Indoor Track is Coming Up

After nationals we took a couple weeks off to rest up and give our bodies a break. We have been training hard and consistently since August.

We still go on distance runs everyday, lift weights, and do 100-meter strides after to get stronger and faster. These past couple weeks we just haven't been doing intervals or speed workouts.

Today we start back with our hard workouts because our indoor season is coming up. We compete in the Idaho State Snake River Open in Pocatello the first weekend that we get back from Christmas break.

Last year we won the Big Sky Conference Indoor Championship and we are looking to do so again to defend our title. As a women's track team we are continually working hard in school to maintain a high GPA and be eligible to compete. We are also pushing ourselves everyday at practice to improve in our individual events so that as a track team we can succeed.

New Weber State athletic logo

I love being part of the Weber State Track and Cross Country teams. I love competing and the thrill I get from it. I love the girls on the team and how much fun we all have together. I am grateful for the opportunity to compete in college and I am going to have a great experience and do my best while I am representing WSU.

Strike Plate Test

Kayla changing her shoes
for the study

Both the Men's and Women's Weber State Cross Country teams have had the opportunity this past week to participate in a study that is being done by one of the student athletic trainers.

To start off we go run our 18 minute warm up just like we would before a race. We then do four 100-meter strides. By this time we are warmed up and ready.

We are each assigned a number so that it is anonymous. Then we randomly draw if we will be wearing spikes or our training shoes. We then wear the other pair of shoes the next day of the test. We also randomly draw if we will be running a 5k or mile pace first.

The cameras recording us

We run down the long jump runway down at the indoor track past sensors that tell us if we are on pace. We then have to run in stride across a strike plate. You have to get this perfect so that you don't have to slow down or lengthen your stride to hit it right.



The strike plate

This measures how much force is actually being pushed back up into our feet. We have so much force going down into the ground so this measures how much is coming back. It also records how our feet hit the ground. It's cool because he can go back and look to see if our shoes affect the way we run or strike the ground.

I really liked being a part of this study. It was fun and I liked being able to help someone with their experiment for class. I'm excited to see what he finds and to learn about the way I run.

Track Photo Shoot

As a track team we recently decided to get together and do a track photo shoot. We all wore either white, black, or purple for Weber State colors.The track team also has a spot on the Weber State website where you can look at our individual bios. You can check it out here.



Weber State Women's Track Team

Anyway all 50 of us girls gathered together on Saturday morning down at dinosaur park to take pictures as a team. Our attire slightly different than what we wear to practice. And good thing too because it was cold and windy.

Being crazy and cold

 
Everyone kept their jackets on up until we actually took the picture so we could stay as warm as possible. With 50 girls things were fun of course, no matter how cold it was. We joked around and had a good time and took some funny pictures as well.

WSU  Track Team. Love this one!!

It was fun to get together and take some pictures as a women's track team. Of course we look super cold and our hair is kind of crazy from the wind; but overall I would say we are a pretty good looking team. :) 

Thanksgiving!!!!

Thanksgiving was really exciting because I got to see my family and go home which i hadn't since August. So I headed back up to Idaho on Tuesday to start my Thanksgiving break.

Two of my three sisters were there which was fun. Of course I still missed my other sister but she was having her own Thanksgiving with family and friends down in Texas. As a family we had time to hang out and be crazy. 

My sister Allison and I rocking the mustaches! :{0

We have this silly tradition that every Thanksgiving my dad will look up Thanksgiving trivia and has prizes from the dollar store to give out. The prizes are always ridiculous but we look forward to it every year; it's super fun. One of the prizes this year was mustaches and we actually had a lot of fun with them. I think we looked pretty good honestly.

So here are just a few things that I am thankful for: a loving family, friends who I love and are very supportive, awesome roommates, the opportunity to get an education, and being able to compete at the college level. I know I am blessed and I am very thankful for everything that I have.

Nearly Naked Mile

Kevin, Alice, Natalie, Me, and Kurt
Top 5 finishers

While some of the cross country team was out of town
this weekend racing in Regionals those of us not competing decided it would be fun to run the Nearly Naked Mile.

 

Just a little side note and shout out to those that raced because they did so well!! The men had a fantastic showing and finished 5th as a team. The women all ran excellent as well and won the NCAA Mountain Region title which is the first time in school history. This automatically qualifies them for the NCAA Championships this weekend. If you want to read more about this click here.

 

Anyway back to the Nearly Naked Mile. It was Friday at 9:30 pm and of course there was still snow all over. I'm sure this looked ridiculous to a an onlooker because a bunch of college kids were racing around campus with barely any clothes on.

 

Girls on the team
With some flashers in the background

I ran it with a couple girls on the team and we just had fun with it. We decided to run together and not get too competitive which is hard sometimes. We crossed the finish line together in a group of four and ran a time of 5:58.

 

We enjoyed running this cause it was just something fun and crazy to do on a Friday night. To enter you had to donate 2 items of clothing or 2 cans of food. I thought it was cool because we got to have some fun but also help others that are in need.

 

I loved running this and would definitely do it again. It's a fun thing to do with friends while helping out those less fortunate.



Our group!! :)



 

 Nearly Naked Mile Promotion Video

 



Cat Bash

 

Some of the Cross Country girls all dressed up for the Cat Bash

As Student-Athletes we get the opportunity to help out with the Cat Bash every year. The Cat Bash is a big fund raiser that is put on by WSU Athletics and helps pay for our athletic scholarships. It is members of the Ogden community that come out every year to support Weber State Athletics.
 
It's on a friday night where the guests are served dinner and can participate in a silent auction. There were many things to bid on; such as holiday decorations, little kid packages, movie packages and much more.
 
Our jobs as student athletes range from checking people in, checking in coats, or helping to regulate and sort the prizes of the silent auction.

 
For us this is a fun night where we get to dress up and spend time as a team and have a good time. Its fun to interact with the guests and meet some new people. It is also fun to meet some of the athletes from various sports. We don't always get to see them or get to know them so this was a good way to meet some new friends and learn a little bit more about what sport they play and how their season is going. Overall I enjoyed participating in the Cat Bash and I feel like it really links WSU Athletics together as a whole.

Just A Little Bit About Me

 

My name is Amanda Ward and I'm a student-athlete here at Weber State University. I am originally from Twin Falls, Idaho, and I came here to run cross country and track for WSU. As an athlete I am constantly trying to balance school, sports, and social life.

I live with 3 other girls that are also on the track team so we spend lots of time together between practice and hanging out at home. We like to watch movies, do crazy things, and of course...talk about track!!

Being part of the cross country team makes me feel like im part of something bigger; I know that I am responsible for everything I do because I represent the school and the track and cross country teams.

Pumpkin carving with some girls on the team. :)

Recently we got together with some girls on the team and decided to carve pumpkins and watch a scary movie. Its fun to be part of a team because there is always someone to hang out with or something fun to do on the weekends, when we aren't competing of course.