Going the Distance

Abby Walsh

[Abby Walsh is only a sophomore at Beverly HS, which means that her competitors in the Northeast Conference have to run against her for two and a half more years. She already understands the goal of team running - let your best effort help your team win. Abby has many best efforts ahead of her.]

GTD: Abby, you came into this past summer and xc season with some knee issues. How did Coach Braz customize your workouts?
Abby: At the beginning of the summer, Coach Braz gave me an outline of what to do on days I wasn't attending the onsite camp. This included pool running a few days a week in place of running. If an onsite workout would harm my knees, he gave me alternate workouts like parachutes. The core and exercises he gave me to do every day helped strengthen my knee after a few weeks. As my knee felt stronger, we increased mileage weekly.

GTD: After a strong freshman year, how did this fall's xc season develop?
Abby: My fall cross country season started off pretty well. I felt much more comfortable this year. As a freshman going up against everyone older than you is pretty intimidating. My workouts were much stronger, especially at the end where I used to fall apart last year. I was able to handle more mileage and harder workouts. The beginning of my season went well. At the first dual meet I was able to break the course record at Revere. My teammates and I were able to get 1-2-3 in every dual meet. Although, I was sick at the NEC meet I am happy I was able to help my team win the meet overall.

GTD: What the most important thing about running you learned this summer and fall? Abby: During this summer and fall I learned that running is not just physical, but being mentally tough can be the difference between a good race and a great race. This helped me learn to be more confident as a runner. Unfortunately, I remained sick for the whole championship season. This was disappointing, but taught me the importance of listening to my body and resting when you need to.

GTD: Plans for the winter and spring?
Abby: My plans for the winter and spring are to hopefully get my mile time down. I would like to run different events such as the 600 and 1000 to increase my speed. I am hoping to have a strong season and help my team be successful.