My first workout back was a few days before the sectional race and it went alright-not great, but that was to be expected. Going into the sectional race, I was pretty confident I could still win it and I even had intentions of doing the 3200 and 1600 double. The race obviously ended not as I wanted it to, but I still qualified for the state meet. I tried to run several times after that, but it never felt 100%. I would aqua-jog every single day until the Friday of the state meet where I ran about 30 minutes basically pain-free. I was convinced that I wasn't going to race until that Friday. I ran the warm-up on Saturday for the 3200, still having not decided if I should run or not. After the warmup, it just didn't feel right. I went to Mr. Iverson and told him that I wasn't going to run. It really broke my heart to not go after the state record, because I knew I could've broke it.
My workouts that season were indicating that I could've done things I never thought possible, but God had a different plan for me and I did what was best for my health. I ran the Festival of Miles in St. Louis in the beginning of June and it was my slowest mile time in over a year. I decided after that race to stop training and let my body totally heal. I don't think my foot was even healed by then; I just wanted to run so badly at that point that if it didn't hurt "that bad" then I was going to run. Truth is, I should've cared for my body earlier on. I wasn't in the best running shape at that point, but I could probably beat anyone in an aqua-jogging race! :-) I went to the doctor several times during the end of my season, but they didn't fully diagnose what happened until about half-way through my summer training. I had actually torn my fascia pretty badly when I ran the 800 back in May. So, that's pretty much the summary of it!
As you transitioned to college during the summer for cross country, how did you mentally and physically prepare yourself?
I took two weeks to heal after Festival of Miles and took about a week of doing short, easy runs. By then, my foot had healed itself, and I was feeling a lot more like myself while running. The transition from coaching and training was actually really smooth. For physical preparation, Coach Patrick Wales Dinan gave me a summer training plan that kept me at similar mileage to high school, but included some workouts similar to what I do now in college. Mentally, the transition was weird. You have to get in the mindset of not leading races by 30+ seconds or going right out and making a gap. College is filled with LOTS of fast girls. It's great competition and I was lucky enough to have really good and fast girls on my team, which was also a transition (but a good one). Learning to embrace all the competition is something that I think is key to learning to be successful in the NCAA.
How would you characterize your first season of Division 1 cross country? Some of us saw you during a workout presented by Flo Track where you dropped out. Can you detail that experience as well?
My first season of college cross country was a mix of feelings. I was excited to race fast girls, but getting crushed in my first couple meets was an adjustment. In Washington I raced decently, but in Wisconsin, I basically blew up. Flat out, I just didn't adjust to running in the NCAA that well. I had two pretty good races at Heps (the Ivy League Championships) and at our Northeast Regional meet. I felt pretty confident going into NCAA's. I was running workouts way faster that I was in high school, but my races had yet to prove that. Well, NCAA's didn't go that great, and I again blew up. Learning to not feel 100% and still racing well is something I am working on.
I am working on being more confident in myself while running and not compare myself to others during races. That kind of touches what happened in the FloTrack video. I wasn't feeling great that day and felt pretty sick during the workout; my chest and stomach hurt pretty badly. I think people usually have one workout like during their season/year. Mine just happened to fall on that day... when there were cameras filming our every move... and they were making a video to show their thousands of followers. Obviously, no one wants to have a bad workout, and I especially didn't want to have one that day when they were filming a WOW video. But, I think it shows the rawness of the sport. People don't always succeed, and I think workout videos usually just show success. So, as much as I would've not liked the entire running community to see me fail, I think it shows the importance of success and failure. You learn more from the rough days, than you do the good.
My first cross country season did not go as planned. I was nowhere near the targets I set at the beginning of the season. I might have been doing workouts much faster, but my races didn't prove that at all. Yet, I wouldn't classify my season as a failure. It was probably filled with more "unsuccessful" days that I would've liked, but I learned more about myself as a person and runner than I had in my four years of high school. And, going into track, who knows how "successful" I'll be, but I will still be committed to the process of making myself a better runner and person than I was the day prior, even if it means I may "fail" every single day while doing it. I also have an amazing support system of my teammates and coaches that I know will continue to support me in the process.
Judy Pendergast and teammates are enjoying a subtle moment during summer xc camp (J. Pendergast photo)
How were you able to handle the rigors of Harvard academics with athletics on a daily basis? What was your class schedule like?
Harvard does an amazing job of assisting freshman in navigating their classes and managing their schedule. I also had several incredible role models to look up to on my team. Time management is definitely a key aspect to being a successful student-athlete, but I didn't find it that difficult. The academics were great because I was interested in most of the subjects I was taking and I genuinely just let myself learn without putting expectations on my grades or GPA. I took four classes and found it to be completely manageable. I would go to class in the mornings, go to practice in the afternoon, and then either do homework or hangout with my teammates at night depending on the day. I was even able to get my schedule to work out where I had a three day weekend every week! :-) Overall, Harvard has given me the support I've needed and, of course, there are times when work seems overwhelming, but I was always able to work through those times and still work hard and dedicate myself in practice.
What was your favorite place on campus to hang out?
This might be the easiest question I've been asked all year. The track lounge is amazing. Our whole team basically spends most of our time there. It's air-conditioned and heated (which is key), and there is a snack room and sofas! We are currently playing Monopoly there, although, it is also a good place to take a nap (either there or the high jump mats). :-)
What is your favorite course during the semester?
My favorite course this past semester was a class I took called Dilemmas of Equity and Excellence in K-12 American Education. It basically went over anything you could think about when it comes to our education system in America and all the flaws that are present. It was really interesting, thought-provoking, and the teachers were incredible. I was also pretty lucky to get into it considering you are put into a lottery to get in!
Boston is one of the historic cities of America of course. Have you had an opportunity to explore some of what it has to offer?
I have only been to the city twice since I've come to college, so I haven't seen much of it, but I have been able to explore all that Cambridge has to offer! During this J-Term, however, I will probably be able to head into the city a couple more times and hopefully I will be able to see some cooler things then!
Now going into the indoor track season what are your goals? Can you also project for the outdoor season?
Considering I never fully raced to my potential at the bigger meets during the cross country season, it's hard for me to see where I compare on the national level in terms of fitness. However, I know that for now my workouts are going well and I am feeling more confident in myself. I will be racing the 3k and 5k during the indoor season, but I don't have particular times in mind yet. I think once I get more of a sense of where I am at fitness-wise, I can set more specific times. I am also just focused on running my best effort and to my potential in each race. I obviously hope that I can show more of my fitness on the national level this indoor and outdoor season, but we will see. The season is just about to start, so I will probably be able to tell more after the first few meets.
The Huskies winning earning another state cross country trophy in 2015
In looking back at high school, how did your former coach Dan Iverson influence you and prepare you for this journey?
Mr. Iverson is definitely the best coach I could've asked for in high school. He was continuously supportive of me and saw potential in me from before I was on the national-level. Through not qualifying for the state track meet in the 1600 my sophomore year to setting the state record at Detweiller my senior year in cross country, he hasn't treated me differently. He has cared about me in a way that made me feel confident in just being a badass runner and not caring what other people may think about that. He is truly one of the smartest people I have met when it comes to running, and he always knows what to say when it comes to advice. He encouraged me to commit myself to this sport and to just perform the best that I can on any occasion. I still feel like I can always go to him when I need advice or words of encouragement. He has become more of a friend than a coach throughout these past couple years, and I am so glad that he played such a huge role in my running career.
