Photo provided by Regan Duffy
Personal Records
800m - 2:27 split
1600m - 5:18.30
3200m - 11:10.32
4K (xc) - 15:01.00
5K (xc) - 18:17.00
State T&F 2017 - 12th (3200m)
State XC 2016 - 15th
State XC 2015 - 35th
State XC 2014 - 80th
Where were you born and what sports did you play when you were very young?
I was born in Minnesota. I was just like any other kid throughout childhood. I dabbled in swimming, gymnastics, soccer, dance, etc. Dance is what really stuck with me. I danced competitively for about seven years until I left it behind to devote all of my time for theater. Then, two years later, I did the same thing for cross country and skiing.
What sports do you compete in at the varsity level and how many letters have you obtained?
I have been competing in cross country, nordic skiing and track through the MSHSL since seventh grade at a varsity level. I have lettered four times in each sport.
Why did you decide to be a distance runner? Describe the chain of events that led you to get excited about it!
When I was young, my dad used to run road marathons and the entire family would wake up early to go cheer him on. While we waited, I would run the road races that were held at the same event. I wasn't anything special. I just enjoyed chugging along and jamming to Hannah Montana as I "raced." As I got older, I stopped running as I became serious about dancing and performing. Once seventh grade rolled around, I didn't have a show to commit to and my brother was in cross country so I thought I would give it a shot. I was a middle of the pack runner which I had no problem with, but I was always sure to try my hardest. I aspired to be the girls on varsity.
To be honest, I am envious of my younger self. I was extremely tenacious and I can't remember a single race in my first two years of the sport that I was anything short of ecstatic after crossing a finish line. My love for the sport really grew once I got off of the roads and hit the trail. Trail running is what I love the most but whether I am running 30 laps on the track or 10 miles on a trail in the woods, I just can't help but love running.
Have you had to overcome any obstacles to become a good runner?
I've had two bad injuries, both which occurred in the past two track seasons. In the 2016 track season, I injured my peroneal tendon which took me out for a little over a month. That was very difficult for me because I had high hopes for that season and it was put on hold because I something I could not control in any way.
This past track season I had some bad shin splints and a dietary change that definitely played a role in my race results towards the end of my season. It's really hard and emotional to be injured because running is a daily release from all of my life problems, so if I can't run, not only do I have to sit out on something I love to do but I also have other problems on my mind that I think about continuously.
Also, when I was young, I wasn't a hot shot. Physically, I didn't look like a good runner and I was a little crazy so no one took me seriously. That was definitely a huge mental obstacle to over come. I had to learn that other peoples' expectations for me didn't have to set a limit on mine.
What is your training like for cross country?
John Fick is both my cross country and track distance coach. Fick is so special because he cares about our well being and other interests, which helps him understand how to train us and keep us excited about the sport. Fick is very humble and unassuming, but knows what he is talking about, which is what my teammates and I love about him. A typical week of training involves some speed work on the track, tempo, a couple long runs, and an intense distance workout at William O'Brien State Park every Saturday.
What is the longest run you do? Do you run it by minutes or miles? What do you do the day after the run? Is it a hard or easy workout typically?
The longest straight run I do is 10 miles. I may rack on a couple more miles if I'm doing a long track workout. In that case, I may get up to 12 or 13 miles, but for the most part I stay under ten. On long runs I definitely go at a decent pace, but I've become accustomed to the long, somewhat fast runs so it isn't too difficult to recover.
What is the hardest workout you have done?
The hardest running workout I've ever done was probably a couple weeks ago up North. It was 5 minutes at tempo pace with a one minute active break x2, 4 minutes at 5k pace with a one minute active break x2, two mile acceleration starting at tempo pace.
Please name some other coaches you have had over the years? How have they helped you?
Eric Kaluza, was my cross country coach in seventh grade and he was very helpful. He was very educated on the scientific aspect of the sport. Sometimes, when describing how we would benefit from a workout, it sounded like he was speaking a separate language, but he was quite knowledgeable in his coaching.
The other coach that has been influential in my development as an athlete is Deno Johnson. I also nordic ski competitively and he is my coach for that. Deno has a strong passion for the sport of nordic and has been involved in the skiing community for a long time now. His coaching has helped develop me to be a very strong, well rounded athlete.
Forest Lake is the defending Section 7AA champion team. How does that section and your team look to you at this point?
My teammates, Caroline Schessow and Amelea Hauer, are looking especially strong this season and I think the three of us have a chance at taking the top three spots if we continue to work hard this year. Other individual contenders for the section meet this year will be Molly Weberg, Emma Stertz, and Laura Dahlin. Teams that always have a strong showing at the meet, which I presume will be no different this year, are Andover, East Ridge, Cloquet, Elk River, and Forest Lake.
Where else will your toughest competitors come from and what are your relationships like with some of these people?
I would have to say my toughest opponents are the other girls who made All State at the AA state track meet that haven't graduated yet. I can't even touch Anna Fenske or her teammate Lauren Peterson, but the other girls in the state, including Sophie Whicher, Emily Covert, Emily Kompelien, Morgan Richter, Annalise Davis, Maria Rickman, Aly Welch, and Leah Hansen are all girls that I consider strong competitors.
Although these are the girls on my radar, there are always people that will come out of the blue that you can never expect. This goes for the section meet as well. Everybody is so friendly. I couldn't say anything bad about anyone even if I tried. I've come to know some of the girls better than others, but the sportsmanship in this sport can't be matched.
What do you do during the summer to prepare for cross country? How do your coaches supervise practices?
The teammate I run with the most is Amelea Hauer. She is an impressively hard worker with big dreams that you can't help but admire. She is the trivia master of anything from pro running to your race times from two years ago. She, along with other teammates including Chloe Foster, Jenna Parent, Ava Wilson, Annabelle Stang, and Jess Nieters, cross train throughout the summer with Nordicwerks Skiklubb (Yes, this is the correct spelling).
With roller skiing for Nordic training and running in the mornings, I practice upwards of eight times a week, along with additional strength sessions on my own in the summer. Roller skiing prepares me for Nordic and keeps me from pounding the pavement too much over the summer. John Fick sometimes drives to turn around points on our out and back loops, and we have two lovely assistant coaches, Janelle Kendrick and Erin Hauer, who bike around our routes to check in on us. I think it's a great system to have them occasionally check in on us but still give us some freedom and space.
Do you run in the winter?
No, I do not run in the winter. I take skiing just as seriously as running. When it's cross country season, I am in full time running mode, and when I am in Nordic, I'm in full time skiing mode. I still haven't decided which sport I want to do in college so I don't cross train when I'm in season.
Do you do any strength training? Why is what you do important?
Over the summer I do strength training on Fridays which is a grueling combination of tire pulls, weight lifting, balance drills, pull ups, dips, speed workouts, running and much more. Because of the cross training between running and skiing, I think my body is pretty balanced.
What is your general race strategy? Do you experiment with different styles during the season? Do you check past results to plan your race strategy?
I am a very strong believer in "Don't think, just run." Often times I will arrive at a race knowing there is a girl that will cross the finish line before me. Fick sometimes tells me to stick with her as long as possible or give me all this different strategies to use like starting out slow and picking it up or throwing in planned surges, etc. None of it works!
Whenever I try to strategize, the plan always blows up in my face. I am great at listening to my body and going off of how I feel. For this reason, I like cross country more than track, because there is far too much strategy involved in the sport for me. I never ever look at rankings anymore or the past year's results, even for important races like sections and state. If I see that I am ranked third, the entire race I'm thinking, "You're supposed to be third, why aren't you in third? You're in fifth; you're running too slow, this isn't going well." Or if I'm in second or first, I begin to worry that I'm going too fast.
You won the Section 7AA individual title last year, made All-State, and ran 18:17 at Nike Cross Nationals Heartland Regional. Was this a breakthrough season for you? How long did it take for you to come down emotionally from these races?
Yes, last season was pretty great. The beginning of the season was frustrating because the weather was constantly crumby for our races or the courses were torn up. My times were the same, almost down to the second, at every race. Then at nationals I set a personal record by 30 seconds so that was exciting!
It takes me about one second after I cross the finish line to come down from the high of my success. If I cross the finish line with a PR of 15 seconds, the first thing I think of isn't to celebrate, the first thing that comes to mind is how I could have pushed harder up that last hill or passed that girl at a corner to sling shot around her. This doesn't mean I'm not happy after I succeed in a race, but I am constantly calculating how I can improve my races and my efforts.
Why are both the girls and boys programs at Forest Lake so tough in cross country?
There must be something in the water of the fountain we fill our water bottles up in before practice because there are not that many dedicated runners in our area. Occasionally we will pass a fellow runner on the bike trail, but running isn't that big of a deal to most of the people in here.
We really only have two routes to run if we are starting from the high school and they are both completely flat. My two favorite routes to run are roughly 40 minutes away from my house, so it's a haul to get out there but it is worth it. The boys and girls train separately and do different workouts. We are just fortunate enough to have two great coaches that know how to get the job done.
Do you follow any college runners?
Honestly, I don't really keep up with college or professional running. I follow my old teammate, Emma Benner, who is now the top runner at Purdue because she is a good friend and I love seeing her success, but other than that I don't know much about big time runners. I know a couple big names but that's about it.
What are your goals?
I would love to go sub 18 minutes this year and make top ten at State and top twenty at Griak. I'm also making a point this season to really put in a full effort for everything I do. It would be awesome for my team to hold its title as conference and sections champs. We graduated a great runner this past year, Amanda Fortliti, who was a scorer for us but we have some very promising new runners and a strong varsity team, so I know we can make top five at state if we really go all out this season.
Does your team have any rituals that you do before a race?
Often times, before a race, we will huddle up for a quick pep talk, nothing huge. Sometimes a girl will say a prayer. Personally I like to be calm before a race not psyched, that way I am focused and I don't get nervous. Before races and at practice there's only one prank we play. Once someone goes into a porta potty, it's practically your duty to find a sturdy stick that fits into the pad lock slot in the door. That way, whoever is using the bathroom is trapped inside. It's not too hard to get out, you just have to shove or kick the door a few times, but it's a fun way to goof around.
What other things do you do in your community?
I'm involved in Nordic where I have won the title of section champ, state medalist, MVP, and I was second at conference this past year. I'm also in History Day. My Project on Betty Friedan's fight for feminism went to nationals in D.C. Another club I'm a part of is the Forest Lake student PAC (Politically Active Committee.) What PAC does is work to make our community a better and safer place. We're working with the city council to revamp parks in the area, and last year we helped raise awareness to save our police department.
What is the most important lesson you have learned in your career?
I think the most important thing I've learned is that if you're not having fun and doing the sport for yourself, you're not doing it right. Since I've been in so many different sports and activities for so long, I have neared the end of a season before and been extremely unhappy because I was taking it too seriously or I was doing it for someone or something else other than for myself. The best thing you can do for yourself is enjoy what you're doing. Success will follow.
Do you have any plans for after high school?
After high school I want to compete in college. High level competition is so exhilarating, and being a part of a team is so much fun because you spend time with people you may otherwise never talk to. Whether I am going to run, ski, or do both in college, I have no clue. All I know is that I'm not ready to be done.
