Hello Again Everyone! :)
I can't believe it's already been a week since I last wrote. Seems like time has just flown by! I'm excited to write, though, because there's plenty of buzz around the SNC Track team right now. With our meet last weekend at Stevens Point, I feel like we are really starting to make strides in regards to our ultimate goal of becoming Conference champions! The MWC Indoor Track Championships are just 2 weeks away!
For the first time in school history, our 4x400 women's relay team has qualified for Nationals!! The team of Marisa Trakanovich, Ashley Graybill, Katie Meyer, & Emily Schudrowitz ran a 3:56.9!! The provo mark was 4:00, so with their time, they should be in - as in, they've pretty much earned their ticket to Terre Haute! I'm so pumped for them, and I just really hope I will be joining them on March 13/14!
Ashley also qualified in the 400 this weekend (58.55) and on the men's side, Dann Schneider was just .1 second away from the school record in the 200 (22.50) so I have no doubt he'll get that soon as he looks to get qualified for Nationals in the 400! He would be the first male to qualify Indoors for SNC in quite a while, so we're all hopeful he can make it there! On a personal note, I achieved success over the weekend too, which felt really good after running pretty mediocre at Northern Michigan. I ran a 5:09.06 mile, which was a PR by 10 seconds! I finally claimed the school record which was previously 5:16! My time is also just 4 seconds from the provisional mark of 5:05, so I'm hoping to get another shot at getting on the list for the mile in addition to the 5K (as well as hopefully our Distance Medley Relay, which we'll be running on the 21st)!
Now I'm gearing up for a BIG race on Saturday at Iowa State. I'll be the lone Division III runner in the 5K race. I'll be up against the "big dogs," but that doesn't bother me one bit. I'm so excited to go there and race - and hopefully race well - to improve my time and move my way up on that qualifying list! I'm currently sitting 9th so I really need to shave off some seconds off my time to ensure my trip to Rose-Hulman in mid-March!
Well now that I've shared track news, I have another short story to share with all of you - a key influence on my newfound love of running and the success I've had throughout the past couple of years! This influence happens to be... black & white and furry...constantly yearning for affection... and always ready to exercise... it's my Australian Shepherd dog, Skyler! We got him from a family who couldn't handle his need for exercise, and at first we thought he'd never get along with my older dog (who sadly passed away a year ago), but within a few weeks of having him, we realized he was just plain perfect for our family. He would normally have 2 walks in a morning (one from my Mom, one from my Dad), but still seemed eager for more, so during my senior year of high school, I began to run with him every day after school, before soccer practice. First we started out going only about a mile or so, but then, with the passing of a couple more weeks, we'd both look at each other after a mile and easily decide we wanted to continue on. By the end of that summer, we were running at least 5 miles a day. He honestly whipped me in to the best shape of my life and truly sparked a newfound interest in distance running for me! The best part was always how excited he got when I stepped foot in the door after school. If I wasn't feeling particularly motivated on a certain day, Skyler would step in, practically dragging me out the door!
Since my senior year of high school, we continue to run here and there, especially when it's not hot outside. The moment I walk in to the door, no matter if it's been a week or 3 months since I've been home, Sky jumps up to greet me and pretty soon he's tugging at his leash - "Come on Jenny, time to get some more exercise!" There are definitely days when I go for runs here at school by myself and miss how I used to have a furry companion alongside of me day after day! It was so much fun to be getting myself in to shape and making him the happiest little pup in the world at the same time! He's an amazing dog and it's probably one of the toughest parts of being away at college - no chance to have him around! If I hadn't had him throughout my senior year of high school (and the summer before college!) I honestly don't think I'd be where I am today! He gave me a whole new perspective on running and helped me enjoy it in a way I never thought possible!
So, there you have it. An unlikely furry motivator and a definite contributor to my success. Gotta love dogs - man's (woman's) best friend! :)
Hope you've enjoyed my entry for this week. I'll definitely think of Sky as I prepare to race my best this weekend in Ames!
Till next week,
--Jenny :)
~This week's running site to visit: Cool Running.com It has plenty of tips on how to run at your best, as well as suggestions for road races across the country! Definitely check it out!
I can't believe it's already been a week since I last wrote. Seems like time has just flown by! I'm excited to write, though, because there's plenty of buzz around the SNC Track team right now. With our meet last weekend at Stevens Point, I feel like we are really starting to make strides in regards to our ultimate goal of becoming Conference champions! The MWC Indoor Track Championships are just 2 weeks away!
For the first time in school history, our 4x400 women's relay team has qualified for Nationals!! The team of Marisa Trakanovich, Ashley Graybill, Katie Meyer, & Emily Schudrowitz ran a 3:56.9!! The provo mark was 4:00, so with their time, they should be in - as in, they've pretty much earned their ticket to Terre Haute! I'm so pumped for them, and I just really hope I will be joining them on March 13/14!
Ashley also qualified in the 400 this weekend (58.55) and on the men's side, Dann Schneider was just .1 second away from the school record in the 200 (22.50) so I have no doubt he'll get that soon as he looks to get qualified for Nationals in the 400! He would be the first male to qualify Indoors for SNC in quite a while, so we're all hopeful he can make it there! On a personal note, I achieved success over the weekend too, which felt really good after running pretty mediocre at Northern Michigan. I ran a 5:09.06 mile, which was a PR by 10 seconds! I finally claimed the school record which was previously 5:16! My time is also just 4 seconds from the provisional mark of 5:05, so I'm hoping to get another shot at getting on the list for the mile in addition to the 5K (as well as hopefully our Distance Medley Relay, which we'll be running on the 21st)!
Now I'm gearing up for a BIG race on Saturday at Iowa State. I'll be the lone Division III runner in the 5K race. I'll be up against the "big dogs," but that doesn't bother me one bit. I'm so excited to go there and race - and hopefully race well - to improve my time and move my way up on that qualifying list! I'm currently sitting 9th so I really need to shave off some seconds off my time to ensure my trip to Rose-Hulman in mid-March!
Well now that I've shared track news, I have another short story to share with all of you - a key influence on my newfound love of running and the success I've had throughout the past couple of years! This influence happens to be... black & white and furry...constantly yearning for affection... and always ready to exercise... it's my Australian Shepherd dog, Skyler! We got him from a family who couldn't handle his need for exercise, and at first we thought he'd never get along with my older dog (who sadly passed away a year ago), but within a few weeks of having him, we realized he was just plain perfect for our family. He would normally have 2 walks in a morning (one from my Mom, one from my Dad), but still seemed eager for more, so during my senior year of high school, I began to run with him every day after school, before soccer practice. First we started out going only about a mile or so, but then, with the passing of a couple more weeks, we'd both look at each other after a mile and easily decide we wanted to continue on. By the end of that summer, we were running at least 5 miles a day. He honestly whipped me in to the best shape of my life and truly sparked a newfound interest in distance running for me! The best part was always how excited he got when I stepped foot in the door after school. If I wasn't feeling particularly motivated on a certain day, Skyler would step in, practically dragging me out the door!
Since my senior year of high school, we continue to run here and there, especially when it's not hot outside. The moment I walk in to the door, no matter if it's been a week or 3 months since I've been home, Sky jumps up to greet me and pretty soon he's tugging at his leash - "Come on Jenny, time to get some more exercise!" There are definitely days when I go for runs here at school by myself and miss how I used to have a furry companion alongside of me day after day! It was so much fun to be getting myself in to shape and making him the happiest little pup in the world at the same time! He's an amazing dog and it's probably one of the toughest parts of being away at college - no chance to have him around! If I hadn't had him throughout my senior year of high school (and the summer before college!) I honestly don't think I'd be where I am today! He gave me a whole new perspective on running and helped me enjoy it in a way I never thought possible!
So, there you have it. An unlikely furry motivator and a definite contributor to my success. Gotta love dogs - man's (woman's) best friend! :)
Hope you've enjoyed my entry for this week. I'll definitely think of Sky as I prepare to race my best this weekend in Ames!
Till next week,
--Jenny :)
~This week's running site to visit: Cool Running.com It has plenty of tips on how to run at your best, as well as suggestions for road races across the country! Definitely check it out!
Good luck Jenny! You'll do great! I'm sure I'll be seeing you running with Skyler again in a few months! :P
Colin McKean, Jeff Pentek, and now Jenny Scherer... it's nice to see St. Norbert starting to get some respect! Good luck with the rest of your season!
Since when do you let the dogs on the furniture?
ha!
glad to see you can still spell right oh cousin of mine