When did you start running? Talk about your transition to the high school team and your first impressions.
I started running when I was very young and I loved community races and events like the Discovery Dash. Though I enjoyed running, I think I liked the competition of racing more. Even with that, though, I promised myself that I would never do Cross Country. To the eyes of elementary and middle school me, Cross Country meets (that I was attending because my brothers were running at the time) looked like the most boring, drawn out, and uncomfortable things that anybody could do. But there I was, first summer practice before eighth grade, rolling up in bad shoes and a little nervous, finding out that it’s much more fun to actually run cross country than it is to watch it. Running with the team during practice was extremely fun. I spent a lot of time with Coach Chuck and his jokes and little pieces of advice made the practices and runs much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, in August of that summer, I developed a stress fracture and was in a boot for six weeks, rendering me effectively immobile and unable to practice. I didn’t see any of the team until well into October of that year, and the time spent with them showed that the team was fantastic. There I was, a little eighth grader that knew the names of maybe two people, because not everyone had attended summer practice, and I felt welcomed. One of the seniors immediately made sure I was in the loop for team get-togethers, people ran with me to make sure that I knew where I was going and had friends, and I was invited to states to be with the cheer squad even though I hadn’t even competed that season! It was great, and I think that attitude of inclusivity is what made (and continues to make) this team so great.
What was your most regrettable or embarrassing XC moment or race?
Definitely a 5k that I ran down in Cary, NC, Thanksgiving weekend of my freshman year. It wasn’t embarrassing but was definitely regrettable. It had been raining for days, so the course was extremely muddy and torn up. The rain abated briefly before the start, so I had a dry warm-up, but I remember standing on the line when the freezing rain started pouring down (again) and regretting all the decisions in my life that had led to this point. My mom stood behind me with an umbrella for as long as she could, which was nice, but didn’t do much as the rain was pretty horizontal. In what was probably the stupidest decision I made that day, I took my arm sleeves off. I was all toasty from my warm-up, and figured the race would warm me up even more and I wouldn’t need them. Wrong. I finished with my legs a different color because of all the mud I’d just run through, and immediately sat in the car with a bunch of blankets and the heat on full blast. That was by far the worst race I’ve ever run.
What is your proudest XC accomplishment (this does not have to be a performance)?
My proudest XC accomplishment was my performance at the XC state meet last year. That was a race that I can say, with one hundred percent certainty, “I pushed myself past my limits and I gave it my all.” Going into it, I had set what I viewed as far-reaching goals for myself, and I accomplished them. The race was also just so incredibly fun to run - not only was it insanely flat, I was with Kate and just behind Sterling the whole time. Knowing that my teammates were there the whole time and that we were working together made the whole experience so much more enjoyable.
What are you looking forward to this season?
Simply racing. Though I’ve now gotten a few races under my belt, I’m excited to see how everybody has improved from last year with all of this extra training, and I’m excited to see how we will improve as a team as we race more.
What do you love about the team?
I mentioned this earlier, but the inclusivity. Everyone who comes to practice is welcomed. I grew up a dancer, and though we were all pretty much friends, there were definite cliques, favoritism, and defined hierarchies, which always created a little bit of a hostile environment. The XC team has never had any of that. One of the things I really love is the absence of destructive gossip. That’s really one thing that can destroy a group of people from the inside out and ruin a team environment. Unfortunately, it’s pretty common in a lot of teams and sports - I know it was common in the dance studio. With the team, the only behind-the-back talking I hear is compliments about somebody’s clothing or how well they’re doing in a workout. It’s nice knowing that the team is supporting you even if you’re not there!
What has become one of you (non-running) pandemic obsessions (maybe obsession is too strong a word- what are you into that's not running)?
I’ve gotten back into writing and reading over the course of the pandemic, which is nice! Before I was stuck for hours at home, it’d honestly been a while since I’d cracked open a book. Unfortunately, when the library closed for most of it, I couldn’t get any new books, but I’ve been working my way through my bookshelf, which has been an enjoyable experience. All the extra time has also allowed me to finally get to some classics on my reading list (the ones that we own, anyway). I finished Jane Eyre most recently and, unfortunately, didn’t like it very much. Oh well.
If you were to give advice to girls just joining the team or some of the younger runners, what would that be?
Don’t make the mistake of trying to run through an injury. I know as a new runner, there were several instances where I was reluctant to stop running because something was hurting, and it turned into something way bigger later on. Don’t try to muscle through if something is wrong; it’s better to go to the coaches, miss a week of training and get better, than to ignore it and miss weeks of training later.