Where did you continue your running career after high school?
I attended St. Joseph’s Academy in high school, and I decided to continue my athletic career at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Believe it or not, I originally committed, and later signed, to play volleyball at SIUC when I was just a junior in high school. Knowing my strong passion for running, my friends, family, teammates, and even my teachers were confused with my decision. Even so, I kept telling myself that I only had four years of volleyball left in me, whereas I can run for the rest of my life. In high school, I was fortunately able to compete in both sports, but in college, there was no way that I could juggle both. As the fall semester began to approach, I started to have my doubts with the choice that I had made. I was envious of all my friends that were running in college and I wanted so badly to be a part of that.
As silly as this sounds, all I ever thought about during volleyball practice was how I wanted to run. After practice each day, I couldn’t help but to sneak in a 30-45min run. Since I was afraid of being caught, I ran the same route every, single, day. What got me the most was when I would see the cross country team running together on the streets and eating together in the dining hall. Every time I saw them, I kept thinking, they should be my friends, they should be my teammates. The day that I knew for sure that I needed to run instead of play volleyball was when I went out for a 30min run, and I didn’t return until 1hr and 40mins later. I had done a lot of thinking during that run and I knew what I had to do. It wasn’t until later that I called my parents and told them that I wanted to quit volleyball and join the track and cross country team. Fortunately, both my parents were super supportive with my decision and were really excited for me. It was really hard to tell my volleyball teammates the news, but they told me that they would support whatever I decided to do. My new track and cross country family welcomed me in with open arms and were ecstatic to have me on the team. I always tell people that quitting volleyball to run was the hardest decision that I’ve ever had to make, but it was also the best decision that I’ve ever made.
What was the biggest adjustment you had to make to compete at the college level?
My biggest adjustment was getting back into “runner shape” after being in “volleyball shape” for so many months. With all the lifting I had done for volleyball, it had significantly changed my body and I felt very different. In the beginning of indoor track season, I felt like a volleyball player that was trying to be a runner. I’m a VERY impatient person, so I wanted so badly to be in the shape that I was in high school, immediately. After I spoke with my coach after a disappointing mile, I finally came to the realization that it’s going to be a long process until I’m back to where I used to be, or even better. I’m still going through that process right now, but I know that with hard work, dedication, (and patience!), I’ll be there real soon :)
Is there anything you can tell high school athletes to better prepare them for the college experience?
Don’t be afraid to talk to your coach! Of course, your coach knows best and only wants the best for you (that’s why he/she recruited you in the first place!), but at the same time, your coach has no idea what’s going on in your head. If you have a question or don’t feel comfortable with something, definitely go talk to your coach about it. Usually, coaches are very understanding and will help you with whatever your question or concern may be. Also, your teammates are your family! They’re there to push you, comfort you, play jokes on you, and to just enjoy the overall experience with you. You and your teammates go through the same thing every day, plus you see each other daily, so it’s important to have a good relationship with them.
What memories from competing in high school stand out the most?
I have two memories that stand out the most for me. First, districts my junior year in the mile. This was the year that all four runners that made it through to sectionals broke five minutes; it was me, Colleen Quigley, Diane Robison, and Samantha Levin. I have to give a shout out to Jocelyn Todd, because she ran an impressive 5:03 that day and unfortunately got fifth and wasn’t able to continue on because of Missouri’s qualifying system. Since our district was so stacked, I still remember just how terrified I was before that race, and just how excited I was afterwards. That race was definitely an unforgettable one for me. Second, sectionals my senior year in the mile. Sadly, I was very sick this season and knew that the odds were stacked against me that race. At the time, knowing that this race was my final track race I would ever run, I slowed down and enjoyed my last few steps racing on a track as soon as the lead pack took off. Not going to lie, I ran really slowly that race! Still to this day, I have no idea what time I ran, because I really don’t want to know! Haha.
What do you miss most about running in high school?
I miss the fact that in high school, I knew everyone I was racing with before I even stepped on the start line. I just remember chatting with friends in the bullpen before races and just cracking jokes and having fun. Don’t get me wrong, I love meeting new people while racing in college; but besides my own teammates, I really don’t know anyone that I’m racing! It’s just a little different now because you travel so much and you race against so many different teams across the country that it’s hard to make friends and have some sort of relationship with the other runners that you race with.
What piece of coaching or advice that someone gave you has been the biggest help?
Since I’m addicted to Pinterest (mostly for the food..lolz) I was scrolling through various running pins one day and saw a quote that said, “Keep calm and run on.” It’s just a short and simple quote, but to me, it has a lot of meaning. Whenever I feel tired in a workout or race, I just remember this little quote and somehow it always gives me that extra push and that energy I need to continue on through the pain.
I just want to say thank you to whoever read this entire novel! I’m glad that I got the chance to share all this with the Missouri running community! Keep calm and run on :)
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24 Hours, 2 Sports, 3 Medals feature on Krista
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