HS Bloggers: Kirstin Sandreuter Greely HS #6

Follow Greely HS distance star Kirstin Sandreuter as she blogs about her senior xc season. Sandreuter was the Class B state runner-up last fall, and is the top returner in 2013. See what it takes to be one of the top distance runners in New England.

 

As I finished my run this afternoon, I couldnʼt help smiling as the sun went down and I found myself passing by yard after yard decorated with bright, twinkling lights -- the Christmas season is without a doubt one of my favorite times. This year Iʼm especially excited, because instead of my usual cross-training in early December, I get to continue with my favorite running season, cross-country! I still canʼt really believe it, but the weekend after next I will be toeing the line of the Footlocker Cross-Country Championship race in San Diego along with 39 others of the nationʼs fastest high school girls.

I am so thankful to have earned this opportunity, and I owe a ton to all the coaches, family, friends, community members and everyone else who has been a part of my journey to get to this point -- the support and encouragement Iʼve received have made me feel so incredibly blessed! In the spirit of the season, I wanted to devote this blog to sharing some of the other little things Iʼm most thankful for as a runner -- after all, its often the smallest details that add up to creating a successful and enjoyable season!

1) Self-massage tools : Foam rollers, tiger tails, tennis balls, golf balls... some of the most innovative strategies also produce the most suspicious glances from airport security guards :)

2)Tye-Dye: Nothing looks cooler than showing up to a meet wearing freshly-made gear... and for most of my teammates and I, this means colorful skin for a few days afterward too!


3)Magazines: It always makes my day to find a new issue of Runnerʼs World in the mailbox -- excellent reading material for long car trips to meets!

4)Race T-shirts: Thanks to high school cross-country and track, I will never be without a cotton t-shirt in my life. Ever.


5)Blenders: some of the most fun Iʼve ever had in the kitchen has been spent whipping up various smoothie and energy bar experiments with friends [ most of which have turned out edible and appetizing... ;) ]

6)Cozy sweats: Extra added bonus if theyʼre tye-dye :)


7)Cool-downs: thereʼs something about the joy of a post-race runnerʼs high that makes jogging around with teammates after a 5k some of the very best miles.


8)Spikes: Iʼm continuously amazed by how just changing shoes can make you feel so light, fast and ready to fly!


9) Inspirational Quotes: littered across sticky notes, T-shirts, posters... and no matter how corny, they never seem to fail to provide an extra boost of motivation!


10)The Internet: honestly, what did runners do with their spare time before it was possible to “stalk” results, stats and videos on Milesplit? :)

 

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful holiday season so far. Best of luck to all, whether youʼre training for indoor, taking some time off, or involved in a different sport this winter! And a HUGE congratulations to Josef Holt-Andrews and Dan Curts as well -- watching you guys power through that endless home stretch to the finish on Saturday and earn your trips to Nationals was awesome, and gave me even more drive to go and strive for the same. Iʼm so excited that the three of us will get to represent our state in San Diego -- letʼs go Maine!