Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself. (Where you’re from, what you’re doing now…etc)
A: I’m from Rapid City and ran XC and Track for Stevens High school. Now I’m training for the cross-country season this fall and will be competing for Black Hills State University.
Q: How long have you been running and how did you get started?
A: I’ve been running for about 7 years. I started running because when my brother was in middle school, he ran cross country and I wanted to do the same.
Q: Would you rather run with a group or alone?
A: I would rather run in a group. It makes time go by quicker and training with teammates makes you get better faster.
Q: Do you prefer roads or trails?
A: I prefer running on roads because it is easier to find the perfect road for each workout, plus they are usually much less hilly.
Q: What is your favorite distance or race?
A: My favorite distance is the 5k because it is just as mentally taxing as it is physical.
Q: How do you stay motivated when you don’t want to run?
A: I think about my competition and realize that the only way I can be better than them is by getting every single one of my runs in.
Q: If I didn’t run I’d ………..
A: If I didn’t run, I’d probably spend more time outside camping, hiking, and rock climbing.
Q: What do you find to be the most rewarding thing about running?
A: I think the most rewarding thing about running is the satisfaction after a good race or workout.
Q: What is your favorite running memory?
A: My favorite running memory was winning the 4x800m relay at the state track meet. I ran the first leg and after handing the baton off in 1st I was able to watch my teammates bring it home
Q: Do you have a pre-race ritual?
A: nope
Q: What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned from running?
A: The most valuable lesson I’ve learned from running is to be patient and trust the process of training.
Q: What is one of your funniest running stories?
A: During winter training one year my friend thought it would be a good idea to finish the run by running a quarter mile through freezing Rapid Creek for $10
Q: What are your running goals for the future?
A: My goals for the future are to eventually make a national meet while running for BHSU
Q: Who inspires you most?
A: My mom is the person who inspires me the most. She battled with breast cancer for about a year and a half before it finally beat her. But, even through the lowest of times she always stayed positive and never lost hope.
Q: What advice do you have for new runners?
A: Some advice I would give to new runners is to make sure your easy days are easy. Going hard on easy days is the quickest way to injure yourself.