Post-collegiate running can be a shock to the system after four (or in my case, five) years of having teammates, coaches, trainers and other supporters, not to mention paid travel, lodging and per diem. I knew this life was coming, but nonetheless still find myself occasionally missing the comforts of college.
This weekend I had a fleeting reunion with my past life, this time as part of Team Indiana Elite. The teamless once again had a team. It was not the traditional team, though, as I had never met two of the women on it until we arrived in Cincinnati Friday night, and the only people I had ever actually run with before were Jane and Dani. Even the van ride over was fun as it had been a long time since I had sat crammed into an unsafe vehicle with bags piled on every square inch of free floor and seat space. It's the little things sometimes... After dinner we had a team meeting then a "spike party" in the hallway, putting the longest deadly metal objects we could find into our racing shoes in hopes of staying upright in the mud bath they were calling a course.
The race itself, the USATF Club Cross Country Championship, was by far the muddiest race I have ever run. Our pristine white spikes didn't stay that way for long, and even the tape I wrapped all around both shoes to keep them on was sucked off by the massive puddles. At one point the tape was flapping with each step, half on and half off, but I managed to keep my balance even when someone stepped on one end of it. I never really felt comfortable racing-wise, often veering from one side of the course to the complete opposite side trying to either find a solid piece of ground or pass people who were quickly slowing down in front of me. Despite my rather pathetic finishing time and place, the race really was lots of fun. How can you not have fun getting completely covered in mud, jumping hay bails, and being on a cross country team for the first time in over a year? There is no other sport like cross country, pure guts and grit, and a little dirt for good measure. Unfortunately, we finished sixth as a team, one point away from fifth and winning prize money. Usually, I'd be pretty upset about that, but I was having so much fan hanging out with everyone, guys and girls, that I didn't even really care.
Once we got back to Bloomington, instead of eating dinner, Dani, Jane and I headed to Jiffy Treet for some delicious cyclones. I ate mine in about one minute (Dani and Jane, being sensible, took a little longer, but not that long). We talked and laughed, recounting the funny moments of the weekend and making fun of the college girls who came in wearing Ugg boots and tights (which Chapman had been making fun of during the ride home). In what seemed like only a few moments later, the guys we had just spent all weekend with (the male members of Team Indiana Elite) walked into Jiffy. I looked at my watch and realized we had been sitting there for over an hour and a half! Time flies when you're having fun...
Less than eleven hours later, Jane, Dani and I, along with Allison, met up at our usual spot at Bryan Park for our long run. As soon as we picked up our knees and made the transition from walking to running, the heavens burst open. Rain in the summer = fun. Rain when it is 37 degrees and you spent the whole weekend in wet weather = not so fun. Yet, we managed to laugh about it and talk for enough of the run that only the last three miles felt really painful. I managed to distract myself during the end stretch, though, by fantasizing about what it would be like to be on a team again, but not a college team, I'm done with that phase of my life. But instead, on an elite team, living next to each other (for free), not having to do anything but run, talk, laugh and go to Jiffy Treet on occasion!
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