This morning (Sunday), I completed my fifteen mile long run in two hours and change and for those of you who are wondering, it's about an 8:07 per mile pace. That sounds a bit crazy right? When I stopped running, it finally sunk in that I completed 112 days straight of running, an 80 mile week and it truly is my last year as a collegiate athlete. So now that the crazy mileage is over, what's next is the REAL work. But before I start thinking about running fast, I get to have my first day off tomorrow (Monday) in 112 days and I am actually looking forward to NOT running. As for the rest of the team, it is going to be a bumpy road, but I have a great feeling that we will surprise people come conference time. The following is my own 900 mile survival guide packed with essential gear, crazy food items and other quirky things that have helped me survive my last summer training.

1. Gatorade, so this should be no brainer but I've gone through GALLONS of gatorade over the past 16 weeks that I think it could actually come through my pores.
    Favorite flavor: strawberry-orange

2. Nicknames, I have numerous amount of nicknames including speedy, legs, fast godiva and  "Comet" by Coker's own Melinda Holland and hopefully I can produce the times to back them up

3. Oreos, okay so when you end up burning 8,000 calories or more a week from running junk food always slips in there and nothing caps off a good day of running like oreos yumm

4. Garmin 110, it's a runner's dream to take out the guesswork from training and this does it all. It tracks distance, pace, calories and heart rate.

5. Orange juice+calcium, 100% pure squeezed OJ, nothing compares

6. Camelbak, on long runs I hate stopping for a break and a sleek hydration pack with gatorade keeps me moving through those long 15 milers

7. Strength coach, it's great having someone who keeps you on your toes and constantly reminds you that you can't let the strength slip through the miles (thanks RUF)

8. Crazy spandex shorts, as a runner there's not a lot you can do to make it interesting so something like lime green cheetah spandex shorts does the trick (look fast, think fast, run fast)

9. Ice baths, soaking in ice at least twice a week helps the recovery process in between double runs and hard tempos but don't get me wrong the initial 90 seconds hurts

10. Running buddies and of course the FANS, even if they can't run with you and they're hundreds of miles away having people to share the highs and lows with is a HUGE plus

The summer has come to a close and preseason is in full swing and if you're feeling up to it take on one of us cobras you can catch us at 5:30 AM and 7PM daily. Our first meet is September 4th at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. If you're in the area for Labor Day weekend come check us out and witness one of the toughest and under respected sports out there, might even see a record or two broken. Thanks to all of you that have kept up with me this summer and be sure to follow throughout the season. Until next time, happy running!

Your running enthusiast,

Kendyl Seawright