University of Richmond Athletics
Inside the Loop with Conor Phelan
09/06/2011 | Cross Country
Sept. 6, 2011
Editor's Note: Cross country junior Conor Phelan will take some time over the course of the 2011 season to share his thoughts and experiences in an ongoing blog that offers readers an inside look into life as a Spider both on and off the course. Below is his first entry of the season.
My third year as a member of the Richmond cross country team has already proved to be a different experience from years past. After having graduated four stellar runners and influential team leaders in Andrew Benford, Matt Llano, Tim Quinn and Jon Wilson, it has fallen to a few of us upperclassmen to take up the reins and lead the team to high levels of achievement both athletically and academically. Being one of the older members on the team only further elucidates the fact that I am already halfway through my college career and that time has truly flown by.
I am extremely pleased with the makeup of the team this year. The freshman class is composed of focused, hardworking, fast and fun individuals. Hailing from Chicago to Boston, these freshmen have already proven to have all the important components that make them strong teammates and racers.
This past weekend at the Spider Alumni Open, the freshmen stormed through the 5K course. They ran in a strong pack and finished with some of the fastest-ever freshman times at this event. Specifically, Tim Becker ran the third-fastest freshman time ever at the Spider Alumni Open. Becker was followed closely by fellow freshmen Matt Groff and Paul Meyer.
As a junior this year, I was finally able to transition from the dorm life to apartment life on campus. Living with two other teammates, Chris York and Kyle Ragan, I have had an awesome time getting settled into the school year with these guys. Living with two other runners makes it much more enjoyable in every way. Getting into a daily routine is an important part of being a competitive runner. Every facet of a runner's life makes a big impact on their ability to perform, from getting enough sleep each night to eating the right foods in the right amount. It is so much easier to stay on schedule when there are always two people helping each other make the right choices.
My classes are going well and the season is off to a solid start. Between earthquakes and hurricanes and an awesome preseason camp off in the mountains of western Virginia, the beginning of my junior year has already been full of excitement. I look forward to what the rest of the season brings and will make sure to update everyone on the life and times of a Richmond cross country runner in the coming weeks.
