Interviews: Emily Loeffler of Trinity University (TX)
(Photo courtesy of the Trinity University cross country team)
Loeffler is a sophomore at Trinity University (TX). This past outdoor track and field season she finished 19th in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2006 NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships as a freshman. Last year she placed 14th overall helping her team to a 2nd place finish at the 2005 NCAA Division III Cross Country South/Southeast Region Championships.
By: Derick Lawrence (10/15/2006)
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself (where you’re from, what high school you went to, how you got started running)?
I’m from San Antonio, Texas. I attended Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Helotes Texas. I started cross country when my high school soccer coach told us that it would be a good idea to join since it would build up endurance. They don’t have cross country in middle school, but competitively I started racing during 7th grade track.
What were your PR's in high school (cross country and track)?
In cross country my 3200m PR (in Texas we only race 2miles) was 11:42
In track my 3200m PR was 11:50, 1600m was 5:17
What are your current PR's (cross country and track)?
Cross country:
5k is 18:21, 6k is 22:53
Track:
5k is 18:30’s, 3k is 10:32, 1500m is 4:42, steeplechase is 10:59, 800m is 2:20
What made you choose Trinity University (TX)?
Coates University Center
(Photo courtesy of the Trinity University website)
I wanted to be relatively close to my family (25minutes to be exact : P ) because I didn’t want to miss out on any of my younger siblings events that they’re involved in. Trinity is a great academic school as well. I also knew that I wanted to run in college so when I visited and met the team I knew it would be a perfect fit for me. I also prefer smaller classes and Trinity has that.
What was your training like this past summer?
My training over the summer was minimal at the beginning due to a knee injury, but I slowly started to get a good amount of miles in about a 1 ½ months before school started. I didn’t really work on speed at all, just base. I also did a lot of cross training (swimming and biking) because of my knee and kept it up when it healed.
What is your favorite workout(s) during the cross country season and what does it include?
The Michigan is pretty amazing. Our team does 1600m, 1200m, 800m, and 400m in a random order that we don’t find out from Coach until we are on the starting line. In between each one we’ll do a 5 minute tempo. It’s a great speed workout!
What are your goals for this cross country season (individual and team)?
Individually I want to be in the top 5 at conference and regionals. I wouldn’t mind being All-American either. For my team, I would like us to place 1st at conference and regionals, while performing well at Nationals.
Do you walk, bike, or drive to class and/or practice? If you bike or drive, what kind of bike or car do you have?
Trinity is a very small campus. It takes 10 minutes at most to get anywhere on campus walking, so that’s what pretty much everyone does. I have a car on campus so when our team goes off for meals and what not we usually carpool.
This past outdoor track season you finished 19th at the 2006 Division III Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 3,000m steeplechase as a freshman. Could you tell us a little bit about this experience and your thoughts looking back at this race?
It was an amazing experience, one that took me by surprise. I was not pleased with how I ran, but being able to run with the top runners in the nation is something I’ll never be able to forget. I look forward to hopefully getting the opportunity to race against the girls again. I ran at a last chance meet at North Central a couple weeks before and I was a lot more pleased with that race than the actual nationals race. I got my PR there and it just felt amazing. It was roughly 50 degrees, and with the cold water from the steeple pit my whole body just went numb. It was just such a fast and amazing race. I didn’t know how fast I went until I reached the finish line and my assistant coach told me…I pretty much fell to the ground with excitement since it was 20 seconds faster than my previous PR.
What are the dining options like at Trinity University (TX)? Does most of the team eat together?
We have two dining halls on campus. The team usually eats together after practices and for dinner. Anytime we have a meet coming up or if it’s an off week we’ll go off campus and have a nice dinner together. Our team is very close and we can’t get enough of each other, which leads to eating together all the time.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life and/or running?
My mom has definitely been the biggest influence in my life. She’s always been there for me and my family, never complains, and puts everyone in front of herself. She’s come to every event that she’s been able to and has supported me in whatever I set my mind to. She’s the hardest worker I know and a perfect role model. When I was younger we had our weekend routine which involved her jogging and I would bike or rollerblade along side of her. Eventually the biking turned into running next to her. I guess she’s the one that really got into my head that running is quite enjoyable.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
I hope to be in a career that I take pleasure in, have a family or start thinking about one, and still enjoying running on various roads/trails wherever I end up. I have also thought about coaching a cross country team as a side job.
Is there a certain cheer or routine the women's team yells or carries out in the team huddle prior to a race? If so, could you describe it for us.
(Photo courtesy of the Trinity University cross country team)
Our team usually huddles together and yells “TU Tigers….GRRR!!!!!”
Does the women’s team have any team bonding activities on the day of a race (i.e., gift exchange, motivational quotes, etc.)?
We usually have a gift exchange before conference and regionals. We have girls night occasionally which has included making bracelets/anklets and movie night.
What do you like the most about Trinity University (TX) Cross Country?
(Photo courtesy of the Trinity University cross country team)
I like the fact that our team, both men and women, have been able to bond so well and are extremely supportive of each other. It’s the first time I’ve been on a team where the majority of the people are there because they love running. Our Coach is amazing too. She is so easy to talk to, knows what she’s doing, and if she entered into our conference race would take first without a doubt.
What's the running environment like at Trinity University (TX)? Where does the team train?
We do a lot of workouts on our upper campus loop. It’s a 1200m loop that entails numerous hills and tree bark as footing. Other than that we usually just run on roads around campus. Since we are in Texas it’s pretty hot the majority of the season, so when we’re able to take trips to conference and regionals we really appreciate the cooler weather and different atmosphere.
Any parting words for readers?
I can’t really think of anything cool or inspirational, but something I’ve noticed this season is that regardless of how much talent you have you’ll be more respected not by how fast you run, but by the effort and attitude you put into running.
Thanks to Emily for a great interview.
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