chaos, there was always one thing I could count on to make sense. That was the team. The times we've shared will be one of the warmest spots in my memories of college: carving pumpkins at Andy's, running in the minus 30 windchills in the dark while wearing ski goggles, cutting through the clouds of flies every spring, running stairs on the bluff at 6 am, in the dark, in the rain, while Russ is shouting "Yeah baby!"...those were great, great times.
I know indoor track didn't go so great for me this year, and I ended up deciding not to run outdoor, but I hope you're all aware that this decision had nothing to do with any of you. You were the reason I almost didn't quit. You guys and girls, coaches and trainers, all of you...for four years you've been my home away from home, my second family, my fallback and support group. You've been there for me when I needed it most, helping me survive the nightmares of my own mind when you didn't even realize it.
When I was still new on the team there were some T-shirts floating around, perhaps from the year before, that said "In search of the miraculous." I believe that was the team's slogan for that season. Personally, I don't know what you guys were searching for, because it was all around you the entire time. This team is miraculous. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of training companions and friends.
So this is me saying goodbye, so long, and thanks for all the miles. I'm sure I'll see some of you, hopefully all of you, again at some point, but until then keep on running. Because the Spirit's fire never goes out, and the monster never dies. And once again, thank you for being my team.
You never stopped believing in me. I'll never stop believing in you.
Peace.
Lucas
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Senior Year
Dear CUW track and cross country team,
It's been a fun ride. Three years of running at Concordia University of Wisconsin and one year of running at UW-Stevens Point. I've made some of the best friends any man could ask for. Through those long runs in sweltering heat and those even longer runs in -15 degree weather, through the blizzards that keep the plows off the roads to the sun that melts the rubber on the bottom of your shoes, those friends have been there. They have been there through the toughest times (and man there were some rough weeks) and they have been there for me in the best of times (and there were plenty of those as well). For me, running has been more than a sport, it has been a lifestyle and those guys, my teammates, have taken every step with me.
Now it is my last season. In fact, conference is coming up this week. Then the last chance meet and maybe, MAYBE...a 10k at nationals. But as excited as I am to get out there and contend for a conference championship with my best friends, I am saddened by the fact that this is the last time I get to compete as a Falcon for Concordia. No more race strategy with the coach, no more nerve racking, vein busting, mind splintering pep talks minutes before the biggest races of our lives. I'll miss those days.
I've grown so much through my teammates. I have learned what it means to be a leader, what it takes to deal with controversey, how to push myself to my limit and then push some more. The days where we get out to the track or the meadow and look at the workout thinking "How the hell are we supposed to do this workout!?"...those days are the best. Those days are the ones that make a strong, close knit team. I'll miss those days.
More than anything this is a thank you to all those runners on the CUW team, men and women, who have impacted my life. It was all for the best. I wouldn't take back one second of it, even the injuries. I've grown more than I could have ever imagined and I hope to keep the friends I've made through the process. I'll still be running and training; I'll still be competing as hard as my body will let me, but I'll always remember how much CUW and the team has impacted me. Thank you, teammates. Thank you very much.
God bless,
Andy Ashenden
It's been a fun ride. Three years of running at Concordia University of Wisconsin and one year of running at UW-Stevens Point. I've made some of the best friends any man could ask for. Through those long runs in sweltering heat and those even longer runs in -15 degree weather, through the blizzards that keep the plows off the roads to the sun that melts the rubber on the bottom of your shoes, those friends have been there. They have been there through the toughest times (and man there were some rough weeks) and they have been there for me in the best of times (and there were plenty of those as well). For me, running has been more than a sport, it has been a lifestyle and those guys, my teammates, have taken every step with me.
Now it is my last season. In fact, conference is coming up this week. Then the last chance meet and maybe, MAYBE...a 10k at nationals. But as excited as I am to get out there and contend for a conference championship with my best friends, I am saddened by the fact that this is the last time I get to compete as a Falcon for Concordia. No more race strategy with the coach, no more nerve racking, vein busting, mind splintering pep talks minutes before the biggest races of our lives. I'll miss those days.
I've grown so much through my teammates. I have learned what it means to be a leader, what it takes to deal with controversey, how to push myself to my limit and then push some more. The days where we get out to the track or the meadow and look at the workout thinking "How the hell are we supposed to do this workout!?"...those days are the best. Those days are the ones that make a strong, close knit team. I'll miss those days.
More than anything this is a thank you to all those runners on the CUW team, men and women, who have impacted my life. It was all for the best. I wouldn't take back one second of it, even the injuries. I've grown more than I could have ever imagined and I hope to keep the friends I've made through the process. I'll still be running and training; I'll still be competing as hard as my body will let me, but I'll always remember how much CUW and the team has impacted me. Thank you, teammates. Thank you very much.
God bless,
Andy Ashenden
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
More than the Sum of its Parts
Saturday was the NAC conference championships at Wisconsin Lutheran. We went in with some intricate battle plans, a little warpaint, and a lot of guts. The meet itself was an experience; several of the guys were sick, including Ryan and Danny, and the women were underdogs right from the start. I personally took a digger in the first 2 miles, losing my footing and crashing to the ground in the middle of the woods. I'm not sure what happened; I just remember planting my left foot and then finding myself sliding through the dirt while Kelby screamed at me from behind to get back up. The incident left me a bit scraped, bleeding, and dirty, but I managed to catch back up to Fife and Richard to finish the race.
As the overall results came in we were all pretty anxious. Despite some uncertain performances and a protest from one of the opposing coaches we managed to pull off the win-on BOTH SIDES. The guys took it by a mere 3 points, which is extremely satisfying after having lost by 3 last year. Hats off to Braun, who moved up with his best race of the season to fill in for those who were ill. Without him we couldn't have done it. The women ended up winning by about 15 points thanks to solid races from Jamie, Maxine, and Caitlyn. Ultimately it turned out to be the injured, the sick, and the come-from-behind overachievers who won the day. As we all hugged and cheered after the awards I felt something strange start to course through my body. It was at this time that I finally realized I'd run my last race with CUW cross country. Never again would I get to put on that uniform.
Just a few months ago I was hopelessly crippled by mysterious injuries and contemplating quitting the team for good. Now I'm running 45 miles a week, and I'm a champion. A TEAM champion. We won. We did it together.
The season is over for me competitively, but there's still Regionals in another week or so. And I'm the unofficial team Motivator. Time to get my speechwriting on.
P.S.
Track starts November 29
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Monster Lives
This weekend the team went to Wisconsin Lutheran for the Pre-NAC meet. The weather was great, a cool 50 degrees with a warm sun that peeked out from behind the clouds every once in a while. It was great to test out the course that we'll be competing on at conference in a few weeks, but for some of us this meet had far greater importance.
Pfeuffer and I raced for the first time since February. I mean honestly, everything-or-nothing, fast-as-you-can-go RACED. After sitting on the sidelines for so many months I think the both of us needed to get out there and compete more than anything else in the world. I did my best to put together as inspiring of a pre-race speech as I could muster, focusing on giving the glory to God and remembering where all of our successes come from. Minutes later the gun had gone off and we were kicking some major grass.
I had planned to shoot for a 6-minute mile pace in the hopes of breaking 30 minutes. I was able to hover just over that for the first 3 miles, hanging with Muffenbeck and eventually pulling away to catch up with Daniel. At the 3 mile mark I could feel the fatigue but knew I had yet to summon the monster, the ace in the hole that's always guaranteed to save you some time in the end. I attacked the pace and tried to get Daniel to go with me but he couldn't seem to keep up. With about one mile left I found myself catching up to Kolbach, who I quickly passed. He managed to hang in there though, just as I'd hoped, and the two of us pushed all the way through to the finish. Kolbach ended up finishing a couple dozen meters or so in front of me as my legs shut down in the final minutes. The monster came out in just about full force, getting me to the line and leaving me there feeling as if I might drop at any second. I haven't been so sick, so sore, and so tired at the end of a race in a LONG time (but then, I haven't finished a race at all in a long time). My final time was 29:48. Not bad for starting camp week at 2 miles a day.
I wasn't the only one who had a good day. Ash won the meet as the 2nd overall finisher (one unattached guy got him in the last mile) with a time of 25:55. Jon O and Braun both dropped a huge amount of time to get into the low 29-minute range. Ryan and TJ also did great by cranking out some mid-28s.
After waiting around for what seemed like forever, due to a course confusion that resulted in the disqualification of the top 18 female finishers, it was announced that our men's team had taken 2nd and the women had won the meet. We crushed all of the NAC teams in attendance and proved to ourselves that this team, this family, can accomplish everything we set out to do back in August.
And for a smaller, frustrated-yet-patient group of us known as Cripple Command, it was proven that no matter what happens, THE MONSTER NEVER DIES.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Falcon Invite
I feel like I have been neglecting this blog a lot lately. Here's an update on what's been going on with the team recently:
Last Friday we debuted at Olivet Nazarene. The meet went well for the most part. A lot of the guys and girls had good races, but a few people ended up getting hurt. We've had quite a crowd in the athletic training room lately but hopefully everyone's health will be up to par soon.
Last night I had everybody over for a pasta dinner in order to fuel up for the Falcon Invite this morning. The meet itself was a pretty big success. I got to put on my spikes for the first time since February and was able to break in my new uniform, although Russ wouldn't let me race. I ended up doing a "tempo" that was probably closer to race effort. I clocked in at 30:40, which was surprisingly fast in my opinion considering the less-than-full effort and the fact that I've been out for the better part of a year. The hip flexor felt great as well and that old achilles issue has long cleared up. One other injury, a sore shin muscle, hasn't prevented me from running due to the fact that I run on my toes.
Fife got out there today too. He's become my "wingman," since the two of us were both injured all summer and are trying to make a comeback together. It feels so good to have a teammate at your side when you're dealing with a battle such as rehabbing and getting back into shape.
On the reverse side of the injury issue is Andy, who was unable to run today due to plantar fascia pain. He'll be back soon enough though. That guy is a beast. He ran 25:30 something at our first meet last friday.
Other notable results for the race this morning include Guppy, who won the small school division, Stacey, who was 2nd on the team and put up a great performance, and the entire women's team as a whole, who took home the 1st place trophy! Some of the guys ran great as well, such as Ben (our first finisher) and freshman Martin (aka Steve, Marco, Polo, Polio, Virus...he's a man of many names). Overall it was a pretty good day.
Next week: Griak! Get your battle stripes ready.
Last Friday we debuted at Olivet Nazarene. The meet went well for the most part. A lot of the guys and girls had good races, but a few people ended up getting hurt. We've had quite a crowd in the athletic training room lately but hopefully everyone's health will be up to par soon.
Last night I had everybody over for a pasta dinner in order to fuel up for the Falcon Invite this morning. The meet itself was a pretty big success. I got to put on my spikes for the first time since February and was able to break in my new uniform, although Russ wouldn't let me race. I ended up doing a "tempo" that was probably closer to race effort. I clocked in at 30:40, which was surprisingly fast in my opinion considering the less-than-full effort and the fact that I've been out for the better part of a year. The hip flexor felt great as well and that old achilles issue has long cleared up. One other injury, a sore shin muscle, hasn't prevented me from running due to the fact that I run on my toes.
Fife got out there today too. He's become my "wingman," since the two of us were both injured all summer and are trying to make a comeback together. It feels so good to have a teammate at your side when you're dealing with a battle such as rehabbing and getting back into shape.
On the reverse side of the injury issue is Andy, who was unable to run today due to plantar fascia pain. He'll be back soon enough though. That guy is a beast. He ran 25:30 something at our first meet last friday.
Other notable results for the race this morning include Guppy, who won the small school division, Stacey, who was 2nd on the team and put up a great performance, and the entire women's team as a whole, who took home the 1st place trophy! Some of the guys ran great as well, such as Ben (our first finisher) and freshman Martin (aka Steve, Marco, Polo, Polio, Virus...he's a man of many names). Overall it was a pretty good day.
Next week: Griak! Get your battle stripes ready.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Another Beginning
The 2010 cross country season is under way and the team is looking fantastic. The guys have a solid core group of returning veterans with some serious training under their belts, while the women's recruiting class has got to be one of the best ever. I'm stuck in training group E with the other out-of-shape and injured guys, but things are finally starting to look up again after a couple months of setbacks. My hip flexor is finally getting back to where it should be and an achilles issue from last week turned out to be just a minor nuisance. Some ice and a massive heel wedge managed to take care of it and keep me out on the roads. I'm up to 3-4 miles a day now and am slowly getting back into shape.
Classes start tomorrow morning and I'm not really sure if I'm ready or not. I took care of most of my hardest classes last year so this semester shouldn't be too much of a burden. Still, it feels strange to close the book on this summer. The cycle of seasons continues.
Classes start tomorrow morning and I'm not really sure if I'm ready or not. I took care of most of my hardest classes last year so this semester shouldn't be too much of a burden. Still, it feels strange to close the book on this summer. The cycle of seasons continues.
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