Brittney Wade, 15, had a standout season at B-CC last year as a freshman, racing in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter distances. This year, Coach Chad Young also has had her run in the 800-meter races, and her results have been outstanding. In her first 800, she ran two minutes, 47 seconds. A few weeks later, at the Montgomery Invitational, she lowered her time to 2:30. Moco.com ranks her 6th fastest in the county in the 400-meter race. Here is one in an occasional series of conversations with B-CC track student-athletes.
Q: How do you feel about your season so far?
A: The season is going really well for me, especially with it being a transition from a sprinter to a mid-distance runner. I didn’t expect to do so well in something that was brand new to me.
Q: How was it running in the 800-meter race the first time?
A: At first I was really nervous. It has been a while since I did it last -- in the 7th grade. I wondered, how should I maintain my pace throughout the race? The first one was a little slow compared to now.
Q: What’s the difference in tactics in the 400 and 800?
A: For the 400, you’re supposed to pace yourself, but you’re also supposed to run as hard as you can for the whole race. For the 800, it’s more of a strategic race, it’s longer, you have to hold onto your pace for another 400.
Q: What’s harder?
A: The 400. You have to run hard the whole way. The 800 feels pretty long, but it’s easier for you to relax.
Q: Now that you’re running longer distances, does that change your expectations for this year and the rest of high school?
A: I think I will be more of a middle distance runner from now on, instead of being identified as a sprinter. I think I’ll also be running the 200 and 400, but instead of 100, I’ll be running the 800. I’m happy with that. I’m not a big fan of the 100.
Q: How does your success in running carry over to other things?
A: It makes me feel I can take on any challenge. It’s a really hard sport – other people may not think so -- but it’s pretty grueling. Running helps me know that since I can do this, I can also do that.
Q: What about your role on the team? Has it changed as a sophomore?
A: I think my role has changed a little bit from when I was a freshman, but I’m still a learner. I can give my experience to freshmen or to runners who are just starting, but I’m just a sophomore and I still have a lot to learn.
This blog is so interesting and informative! Thanks to the author for all your hard work.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this blog is incredible! Thank you John, but could we maybe see some diversity? I know that there are several athletes on the team who have been doing well. Try talking about the practice meets not just big shot races where few athletes even go.Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteconcerned... yet grateful! parent
This is from John Donnelly:
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the comments -- the more, the better. It's so great to have readers! I have only one request: Please sign them with your name.
On providing more of a mix of stories, I'm really open to any story ideas, and people should feel free to email me at donnellyglobe@gmail.com. One difficulty in the indoor season is that there are few practice meets (a recent one was canceled because of bad weather) and it gets serious rather quickly, with just a few runners/field athletes competing. So I'll write about what's happening for the rest of season, and that will be about the competitions or something related to it. There's more chance in the outdoor season to write about more members of the team.
Other other thing: I really see this blog as a support to Coach Chad Young, who gives so much of his time and energy to the team -- as well as his time for the blog, in recounting all the events for posts. He is always thinking of ways to motivate and highlight a wide range of student-athletes, so I'm sure we'll be seeing more of that in the months ahead.