Here is a new series on NJ MileSplit, with so many seniors heading off to bigger and better things we wanted to give everyone a chance to salute them one more time. As well as to invite those seniors to tell their stories from the past four years. If you would like to partake in these articles here is how, we'll be posting all June and July as they come in.
Our first piece comes from Lizzie Buckley who left swimming after 10 years to join the running world during her senior campaign. She found cross country and track to be one of the best experiences she's had so far as an athlete. Buckley took to it in stride making it to the Meet of Champions in both cross country and indoor track during her first year of competition.
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Name: Lizzie Buckley
School: Watchung Hills Regional High School
What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment?
I have to add two for this one. First was my sectionals race for XC this past November. I ran my all-time PR, broke a school record and I realized that I was truly a runner. I ran that 5K in a very gutsy way and I'm proud of myself for that, because I never knew I had that level of confidence. My second memory was my race at MOCs this year. At that point, I knew I had nothing to lose, so I enjoyed every moment while doing what I love the most (I even smiled as I was running through the bowl). It was also good that I got my Holmdel PR that day too, so it was a great end to the XC season.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
I only ran this year, my senior year, but I know the girls from Ridge, one through a mutual friend growing up, and others I knew of because I lived there before high school. When I started running this year, I knew that if I was near them on the course or on the track, that I was in a good position. With that being said, there were definitely my closest competition, and it was an honor to race with them this year because I have a lot of respect for them, and they pushed me in so many of my races.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
I feel my greatest accomplishment was my year of running as a whole. For just one year, I achieved more than I truly imagined. I started XC with an idea of how I would do, and as I continued to improve, MOCs became more realistic. I'm not sure how to describe how happy I was when I qualified. Not every new runner qualifies for XC MOCs in their first year. It was even better when I went again for the 3200 in Winter Track. Everything for me was a first, but qualifying for MOCs twice in my first year of running is something I am very proud of, along with records in both of those seasons.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
My high school running career was only a year, but it was more successful than I would have ever imagined. I swam for 10 years before switching to running, and those last few years I spent swimming were years I wished I could run. With that said, if I could do this all again, I would have started in my sophomore year when I knew I didn't want to swim anymore. I don't regret starting when I did though, because I treated each race/championship as a first and last, which made me enjoy every one.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Going into group championships for XC this year, I was having an issue with my ankle and I had to wear some ace bandage on it, but one day after running in the rain, my foot was blistered and cut from the bandage. I didn't let this bog me down too much though, because I wasn't going to back down at groups, especially when I knew what could come from it. That race became more of a mental battle for me, and I'm glad I got through it because groups wasn't the end.
What will you miss the most?
I'll miss the bus rides to meets. I really bonded with my team on those rides whether they were to practices and championship courses or to the Armory and other track meets. I'll miss long runs and track workouts where we encourage each other to finish strong. I'll miss warm-ups when my friends/teammates and I would talk about each other's day and joke around with each other. We became a close family, and I met them only this year. I'll miss hearing them cheer for me on the sides and I'll miss standing beside them on the line in those quiet few minutes before the gun fires, but most of all I'll miss hugging them after we've finished, knowing we just ran our hearts out.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
Although I started running in my senior year, but wanted to start in my sophomore year, I do have (a lot of) worthy advice.
- It's never too late to pick up something new. It may be scary to take a risk and make a change when you're used to your normal routine, but change does not have to be scary. I can say it's pretty great when you know you've followed your heart.
- Use your passion as a way to focus. If you know you love what you do, then each day should be fulfilling. Whether it's a PR, a victory, a workout, or that you just went out and ran, your passion is key.
- Run to relieve stress and not to cause it. Running is said to be the cheapest form of therapy. If you're stressed, run it off. If you're happy, then run happy.
- Let your legs do the work, take in your surroundings, keep your eyes up and look forward. Your legs do what your mind sometimes says you can't.
- It's about the journey, not the destination. Both are pretty great sometimes, but in the end it's about what you experienced and learned, and not exactly the importance of numbers and times that won't define you as a person.
- Always stay humble. Be proud of your achievements, but don't forget you're still part of a team. Not everyone has the same ability. Respect others as they respect you. Congratulate them on their efforts because they're working hard like you and they deserve their teammate's support.
- Cherish all good times and learn from the bad ones. One bad race doesn't represent your running career.
- Thank all those who support you and come out to watch you race. Their presence shows how much they care. Show them your appreciation.
- Your time here goes by very fast. Enjoy it. When you're getting ready to graduate, you'll look back on those days in your high school uniform, hearing "Runners, set", lined up with your team, with butterflies in your stomach. I hope you can look back feeling like you left it all on the course or track. When that gun fired, you knew where you were headed. As a senior in high school, a new course is ahead and it's not as planned out like a race. The difference here is that when this new "gun" fires, you make it what you want it to be. There may be a sense of nostalgia for the old "easier" days of high school running, and that is perfectly fine, but take the experience with you. So many great things will be ahead of you when you're in this position. It's as simple as "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened".
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
Both my XC and Track coaches have been great and I'll miss them next year. They believed in me and my abilities all year and that type of support was a great confidence booster. I would always feel at ease during a race when I saw them on the side, and I'll miss them pushing me to do my best each time. Having a coach who believes in you is very important for the mental aspect of this sport.
What are your college plans?
I'll be attending Virginia Tech in the fall, and I'm really looking forward to it. I may think about trying out for the team, but there's a running club and triathlon club down there too, so I may just stick to that. And, it's Virginia, so I know there's beautiful trails to run on!
Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?
I owe a big thank you to my coaches and teammates, your support meant more to me than you know. Thank you for cheering me on at MOCs, twice, and for enduring my terribly perfect puns. Thank you to my parents, who encouraged me to pursue this new adventure, and for supporting me throughout my athletic career (swimming included). Thank you to my best friend for having a role in influencing me to run. I was happy to have you for advice throughout the year whenever I was confused about something that was new at the time. Last but not least, thank you to my trainer, who helped me through any crisis of potential injury, which kept me in season for as long as I did. I never would have qualified for two MOCs without your help, and you taught me to keep a positive attitude in light of anything negative that could take away my focus. You also encouraged me to run this year, and I never would have run the races I ran, or broken records without that push, so thank you for that. I'm so happy I took this chance, because now they will be incredibly valuable memories when I look back on my senior year.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Shore Coaches was my first XC invitational, and it was also the first time I broke 20. It was raining this day, a steady drizzle and rather chilly, but the atmosphere of the race was intense and somewhat eerie because of the weather. It was my first time racing at Holmdel too. After this race, I was so happy with my PR, that I said "I did a thing!". From here on, I said this after each race because each one got that much better. When I made it to MOCs and my team came to cheer me on, they wrote "Go do a thing" on themselves with body paint, and they spelled out my name too. This random, little phrase somehow ended up representing me, and having my team recognize that made me feel loved and even more close to them, like family.
What was the funniest thing that happened during your running career?
So, one week during Winter Track, I had two meets - one at the Armory on a Monday and then Sectionals that Saturday. At the Armory I ran a 1600 and I was clipped in the back of my shoe and fell on the second turn. I was already airborne, yet a coach on the side said "Oh no, don't fall!". I had to get right back up because I don't go down without a fight, but upon getting up I thought, "Thank you, I actually trying to fall" (sarcastically of course). It wasn't funny at the time, but don't worry it gets better. During my sectionals race the following Saturday, I was clipped at the back of my shoe again, and tripped about 3 laps into my 3200 (so I had 13 laps to go). If I thought I got up fast at the Armory, this time I shot up like a rocket. Despite the fall, I came in 2nd and broke a record, even though I was 7th when I fell. My friends, who of course saw me fall, told me I looked extremely angry when I got back up. This sounds serious, but thinking about it now makes me laugh because it's as if the fall made me faster and put me back in the race. And I can picture the look of anger on my face when this happened, so I consider it laughable. The fact that I fell twice in one week now makes me laugh, even though the cuts left on my knees didn't.
Thank you for letting me share my running experience this way. Good luck to all my fellow senior athletes next year, and good luck to athletes in the rest of their high school career!
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