NICOLE ALBERTSON
Staff Writer
Lace up some running shoes and leave the gym behind. Follow the road to the end and then turn up the rocky path. Pass the trees and look up at the sky. Explore the surroundings and achieve a clear mind. After muscles become sore and lungs begin to sting, push further, push harder. Only when the path is forgotten as well as the worries and real world stresses, is it time to turn back and forge a new path home.
Runners are the few athletes who turn off the beaten path and pave their own way. Senior cross country runner Rose Drew brings her five years of running exploration and talent to Pepperdine’s growing women’s cross country team. After being nagged and coerced for years by friends already on the team, Drew finally gave into their plead. In the fall semester, she laced up her running shoes for the university’s team for her senior year.
“At first I would run after class and go exploring,” Drew said. “It was my way of getting to know the community. A lot of my friends were on the cross country team, and I would run with them off season. They always encouraged me to run competitively, but I wanted to put school first.”
As her schedule cleared and allowed her time to be a part of the team, Drew joined in on the two-to-three a-day practices, logging five miles each morning and team practices in the afternoon.
Sam Hudson, a track and cross country runner for Pepperdine, logs in 60 to 90 miles in one week during the season, including 9 to 10 workouts each week. Races each Saturday bring in five miles, “easy” runs add 4 to 7 miles and hard days rack in 15 to 18 miles.
“I love running because it’s unique in that yes, you are competing against others, but above all you’re competing against yourself,” Hudson said.
For a successful runner, motivation comes from personal strength as well as the encouragement of teammates. The unique combination of solitary and team actions bring a bond that turns friends into supporters, wanting the best for each individual.
“One time I was in a race and I came up to pass one of my teammates on the trail,” Drew said. “Even though I was passing her I still heard her say ‘good job Rose, keep it up.’ My teammates really push me, support me and encourage me to push myself harder.”
The constant practices and long-distance runs allow these elite athletes to challenge their bodies and relax their minds. As iPods have become the new exercise companions for all those that squeeze into spandex, Drew cherishes the time alone on the road free of distractions.
“I never listen to music,” Drew said. “I never have, and I don’t think I ever will. I turn everything else off. My mind is enough. I don’t need another stimulus.”
Running becomes a way of life for those that enjoy the private moments captured in the solitaire sport. Its unique ability to provide exercise for the body and mind captures athletes who enjoy the solo performance and high pressure under the spotlight. “Naturally I’m a very disciplined person,” Drew said. “I use [running] as a stress reliever, and if I don’t run, I don’t feel well. I’m very competitive with myself, and I want to be good at what I’m doing. But competing is very nerve racking. The limelight is on you, and if you’re not doing well everyone is going to know it.”
While most athletic dreams consist of running three miles in an adequate time, or climbing the hundreds of steps from the Fieldstone Firehouse to main campus without sweating, panting and grasping the handrail, Drew and Hudson strive to compete in marathons and Ironman competitions.
“I really want to do an ultra-marathon,” Drew said. “It is 50 miles. I don’t know if I will ever do it, but it would be a great goal in the future.”Getting ready for more personal challenges and accomplishing their goals, Drew and Hudson leave Pepperdine’s campus in search for physical and mental clarity. “I guess there’s a somewhat masochistic element to it,” said Hudson, “but running is such a natural way to push your physical and mental limits — I love it.”
03-22-2007