Feature Friday: Lindsay Hausman Is Off To A Red Hot Start

It feels great to open up the season with a big PR. Going into the race, I didn't have a certain time I was aiming for. I just wanted to see where I was at and to stay comfortable and controlled during the race. I think this PR of 18:28 is a good starting point for me this season, and I'm hoping to continue to knock that time down over the next few months.

What are some of your biggest individual goals for this season as far as times at Warinanco and Holmdel, and as far as where you'd like to finish at the county, state meet, and Meet of Champions?

My goal time for Warinanco is to break 18:20, and my goal time for Holmdel is to break 18:30. My other goals are to win at Counties and Groups. At Meet of Champions, I am aiming for top 3. These goals will definitely be a big challenge given all of the incredible talent in the state, but I am aiming high this season and will keep working hard to try to achieve these goals. 

 How would you describe your sophomore year? Was it everything you hoped it would be with your huge PR's in XC and on the track?

My sophomore year was everything I hoped it would be and more. Going into my sophomore year of XC, I had never broken 20:00. My goal going into the season was to break 19:30, and I was able to run sub 19:30 for every race of the season. For track, my main goals were to break 5:00 in the 1600 and to break 11:00 in the 3200. By the end of the season, my PR in the 1600 was 4:55 and my PR in the 3200 was 10:46. I definitely surprised myself with these big PRs last year. 

I owe so much of my success last year to my coach, Coach Stanton. She found so many racing opportunities for me last year and was always there to support me. She even flew across the country to go to Outdoor Nationals with me! I also want to give a shoutout to my coach from Freshman year, Coach Flanagan, and our team's assistant coach, Coach Mel. I wouldn't be where I am today without these coaches; I owe them the world. 

 What did you learn about yourself and how much confidence did you gain from that incredible 3,200 you ran at the Meet of Champions?

I learned not to underestimate myself. After Groups, when I was trying to decide between competing in the 1600 or the 3200 at MOCs, I thought that I maybe had a shot at top 10 in the 1600 or top 5 in the 3200. I never imagined that I had a chance at winning either one of the events. After the race, finishing 5 hundreths of a second away from the title, I realized what my true potential could be. It definitely boosted my confidence and proved to me that I was capable of competing among the best in the state. 

What is your goal for your race at Garret Mountain on Saturday?

My goal for Garret Mountain is to improve my time from last year (18:49). I want to focus on that last mile and really push it toward the end. My main focus for this season are the championship races, so for these races early in the season I want to make sure I run smart and not push it too much early on. 

Take me through what summer training has been like for you? How many miles a week have you been running, where have you been doing your long runs, who have you been running with, and did you go to any XC camps etc?

Summer training has been a lot of fun this summer and I feel well prepared for the season. My mileage increased up to about 45-50 miles a week this summer. My training is similar to last summer but with more mileage and faster times in the workouts. My long runs are usually 10-11 miles. There is a big loop in my neighborhood that I have been doing most of these long runs on. There are some big hills on this loop and one of them kind of reminds me of the Bowl because it's really steep, so it's good practice for Holmdel. I went to a XC camp for the first time this summer for 10 days in July. It was the Team Prep USA Rocky Mountain XC Camp in Colorado and it was so much fun. I met lots of amazing people there and learned so much. 

 What's been the biggest difference in your training this summer compared to last summer? Increased mileage? More quality stuff in terms of faster pace?

My mileage this summer was about 5-10 miles higher than last summer which I slowly built up to. With this higher mileage, my coach and I are still prioritizing quality over quantity and making sure that the higher mileage doesn't negatively impact the quality of the workouts we do. Also this summer I have been focusing a lot more on strength training and injury prevention. I started lifting this summer about twice a week which is something I had never done last summer. 

What is your favorite long run  (distance, place, and time) during the summer, and what is your favorite workout during the XC season?

My favorite long run this summer was in Colorado at the running camp I went to. It was 8 miles on a trail at 9,000 feet of elevation. I started out the run at a little over 7:00 pace and felt really good so I gradually dropped my pace to closer to 6:00 towards the end. Being in that kind of environment surrounded by so many incredible runners definitely pushed me and made me a better runner. That long run was probably the best run I've ever had and the best I've ever felt. 

My favorite workouts are track workouts. We do these about once a week and I love working on speed by training on the track. It's a lot of fun to just be with the team during these workouts and to be able to talk to each other in between reps. 

 How do you feel heading into this season? Is this the most fit you've ever been heading into an XC season?

I feel really excited for the season. This is definitely the most fit I've been heading into the season and I also think it's the strongest I've been because of the strength training I've done this summer. I'm confident that this will be a fun and exciting season and I'm hoping for lots of PRs. 

 How and why did you get involved in distance running? How did it all start?

It all started with my family. I have two older brothers that both ran for Summit HS, and my dad loves to run as well. My mom was the first of the family to get into running. She was the captain of her XC team in college, and also a coach for Girls on the Run. I used to go with her to Girls on the Run practices when I was little. I always looked up to my family as runners and thought what they did was amazing. I remember talking to my older brother a few years ago when he was in High School and he told me he ran 45 miles a week. I thought this was insane and that runners were like super humans. I wanted to be like them so I joined the XC team in 7th grade and fell in love with the sport. 

What do you consider your greatest running accomplishment so far?

Placing 2nd at MOCs   

What are your thoughts on how loaded NJ is with distance running talent? How much does the amount of talent in the state push you to work even harder?

I think it's a great challenge to have all of these incredible runners in the state to race against. The amount of talent in the state pushes me to work a lot harder because I want to be able to compete against the best. 

How about your team, Lindsay. With Miranda (Lorsbach) back and lots of very talented runners on your team, what kind of goals do you and your teammates have for this season? You must be very excited about the potential that your team has!   

I'm very excited for my team this season! I think that we can accomplish a lot together. Our goals for the season are to keep training hard and to win some of the big meets coming up. I'm really proud of how hard everyone on my team is working and I think that we have a shot at being one of the best teams in the state. 

 Kent Place has never won a county or state title in XC. How do you feel about your chances of winning those team titles this season, and what would it mean to you and your teammates if you could capture those championships?        

It would mean so much to our team to win these titles, and I think that we have a good chance. There are lots of amazing teams that we are competing against so it will definitely be a challenge, but I'm confident that my team is capable of winning these championships. 

What do you love the most about running XC?

The people: The friends that I have made through running are some of the nicest and most encouraging people I know. This sport can be a challenge sometimes, but doing it with others creates some of the best friendships. 

What's your favorite XC course to run on and why?

Probably Garret Mountain or Holmdel, I like courses with hills because it makes it more interesting and challenging. 

How about your plans for the future, Lindsay? Which would you like to study in college and do you have a list of colleges that you are already considering?

I'm planning on studying something in the field of STEM in college. I want to continue running in college as well. I don't have a set list as of now, I'm keeping all of my options open and looking for the school that will be the best fit for me academically and athletically. 

If you could go for a long run with any 4 pro runners (past or present) who would it be and why?

Sara Hall, Emma Coburn, Elle Purrier, and Katelyn Tuohy. Sara Hall because she was a speaker at the XC camp I went to and she was very motivational and super impressive. Emma Coburn because she is always so positive on social media and spreads the joy of this sport. Elle Purrier because she is an amazing runner. Also one time my dad showed me a video of Elle Purrier talking about her farm, and I love animals so I would love to run and talk to her about that. And lastly Katelyn Tuohy, she's not pro yet but she was always someone I looked up to when I started running in high school because she had such an incredible high school career. 

 What is the most impressive NJ XC/T&F accomplishment you've ever witnessed, and what made it stand out so much to you?

Lilly Shapiro of Colts Neck running 4:40.15 (a state record) in the 1600. I watched this online and thought it was incredible. It really stood out to me because it was amazing to see how much time Lilly dropped from the start of her season. 

Favorite running season and why?

This is definitely the hardest question for me to answer... I'm gonna have to say it's a tie between all of them because I can't pick. 

Favorite subject in school and why?

I love math and science because they're both really interesting and there are so many different fields to go into within them. 

If you weren't a runner, what sport would you be playing?

Soccer and basketball 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

To be honest I'm not really sure. I can see my life going in a lot of different directions, but I hope that running is always a part of it. 

What advice would you give to younger runners who are first starting out in the sport.

Don't be afraid to dream big. The first step of any goal is believing that you are capable of it. The best part about running is that there are no limits to what you can do.