By: Mizuno Race Team Member. Lindsay Flanagan
Competing as a Division One track and field athlete was an incredibly challenging and rewarding experience that helped shape me into the runner I am today. I not only became physically stronger during my time as a student-athlete, but mentally stronger as well. Each race, workout, and long run taught me about perseverance, chasing goals, and setting high standards. While not always glamorous, my collegiate running experience showed me what it truly means to, “Never settle”.
While running in college was always a thought in the back of my mind, it wasn’t until after my junior year track season that I began to see it as a realistic possibility. I spoke with my high school coach about my desire to continue running and was excited to hear that he believed I had the potential to run at a Division One school. That summer, the recruiting process took off in full force. Starting July 1st, numerous college coaches would call every day, pitching their programs and attempting to set up official visits. While exciting, the whole experience was quite overwhelming. At one point, I remember begging my family not to answer the phone; I just needed some time to think! After what felt like endless phone calls, talks with parents, and a great deal of research, I decided to take four official visits. In the end, I chose to attend the University of Washington in Seattle, a school with both fantastic academic and athletic programs.
Once in Seattle, I quickly learned how demanding competing at the collegiate level truly is. Not only are you expected to train at an extremely high level, you are also required to successfully complete 12-18 credit hours and have (kind of) a social life. My typical day usually began early in the morning with several hours of class. I would then head straight to the track for a two (plus) hour practice, which consisted of a run, strides, drills, and, oftentimes, strength session. Once practice was complete, I would go right to the training room to foam roll, ice, and complete my rehab exercises. Before I knew it, it was 6 o’clock and I still needed to shower, make dinner, finish up all homework, and get eight hours of sleep. Phew, time flies when you’re having fun!
Even though the schedule was extremely demanding, I thrived off the energy of my teammates. From early morning workouts, to long runs, to race travel trips, we spent a great deal of time together and became a family. When you sign up to be a student athlete, your social life takes a bit of a hit-okay, a big hit; my bedtime has been compared to that of ten-year-old. Thankfully, my teammates were also my best friends and we shared a mutual love of low-key, Froyo and movie weekends.
I will always cherish my collegiate running memories and all I learned during my time as a student-athlete. I now look forward to making even more amazing memories with my Mizuno Hive teammates here in Washington DC. Happy Running!
Lindsay is a native of Arlington Heights, Ill., where she was a four-time prep All-American in cross country and track and field while attending Lake Park High School. After high school, Lindsay attended the University of Washington where she majored in Nutrition and Public Health. During her time at UW, Lindsay was an All-American at 10,000m, a four-time NCAA XC Nationals participant and ran a 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifying time of 1:13:56 in the Big Sur Half-Marathon.