Going the Distance

Tia Patterson

[Tia Patterson began training with Coach Braz in July of 2013 and she has stayed with the program year-round since then. This fall the Lynnfield Captain scorched the courses in dual and tri meets. She was 5th in the Cape Ann League Meet with a 19:21 over the Bradley Palmer course. At the Div. 6 meet in Wrentham, Tia was 4th in 19:22. She finished her high school XC career at the All States Meet at Franklin Park, running 19:40 to finish 23rd.out of 183 finishers who had qualified for this state-wide race.]

GTD: Tia, how was this XC season different from last year?
Tia: This season was very different for me in terms of racing. I learned to run with the top pack. In all other years I had either been in the large middle pack of the race, or in the gap between the front pack in the middle gap. This year I learned to push myself to stay with the top pack for as long as I can, and get comfortable running with those types of runners. I really enjoyed running in the lead pack at invitationals and the other big meets.

GTD: Was your training different?
Tia: I think I increased my mileage slightly and the intensity of some of my workouts increased. Also, this year on my long runs I would run at a certain pace during some parts whereas last year it was the same speed.

GTD: What was your best moment this season?
Tia: Coming in fourth at divisionals. After coming in fifth at CALs and having 3 of the girls that beat me from my league still in the same division, I was worried there would be other girls in my division who weren't in my league that might beat me at divisionals. However, I didn't let anyone in my division beat me except for the three girls from CAL! I was extremely happy and surprised with my place and also I remember having a very good finish that race, I had been in about sixth place for most of the race and ended up passing girls and finishing fourth place by passing one girl at just the last second.

GTD: What's your favorite workout, and what's the workout you don't like?
Tia: My favorite workout is hills especially in the heat. My least favorite workout is pool running (if that is considered a workout).

GTD: Do you have a "ritual" you do before a race?
Tia: Yes it's really weird. I need to eat my rice cake with peanut butter one hour before I run. Then I do my warm up, then I stretch for 5-10 minutes and I always do the same stretches. Then after stretching I do my plyos drills, and I always do them in the same order. Those usually take about 5 minutes then after I do that I go to my bag and switch into my flats. While I'm at my bag I always have to take one sip of my small red Gatorade, but just one sip and then I finish the rest after my race, and I need to have a piece of the blue five gum to chew during my race so I put that in my mouth after I have Gatorade. Then after that I put my flats on and go to the line and do a couple strides, then by that point it's time for my race!

GTD: In a XC race, do you like to take the lead early or wait for the right moment later in the race?
Tia: I like to be in the lead pack of the race but not in front of the girls I want to beat. I usually wait for the last 1/2 mile to separate myself from the girls that are around me then within the last 200 I see who else I might be able to pass even if I hadn't planned on it earlier in the race.

GTD: We know you're vice president of your senior class, president of the school's Habitat for Humanity organization, and president of the National Honor Society. You're a Girl Scout and have earned the Gold Award (equivalent to a Boy Scout becoming an Eagle Scout). For the Gold Award, you created a running club to encourage young people in your town to take up the sport at an early age.

What's next? Will you run track in the winter and spring? College and career plans?

Tia: Yes I plan on running track in the winter and the spring even though my dad wants me to do lacrosse with my sister. Next year I definitely want to run in college and I've spoken with the coaches at the schools I am applying to but there is nothing official yet. As for my career I want to be a dentist so I'll major in biology as an undergrad then go on to dental school.