DyeStatCal Boys
Athlete of the Week
Ryan Gamboa
(Upland)

Week of 9/18-22, 2006
California

DyeStatCal Boys
Athlete of the Week
Ryan Gamboa
(Upland)

Week of 9/18-22, 2006
California

It has already been a cranking fall in the state this cross-country season!  A number of fine squads and super individuals grace the Golden State's course, with the Upland Highlander crew, led by Ryan Gamboa, one of the more dangerous groups out there!  Ryan started the season off in the strong Don Bosco Tech Invitational at Santa Fe Dam in early September with a strong win over a good field at 15:06.  For that effort he earned honors as our DyeStatCal Athlete of the Week. 

Ryan had a fine junior year, with a twelfth place finish in the State Division I Cross-Country Meet at 15:43 at Woodward Park, and was fifth in the State Track Meet in the 800 with a 1:51.68 best.  He followed up the Don Bosco Tech effort with a fifth this weekend at Woodbridge in a super 14:30! 

1) Looked like a sharp effort at the Bosco Tech Invite at Santa Fe Dam--how did the race go and how did you feel?
I think it went great. I felt really good the whole race and I think I could have gone even faster if I would have been pushed.

2) How did your summer preparation go for this season?
The summer went well. I worked hard and we'll see how well it pays off later in the season.

3) How is the Upland team primed for the season as a group?
Well, we're trying to push our season back and peek at the state meet, so most of our running right now has been about building strength and stamina. Once we start doing some more tempo type workouts, I think we're going to surprise some people. Our team is pretty deep too, we have a lot of young guys hovering around the low 16's. Hopefully, they'll step up and push our top seven.

4) What kind of running did you do during the summer?
We worked out twice a day and most of our workouts were conditioning runs. We also did some fartlicks, tempos, and speed work on the track. The two main workouts that we do, and I think will help us the most, are our longer steady 14 miler in 90 minutes and every other week we run up to Mt. Baldy Village from the high school.

5) Twelfth in last year's State Cross Country Meet, and seventh as a team, can you share any of your goals for this go-round?
Individually, you know, I have high expectations of myself and I'm going to go out there and try and win it. Worst case scenario, I'm not settling for anything less than the top three. As a team, we're looking to make our debut at Nike Team Nationals. So our goal is to get there.

6) What do you find is the main difference between cross-country and track and field, with your concentration in the spring on the two-lap 800 meters?
I don't think that there is an difference. My training for Cross-country is also training for my 800m and visa versa. In the fall, I work on strength and stamina, and in the spring, I work on speed.

7) What kind of training do you like the most, the more speed in the 800 preparation in track, or the longer cross-country training?
I'm not going to lie, I definitely like the faster, shorter preparation in track.

8) What is your favorite cross-country workout?
I would have to say that it's our long runs on Sundays. We meet in the morning at one of the guys' houses and go for 90-100 minutes customarily. Then when we come back, we make breakfast usually something like breakfast burritos. We hang out for an hour or two playing video games or just screw around. It's a lot of fun.

9) What other sports did you do while you were growing up?
I was a pretty involved kid. I played baseball and basketball but my favorite sport was soccer. I played club with Arsenal FC, winning two national championships in 2004 and 2005. I ended up quiting though to concentrate on running. I love soccer and I miss it a lot, and I couldn't fully quit so I am still playing with my high school.

10) What can we find you doing if you have any spare time--hobbies, etc.?
My friend really got me into photography so I like to do that a lot. Besides that, I don't really have time for anything else. Most of the other time I have off, I just spend it doing stupid stuff with my friends.

11) 1:51.68 best in track for 800m last year and fifth in the state meet. How did you feel about the close to your track and field season over the last few weeks of May and June?
I was really disappointed at the end of the season. I was really looking to win it and go sub 1:50. But now it's in the past and I just have to work harder this coming season I guess.

12) What advice would you have for a beginning cross-country runner part-way into their first season?
It's not about running fast, or being number one. It's not about having your picture on Dyestat. It's about going out there and making new friends and just having fun.

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