Interval Session #18 - Georgia Griffin November 14, 2007 While Hanover NH sr Georgia Griffin was injured and taking aqua-running to a new level (see interview below) the summer after her sophomore year, it was probably hard to imagine she would be one of the nation’s top runners less than a year and a half later, but it’s amazing what perseverance, good health, and experience can do. By the end of last fall, where Georgia had won the New Hampshire class and Meet of Champions races, New Englands, and placed 26th at Foot Locker NE, she had become clearly one of the best in the region.  In track, she gave NIke Outdoor a shot, where she ran 10:33.87 for 4th in the slower section of the 2M, also beating half the girls in the fast race.  Now she was on the national radar. Then after a summer of injury-free training, Georgia was not only winning these same New England-area races (capped off by repeats at NH MOC and New Englands), but by huge margins.  When she had another chance to race the best in the Eastern States race, she zoomed all the way up to 2nd, trailing only 2006 Foot Locker Finalist Carly Seymour.  New Hampshire’s secret was completely out and Georgia is high on the contenders list for national honors. Any such honors, though, will come in the NTN series, as she and her NE#1 Hanover teammates just decided a few days ago to continue their season at Bowdoin Park November 24.  DyeStat News Editor SteveU paddles up the Connecticut River, along the western edge of the Granite State, for a few miles with Georgia Griffin.

1. Congratulations so far on a super cross-country season. You’ve had a lot of highlights, from repeating as the New Hampshire Meet of Champions and New Englands winner, to getting runner-up at the prestigious Eastern States meet. How were those different races each special to you? This season in general has been really special for me because it is my last year running with Mr. Eakin and my team. Basically, every race has been a highlight this season because the five of us seniors know that each is our last time on that course and we want to make the most of it. The Manhattan Invitational was a particularly fun experience because we got to race against some big time competition. It was a great opportunity and we spent an extra night in NYC and visited Mr. Eakin’s hometown of Mahwah, NJ, to celebrate afterwards. New Englands was also especially important this year because the guys’ team made it too, which they haven’t done in five years. We are really close as a whole team, so it was nice to stick together for that championship race. 2. You’ve been an outstanding runner in New Hampshire for a long time, but it’s really been late last spring and this fall that people all over the country have recognized you as one of the best in the U.S. Was there a point when you started realizing you could run with the best girls in the Northeast and the country, and how did it feel? I guess Nike Outdoor Nationals last spring was a big turning point for me, because it was the first time that I ran against people beyond New England. I was so excited after the race to watch all of the other amazing athletes. I felt honored to race against and talk to people whom I idolize and had read about. I still always question whether I can really run with these people, but it’s an exciting opportunity and I’m looking forward to the upcoming post-season races! 3. I’ve heard you and some of your teammates were at one point planning to run Foot Locker Northeast and now it’s NTN Northeast. How did that decision evolve and what does it mean to you to not only be an outstanding individual runner, but leading the top team in the Northeast Region? Many of the girls on our team planned to move on to their winter sports or take some time off after New Englands, and a couple of us planned to run Foot Locker. But after New Englands, we couldn’t believe that our season was actually over. It is so hard to move on from such a great experience. On the night before the registration for the NTN Northeast meet was due, we talked and realized that everybody, including Mr. Eakin, was really psyched to continue. I am so happy that we get to spend at least another two weeks training together. We could never have done any of it without each other. 4. I read a story from about a month ago that talked about some of your, um, unique pre-race rituals. Care to elaborate? I don’t know if this is unique or not, but I eat a ton of cereal and bananas about 6 hours before I race. It always amazes people how much I can actually eat. Recently, I’ve switched from Wheaties to a mixture of Special K and Great Grains. I also always brush my teeth right before I race and wear special socks. My teammate Grace Rodriguez usually braids my hair too (she’s really good). I don’t know what I’ll do without her next year (or my other teammates). Our team has several pre-race rituals as well, such as skip-hops to “Sweet Caroline.” We also always have a huddle near the start line and end up making exceedingly obvious comments about similarities in our flats. We end up repeating this before every race – I guess it gets the nerves out. 5. Despite some great times on the track this spring, you reportedly developed a stress fracture that curtailed your summer training. What was that rehab process like for you mentally and physically and what did you take from that experience into this fall? I actually developed a stress fracture after my sophomore year of track and resorted to hours of running in the Connecticut River during the summer. Since last cross country season, I have been completely injury free. I feel so lucky, because I know a lot of amazing athletes who haven’t been able to run. This is definitely a tribute to our coaches taking care of us. This summer I got to run as much as I wanted (about 40-45 miles a week), which was such a relief. And I think that it has paid off this season – I feel a lot more confident in my training. The summer of water running has definitely increased my love for running, and my mental endurance, because aqua jogging is extremely boring and freezing. I realized how much I loved the sport and wanted to be able to compete with my team in the fall. 6. You know, a lot of folks probably aren’t too familiar with New Hampshire, let alone Hanover. Can you tell us what it’s like to live and train there? Hanover is beautiful. We have great hills to train on, although we run on a lot fewer trails that one may expect. We get all sorts of weather too, which is a huge part of cross country. For example, torrential rains, mudslides, and 30-degree gusts of wind have always characterized our State meet. We run through everything, and it toughens us. Your team helps get you through it. 7. At this point, what are your goals for the rest of the fall and what kind of times would you like to hit in the spring? I would like for our team to qualify for NTN in Oregon, if everyone stays healthy. But more importantly, I just want to finish with a really strong race for everyone. I really don’t like talking about the future very much, especially times, so I haven’t set very many specific goals for track besides improving. I’m still pretty focused on this fall.. 8. You’ve committed to Stanford, from what we’ve heard. What are your greatest interests academically and what do you like to do when you aren’t studying or training? I am interested in environmental science, international relations, and Spanish. My other interests are backpacking, rope-swinging, other outdoor activities, and traveling with my friends and family. I’ve been learning to Telemark ski and I really enjoy pottery. One of my particular hobbies is lounging in the sauna because I’m kind of cold-blooded and like to be really hot. 9. Can you tell us about the influence your family and Coach Eakin have had on who you are as a runner and a person? Mr. Eakin has a special way of coaching. We have a huge team (about 60 girls and boys) and we always run together and everybody is important. We all talk and Mr. Eakin tells us stories of “Back in Mahwah,” legends from the Civil War, tales of famous athletes from bygone Olympics, or asks us what we think about the current education system in America. Mr. Eakin brings people together and makes people want to work hard. I have learned so much about commitment and what it means to be on a team. I have learned a lot about myself, too. Mr. Eakin always questions our motives for running. His cynical attitude has made me think about a lot of things. It’s really been a life experience. Also, he’s extremely sincere in praising people and when he does say something you know that he really means it and cares about it – this makes you want to work hard because you know that he believes in you. I feel a similar support from my family. They aren’t overly involved, but always come to races when they can. They let me do my thing with the team, but are always there for me. For example, my younger brother Gus came to our XC banquet last night, which meant a lot to me because it lasted 4 hours. Photos by Jessica Eakin, John Nepolitan

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