Trail Talk With Palee Myrex
10/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Oct. 12, 2011
The University of Alabama men's and women's cross country teams look forward to hosting the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa this weekend on Oct. 15 at Harry Pritchett Running Park. Sophomore Palee Myrex will try to improve upon her 5-kilometer personal record of 18:31.77 that she set at the Greater Louisville Classic on Oct. 1. Myrex recently took a few minutes to talk about her season to date and this weekend's home meet.
How excited are you about the Crimson Classic this weekend?
I'm really excited about our meet this weekend because it's one of my favorite races all season. It's also the Power of the Pink meet as well and my family is coming in to watch. More importantly, last year we came in second but I think we have a legitimate shot to get a win on our home course. I know we have stiff competition coming in this weekend with several SEC schools coming into town. But I think it'll be good to run on our home course and hopefully beat some schools.
How different is it to run in front of friends and family members?
I always run well in front of my family members and friends. When you're trying to get in a pace and see someone you know yelling at you, I tend to pick it up a bit. It helps me out a lot. I just run faster when I know I have family there because I want to make them proud.
How has training gone leading up to the championship meets?
It's been really tough. We're running a lot of miles, putting time in the weight room and working on drills. But this week we got to drop in miles so hopefully we'll be a little fresher for the race this weekend. I'm expecting to see all our times go down with fresher legs.
Why do teams taper off in miles towards the end of the season?
That's usually the case when you get closer to championship meets. Summer is all about building a base and increasing your stamina. So you start off running a lot of miles but as you start the meets, you begin doing faster stuff to build your lung capacity. Then towards the end of the season you start doing more workouts to speed up your legs so you can turn over quicker. If we hadn't done the work then we can't achieve those goals. I feel like the entire team has done a great job in building up our base and improving on our workouts. With this meet and events coming up, we'll be tuned and ready.
How did it feel to set a personal best at the Greater Louisville Classic?
That was really, really exciting for me because I didn't get to run many races last year. I also have never broken 19 minutes before. In high school, I never thought I could do that but with the training that Coach Waters and Coach Tribble have me working on, the system has been working very well for me. That was really awesome.
How has your training this season helped you achieve that personal best?
Obviously, I'm running more miles than last year but that comes with age. What I've noticed the most are the drills we do outside of running and the weights. We're doing a core circuit program with the weights that has helped out a lot. With drills, they're trying strengthen my hips. That's where I was weakest in regards to most my muscles. I did weight training in high school and last year but when you're doing it with a team, then you get to really see the benefits.
What goals have you set for yourself this season?
I always want to PR so getting that PR last week was great. I definitely want to contribute to the team more because I didn't get to go to the big races last year. This year, if I wasn't a scorer I wanted to be fast enough to knock down some of the other girls' scores. I just really wanted to be a contributor this season. I've done really well these past few weeks even though I'm not scoring. I just want to help in any way I can because I love the team aspect so much.
What goes through your mind before a race starts?
I get really nervous but I can honestly say I don't get as nervous as I used to in high school. In high school, I used to be a mental case. I still get nervous but I usually say a prayer at the starting line. I just got to be calm and focus on getting out fast because that's one of my weaknesses. Also, I try not to lose focus during a race because sometimes I'll lose that.
What kind of superstitions do you have before a race?
Besides eating the same breakfast every day, oatmeal and toast, I have to say my prayer at the starting line. I used to have a lucky ribbon, but we have team ribbons now so that's my lucky ribbon.
What do you enjoy outside of running?
I love my dog. He's not with me but he comes to all my meets. He's definitely my biggest fan. Also, I enjoy fishing, hanging out with my friends, and reading. Unfortunately, I don't get a lot of time to do that outside of school and running.
