NYU Athletics

Lori Frazier is a freshman on the NYU women's cross country team. She will share her thoughts in this space throughout the 2011 season.

Written October 12

The past two weeks have been extremely critical for the girls’ team as we approach our biggest meet yet this weekend. Fourteen members are traveling to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the most competitive meet of our season thus far. All the girls demonstrated at Met’s last weekend that they’re getting fitter as each week progresses and are more than ready to handle a higher level of competition.
 
I’ve been hearing from all of my teammates this week about their excitement for Oshkosh, and although they know the field will be deeper than previous meets, they’re ready for the challenge. This year quite a few freshmen are traveling to the meet along with seasoned upperclassmen, and the young age of our team is a dynamic that makes us unique. Personally, I’m still dealing with a few aches and pains as are a few others on the team. And, after a long period of time, this can be discouraging. However, I know that we are all working hard to be healthy again and are looking forward to seeing the progress our teammates are making throughout the season.
 
As far as balancing school and practice, it can be tough at times. Time management is key. I don’t live with anyone on the team. In many ways that is a great thing, but it also can be difficult because our schedules differ. Most nights as I’m getting home, my roommates have already finished studying and I haven’t even showered yet. Overall, though, it’s something that is manageable if you have the discipline to manage your time and really have a passion for your sport.
 


Kerra Vick is a junior on the NYU women's cross country team. She will share her thoughts in this space throughout the 2011 season.

Written October 3

Let's face it, although running is one of the healthiest activities you can do, the distances required to train for cross country puts a major strain on your body, especially for female runners.

At this point of the season, the mileage on the pavement is wearing. So, many of us took this week, a non-race week, to address any nagging injuries. But, because a lot of your stamina depends on your fitness level, when injured we still cross train. Cross training isn't a preferred option, but it allows us to maintain fitness during an injury or to prevent a much bigger injury from occurring.

It is difficult to determine when you should run through or cross train. As Maeve Evans says, "I'm usually really stubborn about having to cross train. I'd much rather run, but I listen to my body and if I think that running will make things worse in the long term it's important for me to cross train for a few days until it's feeling better."

Most others who have cross trained agree. Hannah Satzke says that she decides to cross train when
an injury she normally could run through starts to affect her regular training.

So although cross training can be annoying, sometimes a little discernment can prevent a more serious issue. 

Lori Frazier is a freshman on the NYU women's cross country team. She will share her thoughts in this space throughout the 2011 season.

Written September 27

Last weekend, the team traveled to Williamstown, MA, for the Williams College Purple Valley Classic. This was our first overnight trip, and the first meet of the season that “really mattered” due to of the volume of Division III schools competing.
 
Unfortunately, I did not compete due to a few aches and pains. But, it was still fun and well worth the trip to cheer on my teammates.
 
Overall both teams’ performances were a mixed array. Some individuals had outstanding races; while others did not perform to the best of their abilities due to fatigue from a tough week of classes or the common cold that’s traveling around campus.
 
Although both teams still have a ways to go, everything is beginning to come together as all the athletes are getting ready for what looks to be a promising season for both the men’s and women’s teams.
 
The trip had its serious moments, as well, but we all still managed to have a little fun. Some of the highlights were running in the rain the night we arrived, scouring Wal-Mart for breakfast food for the next day, and watching The Notebook, a favorite of a few of the guys on the team.
 
We have a tough couple of weeks of training ahead of us before the Metro Championship at Van Cortlandt Park, and I’m interested to see how we will stack up against the competition in two more weeks.



Kerra Vick is a junior on the NYU women's cross country team. She will share her thoughts in this space throughout the 2011 season.

Written September 18

New York is an amazing city. But, like all cities, it limits running to only a few areas. So, we tend to get to know a few routes until we could practically run with our eyes closed.  Below is a quick guide to our running locations as well as a few terms we use throughout training.
 
Eastside/Westside- The sides of Manhattan and the two choices we have to run. The Tip Run is a combination of the two: start by running east or west, turning south, and then ending on the opposite side of the island.
 
Res Loops- Refers to the path around the reservoir in Central Park and is the location of most workouts. Also, it sometimes becomes a great steeple workout depending on the amount of puddles.
 
Ice/Icing/Ice-bath- Much like the names imply, anything with ice refers to trying to relieve soreness by cold temperatures.
 
VCP- Otherwise known as Van Cortland Park, VCP is our "outside" the city run without actually leaving the city. It is also the location of Cemetery Hill (please see Cemetery Hill explanation
 
Cemetery Hill- Located in Van Cortlandt Park, this appropriately named hill provides a rather grueling climb to the top. Sometimes, it is a location of a hill workout.
 
Rockies- Also known as the Rockefeller Park, this is a spot to run outside of the city.
 
Running Soft- Running on lower impact surfaces such as dirt.
 
Yer- A greeting, call, or just random noise we might make.
 
Although running in the city has its obstacles, because of the variety of weather, people, and events, every run is different.




Lori Frazier is a freshman on the NYU women's cross country team. She will share her thoughts in this space throughout the 2011 season.

Written September 13

For a lot of incoming freshmen, choosing whether or not to participate in collegiate sports is a difficult decision. The level of competition is higher, and the practices more strenuous. It’s time consuming, and balancing your schedule can seem impossible at times.
 
For me, however, deciding whether or not to do a sport in college was easy. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the possible struggles.
 
Coming from a small town in Florida to New York City could have been lonely and daunting, but I was instantly welcomed into a group of friends who have made NYU seem just as much of a community as any other college. Of course practice and competition is harder, and I am taking a little while to adjust, but I know that if I wasn’t participating in cross country I wouldn’t be presented with the unique sense of community that a lot of freshmen still have yet to find.