TicketsOct. 3, 2006
Throughout 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.
October 29, 2006
We were up early so we could battle the city traffic to get to the course. It was a cool, but sunny day...perfect for a race. Back in Cincinnati it was raining all day, so we lucked out. Both teams ran well, but it doesn't show when you look at our finish. In my opinion both teams were stronger then last year, problem was everyone else's teams got stronger too. The Big East is a powerhouse distance school. On the men's side a new record was set, and Providence swept both team titles. With the way everyone ran and the effort we put into it, we all left a little disappointed. We can't dwell on something we can't change, were looking ahead to Regionals and leaving everything we have left there.
That afternoon we headed into the heart of the city to take in the sites and do a little shopping. It was a nice day and we all had fun! We saw the capital building, Quincy Market, Burberry and Nike Town. Ellen, Amy, Taylor and I took a carriage ride around the city. Our horse was named Cody, and we all enjoyed the scenery. There was one event however that did cap the night. Coach and Brandon went to get the vans while the rest of us were hanging out at Quincy Market. Kevin being Kevin gets up on this little pillar and pretends to be a human statue. He was smart enough to steal Courtney's hat and put some money in it before setting it in front of him. We all gathered around and discovered that every time he received a donation he changed positions. Not only were we standing around him laughing and giving him our money (why I don't know), but there were kids and adults watching and acting goofy. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, and Kevin ended up making around seventeen dollars.
Saturday did not prove as nice. We woke up to run in the cool rain around Cambridge. We splashed in the puddles the whole way, but as always we had fun! Due to the weather there were no big plans for the day. A few of us girls and our chauffeur Brandon went into the city in search of a mall (which we never found). We ended up just walking around and going in a couple stores. We were having a good time, but the weather was making us tired. We headed back to the hotel and took a nice nap! Then it was off to Harvard Square to walk around and eat with everyone. When we returned to the hotel everyone hung out for the rest of the night and into the morning. Some people may have even pulled all-nighters.
You're probably thinking they're crazy! Well unfortunately our flight out was at 6am. Coach was nice enough to get a wake-up call sent to all of our rooms at 3:30 this morning. Way too early! Everyone was up though, and we made it back to the airport (the quickest we had gotten anywhere the whole trip). Time changed and we did gain an hour of sleep last night, but everyone was exhausted! I slept waiting for the plane to board and the entire trip back. I am glad I did, because when we got back I did homework and went running. Now I am working study tables for my usual five hours.
To sum up our trip to Boston: We raced well but weren't satisfied. We drank lots of coffee and ate lots of desserts. We laughed a lot and didn't get much sleep. We enjoyed the city, but the driving was a little much. Men be actin like boys and women be shoppin.
"Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came." -Cheers
Until tomorrow, enjoy today. Nic
I can not believe it is Monday already. This weekend was way to busy, and went way too fast! We had a meet, I attended two football games, and I got to see some of my family. Needless to say it was an eventful few days.
Friday we had our meet at Notre Dame. I was up bright and early to pick up breakfast for the team and make the van. Panera just opened below my apartment, so the breakfast part was easy....it was the waking up early that was not as much fun. Okay I get up fairly early every day, but that doesn't mean I always enjoy it. It was a cool day in , and you could say we ran that way too. We finished 13th as a team in the gold race. Everyone actually ran personal best except Kayla and me. I was not thrilled with my race, but I am on the verge of getting everything to click. We have a big meet Friday in , where we will face all the teams in . Last year we finished 3rd and we want to better that this year.
Saturday was jam packed! I woke up early so I could get in a nice long run, and catch up on school work and laundry before the football game. UC was playing () in the battle of the bell. This is always a good game, if only the weather would have been a little nicer. Showers came and went, but the bearcats were able to hold their lead and win the bell back. I actually was not a dedicated fan; some of my family was passing through Cincy and stopped to visit. My younger cousin Kelsey, who is also a runner, was visiting colleges this weekend with her parents. On their way back from they took in the sites of UC, and took my roommate and I out to dinner. I think we convinced my cousin that she should consider the . Unfortunately they still had a long drive back to so they couldn't stay long. Amy and I enjoyed the rest of our night catching up with some friends and playing cards.
Sunday was the highlight of the weekend! The New England Patriots and the Cincinnati Bengals were playing, and I was going to the game. I am a Pats fan, and was attending the big game with Kevin Schwartz, a Bengals fan. I'll admit (now that I know the outcome) that I was a little weary. The Bengals have been playing really well, and my boys haven't been looking to hot. Starting the game, the Pats held the Bengals to field goals and the score was 6-0, luckily, Tom, Mike, Laurence, and Corey had it covered. The Patriots won 38-13, and I manage to not get hassled about the team I support for now.
Monday is almost over, a fun filled week of school lies ahead.
"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on fire"
Until tomorrow, enjoy today. Nic