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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2016)
14 Wednesday, January 27, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Running commentary By Charlie kanzig Correspondent When I heard that elite run- ner Lauren Fleshman would be making an appearance at Sisters Athletic Club (SAC) last week, I was not sure what the focus of her presentation would be. After all, in addi- tion to being one of the finest distance runners in America during the past decade, she is also the co-founder of a busi- ness that produces athletic performance bars, an author, a wife, a mother, and a coach. In a humble and honest manner, Fleshman proceeded to weave many of the com- ponents of her life — includ- ing the challenge of cop- ing with injuries — into an inspirational and meaningful message. Host and SAC owner Tate Metcalf began the evening by showing some clips of Flesh- man performing in high level meets as well as one in which she was featured in a Nike ad and another which was a spoof ad produced by her lat- est sponsor Oiselle, a running apparel company focused on promoting and supporting female athletes. In the first clip, at a Dia- mond Level meet in Europe, Fleshman is shown burst- ing away from the field with two laps to go in such dra- matic fashion the British announcers thought she had miscounted the laps. In real- ity, she had simply decided to make the uncharacteristic, risky move in order to win the race, which she accomplished going away. Fleshman, a five-time NCAA champion while attending Stanford, where she graduated with a degree in human biology, lives in Bend with her husband, Jesse Thomas, a graduate of Moun- tain View. The pair met at Stanford where they both ran cross-country and track. Fleshman described one of her finest moments in which she placed seventh in the 5,000 meters at the 2011 World Championships, where she ran with the leader through 11 laps of the 12-1/2- lap race before falling victim to three Kenyans and three Ethiopians, who “seemed to simply have another gear and moved like a single organ- ism” at the end of the race. Regardless, her finish was the highest by an American up to that point in history. After her success in 2011, Fleshman believed that the next year, 2012, would pro- vide her the best opportunity of her career to qualify for the Olympics after missing by one place in 2008. Sadly, an injury kept her from any sort of normal training, from November to June. Since she had a qualifying mark for the Olympic Trials in Eugene, she had a guaranteed place on the starting line for the 5,000 meters. She decided to give it a try against the odds of a positive result. “The only actual running I could do was sprinting for short distances, so prior to the race I had not run more than a mile non-stop in months,” she said. “I wanted the fans to know what I was doing, so I blogged and tweeted about my situation and even sug- gested my followers hold up their hands in the form of a ‘C’ for ‘courage.’” The fans at Hayward Field, well known for their support of distance runners, especially those with ties to Oregon, responded fully with hundreds of hands aloft, lift- ing up Fleshman before the race even began. “I ran with all those peo- ple in my heart that day,” she said. “It was so exciting to hear the crowd.” The support she garnered from the fans at Hayward Field, along with a strategic, slow pace, helped her to actu- ally qualify for the final. “It came down to a sprint, which I had actually been practicing, and I earned the sixth spot in my heat for the final,” she said. The final had an entirely different outcome, how- ever, as Fleshman struggled throughout and finished last. Therein lay part of her message for the audience of about 50. She said, “Every time you race there comes a point where you have the opportunity to be brave.” She clearly did something brave by allowing herself to be vulnerable and stepping to the starting line and then see- ing it through. Going further, she said, “What gives you courage is when they realize that failing does not make you a failure.” Beyond running, she has branched out with her busi- ness producing Picky Bars, which she described as being “performance and real food bars”, authoring a guided journal for female runners (called the “Believe Training Journal”), and coaching three elite women, as well as doing some public speaking. As is often the case, the philosophy and lessons shared by athletes can be transferred to other parts of life. Flesh- man clearly has the will to take risks and learn from them. I appreciated that she is clearly motivated to support women and girls in their life endeavors. She even agreed to come out to cross-coun- try practice in Sisters next year in order to speak to the team. Even though most of us are not elite runners, we can still relate to someone like Fleshman, who described her love of running outdoors as “a chance to breathe fresh air and let the wind blow through your brain.” Her message of grit, goal- setting, humility, balance and being your best came at a good time for me, and I believe she inspired everyone else in the room as well. You can learn more about Lauren Fleshman at www. asklaurenfleshman.com and about Picky Bars at www. pickybars.com. All that jazz... photo by susan sprinGer SMS and SHS band instructors tyler Cranor and Julie Cash led Jazz Band and Jazz Combo students to eugene’s lane Community College to perform at the 2016 oregon Jazz Festival for fellow student musicians and clinicians from around the northwest. SPRD SPRING CATALOG Released February 1 Check out all of our upcoming spring programs and start getting registered! SHOOTOUT 2 February 13&14 Come watch youth basketball action at Sisters HS & MS! Fundraiser for Sisters Basketball. LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION Taking Little League registrations now! Call 541-549-2091 or drop by the offi ce. 1750 W. Mckinney Butte Rd. | 541-549-2091 View activities & classes and register online! www.SistersRecreation.com SNO CAP MINI STORAGE Sisters Industrial Park 157 Sisters Park Dr. • 541-549-3575 www.SistersStorage.com • State-of-the-art Security Technology • Sizes from 5x5 to 12x40 • Individual Gate Codes • Long-term Discounts • On-site Manager This ad sponsored by The Nugget Newspaper in support of Deschutes Land Trust.
