Allura Leggard

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

I'm a Senior.... Last first day of High School

Can't believe I am finally a senior. I love my classes but definite best perk to being a senior is going out for lunch and early dismissal.

me and Sarah...It's going to be a great year... We did not plan on wearing the same colors today.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Summer training...High Knees

Unlike many who are taking a break for the summer and will probably not start training for winter track until October or November, since the winter season for HS does not begin until mid November. I never stopped training after Spring season, I am determined to make the college team for my top choices.
I have chosen to not play Field Hockey for the Fall season. I felt bad letting down some of my Field Hockey teammates but my dad said "if you get hurt playing a sport that you don't really enjoy, what was the point".
I enjoyed field Hockey when I played but I realized I lost my love and enjoyment for the game and I worried about getting hurt and putting my winter track season in jeopardy. It was not worth the risk, it was a very difficult decision for me, but I felt that this was the best decision for me and my career aspirations.

I really wanted to just focus on being in great condition for winter track and I needed to work on making some fundamental changes that required practice for muscle memory.

My mom videotaped me running a 50 in slow motion....

Track & Field Clinic at Harvard...What a fantastic experience

I was fortunate enough to be able to take part in a track and field clinic with Complete Track and Field for an awesome clinic at Harvard University this July 2016. Is was ridiculously hot but I did not care I was connecting with other track runners who came from all over the US, I was learning new skills that I know will help me reduce my time and the best part was having an opportunity to communicate with the many college coaches from Boston University, Stanford, Harvard, UMass, Colby, Dartmouth and many more amazing coaches. Track is unlike many other sports, you typically do not have showcases for track, your time is your time. Many coaches want the fastest runners, but I did have an opportunity to ask what their team needed. Were they looking for short-sprinters, what times were they looking for to fill those spots. Many were direct and it helped me know what I needed to do if I wanted that spot on that team.

Many thanks to Mike Strockbine from Speed Academy for helping me get in last minute, I am so grateful to you for everything you have done for me.

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Everyday in Every Way I Get Faster and Faster

I understand that my times aren't where some colleges want them to be but I assure you that my times will go down. I have a strong work ethic and nothing is ever good enough for me. If people say "that's all you can do" I reply " no it's not, I can do more."

I want to be the best and to be the best I have to train and work like I'm the best.

I have the physical strength but I want to improve on my mental strength and that's how I know that by winter season of my senior year I will be a different athlete.

I have been day by day training my mind to believe in my body and to believe in myself. I want to go to college knowing that I have a good mentality and not being weak or being psyched out because someone is faster than me. If I'm on a college team, if I'm at the meet, If I'm in finals, then I shouldn't be psyched out. There is always that one person that is better than you or there's that person that is catching up to you day by day but that doesn't mean you have to slow down or tell your body or mind to quit.

You should be telling your body and your mind to push forward and not focus on those people because they see you just as much of a threat as you see them. I tell myself...

"Everyday in every way I get faster and faster." My teammate told me to say these words everyday because it would assure me not matter what I would get faster. That's how I know no matter what be it an injury, a heartbreak, or even losing a race, whatever college team i'm on I will not disappoint because I will be getting faster and faster everyday.