Cross country runner Lucy Foltz changed her training plan throughout the year in hopes of setting herself up for the big meets and a possible college offer.
“My main goals are to win District and make it to State,” said Foltz, who is a two-sport State qualifer in swim and cross country. “I have trained all summer to get my base mileage in and then once school started, we’ve been doing more speed workouts.”
She will get tested Thursday when the girls and boys cross country teams compete in the District Championships at Atascocita High School.
Along with her speed and strength training, Foltz has tried to focus on her mental approach this season. She is hopeful that will help lift her to record a new PR when it matters most.
“I definitely just want to improve, pushing myself to my full capacity,” Lucy said. “[I need to remember] running doesn’t define me, and like ‘Oh, maybe you had one bad race, so does everyone.’ One bad thing isn’t going to completely set you back unless you let it.”
Cross country coach Cody Cook also has high hopes for Foltz, who has been one of the team’s top runners for four years. While Cook knows Foltz has high expectations, he is confident she will handle the pressure that comes along with it.
“Anytime you have a lot of expectations on you, it can be pretty daunting,” Cook said. “It can be kind of a weight that you have to feel like you have to bear. She’s our number one runner right now, so there’s a lot of pressure to always make sure that you’re leading out in the front. You’ve always gotta be the tip of the spear that’s gonna push through and everybody’s going to follow.”
Foltz has set the tone as a leader in the early morning workouts all season. Senior Emma Adams is friends with Foltz, but she admitted Foltz’s positive personality at 5 a.m. can drive her all just a little crazy.
“I’m so tired, and the last thing I want to do half the time is get up and run mile repeats,” Adams said. “But (Lucy) gets on the line and she’s just ready to go and I’m not gonna be left behind, so that kind of makes me have to be ready to go as well. She’s just like, ‘Go, go, go. I want to get it done. I want to hit my paces. I want to do this.’”
On race day, the girls push each other as well as the rest of their teammates. They also hope to even run in college together next fall. But until then, they’ll continue cheering each other in practice and pushing each other in meets.
“On race day – it really goes for everybody on the team – it’s not like we’re friends anymore,” Adams said. “I am running against you. I’m trying to be in front of you, so we kind of just drop the whole friendship thing for race day. When we get on the line, it’s definitely you’re my competition, and then we finish the race, she’s my best friend again.”
Foltz, who is also on the varsity swim team and track team, said part of the key to her drive is her support system, which includes her mom and her siblings. Her mom makes sure she always has the gear she needs and she’s at every event.
Her brother Corey, who graduated last year, was often her running buddy the past few years.
“She never gives up,” Corey Foltz said. “No matter how bad she does or how good she does she always stays the same and never is overconfident or over sad about her losses or overjoyed about her wins.”
Her mom Coreen Foltz said she hopes Lucy just focuses on trying her best and remembers to have fun in her final meets. She said if Lucy works on her mental approach to the big meets, the possibilities are endless.
“She defines herself as a runner so when it goes poorly, it is extremely hard on your little psyche,” Coreen Foltz said. “I think she’s a gifted runner. It’s a gift from God and that she should really just try her best all the time and have fun.”
With Lucy’s focus shifting to her mental approaches to races, Cook has already seen improvements.
“She seems to be a lot more positive both on and off the course,” Cook said. “She’s been working really hard, I’ve really noticed a lot of improvement in her technique and her running mechanics. Just overall, I would say she seems to be a much happier runner so far this season.”
When Lucy Foltz was just a sophomore, she won the District Championship, which was held at Atascocita High School. Her junior year, she finished in sixth place. With one final district meet left, Lucy wants to finish strong. He said she has practiced more, sought feedback from her coaches and focused much more on her mental approach.
“The setback (last year) was tough, but it motivated me to work even harder,” Foltz said. “I’m determined to come back stronger and make the most of my senior year.”
Cook said Lucy has done all the training and preparation to find success. Now, hopes no matter how the upcoming meets shake out, Lucy remembers to just run her race and have fun.
“She knows those expectations and it’s going to be just making sure that she doesn’t let those expectations get too much on her,” Cook said. “At the end of the day, you’re more than just a time on a stopwatch.”
