Long time runner Emily Yu shares her thoughts on the team and the season so far. 

How long have you been in cross country? Why? If you only joined this year, why did you choose to do so? 

3 years because I love my teammates and would go through intense suffering just to see them after school.

 

Are there any traditions that you have before to prep for a meet? 

Personally, I don't.

 

How have you improved over the past few years? 

I've shaved off a minute or so off my personal records, and I've paid more attention to my running techniques so I didn't even get serious shin splints this year.

 

Okay so now a random question: I know you want to be a vegetarian…do you plan on following through with that? 

I hope so! Depends on if it kills me or not - I felt like crap the week I was vegetarian and in track.

 

How are cross country and track different for you?

A lot of things are different. The team itself is a lot more cohesive in Cross Country, whereas in Track, it's all about personal improvement. The vibe is different, Cross Country being a lot more family-like. Also, running around in circles isn't anywhere as fun as running in a different setting at every meet.

 

Have you ever had a bad meet? If so, what did you do wrong (ex. Eat right before running?) 

Of course I have! Usually, my problem is pulling an all-nighter before the day of a meet, so my body is ready to kill me for making me run 3 miles after no sleep. Eating before running is also a big problem I have, since I have virtually no self-control when it comes to food, and a lot of cracker-like foods aren't good for you because they dry your mouth out, and you'd like as much spit as you can make in your mouth as possible when you run.

 

General question: How do Oxford Academy runners compare with the district wide runners? On a scale of 1-10, where do we fall?

In our league, we're usually around 5-6, 10 being the slowest. But it really depends on the individual athlete.

 

How do you celebrate a victory with your team? 

We like to go out to Hometown Buffet after meets. Our general way of celebrating is eating.

 

Who is your best friend in cross country? 

I can't say there is any one person I'm the closest to. I'll list them all: Edwin Ho, Judy Song, Philip Chong, Michael Dang, Jerrel Ngo, Shreena Chopra, Min-Young.