One Month Anniversary

Today marks the one-month anniversary of life in Portland.  It has already been an adventure, filled with trail runs along Wildwood, crock-pot dinner masterpieces with the roommate, and some prime time hours at a local French restaurant.

On the running front, I have spent these past weeks running tempos on trails, VO2 max on grass, and even got to put on the blazing red BTC uniform for a local 5k cross country race!  It was a thrill and a first for many things: hay bales, moguls, BTC teammates, and the VooDoo donut food truck.  I look forward to more of the latter two than I do of the former two. 

This past June, when I asked Lindsey if I could move in with her, I don’t think either of us knew exactly what our roommate situation would look like.  I think I can speak for both of us when I say it has been magical.  There is something special about living with someone who shares a similar schedule, lifestyle, and love for chocolate.  We get to carpool to workouts, foam roll in our couch-less living room, and try new “recipes” (sometimes, just throwing in whatever sounds good; e.g. Quinoa? Yes. Avocado? Yes. Fried egg? Double yes).  We quickly established a support system, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have her as my roommate, teammate, and friend.

Although “pursuing the dream” often sounds glamorous, sometimes, there are places where there is a little less “glam” and a little more “grunt.” Life as a newbie elite athlete rarely comes with the hearty paycheck, the complimentary massages, and the comped travel fees.  Thus, I have recently started working at a local French restaurant while I continue to work toward securing a job at another company.  Yes, when I walk in each day I am greeted with the sweet smell of freshly baked croissants and feel as though I have just entered the streets of Paris.  Yet, once I put on my apron, I’m moving and grooving, clearing tables, setting tables, and washing bar mats. I sometimes have questioned whether it’s worth the hours on my feet and the ketchup splashed on my pants, but this is the road I have decided to take.  These little hiccups and not so picturesque bits are part of the journey.  They remind me that I am chasing the dream and I am willing to make some sacrifices in order to achieve such.  I couldn’t be happier.

3…2…1…

One week until take-off!  The summer has flown by, and I’ve reached the one week mark for my departure to Portland, OR.  I have enjoyed my time at home this past month, but am ready to get the ball rolling on this next chapter.

Some highlights from the past few weeks include a whirlwind road trip to Oregon, a new recipe, and a local cross country race. 

A couple of weeks ago, my best friend from high school and I pulled out of my driveway at 9:00 am: Prius packed full of snacks, mixed CDs from our middle school days, and a tub filled with miscellaneous items.  We were set to tackle this nine hour drive to Portland.  Fortunately, with good company and beautiful scenery, the drive went smoothly and swiftly (minus the necessary potty stops every two hours) and we arrived to Lake Oswego just in time for a quick shakeout run in the trails of Tryon Creek State Park and a Chipotle dinner.  

The next day I had an opportunity to visit the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton.  Blown. Away. For the return trip to California, I had arranged to stay the night in a high-tech, bougie tent, a.k.a. “glamping.”  Although we were happy to go on an adventure, I think we both were hoping for a little more “glam” and a little less “camping.” 

Back home in Sacramento, I stumbled upon one of my mom’s Bon Appétit magazines.  I always enjoy looking at the pictures, deciding what looks yummy, and then placing my requests with the queen chef of the house, my mom.  However, I felt like this time I was going to take charge.  As a self-proclaimed foodie, I feel like I should put more effort into the cooking and not just the enjoying.  So, I picked this rather basic black rice recipe.  Black rice doesn’t sound super jazzy but, when you add pistachios, dried cranberries, scallions, sweet potato, a dash of honey vinaigrette, and top it off with a fried egg and microgreens, you get gourmet.  Success!  Even my brother gobbled it up. 

This past weekend, my dad suggested I jump into the local cross country race where he and his team were competing. He said it would be a great opportunity to get in a hard effort and to practice my racing mentality. Warming up on race day, I thought: my legs are tired…I didn’t taper for this at all…my left glute feels slightly tight…better take it easy. Watch removed and trainers on, I approached the starting line. Here, my mind shifted. I had a number on my chest. I was here to compete. The race ended up being a ton of fun, although not nearly as entertaining as the video my father took of the finish.  My brother dubbed it “very cinéma vérité.” Dad accepted his Emmy last night.

Family and Friends – Reconnecting

Ga and I on the porch enjoying some cake at my aunt's home

This past week, I hopped back on the training bandwagon, visited family, and continued to put the puzzle pieces together for my next chapter. I think the more I grow up and enter the “real” world, the more I appreciate the importance of the people in my life.  Whether it’s a solid training run or an expertly crafted froyo creation, it’s always better shared with company. 

I spent my Saturday evening in the Bay Area (that’s the San Francisco Bay for all of you non-NorCalifornians) at my aunt’s home.  I visited with family from Boulder, Colorado and heard the story of how my grandfather wooed my grandmother nearly sixty years ago.  He had some game: on the first date, he perfectly timed the walk to end as the sun set off the Golden Gate Bridge.  

 

Tuesday was my first workout back after taking some down time from running.  I was excited about the opportunity to run with local Sacramento State runners and alumna.  The workout portion was slightly daunting, as I wasn’t sure how my fitness was going to be after couch-potato-ing for a solid 10 days.  The plan was to meet at 7:00 am and run a 7-mile tempo along the American River, one of my favorite places to run in Sacramento.  Fortunately, my legs found themselves and the three of us completed the tempo with smiles, dead legs, and slightly upset tummies. 

Tree pose and tree pose admiring

This week also marked my first time going to yoga with my brother!  As a rock-climbing and slack-lining aficionado, my brother, Colin, is new to the yoga world.  I am no yogi myself, but I wasn’t sure how he would feel about the coordinated breathing, downward dog, or the ohm chanting.  Sure enough, I had no need to worry.  This guy can plank until the cows come home and do more push-ups than Jackie Chan (I'm sure Jackie Chan can do a whole lot).  After 70 minutes, my brother, mom, and I completed our Shala Series A class (focuses on backbends and hip opening lunges) at Shala Yoga at Arden taught by the blonde and bubbly Biffy!  Although it’s often hard for me to get myself to go to a yoga class, I always feel happy to have gone.

Lindsey Drake, Brittni Hutton, Sheree Shea and I in front
of the Washington Monument at the 2014 RunPro conference

Finally, I finalized my housing in Lake Oswego, OR.  I will be living with my teammate, Lindsey Drake, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the RunPro conference in Arlington, VA.  In our first encounter in the hotel gym, Lindsey offered me her foam roller.  If that’s not a sign of love, then I’m not sure what is!  I am looking forward to the Pacific Northwest scenery, sampling a variety of coffee shops, and of course, training with the Bowerman Track Club.         

  

Greetings!

My name is Olivia Mickle. I am 23 years old, starting my career as a professional distance runner.  I recently graduated from Brown University with a BS in Biochemical Engineering and spent this past year at the University of Texas, working toward a Masters degree.  My love of running has led me to put my education and science career on hold as I pursue my dream to be an Olympian.  Although the practical course of action—and one my parents would likely appreciate!--would be to take a position in immunology or pharmaceutical research, I need to follow my passion.  I need to run.

Unlike most, I didn’t start running seriously until I was out of my teens.  I’d spent many years racing up and down the field as a competitive soccer player; however, it wasn’t until senior year of high school that I was bitten by the running bug.  Initially, it was a “nibble.”  I enjoyed running and it was good conditioning for soccer.  However, I quickly found myself enamored of the sport and made the decision to fully commit, leaving my soccer days behind.   

Having twice competed at the NCAA finals in the 10k, I believe my future ultimately lies in the marathon.  To continue to build strength and to progress as an elite distance runner, I will be moving to Portland, Oregon to join the Bowerman Track Club, under the direction of Chris Cook and Jonathan Marcus. 

  

As a relative newcomer to running, I have yet to post times that place me among the sport’s elite; nonetheless, I firmly believe I have the potential to be among the nation’s best runners.  I welcome any support or guidance as I embark on this journey.  For now, I encourage you to follow my foodie adventures, running escapades, and growth in the professional running world via twitter (omicklepickle) and this newly developed blog! :) 

Going for it!