Lake Wales sophomore Paul Stafford didn't have a freshman season he'd like to remember. After running 4:18 for 1,500m as an 8th grader and member of the Central Florida Gliders club team, he was hoping to be one of the top youngsters in the state. However, a torn hamstring derailed those plans and had Stafford staying home during the state meet. He's proven he's back after running 16:25 in a recent workout and hopes to shake up the 2A rankings. We caught up with Stafford to talk about his training, the upcoming season, and more.
How long have you been running and how did you get started in the sport?
I've been running since I was in the fourth grade. I got started by joining an AAU team out of Winter Haven, Florida.
Do you remember your first real race?
I remember my first ever race was at an AAU meet at the NTC in Clermont. That day I ran the 1500 in 5:53.24 and won the race in my age group. I was pretty excited about that when it happened.
How is your summer training going?
Summer training is going great! Warrior Running Camp at Webber International University was definitely the best part about it for sure.
What is your favorite workout?
Which meets will you be running in this year?
I know I'll be running at the Jim Ryun season opener since that's one of the meets our team always goes to. If there's a meet I would want added to our schedule it would definitely be the flrunners.com invitational.
Do you have a favorite course in the state and which do you think is the toughest in FL?
Out of all your running accomplishments so far, which stands out the most?
The accomplishment that stands out the most to me would be when I was on a 4x800 relay team for the Central Florida Gliders that got 3rd at the 2013 AAU Junior Olympics in Detroit, Michigan. Alex Boucher, Joey Fitzpatrick, and Jaylen Rodriques were the other great runners on this team.
What are your goals for the upcoming cross country season?
For this cross country season my goals would be to just stay healthy and to give my best in all my races.
What do you love most about running?
What I love about running is that you don't have to be 6 foot 5 and weigh 250 pounds to be good at it. If you put in the work you can see your results on race day which is why I love running so much.
Rapid Fire Questions
Do you have a favorite quote?
This is a verse not a quote but I guess it still counts. "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance," (Romans 5:3 ESV)
Do you have any pre-race rituals or routines?
What is your favorite food?
I love all different kinds of food but I think grilled chicken is definitely my favorite food.
What was the last movie you saw and what did you think of it?
The last movie I went and saw was "The Shallows." I liked it more than I thought I would at first.
10/10 would recommend.
What brand of shoes do you train/race in?
I'll usually train in my Nike Pegasus' and then I'll compete in Nike spikes as well.
What professional athlete would you like to meet the most?
If I could meet a pro athlete I'd want to meet Matthew Centrowitz for sure. He seems like a cool person to be able to talk to and I hope he does well in Rio, I'll definitely be cheering for him.
What is something most people don't know about you?
Something that most people don't know about me is that I made the all-star team back when I played youth football. I was probably the smallest kid on that team.
Lastly, if you were stranded on an island with three things what would they be?
