A Strong Kick Makes Ayden Schilb Hungry For Mac-and-Cheese


Year: Freshman
This past fall, Ayden Schilb blew the doors open with a 16:45 performance at Desert Solstice which earned him 11th place. At Desert Twilight he recorded a 15:57 performance which stood as the fastest freshman time of the season. He went on to win the Division 2 Section 1 race, and a week later he placed 3rd at the Division II Cross-Country State Championships. Last month, Ayden was voted as the Freshman Boy CC Runner of the Year. We look forward to seeing Ayden on the track this spring.
Where are you from and when did you begin running?
I am from Tucson and I started running in 4th grade for the Vail Vipers track club competing in USATF competitions.
What is your least favorite/most difficult workout?
My least favorite/most difficult workout is when we do 12 400´s at 5K pace.
What helps you calm your nerves before a race?
To help calm my nerves before a race, I try to talk to my friends and relax.
Out of all the courses you raced this season which was your favorite?
Out of all the courses I have raced this season, I think Twilight was my favorite because it was a very fast course and it was fun to run at night.

You placed third at the State Championships last fall. What kind of confidence does that give you for the upcoming track season?
I performed better than I thought I would so this gives me the confidence to look forward to how much more I can improve in the future.
What is your favorite post-race meal?
My favorite post-race meal is Mac-and-Cheese.
What is the most valuable thing your coach has taught you this year?
The most valuable thing my coach has taught me this year is to stay close to the lead pack until the end of the race and then use my kick to pass them.
You have a GPA of 4.14 at Cienega. What is your favorite subject in school, currently?
Currently my favorite subject in school is biology.
If you could go on a long run with any professional athlete who would it be and why?
If I could go on a long run with any professional athlete, it would be Bernard Lagat because we both love to run the 1500. I have had the opportunity to run with him before, when I was younger, when he visited one of my club track practices where I had the opportunity to work out with him. Also, he already does a lot of his training in Tucson.
What's your favorite thing about running in Vail, Arizona?
My favorite thing about running in Vail, is that it gives me the chance to run on a multitude of different terrain.