By: Mackenzie O’Connell
This summer at CycleHealth 3 college aged students are interning for the company. Together, these ladies share a love for being outdoors, trying new restaurants, making jokes and laughing, and helping to keep themselves and those close to them healthy and fit. This is one key reason why Sara, Mackenzie and Kendall were extremely excited to work for CycleHealth this summer and help young kids realize the joy and fun of exercising, being adventurous and getting outside.
This trio has been active their entire lives, participating in many different sports and activities growing up. Currently, all 3 girls attend the University of St. Thomas and are further pursuing their health and wellness interests by majoring in health-related fields and participating in Division 3 collegiate athletics. Sara and Mackenzie are members of the Women’s Cross Country Team, while Sara and Kendall are members of the Women’s Track and Field Team. I’m sure you’re now thinking, “Whoa, Sara does Cross Country and Track?? How is that possible!” As just a Cross Country athlete, I am impressed day in and day out by how Sara manages her time. However, what continues to baffle me most is Sara’s work ethic when it comes to her training and her attitude in regards to injury. I have recently interviewed this determined 20 year-old to get some inside scoop on how she got into running, who she looks up to and admires, differences between high school and collegiate running, favorite parts about racing and how she stays mentally tough when dealing with setbacks and injury. So sit back and get ready to be amazed, Sara can teach us all a lot about overcoming obstacles in order to keep pushing yourself to be the best you can be.
INTERVIEW
Mackenzie: When did you start running?
Sara: I started running competitively in seventh grade when I began participating in
cross country and track for my school.
Mackenzie: How did you get into running? (Did your parents encourage you? Did you get
noticed by a coach? Were you just really excited by the thought of running?)
Sara: My life before running, and even throughout the first couple of years while
running, I was very involved in competitive soccer. I played a midfielder position, where I ran the distance of the field repetitively throughout each game. I noticed I enjoyed running and was always able to run faster and longer than most of the other kids on my team. This got me excited about the idea of running cross country and track. My Dad ran track in high school and was excited about the idea as well. Once I met the coaches and team, I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of.
Mackenzie: What are some of the biggest differences between high school running and
college running at the University of St. Thomas?
Sara: High school running is different from college running in many ways. I am lucky
that I came from such a great high school program, which made the transition
process much smoother for me. One of the biggest differences that I noticed when coming to the college running scene at St. Thomas was the greater level of intensity that everyone on the team brings. Everyone is on the team because they truly want to be there and want to compete at a high level, which is different from the somewhat laid back attitude that some high school athletes have. There is also more traveling in college athletics, and a greater level of pressure that comes along with racing at these bigger meets, which I enjoy.
Mackenzie: What have been some of the best/toughest moments of your college career so
far?
Sara: Many of my favorite memories from my college career thus far have been from
traveling to large meets in places I have never been before. It is a fun experience to be able to travel to new places with my friends, and competing in meets while there. The best thing that has come out of the college cross country and track experience has been all the friends that I have made along the way. It’s a good feeling when living on your own far from home, that you always have about 30 other girls that are always supporting you. In a similar way to high school running, many of the toughest moments have come from injuries as well. A long string of injuries this past spring and summer have kept me sidelined from running for nearly 6 months. While this has been very hard on me both physically and mentally, it has been a process that I know will make be stronger in the end, and will give me an even greater appreciation for every healthy step that I get to take while running in the future.
Mackenzie: Do you consider yourself to be a competitive person? What do you like about
racing against others?
Sara: I consider myself to be a very competitive person. This is a part of my personality
that shows in nearly all aspects of my life. Running gives me a way to channel my competitive spirit during all of my races. I enjoy racing because it gives me a way to test my limits. I am constantly working to improve myself, and racing gives me a way to test how much progress I have made. Being able to race against others gives me a way to show myself that I can do just as much as anyone else can, which is a mindset that I pride myself on. I like to always think that I am capable of anything that I set my mind to and work for.
Mackenzie: How do you mentally stay positive amidst being injured?
Sara: For me, being injured takes a much larger toll on my mental health than physical
health. For this reason, staying positive throughout the injury process can often be difficult. However, remaining positive despite personal setbacks is important when part of a team. In order to make sure I am as positive as possible even while struggling with an injury I am sure to constantly remind myself that the injury is out of my control, but that I am doing everything I can control at the moment to improve myself. I also try to talk through the struggles that I’m having to a teammate or to my dad. Sometimes this helps me to take away some of the stress that I’m feeling.
Mackenzie: Do you have any tricks that help you keep you motivated and working hard so
you come back better and stronger than before?
Sara: Although every injury is always a low point in my running career since I would
love to be running, there is always some good that comes out of it. One technique that I use during the injury period is trying out different forms of exercise to stay in shape and keep things interesting. If I simply swim every day while injured I have found that I get bored and even more frustrated than before I started working out. My trick to solve this is to do something a little bit different every day of the week while still always getting a good workout in. Swimming, biking, lifting, and aqua jogging are always good options for me.
Mackenzie: Who is your favorite person to talk to about injury? How does this person make
you feel better about the recovery process and keeping your mental toughness?
Sara: My dad is my biggest motivator and go-to person when I face difficulties such as
injuries in running. He is helpful to talk to during these difficult times because he is such a presence at all of my races, and takes the time to be invested in everything that he knows is important to me, which in this case, is running. For this reason, he also really cares about how I am dealing with setbacks, and tries to help in any way he can to make the process smoother. When I am injured, my dad is always trying to build me up, and remind me of how I accomplished past successes when I had faced obstacles. He also helps me to think about other things to focus on and work on while I can’t be running. He is always telling me not to get too down on myself, and trust that I’ll be back to where I used to be soon. This eases my mind when I am struggling because I feel like if someone else believes in me, then I should be believing in myself too.
Mackenzie: What are the best ways to safely keep active while dealing with a lower body
injury (stress fracture, rolled ankle, shin splints etc.)?
Sara: One of the most important things for me while returning from a string of injuries
has been taking adequate time off. Once this has been done, then I can focus on
staying active. The safest way to do this while preventing future injuries is to either aqua jog or lap swim in the pool, as this is a zero-impact endurance activity.
Mackenzie: Who are some of your running role models? What about them inspires you?
Sara: On a personal level, I have always admired my cross country coaches. Their
dedication to sharing their passion for running with high school and college athletes shows me that they are very invested in what they do. Every coach that I have had so far in my running career has been so dedicated to improving me not only as a runner, but as a person as well. On a larger scale, I am also inspired by many of the professional runners of the Bowerman Track Club. Shalane Flanagan, Shelby Houlihan, and Courtney Frerichs are a few of my favorites because of the way they run at such an elite level while carrying so much composure, and are so respectful to competitors and fans. They also appear to emphasize the importance of hard work and clean sport, which are also values of mine.
Mackenzie: What are some of your future running goals?
Sara: I like to set small goals along the way to larger ones in order to keep myself on
track and motivated. At this point, my main goal is to get healthy before the cross
country season begins. During cross country, my goals are to be a top 3 conference team, all conference, make it to nationals as a team, and create a more positive team atmosphere. As for track, a team conference title is always on the mind, as well as qualifying for nationals in the steeplechase. Looking into the future, I would like to continue running myself and eventually compete in a few half-marathons, marathons, and trail runs. Finally, I hope to someday share my love for the sport with others through coaching either at the high school or collegiate level.
Mackenzie: What are some tips you have for any kid looking to get into running?
Sara: First off, I would suggest that kids try out a variety of sports before getting set on
one thing specifically, such as running. However, once a kid thinks they might be interested in running, I would suggest to ease into the sport. Running can be very hard on the human body when first starting, especially as a kid, whose muscles and bones are still growing. Staying safe and having fun with the sport are the two most important things to remember for a kid starting to run.
Mackenzie: How do you manage being a year-round student athlete? How do you keep up
with assignments while still making time for yourself?
Sara: Being a student athlete actually helps me to manage my time even better than I
would otherwise. I set aside time specifically for everything that I want to accomplish during the day. There is time for running and recovery routines, and then separate time dedicated to meals with friends, homework, and time to relax and take time for myself.
Mackenzie: What is your ideal race day meal?
Sara: My favorite time to race is in the morning. In this case, all I need to eat before the
race is breakfast. My typical race day breakfast includes oatmeal with granola, peanut butter, almonds, and bananas. Of course, never forget to hydrate and drink lots of water!
Sara hopes and dreams of becoming a physical therapist and Cross Country coach down the road and we know she is going to be extremely successful in her future endeavours in both running and college. 📷