Finally a Laker.

I have been competing on the Laker's team (that enables athletes to qualify for the USATF National races) for the past three years. It is only now, however, that I can truly call myself a "laker." During our summer run yesterday, I finally, finally (FINALLY!) ran completely around the lake, something I've aspired to do since freshman year. I don't know what was holding me back for so long, but I'm usually a pretty low-mileage kind of gal (not that seven is anything to shake a stick at). So there, I did it.
KKNW, Addie

Bass Park, where the team meets... this blog was created after an incident here that promoted our first post!


Wilson Lake, Wilton

Correct Your Form, Before It Is Too Late.

If you have ever had the misfortune to see me run, you'll chuckle and understand why I say "misfortune" (you were also probably wincing a little as I passed by).Unfortunately, growing up in a running family has not blessed me with flawless running technique... at all. For those of you lucky enough to have never witnessed a race that I have been in, I'll help you visualize my "form" going into high school. Picture a person sitting with a straight back. Maintaining the angle of their back, they were then coaxed into imaginary alpine ski boots, which make one sort of in a sitting position, and provide no alternative to taking heel-slapping steps. Add some arms awkwardly bouncing at 160 degree angles at the sides and a stationary ponytail and you've got me. The past three years I have really been working on my arms. I've even run with giant branches in my hands to remind me that I've got arms that require more acute-angled swings. I haven't entirely corrected my arms, but I'm actually using them somewhat now. Bit of a hypocrite, really, as my favorite cheering phrase is use your arms, they will carry your legs! Anyway, the point of this post is to let you know that if you are naturally a sit-runner like myself, that you really must work on leaning forward. I gained thirty strides on my mother in two minutes by leaning forward (it corrects the heel landing).
KKNW, Addie

Here's a wonderful demo on good running form.

Transition Into XC

Ahhh, XC. I can practically smell it in the humid Maine July air, with preseason starting "just 36 days from now" (exclaimed my mother this morning while she enthusiastically typed out an email to the team). The last time that I raced was at the Bowdoin Gala on June 17, after taking my Calculus and Chemistry finals on my last day of school. Needless to say, it wasn't a fantastic race, because I decided to not use a watch in the mile but pace off of another racer seeded with a 5:20. My advice after that experience- you cannot rely on others in order to have the race of your life, because they might just end up having the worst one of theirs. Lets just say my pacer did not have the race of her life. Enough said. Alright! In the meantime, the team gets together a couple of times a week for low-key workouts/runs. I've also been doing a lot of cross training this summer (more than running, in fact)- rollerskiing and hiking. This past weekend my family and some family friends went on our annual wilderness camping trip on Flagstaff Lake. The teens all got up on one of the mornings and hiked to the top of Avery Peak on Bigelow, which is a 9 mile hike. It literally took all day, but was literally a lot of fun.
KKNW, Addie



Ashten Hackett (remember that awesome State Champ Hurdle/Jumper from Edward Little??) and I atop Avery Peak, Bigelow Mtn.

My LPR's

Short and sweet end of the season recap:
5k (xc)- 20:19
3200- 12:49. Oh my! :/
1600- 5:30
800- 2:29
400- 64.84

Mt. Ararat (Track 2011)

Mt. Ararat. One of our longest drives. I always feel like the track was built in the middle of a marsh while I'm competing on it, but the team very much enjoys it there. One of the toilets near the track was majorly clogged so waiting in line took forever, and Gwen and I were near peeing in our spankies. We didn't realize they'd made final call for the mile until a teammate of ours hurried over to tell us. Whether it was the adrenaline or the (finally) empty bladders that helped us we're not entirely sure, but we both ended up qualifying automatically for states, running a 5:34 and 5:39 respectively- 5:40 is automatic. After, we went on a pathetic cool down with Molly Schassberger of Winslow (Molly and I went to Rhode Island for Regionals together last November, along with Riley Jones, who earlier that day had LPR'ed in the RW). I say pathetic because we managed a lap around the track in the time that the second heat of girls had finished racing their mile. I was having some cramping issues, and then Gwen's shins were bothering her, and finally Molly declared there was an issue with her foot. But goodness don't we love running :P Our recent addition to the team, the throwing part, has improved..er.. not leaps and bounds, but shall we say heaves and launches, with quite a few scoring positions :) Fr. Miranda Nicely ran a 2:32 leg in the 4x8, and our dear Louisa Stancioff (Jr, of the New England/School Record holding 2010 4x8 team) joins us again this year after playing the lead role in the school's Pride and Prejudice.
KKNW, Addie

The Meet We Went To @ Maranacook (Track 2011)

Athletes of the Meet: Shireen Luick (So) and Dustin Staples (Fr)! Shireen took more than a minute off of her racewalk time, as well as adding 13 feet to one of her throws. Dustin ran a sub 60 second leg in the 4x4 and then proceeded to jump just shy of 18 feet in LJ.

Whew. Today was quite the day. The meet (including Messalonskee, Leavitt and the two obvious teams) started out with the 4x8; Sr. Gwen Beacham, Fr. Sarah Wade, Jr. Addie Cullenberg (Me), and Fr. Miranda Nicely. We crushed our previous season time of a 10:44 with a 10:28 (the school record, set last year by Gwen, Louisa Stancioff, Melody Lam and myself, is a 10:01.25). I ended up with a split of a 2:33, 4 seconds slower than my best 4x8 leg time. Gwen followed with a 2:34. Last year at this time we were running in the low 2:40's. It's wonderful to be able to recognize improvement for our dedicated practices. Miranda and Gwen both took the plunge in trying the open 400, in which they placed 2nd and 3rd respectively to the winner, our very own Sr. Allison Brown. And not to forget or underplay any other event categories, there were several male throwers on the team who DOUBLED their LPR's today!! Also, hurray for Shawnee for getting up after that last hurdle in the 300mH and finishing, giving our girls an extra point (we won to Mess. 108-107)

My events:
4x8
800
3200
4x4

Incase you are unfamiliar with event scheduling, the 4x8 was the first event, then toward the end is the 800, and after that is the 200, followed by the 2 mile. Meets conclude with the 4x4. My last three events were almost in direct order. I was shooting for a 13:30 in the 32 because I had not done it since the beginning of last season. Let's just say I ended up with a lot of cheering from the Maranacook boy's team who so desperately wanted to see me beat some of their guys (twas a combined event), and I ended up running a 12:50. Also, congrats to Emily Ramsey for winning both the hurdle events today :D
KKNW, Addie

Photos to follow

Oxford Hills: Rain, Sun, Repeat. (Track 2011)

Last Thursday was our first official meet, because we were not scheduled to race at Waterville until Coach threw us in several days in advance. Oxford Hills is our longest drive (1.5 hours) and the bus took a wrong turn and continued for an extra 40 minutes. Go bus driver :D O.H. has a very round track which can play into noticeable time differences for, above all, sprinters. Our girl's 4x8 team won, as well as our 4x1 and 4x4 teams. Miranda and I placed 1-2 in both the open 8 and the mile, with Marina West running for 3rd in the 800m. Girl's team ended up winning with 91 points. I started this post too late, I'll keep it here as a reminder to finish it :D