TicketsThroughout the 2006-07 school year, select UC student-athletes will share their experiences on and off the field with Bearcat fans through CATSblogs. These student-athletes will take you in to the life of a Bearcat and share their struggles and triumphs. Fans can email questions or comments to their favorite CATSblogger here! Be sure to include your name and hometown.
Nichole Leslie is a junior on the cross country and track & field teams. She is a health sciences major and works as a student assistant in the UC compliance office.
September 5, 2006
It was back to the real world today. After a week off of work I had lots of catching up to do. I worked at OPT in the morning and the athletic office in the afternoon for a total of ten hours of work. Fortunately, unfortunately, my day didn't end there.
Until school starts the team is practicing at 5:30 at different places around . Today was our first one at Winton Woods. I have had some of my best workouts there, but wasn't excited about a hard workout today. Coach decided to take it easy on us.....mile warm-up, stretch & drills, 4 mile run, 4 x 1 mile repeats, mile cool-down. Okay, so maybe coach didn't take it easy on us, but it sounds good. By the time we were done it was already eight.
Kayla Phelps, a freshman, is staying with my new roomie Amy and me until she can move into the dorm. I helped her get her luggage in; we ate dinner, showered, and hung out. She is a really sweet girl, and I'm sure we will have a good time having her stay with us. Well it's off to bed.....another exciting day ahead of me.
"What matters is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
September 3, 2006 Cross Country 6
It was an early morning! We ran on our own this morning because Coach didn't want anyone to overdo it. A group of seven girls were out the door by to get in one last run on the Greenbrier River Trail. We started our run using a flashlight because it was still pretty dark. We did survive, not only our run in the dark, but the week at camp. Everyone has gotten to know each other better, and put in some good hard miles.
This morning we ate breakfast at the and then attended mass at the Old Stone Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg. Mass is optional, but all but two of us attended. Everyone was very nice, and wished us luck in everything.
We piled in the vans for the long trip back to . It was a long ride! We stopped on the way home at Dairy Queen (It's camp tradition). It worked out great because we stopped close enough to where my sister goes to school, so she came and met us there. After filling up on ice cream we piled back into the vans and completed the trip home. We didn't get back until six o'clock, so I skipped the fireworks and went to bed early! It was a fun, but exhausting week at camp.....there is a whole season ahead of us.
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
September 2, 2006 Cross Country 5
The rain had finally stopped as we headed to the vans for a fun morning run. Coach had taken a lot of time to set up a scavenger hunt in the city of . Since he is from the area it was set up very nicely. The hunt started off nicely, and the teams split off in all directions. Unfortunately for my team, Team Armpit Hair, Team Awesome couldn't find one of their clues so they took ours. They started following our clues, and we were at a dead end. Coach figured everything out and we were back in the race. In the end we ended up going to Lewisburg Elementary, the , and the . Ironically the cheaters were the first team back, only to be disqualified, and forced to walk the beat. It was a fun change of pace for our morning runs, and a nice way to catch the sites of the town.
The rest of the day was spent by most relaxing and preparing for the talent show. The sun was finally out, so some people went canoeing and were playing Ultimate Frisbee. Anticipation was building all day for the talent show, but we still had to go for run number two for the day. This run was on Kate's Mountain. Coach informed us that we would run along the ridge for four flat miles, and then head down for the next five. This week I have learned not to listen to what Coach says about a course. The first four miles of our run were climbing up the mountain, while the last five were indeed downhill. Although it was a tougher run then we expected it was an awesome view at the top! Only one run left and camp will be over.
The main event arrived after everyone was fed and cleaned up. Kevin was the master of ceremonies for the third annual talent show and provided enough entertainment by himself. "Double B", Brian Berling successfully did a magic trick, while both Mike and Graham struggled with their card tricks. We had an interesting performance from Scottie, Kyle, and Bill while Dave, Eric, and Taylor took down the house with one of their own songs. Julia did a rendition of "Smelly Cat" (off of Friends), while Rick, Randy, John and Tommy did a group pushup. One of the more surprising, and humorous acts were Tamara, Kayla, Courtney, Jen, and Brad dancing to the Spice Girls. They were all in sports bras...including Brad, who was also sporting a skirt. It was so funny, and by the end they were dancing with the audience. Megan, Nicole, Kris, and Ellen used one persons legs and the others upper body to create a room full of laughter. They did stretches and the legs eventually were uncontrollable. Emily used a broom to show us her color guard skills, while Willie was impressive as he navigated around a table. Cristy, Joanne, Julie, and Kevin did a funny skit fit for royalty. Chris Smith did a back tuck, our trainer Nikki played the piano, and Soloman informed us about his culture. Amy and I did Rascal Flatts, and teamed up with Coach to do our own rendition of the song . It was an entertaining and a great way to spend our last night at camp.
"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing." - Dale Carnegie
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
September 1, 2006 Cross Country 4
I can't believe it is September already! And of course, what would camp be without a hurricane. Ernesto hit land in last night, and we are feeling the effects today. The air is definitely cooler than yesterday, and the rain keeps coming down. , which is where we are staying, cancelled school for the day because of the weather. We were still up again this morning to run on our usual trail, only three miles again. It was a nice shakeout run before our meet later today.
We loaded up on French toast and bacon for breakfast. Afterwards we talked about next year's camp and discussed the rest of the day and the next morning. Coach is from this area, and tomorrow morning he has planned a scavenger hunt for us. Three guys were chosen as captains and they picked teams. I am on Team Armpit Hair, while the other two teams are Team Awesome and Team Ridiculi. After all that fun, it was time to relax before leaving for our season opener.
We still had our first race of the season versus Virginia Military Institute and Radford despite the bad weather. We raced 4k while the guys raced 5k at the . It was a real cross country meet, with cold, rain, wind, and mud. Both teams were able to come out on top even though we had been training hard all week. It was a tough course, but everyone gave it their best and ran well.
Women's Results Men's Results
2. Nichole Leslie 2. John Dixon
3. Jennifer Hannen 5. Randy King
4. Megan Knapp 6. Tommy Morgan
7. Tamara Masters 7. Kyle Dragon
8. Amy Schoenfeld 8. David Adams
I was really impressed with how well both Jen and Amy ran. They are fellow juniors, and it is great to see them in the front pack leading the way. Also impressive were the freshmen girls. Although Tamara was the only one in the top five, the other three were all in the top nine. It was definitely a challenging course! Personally I was content with how I ran, but I know it was not my best race. I have been working hard all summer and all week at camp, and am looking forward to racing better. The season has started in the right direction for everyone, and I am looking forward to a successful season with the team.
After the meet, VMI treated us to dinner in their "Mess Hall." I was a little weary about what kind of food they would have, but I shouldn't have been. The food was awesome! They had everything from salad and cereal, to nachos and ice cream. It was by far the best meal I had eaten in a week, not that the camp food was terrible or anything. Also at dinner we were able to talk to the cadets about what it's like to go to a military school. They had changed into their military style uniforms, and were very nice and informative. We found out that as a freshman, "RAT," you can not have a cell phone or eat ice cream. Then and there I determined that I could not go to VMI, not that I was planning on transferring. They also told us that they were allowed to date other cadets, there were, however, restrictions. They cannot date freshmen, and they cannot date someone of lower rank. They said they prefer to date people outside of the Institute, so they can get away on the weekends.
Considering everything, it was an interesting experience and a great meet. One meet down and many more to look forward to.
"There is no such thing as bad weather, just soft people" - Bill Bowerman
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
August 31, 2006 Cross Country 3
What a morning! We woke up early this morning to go for our morning run. Lucky for us we only had to run three miles, and it had cooled off. We had a nice big group this morning running on our usual trail. It was an overcast day, but after breakfast we were heading to go whitewater rafting, so everyone was excited.
I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous about the whole rafting thing. I had never been before, it was a cool day, and I did NOT want to fall out. I had plenty of time to get nervous about it, because it took us forever to get there. I think coach likes taking the scenic routes everywhere. We did make it to the Rivermen rafting site where we picked up equipment and learned more about what we would be doing. There were 35 of us in our group, and two other small groups with us. We had to divide ourselves into five groups. I was with Nicole Waldie, Megan Knapp, Tamara Masters, our trainer Nikki, and a family of three. We lucked out, and had the leader of the trip, Tasha, as our guide, which made me feel a lot safer. One group was the "man boat," but we called them the boy inflatable. It was a wild trip!
I was hesitant at first, but I did relax and tried some of the fun stuff. There was a cliff (okay maybe a high rock) we could jump off of which I, along with a lot of my teammates did. There were also swimmers rapids that you could get off the raft for and do. The last one was at the end of the trip and all of the people with us on my raft did it. It was an awesome experience! We even got to walk on water, or at least it looked like it. By the time we had gotten down the river the rain had begun to fall, and we still had to run again.
We changed our clothes and on the way home we stopped and ran. It was a little chilly at first with the cooler air and rain, but we warmed up quick. On the women's side we only ran six miles. Everyone is running well and seems ready to start the season off tomorrow.
"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible." - Doug Larson
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
August 30, 2006 Cross Country 2
Yesterday afternoon and night were memorable. We all ran on the trail. The guys did a loop that went up 1000 feet. They said it was long, but the view at the top was great! On the women's side, our run was not quite as hilly. Actually it wasn't hilly at all. It was a nice trail run minus the fact that the footing wasn't the greatest, and we had to go through the creek. It was definitely an adventure run!
Words cannot describe last night! We drove about a half hour from camp to go to this music festival. Now this was not some rock or even country music festival, it was bluegrass. The parking lot was full, but no one knew what to expect. Upon entering it was evident that everyone there was at least three times our age. The banjo was going along with the fiddle, and a few people were out on the dance flood scooting to the music. Now I don't want you to think that we just sat in shock, because we did the complete opposite.
We were all out on the dance floor doing our best to dance to the bluegrass sounds and not stand out even more than we already did. Okay, we did add some of our own touches. Scott Mindel and Kevin Schwartz were the kings of the dance floor. They were out there dancing with the older women and making us laugh. The people loved having us there. We livened up the party, if that's what you want to call it. Everyone that was with the team was out on the dance floor laughing and having a great time.
To cap off the evening there, Taylor and Eric got to play a few songs. They played one of their own and then Crazy Game of Poker by OAR. The whole team was singing along, even some of the elders came out with us and were having a good time. We did the twist and then formed two lines and were dancing down the middle. That was a lot of fun because people on the team were getting paired up with the older people and everyone was doing crazy stuff.
I thought as a team we all had more fun then we were anticipating. Believe it or not, I think the elders of the festival enjoyed the evening more then we did. In my opinion the music festival will never be the same. We brought youth and life, and made all that were there feel younger. It was a night I don't think any of us will forget, and like I said before you had to be there to get the full experience.
The morning came quickly, and we all had to be ready to run again. Everyone relaxed as we ran on the Greenbrier River Trail again. We went the opposite way today but still ran our four miles. This afternoon we might be going to some caves and then going for a long run.
"If you get the choice to sit it out or dance....DANCE."
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
August 29, 2006 Cross Country 1
Cross country camp has begun. It began just like last year...with rain! We were at the vans at loading them up in the rain. We had a meeting with the people in compliance, which is the office I work in, and tried on shoes. We then had to walk back in the rain to get our pictures taken. Needless to say we had all taken better pictures. Then we packed in the vans for a five hour drive. Of course, we did have to stop multiple times for bathroom breaks and to get gas. My van was full of laughs, Kris Schuerle was riding shot gun with Coach Schnier driving, and she always has a smile on her face. To add to that, all of the freshman girls were in my van. I think they were a little nervous about our first run when we arrived at camp.
We arrived at Greenbrier Youth Camp a little after five and changed to go for our first team run. It was drizzling, but it felt so good! On the women's side I think we got off to a good start. It was a rolling seven mile course and both the freshmen and some returnees are looking good. We still have a lot of work to do while we're here and the rest of the season, but with the right attitude I think we can accomplish a lot.
Last night after dinner coach paired us up and we had to introduce the other, I found out some interesting things. If Brad Babiak could be a tree he would be a Deciduous, Kris is single, Bill doesn't know Nicole Waldie's middle name (it's Nicole), and Amy is sooo sweet!!!!! Then it was off to bed and up early to run.
This morning we ran the Greenbrier River Trail which was downhill on the way out and uphill on the way back, just like most runs in Cincy. We just ran a relaxed four and then got ready for breakfast. The food is great here! Unfortunately, my breakfast was hampered by Kevin stealing my water bottle and hiding it from me. The guys encouraged him, but I was thirsty! We made up though, and I got my water bottle back.
"We do today what you won't, so we can do tomorrow what you can't."
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
August 24, 2006
It's Thursday, but really my Friday! After I get off work tonight I am going home to visit with my family and watch my younger brother, Cory, in his first cross country meet of the season. Because of my racing schedule this may be one of the only chances I get this year to watch him in action on the course. I love watching him race! He runs smart and strong, and always finds just enough to finish on top. Going to my brother's meet will also allow me to see my dad in action, because he coaches my brother's team. They didn't lose anyone from last year, so it should be a great season.
They are not the only ones that should have a great season. We leave for camp in four days and I am getting really excited. I have checked the weather and it should be ideal for running. I check the weather 15 days in advance in case you were wondering. I am prepared and ready for the running we will be doing at camp. This summer has been a lot of hard work in the weight room and on the roads. I'm looking forward to an even better season than the last, and I know everyone else is too. We only lost one senior, and although one is not a lot, Karen had a huge impact on the team. We are all going to need to step it up. I am looking forward to having more of a leadership role on the team, and being someone the younger girls look up to and ask questions. It should be a fun week at camp, and if there is internet available, I will keep you updated on all the events as they happen. If not, I will post when we get back.
I also have some new fun on my runs. I purchased a new pair of Nike shoes, which have a chip that goes in the shoe. I can attach a piece to my ipod nano and while I'm running they communicate. I can listen to my music, and throughout my run I can find out how fast I'm going, the total distance, and the total time. Technology is great! It is such a great tool for a runner. When you are done with your workout you can send them to a Nike website and it will plot out your run for you. It allows you to analyze when in your run you are going slow, and when you are moving along at a nice pace. I still have to experiment more with them, but I already love them. Although if you asked one of my teammates, they would tell you I love ALL Nike running shoes. Anyways I'll save talk about running shoes for another time.
"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." -
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
August 19, 2006
I am so glad the weekend has arrived! To start off the weekend, Karen, Amy, Kevin, and I helped volunteer at the College Hill race last night. Normally this race is on the same day as family day and we see the runners race past coach's house. They changed the date this year and coach asked the team if anyone wanted to help. We really enjoyed ourselves! The UC crew was in charge of the finish line. Former UC runner and school record holder PJ Ball won the race on the women's side. I was excited to see PJ race, because my freshman year she came and talked to us at camp. She was an awesome runner in college, and has continued her success after by winning the Flying Pig a few years ago. After the race they had a festival with free food! To college kids free food is like gold. We stuffed ourselves with burgers and brats, listened to a band play, and watched the runners receive their awards. It was a fun event and a great way to start off the weekend.
This has been one busy week. I started working more at Oxford Physical Therapy, so between two jobs I put in over 50 hours. Lucky for me, I love both of my jobs otherwise it would have been rough. I am starting to get sad that my time at OPT is almost up. I really enjoy everyone that works there, and you start to develop a relationship with the patients when you see them every other day. I feel like I have already made an impact in the field I want to go into. Once we get back from camp and start official practice I will be cutting my hours until school starts. I do however; look forward to a few more softball games with all of them. We have two wins in the board and are improving.
I'm sure your wondering how I was able to get in some good runs this week. Well let me tell you it took a lot of motivation. This summer I have gotten in the habit of being out the door to run before . This week was no different. I also ran four nights after work. I was a little worried about the quality of runs I would have, but I actually had some really great runs. Even after being on my feet all day I could push a 10 mile run, and that is a good sign. I am in shape and ready to go at camp.
Speaking of camp, everyone is getting excited! The email chains are up and running with "I can't wait to see everyone" and "Let's be ready to go." Coach has a lot planned for this camp, along with some nice runs. I am excited to and get to know the newcomers, and catch up with those I haven't seen all summer. Working in the athletic office I have got to meet quite a few of the freshman, and they all seem really nice. I don't want you to think that camp is all fun and games; we do have a lot of work to accomplish while we're there. I love having people to run with all the time, and that is what I am looking forward to the most with the season starting. Although, I have been able to run with more people this summer since I have been in Cincy, there is nothing better then running with a pack of your teammates.
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
August 14, 2006
Another week begins, it's Monday. I cannot believe camp is only two weeks away. This summer has gone so fast! Although it is back to work for the next five days, I did have a fun and exciting weekend.
My boyfriend was still in town, and we went to on Friday. Neither of us had ever been there, so it was fun. We also went to the Cincinnati Zoo, which is HUGE! It was appreciation weekend, so we got in half price. It was a gorgeous weekend and a lot of the animals were out enjoying the weather too. We saw Gazelles, which made me think of running, and Polar Bears chilling in the water, which made me think of swimming. It was a fun weekend which was capped off with my softball game last night. The Oxford Physical Terrorists got win number two, 14-8. I didn't play too well, but at least we got the win.
I did get in some hard running this weekend too. I did a hard fartlek run (varying speeds at a good pace) Saturday and a ten miler yesterday. The sun was definitely hot, but I am so glad the humidity is down. The next three weeks will be high mileage, and hard running.
"Every morning in , a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning in , a lion wakes up. It knows that it must out run the slowest gazelle or it will starve.
It does not matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up you had better be running."
Until tomorrow, enjoy today. Nic
August 10, 2006
This week is flying and so is the summer! Only 18 days left until we head to for cross country camp. We have a big group going this year, so it should be a lot of fun. Coach just sent out a bunch of stuff about camp and the pre-season, and I am getting excited! I haven't practiced for the talent show in a while, and my act needs some work. There is definitely a lot of work to be done before camp, and I don't just mean my act. I need to keep pounding out the miles and working hard. I am hoping we get this rain they are calling for so that the humidity goes down. I have exercise induced asthma, and the heavy air is getting to me. But, "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." Although I am training hard, I am still enjoying my summer.
Yesterday night I finally saw the movie You, Me, & Dupree. My boyfriend and I went and we both thought it was funny. It's definitely a good summer movie to see. It funny, but there are all these movies I've wanted to see all summer, but this was only the third one that I actually saw.
Anyways, I am anxious for cross country to start, so I can catch up with everyone and start the season. I am ready to race......
"Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, `I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more then just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better then anyone else. It's being creative." -Steve Prefontaine
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic
August 7, 2006
I had an exciting and fun weekend! My boyfriend is in town visiting and I cooked him dinner Friday night. It was actually my first time grilling, and if I do say so myself, I thought it was pretty good. Saturday was when all the fun began, and to make it even better it was a gorgeous day!
My good friend and former UC runner Abi Hamrick (now Abi Lepolt) got married. Abi was my first good friend to get married. It made me feel old! The ceremony was beautiful and without a hitch, except the guys had trouble with the runner, and I do mean trouble. Some of my fellow and former teammates were also there to share in the celebration. We had a lot of fun! Coincidentally, two other former UC runners, Chris Weinberg and Mary Danner got married the same day and had their reception at the same place. It was fun to be able to drop in and say hi to everyone at their reception. Coach Schneir was pulling double duty and attending both. The wedding was enjoyable, and to cap it off, Amy Schoenfeld caught the bouquet. I guess the next wedding we will be attending will be hers! Unfortunately, the excitement had to end. Abi and Jonathan you are perfect together, and I know you will share a wonderful life.
Sunday there was little time to rest! After dancing the night away on high-heeled shoes, we had to quickly recover. Sunday was our team run at Winton Woods. On the girls side we ran mile repeats on the trail. Winton Woods is my favorite place to do mile repeats! It was scorching out and very humid, which made the conditions less than perfect. We survived though, and afterwards Brad Babiak had everyone over to his parent's house to cookout.
It was a great weekend, but all good things have to come to an end. It's Monday which means back to work. Three weeks from today we leave for cross country camp, and I am looking forward to the break.
"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." -Ecclesiastes
Until tomorrow, enjoy today Nic