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Interval Session #11 - Patrick Casey

Undefeated this season, Laurel MT senior Patrick Casey is fresh off his Class A triumph in the Montana State Championship race. His only cross country defeat in the last two years came at the 2006 state meet, where he was runner-up to senior Lynn Reynolds of Dillon HS. That loss galvanized Casey, helping narrow his focus to the state title he felt he should have won last fall.

He prepped for the season this summer at the Deseret Morning News 10k, part of a "USA All-Star team" which also featured Ben Johnson of NM and Kevin Williams of CO. Casey led the high schoolers in that race early, before succumbing to the bruising pace of Johnson and Williams. It was another step toward understanding what it takes to succeed at the elite level. In late September he won the massive Mountain West Classic on the state meet course, which let him know he was ready to roll in October. State gold medal now securely in his trophy case, he's looking forward to Foot Locker West, and a date with the hills of Mt. SAC.

DyeStat assistant editor Dave Devine sets out for Big Sky Country and puts in a few Montana miles with Patrick Casey.



1) Congratulations on your Montana Class A state title last Saturday. Sounds like you were shooting for the state meet record Lynn Reynolds set last year, but the conditions just didn't cooperate. Can you tell us how the state meet race unfolded for you, and what the conditions were like?

Coming into the meet, I knew that if the conditions were good I would have a good chance at the record. But it turned out to be windy and cold. I went out pretty hard the first mile, I think it was around 4:45, but it was
mostly with the wind at my back. The second mile was a lot tougher because the wind was in my face. I hit 2 miles in around 10:20, and the last mile was probably the toughest with the wind in my face and two short, but steep, hills. I finished in 15:38. My time wasn't what I wanted in the end, but I wasn't too disappointed.

2) You went undefeated this year-- a perfect 11-for-11 season in Montana. Was it difficult to race every meet, knowing you're trying to keep a streak going and you've got target on your back? At the beginning of the season, did you think you could possibly go undefeated? Did you feel pressure building as you headed into the state meet?

My goal at the beginning of the year was to go undefeated. Last year I won all my regular season meets then I was beaten my last race of the year at state. So I knew I had a good chance of doing it this year. I didn't feel any pressure this year, because I knew that I was the person to beat in Montana. I just stayed focused and ran hard every meet. Last year, after every race I won, it seemed like the pressure kept building on me. But coming into state this year I tried to stay relaxed and not worry about the race too much.

3) What's it like running in Laurel, Montana? Are there other guys there you can train with, or do you do most of your workouts on your own?

Laurel is a pretty boring place to run. You can drive about 45 minutes and run on some cool trails in the mountains, but mostly I stay in town and run. During the season I always train with the team, but I sometimes do more miles than they do, especially on our long runs. There isn't really anyone to train with around here. Over the summer some of my old teammates come back from college and I ran with them, but during the school year I'm on my own.

4) Was there a particular workout, or week of workouts, that let you know you were ready to win that coveted state title?

I think the second-to-last week of the season was the week that I really felt like I was prepared to win the state meet. Last year at that time of the season, I felt as though I was wearing down both physically and mentally. This year, that was the week where I started to feel like I was getting stronger and more focused.

5) We met this summer when you were in Salt Lake City for the Deseret Morning News 10k, running against the likes of Ben Johnson from NM, Jared Ward from UT, and Kevin Williams from CO. Was that eye-opening, to go up against national-level talent like that? Did you come away with any new ideas or different perspectives from that mid-summer road race?

That race showed me that I was going to have to step up my training if I wanted to compete at Foot Locker this year. It also showed me what kind of competition is out there, and after racing in it I have a better idea of what to expect at Foot Locker.

6) I understand you're planning to run Foot Locker West this year. Will this be the first time, or have you run it before? I know a few Montana guys have made it to Nationals in the past (and of course Zoe Nelson is a past winner), but not a ton. Are you dialed into that history, and do you have a concrete plan for the difficult Mt. SAC course?

This will be my first time running in it. I have heard of only a few Montana athletes that qualified for it, that's why I think it'd be cool to qualify for it. Right now my main focus is staying in shape for another month. I don't really know what the course is like and how the race is going to unfold, so I'm going to come in with a flexible strategy.

[Edit. Complete list of Montana FL qualifiers here, on the indispensible MT HS running site, montanacrosscountry.com]

7) When most people think of Montana, they tend to think of wide open landscapes and-- thanks to movies like "A River Runs Through It"--great fly fishing. Do you fish? Enjoy the outdoors? What other things do you like to do in Laurel besides run?

I really like living in Montana. It's funny how a lot of people don't know what it's like here. I've met people from other states that didn't know people in Montana have technology such as cell phones, or automobiles. They thought we rode horses everywhere. We actually have four horses and a mule, but I don't ride them. I don't fish or hunt either, but I like the outdoors. We have awesome mountains which are only like 45 minutes away, so I hike, camp and snowboard a lot. Other than that, I like to play basketball, frisbee golf, and just hang out with my friends. The town of Laurel is pretty uneventful, so you basically have to make your own fun.

8) Last time I drove across Montana, one thing I remember is they didn't have a speed limit on the highways. You were supposed to use your best judgement. Is it still that way? Have you ever "used your best judgement" somewhere north of 85mph, or do you save the speed for the cross country course?

No, unfortunately we now have a speed limit of 75. The idea of "use your best judgement" didn't go well with people that had bad judgement. Mostly out of state people, I think.


Photo: Lisa Condon


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