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 "Running Has Taught Me To Be A Harder Worker" Student , Firefighter, Paramedic, Physician Assistant, Athlete; A Profile of Jacqueline Concaugh By George Banker March/April 2004 For the Washington Running Report Photo below: Jacqueline Concaugh finishing second at the 25th Capitol Hill Classic 10K in 37:37.
Life is about the four "C's": choices, commitments, and
challenges, and the above brings into focus the fourth,
complexity. Life will change to complex when all of the above
becomes one person. It's passion and desire that pulls them
together. The hardest to control is the athletic aspirations;
it's about self-fulfilling accomplishments. The other three are
more outward; they provide a benefit to others. Jacqueline "Jackie" Concaugh of Alexandria, Virginia, at age 29,
is
living a dream. She recently completed her Master of Sciences
degree at George Washington University and now works as a
Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine Associates). She
graduated in 1996 from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in
Movement Science, with distinction. She runs on the Pacers/New
Balance team of Old Town Alexandria, VA, and PowerBar. Her
sponsors play a key role in providing the necessary support,
along with her teammates. Concaugh started running (cross country and track) as freshman
while attending Annandale High School in Virginia (October
1989). Over the four-year period, honors included All District,
All Region and All State. Her second year was the most active,
with a 27th place finish (19:10) at the Kinney Cross Country
Championships. A ninth place finish (12:12), the U.S.
National "B" Team (Hawaii International Ekiden Road Relay, 3500
meters). In that same year, her fastest 1600-meter time was 5:05
(Potomac District Championships at George Mason University,
Fairfax, VA). Her fastest 3200-meter time was 11:16, both were
indoors. "My objectives when I race are to compete well, do the best I
can for that given day, and run fast, of course. Sometimes, time
isn't important, though, and competing is," she states. One of Concaugh's most satisfying performances was running 16:30
for 5000 meters at the Northeastern Twilight Series (June 2000)
in Dedham, MA, when she had little experience at racing that
distance. It brought into focus her dream of qualifying for the
Olympic Trials. In 2001, she won two silver medals at the World
Police and Fire Games after coming back from four calf muscle
surgeries within two years (each results in a four- to
eight-week recovery). The level of performance overrides the time. "Of course, I hope
to win every race I run, but as I have become better; I have
realized that winning is not everything. If I run the race of my
life, who cares if you get last, it's becoming a better runner
and accomplishing my dreams and goals. I wouldn't care if I got
dead last if I ran my best time," stated Concaugh. Winning a race is always a goal, and, since running is ninety
percent mental, winning is a confidence booster. Seeing other
competitors at the start line does, at times, psyche her out,
but she never makes any adjustments in her goals. Through the
years of running and experience this is becoming less of a
factor. The competition is there to push her to new levels. There have been many obstacles along the way. In the summer of
1996 while doing some construction work she was hit in the head
by a pole and was forced to take several months off. At a
regional championship, she missed the start and it took 600
meters to catch the lead pack. As the race was beginning to take
shape her right shoe began to slip and, while going up a hill,
it slipped off. Then, in the last mile of the race, during
acceleration, her arms pumping, focused on the runner in front
of her, she felt a pain in her right shoulder. A bee had stung
her. Such mishaps didn't cause her to lose focus and she
finished eighth. Running while working as a firefighter/paramedic is tough. "When
someone called 9-1-1, I could not ask them to wait because I had
to run. There were times I would go out four or five times
before I got my run in, but it's the sacrifice I had to make. I
always got my run in, although it was not at the ideal time,"
Concaugh said. "Running has been a major part of my life for many reasons, but
most importantly it has taught me who I really am-a very
competitive person striving for only the best. Although I
realize that I may not always come out on top, at least I know I
always try to be the best of my ability," Concaugh states. In this sport there are some benefits. "As a result of my
accomplishments in running I've had the opportunity to travel at
the local as well as the national level. Through these
experiences I have made lasting friendships with runners and
coaches around the world. These friendships have taught me you
can be friendly among competitors and share each other's
happiness." Some athletes have a song or a verse, which they use right
before a race to get into the right frame of mind. Concaugh's is
the song by Whitney Houston, One Moment In Time: "Give me one
moment in time, when I'm more than I thought I could be. When
all of my dreams are a heartbeat away, and the answers are all
up to me." The words cause a moment of reflection for her, "To some
athletes like myself who face national caliber athletes every
race, even the simplest victory is a dream in my eyes. These
words keep me focused on the race; I no longer worry that there
may be people in front of me. I realize that if I want to make
the dream come true of winning a race I must do it on my own."
It's through the small victories that one's confidence is lifted
and all of the hours of training and sacrifices pay off. This
sport of racing does stir the emotions and one has to learn how
to control one's emotions and to accept the outcome of a race
when it does not go according to plan. The experienced athlete
reviews a race briefly, makes mental notes, and then sets
another goal. Concaugh has a passion for all that she strives to achieve.
There have been smiles and some tears along the way. There is
always a price to pay and some pain to endure. Each time on that
starting line, she feels the tightness in her stomach but when
the gun goes off, it comes down to racing your best. "If I fail to achieve my goals it bothers me very much and I
often struggle with it until I race again and redeem myself. Of
course, I have unexpected bad days and at times it can be very
frustrating and nerve racking and at other times you tell
yourself it's all part of the training and it's better to have a
bad day at practice than a bad race." Jacqueline Concaugh has a burning fire which can be
expressed: "My experience in running has taught me to be the
best I can be, both in athletics and in life. Running has been
and will continue to be a rewarding part of my life."
Some racing accomplishments:
Track & Cross-Country
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