Stickney prepares for final track season

Greta Stickney isn't a very superstitious runner, though her pre-race ritual usually includes listening to Guns ‘N' Roses.

Stickney, a senior creative writing major with a minor in French, is gearing up for the final outdoor track season of her collegiate career. She finished up her last indoor track season with a 5,000-meter run of 18:59.04 at the Great West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Vermillion, S.D. She finished in ninth place.

"I've only ran the 5K once before, which was kind of a disaster," Stickney said. "I was a little scared, but I just focused on my pacing. And it was good to have my teammates running with me."

Last year, Stickney didn't run track because she was studying abroad in Aix-En-Provence, France to complete her minor. But during her sophomore year track seasons, she focused mainly on the 3,000-meter run and the 1,500-meter run.

"I was planning on focusing on the 3K, but now I guess I have a new event," Stickney said. "Now I kind of like it. I hated it the first time."

Since Stickney participates in cross country as well as track and field, there are rarely times during the year when she isn't training in some capacity.

"You really have to be focused and dedicated," Stickney said. "Focus is key; it's easy to get burned out."

She also said it is imperative to take care of injuries as soon as they come up because it can ruin the entire season. The first time Stickney ran the 5,000-meter run, she was dealing with a calf injury.

Stickney said having supportive teammates that are going through the same things and doing the same workouts make the long seasons easier.

"It can be really hard to get up at 7:45 on a Sunday morning to work out, but my teammates make it easier," she said.

Although Stickney will be leaving the Seattle U cross country and track and field teams at the conclusion of the season, she plans to continue running. She is hoping to run a half marathon this summer, will continue to train for a full marathon and would like to run the Seattle Marathon. But she said running won't be the same without a team.

Stickney said she typically doesn't tell people specific time goals for each season but wants to conclude her collegiate career on a high note.

"I just want to see what I can do," Stickney said. "It's my last year so I just want to put it all out there and have the best performance possible."

Taylor may be reached at sports@su-spectator.com