Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself. (Where you’re from, what you’re doing now…etc)
A: I grew up in the Black Hills and always have loved being outdoors. Right now, I am photo interning in Colorado for the summer, where I can spend even more time outdoors in nature.
Q: How long have you been running and how did you get started?
A: I first started running fun run 5k’s when I was about nine years old. My parents have always been avid runners and they finally convinced me to do a 5k with them. I hated it at first. But I kept joining them in the races and eventually fell in love with it. I participated in the 100 Mile Club at my elementary school and eventually joined cross country in middle school.
Q: Would you rather run with a group or alone?
A: I prefer running with a group for almost every run. My team and I are very close and love to run together.
Q: Do you prefer roads or trails?
A: I have always trained on roads, sidewalks, or tracks, so I am not used to running on trails. The closest trail running my team has trained on has been on Victoria Lake Road, which is an extremely hilly gravel road. I would love to start running on more trails; I think it would be really fun.
Q: What is your favorite distance or race?
A: My favorite distance in track is the two mile. I like longer distances more than shorter distances. I also have come to appreciate the 5k in cross country a lot more this year.
Q: How do you stay motivated when you don’t want to run?
A: What really helps me to stay motivated when running is my teammates. Training with them every day pushes me to complete runs and push myself, even when it can be hard to.
Q: After a long run or a hard workout, do you treat yourself to something?
A: After a hard workout or long run, I usually feel better about if I do end up treating myself to something. But I don’t go into a workout planning on treating myself after I am done. It just depends where I end up that day, but during the season, I try not to eat anything super unhealthy.
Q: If I didn’t run I’d ………..
A: If I didn’t run, I would probably do something else very similar to running. I think it would be fun to bike more regularly, but I also hike a lot, and I think I would hike even more if I didn’t run.
Q: What do you find to be the most rewarding thing about running?
A: The most rewarding thing about running is the feeling you get when you accomplish your goals that you have set for yourself. It makes running worth it when you can see your progress.
Q: What is your favorite running memory?
A: My favorite running memory is either being on a cross country trip with my teammates or jumping into the creek on a hot day after running.
Q: What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned from running?
A: The most valuable lesson I have learned from running is that even though it can be extremely difficult, it is worth it when you see what you can accomplish. Running helps improve dedication and commitment in every aspect of my life.
Q: What are your running goals for the future?
A: In the future I will be attending college to run cross country and track and field. My goals for myself are to get stronger and feel stronger when I am running so that I can PR as much as possible.
Q: Who inspires you most?
A: My mom inspires me the most because of how hard she works not only as a runner, but as a person. She is such a hard worker and does so much for everyone around her.
Q: What advice do you have for new runners?
A: My advice for new runners is to just stick with it, because it does get easier. The hardest part of running is when you are first starting.
