Weekly release: Regionals on the Radar, NCAAs in Sight
SEATTLE – Six weeks on the sidelines. Not exactly the most pleasant experience for Natty Plunkett.
But the Seattle Pacific sophomore distance runner did manage to turn it into a learning experience.
Forced off the cross country course by a stress fracture in her right foot, Plunkett (Bellevue, Wash./Newport HS) turned elsewhere to stay in shape, hoping all along that she would be ready to go when the season’s biggest meets arrived.
Her training regimen worked. The big meets are here. And Plunkett is indeed ready to go.
Coming off an 11th-place finish as SPU’s No. 3 runner two weeks ago at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships, she will be back on the starting line Saturday morning at the NCAA Division II West Regional meet in San Francisco.
“We’re excited. We had a little meeting to look over the course and course map, and we’re feeling like we can do this,” Plunkett said. “We’re looking at other schools’ Web sites to see their teams. And I’m looking forward to working more with Lisa (Anderberg) and Kate (Harline, the other two runners in Seattle Pacific’s front pack) during the race.”
For nearly two months while her foot healed, Plunkett didn’t get to work on her running at all.
But she definitely was working – and picking up a few valuable pointers.
“We were really aggressive just having me switch to biking and swimming,” Plunkett said. “I didn’t run for six weeks, and it was tough.
“But to be honest, I learned a lot about cross training. I learned a lot in the pool and on the bike. I gained confidence, and I just had to trust that my cardio fitness could be maintained.”
It was maintained. In her first race, the Western Washington Invitational on Oct. 10 in Bellingham, Plunkett ran 22:29 on the 6-kilometer course – 14 seconds faster than her 2008 time in the same meet. At GNACs on Oct. 24, her 22:48 was just four seconds off her ’08 clocking.
COACH HAD CONFIDENCE
Falcons coach Erika Daligcon said she always knew Plunkett could compete at some point this fall.
“I didn’t know where she would be in her comeback process,” Daligcon said. “I’m excited to see what’s going to happen with her. With some slight adjustments as far as form, it’s starting to pay off for her.”
It was at the end of July – shortly before the start of fall turnouts – when the injury to the second metatarsal bone in Plunkett’s right foot was discovered. She said it developed after she changed to a new pair of shoes.
“I’ve never had anything that severe with a bone before,” she said. “Fortunately, we caught it quite early, so it was really mild.”
Once she literally got back on her feet, Plunkett was able to resume making the kind of contributions to which Daligcon and the rest of the Falcons had become accustomed.
“She has been a pleasant surprise the past two years. I knew she had the potential to be in that top group,” Daligcon said. “It has been exciting watching her improve and watching her talent in running. She’s willing to work hard and never complains.”
Despite those six weeks on the sidelines, Plunkett says she’s a better runner now than she was a year ago.
A better runner who’s ready for regionals – and beyond.
“I’ve become a lot more strong mentally. Physically, I’ve gained speed and endurance,” she said. “I feel like more of a well-rounded athlete, and I understand a lot more about how to race successfully and make myself go faster.”
That’s because whenever she’s on the course – or even when she was stuck on the sidelines – Natty Plunkett turns it into a learning experience.