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PROFilE Weekend Blitz Trips Rhonda Stricklett offer a way for students Running in the Moment to get off campus LISA VASAPOlLO LAUREN MURRAY Features Editor Staff Reporter After hearing many complaints from McDaniel students that "there is nothing to do on the weekends," the Office "You know you're gonoa get hurt, you know of Student Engagement made it one of their main goals you're gonna be tired, but you just have to to appease this voiced concern. reach deep" said Rhonda Stricklett, the re- The office has put in place what they are calling the search librarian at Hoover Library, about ultra 'Weekend Blitz Program" to offer different off-campus marathons. activities for undergraduate students to attend on week- Aside from helping students in the library, ends. Srrickletr spends her time running and train- "The Weekend Blitz Program is a series of trips to ing for ultra marathons. off campus locations designed to give students different An ultra marathon is any race that has a options of what to do on the weekends," said Lindsey distance greater than 26.2 miles (a traditional Henderson, Assistant Director of the Office of Student marathon). The distances vary for each race, Engagement and advisor for the Weekend Blitz Commit- but the most popular are 50 kilometers, 50 tee. miles and 100 miles. Henderson explained how the committee chooses trips Stridclett began her running career as a by coming up with a list of trips that they trunk students member of her cross country team in high on campus would want to go on, and then sending out school. After taking a break from running a Qualtrics survey to get feedback. After the survey has for almost 15 years, she was able to get-back been reviewed, the committee makes the decisions on the into it and rediscover her passion. However, trips they are going to do for the semester based on travel she was not able to pick up where she left cost, ticket prices, the semester schedule and the availabil- r off; sh~ lost.her endurance and.neede .it)' of buses. will be advertised and open 3 to 4 weeks before to slowly start training again. Events ''1was surprised at how hard it was for me It may appear surprising thar anyone the actual trip. Students can sign up in OSE by bringing to go out and just run two miles, I had lost could set a goal higher than completing an their McDaniel ID and cash to pay for the trip. A couple everything in that time I took off." ultra marathon, but Rhonda Strickett refuses of days before the trip. students will receive an email let- While reintroducing herself to running, it ting them know where they can get on the bus and any to have limits. She wants to run an ultra would have been easy for her at any point to marathon on the west coast, where "one of other additional information. just quit her training and focus on her career. "Our office budget supplements 60% to 90% of the She was determined, though, to get back the the issues is the altitude." Stricklett said "it is ticket price and transportation cost so we can keep the endurance that she had at one point in her a real challenge for those of us from the east cost for students as low as possible. In certain situations life. coast." such as the Day in DC trip, we are able to offer trips for She was inspired by her friends who were One of the most difficult things to face in free," Henderson said. running ultra marathons, but never imagined these long distance races is "the negative self Sophomore Joseph Wright joined the committee for a that she would one day be running her own talk" that she faces. "To some degree you number of reasons but mainly because "it's the ideal way long distance races. ' feel kind of miserable," she laughs. Some- to serve an office I care deeply about, affect the general After helping the man who currently times she asks herself "why run Idoing this?" [population] on campus, and still remain out the eye of coaches her with his ultra marathons, she and "why do I think this is fun?" There are general attention." was inspired; she said «I was so excited about other times when she trunks "this is the worst Wright would recommend students who are interested crewing him, I knew this was definitely an idea I have ever had, Iam just going to start in getting involved on campus to join this organization if experience Iwanted to have for myself." reading books from now on." they are willing to do some leg work and not just contrib- ute ideas. After completing her first marathon, she It takes dedication and persistence to knew it was possible for her to rake on more commit to such a time consuming activity, Each semester will feature 6 to 7 trips that will be offered usually every other weekend either on a Friday challenging races. but Stricklen is a member of the McDaniel evening or Saturday. Many runners are faced with pre-race jit- community who acts as a role model for any If you would like to get involved with this program, ters, but with over 100 miles of mountainous, students looking for inspiration. head over to the Office of Student Engagement and ask rocky terrain to face, many could not even Although training and racing is rough, imagine the anxiety that Stricklett faces at the she manages to stick it out because she to speak with Lindsey Henderson, or send her an email at You can also attend one of lahenderson@mcdanieLedu. starting line. She has calmed her nerves since knows that the best feeling is the satisfac- the committee meetings every Friday at Zp.m. in the Leidy her first race, but starting out she "usually tion of "being present in the moment" and Room. didn't sleep the night before." having the best experience "right here, right Her favorite races so far C'I have two, I now." can never really decide," she said) have been Spending hours running, Stricklett has a 100 mile run on the Massanutten Mountain had time to think and develop her own phi- Join the Free Press! Trails and a race called "The Trilogy," which losophy about life and running. For her, it is a 3 day race in which the runners "run a 31 "parallels life" in that you have to "face your mile race on Friday. a 50 mile race on Sarur- challenges and keep going, you can't give up." Mondays, 7:30 day, and a 13.1 mile race on Sunday." Even though it can be miserable, Stricklett Writing Center Her favorite part of The Trilogy was Camping out with all the other runners and says "that's the beauty of it, when you have sharing their stories at the end of the day. to reach deep."