Cross Country Q&A - Bridget Blake

 

Dr. Phillip's star Bridget Blake is one of the favorties to win the 4A Cross Country Championships. As a freshman at Freedom, Blake finished second to Winter Park senior Shelby Hayes who is now at the University of Florida. Her sophomore season she finally got over the hump and took home her first state championship and led the Panthers to a third place finish. See how Blake got started in the sport, her experience this summer with one of the country's top coaches, and her expectations for her junior year in this Cross Country Q&A.

How did you get into running?

I got started with track when I was little. My dad signed me and my sister up for this small program when I lived in Maryland, but I don't remember much about that. I still have the first medal I won from that though. It's hanging up in my room. When I moved to Florida I didn't run track until middle  school, but I was always racing kids in my neighborhood. I remember that. I didn't know what got me into it it was just something I know I was going to do. Plus my sister did it so I'm sure it had some influence on me. As far as getting into cross country it was never a question of whether or not I was going to do it. I was just told when conditioning started and went.  A lot of my cousins ran as well. I always wanted to race whether it was on a bike, scooter, or running.

Freshman year was your first year running cross country. You finish second to Shelby Hayes at states. Did you have a race strategy at states or did you sit back and let the situation play out?

In cross country season I didn't know what to expect at all. It was completely new to me because my sister had never ran cross country either. So my first season I was just kind of naive I guess you could say. I just went out there, tried to win, and really just  went out there to run. My times weren't that great, but I made it to state. It's weird I don't really think I sat down and figured out how I would get to state. I almost took it one race at a time and before you know it I was there. Then when states came around I really wasn't that nervous.There was all this talk of another freshman Mary Anny Brown and I didn't like the fact that she was my age and beating me. I know I wanted to beat her, but there wasn't really a race strategy. I was kind of on my own with that. I went out there and ran and even after that I never really saw it as a big deal. It did make me wonder if I could have gone faster throughout the season. Maybe I could have beaten Shelby. If I had only known she wasn't that far ahead.

You transferred to Dr. Phillips for your sophomore season. Why did you decide to switch schools?

My parents had talked about moving before my freshman year so I never really looked into schools. We ended up not moving  and I was zoned for Freedom so that is where I went. Then the following year I was looking for something new and challenging, I also really liked the CIS magnet program over there. Also, one of my best friends Hannah Schaible went there and loved it so I wanted to give it a try.

How did the girls on the team welcome you when you got there?

Well I already knew some of them from track. We always stood in a circle before races and just talked about random stuff. They were so welcoming though, both the guys and girls. I guess most of them know of already knew who I was and were excited to have me there. I love my team. They are like my family and some of the closest friends I've ever had. They have all brought so much to my life as a runner and person.

You mentioned the coaching style and training were different at Dr. Phillips. What kind of workouts have you and the team been doing this summer?

I'm not a super high mileage kind of person. I'm more low mileage and high intensity.  Most of the girls on my team are putting a lot of miles in and responding well to it. I run with the guys a lot too. I've been mixing it up a lot more than they have. My take on training and their take are a lot different. We're still doing the same things just different ways.

The team didn't go to camp together, but a lot of the girls went on their own. Some went to Warrior Running Camp. You went to work out with the legendary Trent Sanderson in Colorado for the second straight year. What was that like?

I actually trained with Shelby Hayes out there this summer and most of Team Prep USA.  It was fun to get to know Shelby. She is hilarious and I have so much respect for her as a runner and a person I can learn a lot from. There were a couple of Plant girls out there, Bryce Seymour from Circle Christiain, Izzy Amaro from West Broward, and then people from all around. The training was great. Everyone who is there wants to be there and is serious about it. Every single run consisted of hills and it was normal for girls to be running 6:30 pace and under. I had a lot of runs under that time actually. It is definitely a lot easier to run in Florida then it is at 10,000 feet. I learned a lot from Trent and so much of it is a part of my daily routine. The main thing is to just believe, take risks, and go for broke. He's taught me so much in more than just running.  For me and a lot of other kids it's not just a running camp, it's like a life camp.

Dr. Phillips finished third at the state meet and your team returns most of the top seven, and a strong junior class with runners like yourself, Amber Johnson, and Dana Demsky. Who are some runners you expect to step up and make an impact, and what are your goals for this team?

We are all improving rapidly so it is hard to say exactly where we are at because everyone has worked out more this summer than they ever have. After her track season and seeing her training this summer I definitely expect Amber Johnson to step up. I can see her being a great competitor this year and really getting out there. I think Abbey Baron could be a surprise. She has a lot more in her as well so I am expecting her to step up. As a team we are so close. We have runners who graduated that will come back and run with us. We're like a big happy family. I'm excited to see the hard work pay off.

You were injured a little bit last year. What was wrong and how are you now?

It was my first real summer training and I learned you can't reach a place of breakthrough without going through a period of breakdown. I had never truly trained before so my body was adjusting. At the end of the season I had a stress fracture a little before state and after so that kind of messed me up. I wasn't really completely healthy the whole season. It was something I learned to deal with, but it was tough though.

Even with the injury you still managed to win your first cross country state championship in 17:52.90. What are your goals for your junior season?

It was great to win my sophomore year, but now I am just hungry for more. My goals are to run 17:20 or under, win states again,  and make it to Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego.

What meets are you looking forward to competing in the most?

Flrunners for sure! That is always a good one. I am also looking to Foot Locker South and even Pre-State.
 

Personal Bests


  • 1600 Meter Run4:57.07

  • 3200 Meter Run10:43.17

  • 5000 Meter Run17:45.16


Interview After 2010 4A Cross Country State Championships - 1st Place


 


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