I’m Katherine Leggat-Barr and I run for Greely High School. I started running in eighth grade while playing soccer as well. While I still play basketball and lacrosse in the winter and spring. sophomore year I decided that cross country was a better fit for me than soccer. I continue to be so grateful that I made the switch, because of cross-country’s amazing team camaraderie, socializing on easy runs :), and the great connection between girls’ and boys’ teams. There is something about the pain and nerves that all runners experience that makes the group become closer than in many other team sports.
I don’t run indoor or outdoor track, so this summer I focused on building my strength to where I was last season. I worked up to 40 miles a week this past week. All my miles were pretty relaxed this summer, with a tempo run, a fartlek workout (30/60’s) and a long run a week. To me, summer training is all about getting the miles under your legs and being careful not to burn out before the season starts. Last year, I ran my best in the middle of the season, and didn’t peak when I wanted. Learning from that experience, I have been careful not to do too many miles during the summer. That being said, running in the summer is by far my favorite time of the year because nothing beats a beach day or a cold treat after a run!
The Clam Festival 5-Miler was my only race of the summer. It was a last minute decision because I returned home from a week at my grandparents at 10 PM the night before. I was happy to beat my time from last year, giving me confidence that I am in fact ahead of where I was last year. I always feel liberated to enter a race last minute, because I am able to push myself just as hard, but don’t have time to overthink the race or put too much emphasis on its importance. I would encourage anyone to run road races, because they have such great atmospheres with little pressure. They always emphasize to me why running is so great!
In addition to training by myself, I went to Acadia Running Camp with many of my teammates. The camp tailors to every running ability and leaves much of the day to do other fun activities, including visits to Bar Harbor, swims in the lake and to play lots of card games :). The camp definitely boosted my training, with 7-8 mile daily runs on the carriage trails. I ran with a group with many incredible runners, who pushed me to the limit everyday. It felt so satisfying to be challenged by other people and got me very excited for all the battles in the races this fall! Emily Durgin, a Cheverus grad who now attends UConn, coached our group. A highlight of the camp was learning from her about her own high school and college experiences which made me excited for the upcoming cross country season.
I haven’t really thought much about my individual goals for this season, but one is definitely to foster a competitive yet inclusive environment on our team. We had such a connected and positive team atmosphere last year. With some losses to our roster, I want to make sure that we carry on last year’s legacy of inclusiveness and support for all runners. With such a big team with many ability levels, it can be hard to make sure that everyone feels they are important to the team’s success. If our team culture is positive and encouraging of all runners, the season will be a success!
Have a great start of the pre-season!
-Katherine
