Best Of The West Athlete Spotlight - Jessica Rydberg

What a difference a year makes!  Last year Blue Ridge senior Jessica Rydberg had a personal best in the 3200 meter run of 11:30.46 but this year she has shot up the leader board.  The Notre Dame bound athlete improves each week as she gets closer to her final high school State Meet.  This year Jessica was invited to the Arcadia Invitational to participate in the 3200 Meter Invitational Race.  Her time of 10:40 was ten seconds faster than her PR at Chandler Rotary and moved her to the  #2 spot on the Arizona leader board and  #22 in the US.  Jessica is also ranked 4th in Arizona in the 1600.   AZTrackXC had a chance to talk to Jessica about her season and her goals.  It is clear she has a great heart for the sport and for all those around her.

 

Photo:  Jessica Rydberg running the 1600 at the Chandler Rotary Invitational in March.

 

 

 

 

 

PR'S


1600 Meter Run - 5:06  Chandler Rotary Invitational


3200 Meter Run - 10:40  Arcadia Invitational

 


AzTrackXC:   Jessica, you have had an incredible season with some great PR’s.  Have you done anything differently in your training.

 

Jessica Rydberg:  This year, I increased my mileage a lot and added a couple days of weight lifting every week.  I’ve also been doing a lot more mental training to prepare for workouts and races.


AzTrackXC:   How did you get started running?

Jessica Rydberg:  I started running because both of my parents run to stay in shape and I really enjoyed it.  I started racing competitively in Junior High School and I’ve loved it ever since.

Photo:  Jessica at the start of the 3200 at Arcadia


AzTrackXC:  How is your training going and what is a typical training week like for you?


Jessica Rydberg:  Training is going really well right now!  My dad and I felt that I wanted to focus mainly on Nike Outdoor Nationals this year, so I’m still doing a lot of tempo work to prepare for the 3200 in mid June.  My coach says we’ll start adding more short / quick speed work in the next couple of weeks.

 
Normally, I run 6 days a week.  The specific days of workouts will change depending on the importance and dates of each meet, but this would be a pretty average week for me:


Monday: 3 - 4 miles easy in the morning; in the afternoon a quicker speed workout (5 x 300 m at 800 m race pace followed by 4 x 200 m at 800 m race pace)


Tuesday: 8 mile easy run and weight lifting


Wednesday: 3 - 4 miles easy in the morning; in the afternoon a tempo workout (5 x 1000 m at 3200 m race pace)


Thursday: 8 mile easy run and weight lifting


Friday: 5 mile easy run and strides


Saturday:  Race!


Sunday: day off or 3 - 4 miles easy



AzTrackXC:  What are your goals for the upcoming State Meet?

Jessica Rydberg:  My biggest goal will be to have fun and to run my best in the last track meet that I will run for Blue Ridge High School!


AzTrackXC:  How do you prepare yourself mentally for a race and do you have any superstitions?

Jessica Rydberg:  I do visualizations with my mom before races.  I’ve worked a lot this year on developing more confidence before going into a race.  We go over the race and imagine everything being exactly the way that I want it to be. 
    I like to eat the same things before races and wear the same brand of socks, spandex, etc.  I try to stick to the routine that I have found to work well for me; it helps me feel more comfortable instead of being nervous about competitions. 


AzTrackXC:  What message would you tell younger runners who aspire to be at the best they can
be?


Jessica Rydberg: 
I think I would tell younger runners that the most important thing is to believe in yourself and surround yourself with a strong support system.  There will always be difficult times in everything that you do.  You have to know that what you are doing is worth all of the hard times and trust that everything will work out!  It’s easy to lose focus and get discouraged, but if you have a strong support system, they can always encourage and assist you.


AzTrackXC:  If you had to attribute your success to one thing, what would that be?

Jessica Rydberg:  Perseverance… both on my part and on the part of my family and coaches.  I struggle to get myself out to train every day, especially over the winter when I was forced to do several 8 mile training runs on a treadmill (because the roads were completely covered with snow) which is not real exciting! I’ve had good times and bad times, as I’m sure is true for all runners.  There have been bad times when I wonder if I will be able to keep going, but my family and coaches have supported me through everything!


AzTrackXC:  Will you be doing any post season meets?  If so where and when?


Jessica Rydberg:  I’m planning on racing at the Great Southwest track meet on June 6 in New Mexico and also at Nike Outdoor Nationals on June 20 in North Carolina.

 

Photo:  Jessica Rydberg (Center) on the awards stand after the 3200.

AzTrackXC:  Is there anyone you look forward to running against?

Jessica Rydberg: 
I love being able to race with (or behind  ) incredible runners like Jordan Hasay, Alex Dunne, and Jessica Tonn.  It is such an honor to be able to compete with girls like them and it always makes me excited to race!


AzTrackXC:  Tell us about the recruiting process and how you decided on Notre Dame?

Jessica Rydberg:  I was in complete awe throughout the entire recruiting process!  We still have the voicemail on our phone from the first college coach who called me.  I was lucky to be able to meet so many amazing coaches and athletes from different schools and it was especially hard to turn down the schools that I couldn’t attend. 
I knew that I wanted to attend a Catholic or Jesuit university with well-rounded academics and Division I athletics.  I ended up going on an official visit to Notre Dame in March and I knew that it was the right place for me.  I love the team, the campus, and the traditions of faith and service at Notre Dame and I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate in their Honors Program.  Everything seemed to fall into place for Notre Dame and I can’t wait to start school there in the fall!



AzTrackXC:  Most of us only know you as a runner.  What is one thing you would like us to know about you outside of running?

Jessica Rydberg:  My religion is a big part of my life!  My whole family is Catholic and my faith is a huge determining factor in all of my decisions.  It is one of the reasons that I work hard with running; I feel that it is very important for me to develop the gifts that God has given me to the best of my ability.


AzTrackXC:  Looking back on the last four years of track, what is your favorite track moment?

Jessica Rydberg:  I think the Arcadia Invitational track meet this year would have to be my favorite.  I drove with my mom, my coach, and two other athletes from my team to Arcadia and we were able to all experience the meet together.  It was amazing to be able to see so many talented athletes in one place!  The other two athletes from my team competed incredibly well and I ran a PR in my 3200.  Right after my cool down, we hopped in the car and drove 9 hours straight back to my church’s Easter Sunrise Service.  I know it probably sounds cheesy, but I thought it was a really special bonding experience! 



AzTrackXC:  Finally, as you get ready to graduate, what will you remember most about high school?

Jessica Rydberg:  Probably all of the fun people that I have been able to spend time with!  My little sister Allison is a sophomore and she is my best friend.  We have had some great memories together during high school! I’m also really close to my coach, Mr. Fogle, and my parents.  They have all helped me to get through the stress of high school and I appreciate all the times they have put up with me!


Quick Six:

Favorite pre-race meal?

Bagel and yogurt

Favorite meet?


Arcadia Invitational

Favorite track event?

3200 meter run!

Favorite TV show?

The Biggest Loser or The Office

Favorite racing shoe?

Anything light… right now I’m wearing Nike Jana Star Waffle shoes, but I’ll have to change to Adidas next year!  (Notre Dame is sponsored by Adidas)

Celebrity crush?

Matt Maher