Hi! I'm Sydney Leiher a freshmen at Syracuse University and recent graduate of Beavercreek High School. I have been running competitively since 7th grade and just recently transitioned into College running! After my final high school track season I took two weeks off and then jumped right into college training!
I have never really been a high mileage runner so I averaged around 45 miles a week with my long runs being 75 minutes. I ran by myself for most of my runs this summer so I was really excited to get to Syracuse and train with my team. I moved into my dorm on the 17th of August and then we started classes a week later on the 26th. Since I got to Syracuse it has been a blast! My new team is the nicest group of people and we're contently hanging out and having fun together! It is so amazing having such a talented group of girls to train with.
A couple weeks ago we had our first workout and being from Southwestern Ohio, where it is mostly flat, I thought I was going to die when we started running up what I considered was a mountain, but hey I survived so I guess it was all right! I think its natural for most freshmen to be nervous about the transition from high school running to college running, at least I know I was. Of course workouts are harder and more intense but these past couple weeks my new coaches have helped me make a pretty easy transition into college running.
Personally the hardest transition for me wasn't the running, but the actual going to college part. I am a Sports Management major, basically because I love all things sports and I know I want my job to be focused around them! As a college athlete one of the most important things is getting enough sleep and the fact that I have 8 a.m. classes everyday makes it so I go to bed pretty early for a "normal college student." But, hey, you gotta do what you gotta do!
Between classes, practice every day at 3:30, mandatory student-athlete study hall (yes study hall in college, it sucks, but it actually really helps, too) I don't have much time to really do anything else, but we still have a lot of fun up here at SU!!! I have to admit though the BIGGEST challenge here is refraining myself from going nuts in the dining hall and eating everything in sight, like the desert bar every night... Trust me, It's actually harder than it sounds.
Until next time!
