Kassi Andersen's Journal

April 30, 2008 (Posted May 1, 2008)

Training never comes without many bumps in the road. I have been treating plantar facitis and other tendonitis issues for a few months now and so getting healthy has been my biggest goal lately. I am training at the Olympic Training Center with Team Running USA in Chula Vista, CA. Being surrounded by so many Olympic hopefuls is truly inspiring and a lot of fun. I feel so blessed to be here and have everything I could need for training available.

Everyone is so supportive and encouraging so I feel optimistic about my comeback and getting ready for the Trials. I hope to race once before the Trials in June, if all goes well. But all I can do right now is take it one day at a time and enjoy the journey!

February 1, 2008 (Posted February 4, 2008)

The holidays were full of family, friends and races! I was fortunate enough to spend a few weeks home in Utah and be with my family and friends! I met my new nephew Joshua, now one of 11 nieces and nephews. Although Mammoth has gotten lots of snow and cold weather, all the storms then made their way to Utah! Despite the weather conditions, I still needed to keep up with training for a couple indoor meets in January on the east coast. And actually many of the team members were off in other places for the holidays training alone, which was difficult for me.

My experience in the New Balance Mile and the 2 mile in the Reebok Games were less than ideal. Both races didn't go as well as I thought they should or as I hoped, so I left hungry to get back to training in Mammoth with the team and have much better performances in the future! I am really excited for the upcoming track season and hope to really get things going leading up to the Olympic Trials in June

Although each member of Team Running USA has big hopes and dreams for the future with running, we all know how to have a good time! Not only does everyone support and encourage each other to be their best, training is enjoyable and full of great stories! If there is ever an excuse to have a party (aka Australia Day) we all get together and enjoy good food and lots of laughs! We seem to have many great cooks on the team, so dinner parties are quite the feast!

I am looking forward to many more great experiences and fun memories!

---kassi

Introductory Entry (Posted November 29, 2007)

A new chapter has begun in my life.  I have joined the Team Running USA in Mammoth Lakes and have loved every bit of it. I come from Provo, UT, where I attended Provo High School and also Brigham Young University.  My first run in Mammoth, at the beginning of September, set the tone with a big fall that has left my left shin with a lovely scar, or as I like to call it my battle wound. I am now officially tough enough to train in Mammoth.  Since then training has improved and the effects of altitude are not as dramatic. 

After two and a half months of training in the mountains I had my first road race as a professional in Manchester, CT, on Thanksgiving morning.  The race attracted 10,800 participants and many more locals to cheer us on.  I felt strong and full of oxygen during the race, but the legs were a bit slow.  I finished in fifth place for my first race as a professional and feel really good with where I am at right now as I approach the new year and many more races in the future.

My ultimate goal is the Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR, and then the Olympics in Beijng.  But until the summer I will be doing many other different kinds of races on and off the track, on the road and on the grass.  I am excited to race and keep improving.  Coach Mahon is an amazing coach with great insight and perspective.  He has already helped me develop skills and techniques that have enhanced my running abilities.  I look forward to a successful year with running and hope to represent the team and our country at my very best.