AZ 2014 Track and Field Watch List

AZ Track and Field Watch List

Margot Kelly

Mar 30, 2014

Keep checking back to see who makes the Arizona Milesplit 'Watch List" in Track and Field.

Journal Questions:

Name: Mason Swenson (Mason's Milesplit Profile)

High School: Desert Vista High School

Year of Graduation: 2016

Track and Field PR's:

800: 2:16.85

When did you first get involved with track and field? How long have you been running:

I first began running in 6th grade for my middle school and for the Arizona Cheetahs Track Club. My mom, sister, aunts, cousins and my grandpa all ran track and cross country in high school and college, which as you could guess easily turned my interest towards the sport.

What is a typical training week like for you?

A typical training week for me usually consists of a hard track workout bright and early monday morning, followed by a tuesday steady run. Wednesdays are always pretty relaxed, consisting of an easy distance run, and then thursday morning we get to work again with some sort of longer distance workout. Then, fridays are recovery run days, followed by a long run Saturday morning!

What are your goals for the upcoming track season?

The main goals that I have this season are to believe in myself, and to have fun! Although hard work and training will get you far in this sport, believing in yourself, to me, is a vital factor that is necessary for success. If you completely believe in yourself good things will come your way, or so ive heard! So im hoping to achieve this in meets and practice as well. And of course to reach better and faster times in all my events!

How do you prepare yourself mentally for a race? Do you have any superstitions?

Before races I always take part in all of the things that are necessary to prepare like going to bed early, eating healthy, hydrating etc., but even though I have done everything to be ready for the race to come, I still get nervous. I always play through how I want my race to go multiple times in my head, because if you see yourself doing it in your head enough times than when race time comes you already know exactly what you are going to do and you will be fully prepared. When I am waiting at the meet for my event I generally just try to have fun! When I spend all day stressing about my race it does nothing but make me more nervous, so I always try to just have fun spending time with my teammates. One pre-race superstition I have is that I have one pair of pajamas that I only wear when I have a meet the next day, and I always wear the same pair of socks and turn my right sock inside out for every race.

What does your season look like and will you be competing in any out of state track meets during the season or post high school season?

This season I am competing in multiple invitationals here in Arizona, one in particular that I am very excited for is the Chandler Rotary Invitational. And I am also going to be running in the Arcadia Invitational in California, and am hoping to be able to take part in the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina, after the State Meet.

What message would you tell younger runners who aspire to be at the top?

The most important thing that I would share with younger runners is to keep complete focus on your goals, and treat them like you have already achieved them. If you have your self completely persuaded that they are going to come true, and you know that you are able to do it, then there is not a doubt that they are not going to come true.

If you had to attribute your success to one thing, what would it be?

I think that one thing my success has come from my competitiveness. It does not matter what it is, it could be a stupid board game, or a simple game in class I want to win. The next and most prominent thing would be my parents, they always inspire me to be better and their support makes me want to far surpass their expectations.

Do you have any role models or mentors in track and field?
One person that has really inspired me is Jessica Tonn - she came and spoke with the team and shared her experiences running as a collegiate athlete at Stanford. Hearing her times and what it took for her to have such success truly motivated me and made me realize that the ability to achieve these things is not out of anyones reach if you believe you are able to do it. Not to mention she is just a cool person in general.

How many events do you compete in and which event is your favorite?

I compete in the 800, the mile and some relays as well. My favorite race is the 800 because it is always a challenge and is extremely rewarding. And, although I didnt race the mile many times last year, I am so excited to be able to compete in it more often this season!

What are 3 things we don't know about you?