The 2013 Cross Country Arizona Watch List series continues. As the season gets underway new athletes will be added to the list. Good luck to everyone! See you on the course!
Journal Questions:
Name: Alessandra (Ally) Vanasco (Ally's Milesplit Profile)
High School:
Catalina Foothills High School
Year of Graduation:
2015
Best time in a 5K and a 3 Mile Race:
My fastest recorded times are:
5K: 19:08 at the 2012 Division II Section II race
3 mile: 19:42 at the 2012 Mt. SAC race
What are your goals for the upcoming season:
This season I'll be training hard with my team so that we can hopefully win the division II state championships. Personally, I'm going to try to break a 19 minute 5k and hopefully reach my goal of an 18:30!
How is your summer training going? Your favorite workout? What kind of summer mileage do you run?
Over the summer, I was lucky enough to have the chance to travel around the US for about 5 weeks. Unfortunately, that also meant I missed out on a good portion of preseason training with my team. Since I've been back, training has been going swell! My favorite workouts are undoubtably recovery runs. I love the feeling of cruising along for a few miles with my friends - especially if we grab a bagel afterwards! Mileage-wise, I might run anything from 3 to 10 miles in a run, and about 35 to 50 miles a week.
How long have you been running and how did you get started:
I've been running since 6th grade, so about 5 years now. My mom has been a runner ever since I can remember and she encouraged me to try out for the middle school cross country team along with my friends, so I did. For the first few weeks of practice I was convinced that cross country was torture incarnate and that it should be made illegal - but I stuck through it and by the 3rd or 4th week I was actually having a lot of fun! I've been running ever since.
Which meets will you be running this year?
This year I'll be competing in the Ray Wherley, Desert Twilight, Rattler, and Mt. SAC invitationals (in addition to dual meets and hopefully state of course).
What are your favorite and toughest courses to run in State and out of State?
My favorite (and at the same time least favorite) course is probably Mt. SAC. It's hands down one of the toughest places I've ever run at, but you can't go wrong with a course that has random cows everywhere!
So far in your high school career, what is your favorite cross country race or cross country memory?
My favorite cross country memory was probably at running camp my sophomore year. We had just gotten home from a movie and were about to go on a 6 mile afternoon run but it was close to dinner and we were all STARVING. So while our coaches were still milling about in the garage, we all grabbed forks and attacked this cake we had made earlier that day - and I mean attacked. The entire thing was gone in under a minute and I think a few people got stabbed with forks. Then our coaches walked in and we all freaked out and hit the deck trying to hide our not-so-small snack. It was so funny watching their reactions as we hid behind chairs and under the table!
What do you look forward to the most this season?
This season, I'm looking forward to the trips the most. Spending a day or two out of town is always a blast!
Out of all your running accomplishments so far, which stands out the most?
Out of all my running accomplishments so far, the one that stands out the most is probably my 3200 race at the Chandler Rotary Invitational of last year's track season. I got a PR by about 30 seconds, finally broke 12 minutes, and won my race. It was a crazy good day!
When you are not running what do you like to do?
I like to use my free time to read, listen to music, play guitar, play video games, hang out with my friends, and of course eat and sleep as much as I can!
Do you cross train (lift, swim, bike etc)?
I don't cross train, but I should probably start!
How have your coaches influenced you overall?
My coaches are almost like the heads of our big cross country family. They play their own part in making the season enjoyable, while at the same time helping us get the training we need. They've taught me that sometimes its good to push, and sometimes its good to relax; it all depends on the day and the type of run I'm supposed to do. I think this helps me keep a healthy mindset about running in general.
Shout-Outs?
Shout out to my mom for introducing running to my life, and shout out to Jerry House!
Quick Six:
Favorite Pre-race Meal?
A toasted bagel with peanut butter and a banana.
Kind of shoes you train in?
At the moment I'm using the Saucony Guide 6.
Favorite athlete (running or otherwise)?
I don't really have one!
Favorite song?
This is the hardest question yet!! At the moment I'd have to say my favorite song is Breakers by Local Natives, but my favorite song of all time is Radiohead's House of Cards.
What time of day do you run?
To beat the heat, I get up at about 5:30 am every day so I can start my runs at 6. Twice a week, I add an afternoon run at around 3 pm to acclimate to the high temperatures I'll face during meets.
Favorite quote?
"Without ice cream there would be only darkness and chaos" - Strawberry Shortcake
“I’m never satisfied! It’s a curse…..” ~ Chazz Michael Michaels