Ms. Jack of all Trades

Undergraduate learns balancing act by juggling multiple events in life

Her feet pound on the pavement as beads of sweat drip down her forehead and sting her blue eyes. Every day she pushes herself to run harder and faster — to do just one more rep at the gym or another lap in the pool. Though she has three or four hours of schoolwork ahead of her, she continues to exert herself to reach her goal. She knows that crossing the finish line at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., in October will make all her hard work worthwhile.

Many students have trouble getting to the gym even twice a week while juggling classes and extracurricular activities. Junior Lauren Menzies is raising the bar. Menzies is in the process of training for her first marathon, pursuing a double major in international affairs and pre-med and training to be a research assistant in the biology department. Menzies' dedication to her schoolwork started early in her life, as can be seen by the fact that she worked harder in high school in order to graduate in three years.

She also is a new member of the Harrisonburg Rescue Squad and has signed a contract to participate for at least two years. Menzies volunteers once a week for six hours, as well as the occasional midnight shift, which lasts for 12 hours. She plans on completing cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in the next few months. Menzies said is it important to her to be on the squad because it helps her become adapted to using life-saving techniques.

"Lauren is that really rare type of girl that excels in everything that she does," said senior Elizabeth Drosdick, a friend of Menzies. "I don't know how she balances all her activities and still maintains a great attitude and a smile on her face."

Menzies exceeds the typical UREC buff with her extreme training schedule, which allots her three weeks of hard runs, then one week of easier runs. Menzies runs 12 miles on Sundays, six miles on Tuesdays and Thursdays, eight on Wednesdays and four on Saturdays.

As the weeks go by, Menzies will increase her mileage by one mile per week in the beginning, and by two to four miles toward the end of the training. A hard week could consist of anywhere from 10 to 26.2 (the full marathon distance) miles a day. This cycle repeats every month for at least a year before the actual marathon takes place.

"I basically created my own training schedule, as far as mileage goes, after I researched other popular training schedules on the Internet," Menzies said. "I gave myself realistic goals and distances and, so far, for the past eight months, it has worked fine."

Not only does Menzies find the time to run, but she also frequents the weight room and pool at UREC. "It's really important to have strong arm muscles because pumping arms plays a big part in running," she said. "I like to swim because it's a good way to practice good breath control, plus it's a good workout."

Although her training schedule is hectic, Menzies still is involved with many other activities, including a demanding double major. "School takes up a huge part of my life, and I take it very seriously," Menzies said. "Sometimes I consider not running one day because I could use those few hours to study for a huge chemistry test, but I usually end up pushing myself, or my roommates push me because I have made a commitment to myself to complete the training."

Balancing school, outside activities, training and volunteering, takes delicate planning that requires precision in order to ensure that all events are covered. "My schedule is kind of crazy, but somehow I make it work," Menzies said.

Menzies' schedule may be busy, but she does not let her commitments run her life. She enjoys cooking homemade soups on the weekends and never misses an episode of her favorite television show, "CSI."

"Lauren is very dedicated and has incredible motivation," said Tim Norton, a junior at Northern Virginia Community College and Menzies' boyfriend of four years. "It's very impressive that a person so young can have such drive and strive to achieve goals like completing a marathon and going to medical school."

Medical school is another of Menzies' goals. "Just as I work hard in running so I can get to the marathon level, I work hard in college so that I can get to medical school one day," Menzies said.

In the meantime, Menzies plans to compete in the Marine Corps Marathon in October and, until then, she will continue to prepare herself for the 26.2-mile run.

"Running clears my head and gives me time to reflect and think," she said. "Training for the marathon has given me so much self-confidence because I know that I am working toward achieving a huge goal of mine."

Despite her numerous achievements and hard work, Menzies maintains a humble attitude. "I'm no supergirl, and it is hard for me, but I see my work paying off every day. I just keep picturing the day that I can cross that finish line and see the faces of all my friends and family cheering me on."