Pudlin out for XC. In for life.
Pennsylvania's most recent Footlocker finalist, Julia Pudlin of the Baldwin School, will have everything she dreamed of for her senior cross country season. No, it won't be repeating as Inter-Ac or PA Independent Schools' champion. It won’t be running in the Northeast Footlocker race the Saturday after Thanksgiving in New York's storied Van Cortlandt Park. And no, it won't be racing to glory at Disneyworld in her second Footlocker Finals in early December as a member of the nation's high school elite.
Julia @ 2000 Manhattan Inv. (Photo by Dyestat)
Actually, it will most probably be just the sweet, unfettered opportunity of taking a simple run. Alone. In control. Step after step in pursuit of personal goals only she knows.
This is a round-about way of saying that Julia Pudlin did not recover in time to toe the starting line of the races she dreamed about for her senior cross country season. But it is a way of saying that in the process of coming back from a nearly-fractured heel suffered during the spring season, she discovered something more important. She runs for herself.
Her junior year was special. She finished third in the Championship race at the Great American. She qualified for Foot Lockers. She finished 8th at Nationals. She was second in the 3000 at the Penn Relays. She set course and meet records at virtually every appearance. She was invited to the Millrose Games - the elite mile of the indoor season - where she sustained a seemingly benign injury to her right ankle.
She recovered. Or so she thought. And then the pain appeared, in a new spot, about a week before the Loucks Games in New York in mid-May. She had apparently overcompensated for her ankle injury, and her left foot was now giving her pause for concern. But she raced anyway. After all, she had committed to race, so race she would. But a few laps from the finish the pain in her foot had become so severe, she feared she would have to stop for the first time in her life. She finished in third. But her left foot was obviously seriously injured.
The diagnosis? A near total fracture of her heel. She sported a cast for two months. She swam in a friend's endless pool every day ('it makes your hair smell bad"), trying to stay in shape. Holding out hope. And she didn't take a step until September 1st. She biked. She used the elliptical trainer. And in September, she started running. A little. But two weeks in she had to back off. By early October, she was feeling confident again, only to attempt too much, too soon, again.
Running four-five miles a day at a good clip. It was then she realized that her 2001 XC season may be over. "It was making me do stupid things." An MRI in early November reassured Julia that the fracture was healed. So her comeback is in progress. But at a pace with no set timetable. Obviously, Julia is hoping for an indoor season. But she refuses to set specific dates. "That kind of pressure would only make me train foolishly." And she wants to be ready. She hopes to be totally healthy for outdoor, and is entertaining thoughts of Junior Nationals in XC early in the year. After all, XC is her favorite.
Watching this season has been, as one might expect, tough for Julia. But she has been thrilled to watch as Jessica Cickay, Stephanie Madia, Katie O'Connell, Angie Saterstad, and others have stepped to the front. "They've taken PA running up a notch. And Madia and Cickay are both contenders on a national level." Julia also notes that after a 10th place finish at Northeast Footlockers, a runner like Saterstad cannot be counted out. What's more, Julia has enjoyed the sub-17 exploits of Trotter and Tubbs. "It was painful to watch at the beginning of the season, but now it's really exciting."
Julia will be attending Northeast Footlockers as a fan and a teammate. In her stead, Brighton Schlumpf has excelled, winning the Inter-Ac champs, and placing 4th at the Independent Schools championships. "My dad and I made every Baldwin meet this year. I was team captain, after all." Julia also made almost every practice in support of her team, which came within four points of winning their league meet. They had been 2000 Inter-Ac Champs, Julia's junior season. "I cried a lot at meets, but it was good to remain involved. That's why I am probably going to Northeast Foot Lockers to watch three girls from my team race."
To add to her rehab, Julia has used the extra time to lift three times a week. "I never had the time, but it's definitely given me more strength."
But the thing Julia missed most while swimming and biking was the daily action of running. "Just a simple run. I love racing. But the simple act of running is everything. If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to treasure each day. Never run for competition, or winning, or glory. Cherish each day. Simply running."