Questions to my Former self w/ Tyler Morris (Weston) Div 3 All American (Colby) @colby_tf_xc

I started the Questions to my former self series for the importance of the future generation and the audience to learn about Self reflection. For the last four years I watched this young man, worked diligently to improve his running mechanics. You can't teach relentless, you can't purchase courage. A student of the sport he would do what all us track junkies do and ask the "RIGHT" questions to learn more about the nuances in the racing. Besides training hard, "My main man" Tyler Morris a member of the Weston High School XC & Track & Field Class of 2019. Tyler has now taken his talents to Colby College and as freshmen was a Div 3 All-American in XC

Info: 

First & Last name: Tyler Morris

Social Media 

Instagram: tyler_morris7

Twitter: NA

Facebook: Tyler Morris

Age 19 

HS Graduated & year graduated 

Weston High School, 2019

College: Colby College

Events: Distance

Cross Country

1 Mile

2 Mile

3K Pending

5K Pending

10K Pending

PR’s

High School:

1 Mile: 4:30

2 Mile: 9:38

College:

XC 8K: 24:55

DATG: When did you start running?

Tyler Morris: I started running in sixth grade because our soccer coach forced us to get in shape. I was the slowest one on the team by far but by the end of the season I ended up becoming the fastest one on the roster. Spring of 7th grade is when I met and started working with Weston High coaches John Monz and Kathleen Vinciullo.

DATG: What was the race or the moment in your career you realized that you could be pretty good at the sport of running?

Tyler Morris:The moment I realized there was some true potential was at the Wayland XC Invite in 8th grade. It was my first club and highly competitive cross country race ever. My father and I laugh to this day because when we arrived at the meet he said to me "I can't wait for you to get beat". He was so excited that I was participating in such a highly competitive field. He and my mom were even more excited after I went on to win the race and set a course record. Following that my young self realized that I really had a bright future in running and continued training with Monz and Vinciullo.

DATG: Is there a pre-race meal ?

Tyler Morris: A go to Cereal ? Always love this question because I am your stereotypical distance runner. Pasta with a little protein the night before each meet and morning of a bagel and a banana.

DATG: Weston XC/TF is part of the Dual County League, arguably one of the toughest leagues here in Ma$$, How was it to be trained and coached under legendary Coach Monz?

Tyler Morris: Coach Monz is truly an incredible coach and an even better person. I consider myself so lucky to be able to call him my coach and mentor. I would not be where I am today without Monz and all our other coaches at Weston. As you said Monz truly is a legend he has been at Weston for over 40 years and has molded both Weston and MA track into what it is today. I am so lucky to have been a part of such a great team there are so many people on that team that I miss and it was truly the highlight of my high school experience.

DATG: What was considering the Low during your running career in HS and how did you bounce back from adversity ?

Tyler Morris: The low in my running career was facing an injury going into junior year. I know now it was muscle compensation and lack of glute activation but it took far to long to combat this. At one point going into my Junior year I thought I may never run again, but I kept fighting. There were plenty of inconsistent races, which were incredibly frustrating for myself and Monz but he was always there for me. I will forever be thankful to my mom for finding me the right physical therapy team that brought me back from this major setback. I want to say a major thank you to Nicole Downin, Doctor Andrew Fiola, and Katie Adams for keeping me healthy and helping me bounce back from the lowest point in my running career.

DATG: Wow times flies, I can't believe you are in college, how is that going? How is the dorm life?

Tyler Morris: I absolutely love Colby I have some truly incredible friends and classes have been great. Major shoutout to my Colby family (Katherine Brown, Robbie Graham, Nick Peterson, and Lila Saligman) thank you for making my adjustment to Colby so special. Additionally, the cross country/track team is so close here and I again I feel so lucky to be a part of such a great group of people. My coach Jared Beers is a pure genius when it comes to muscle activation and writing training plans for each individual runner. The entire Colby team loves him and we are all so thankful.

DATG: You have an amazing story i really wanted to share it thanks for participating. When we first met it was three summers at the bostonxc.com day camp with Coach Broe. Why did you feel it was imperative to attend BXC ? I had known Coach Broe for a short time before BXC. He was always talking about getting a training camp together and once he started Boston XC I was super excited to be a part of it. I really wanted to train with a group of people during those lonely summer months and BXC was perfect. I met some truly incredible people at BXC and I am so happy to see so many Weston runners continuing to run at BXC.

DATG: I am so proud of you i remember watching the NCAA Div 3 XC Championship meet, I saw a silhouette of a runner who had similar running mechanics, getting out with a good charge with the leaders, I said to myself is that " My Main" Tyler Morris and sure enough it was. Please share the audience the feeling of finishing your XC freshmen year as an All-American ?

Tyler Morris: It is an incredible feeling, I am amazed by how much I have improved in such a short amount of time. It is a huge testament to Jared Beers and the Colby Cross team. I am so thankful for my training partners Eli Decker and Ewan Frick. Both Eli and Ewan pushed me to new limits I didn't know I could achieve. Eli, a Concord Carlisle Alumni took me under his wing this past summer and I was so lucky to be able to race side by side with him each meet. At nationals, we finished one place apart and it was an incredible feeling being able to share that success with him. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

DATG: What's next for Tyler Morris only a freshmen at Colby College, what's your short term and long term goals ?

Tyler Morris: My main goal is to continue training and racing with Eli and Ewan and see where it takes us because it has certainly been working thus far. We are hoping to put our top 6 cross country runners under 15 minutes in the 5K this track season. All of which will be returning next fall.

DATG: Your off to an amazing Collegiate career, I know you work hard, did you ever think All-American? Why Colby College?

Tyler Morris: When I started training this past summer my main goal was to make the top 7 on the Colby roster. So to answer your question no All-American never even crossed my mind. But being pushed by Eli and placing very well all season long by the end of the season All-American was the goal for both Eli and myself. I picked Colby because I wanted to go to a small liberal arts school that I could run for and pursue a degree in economics. Additionally, Monz recommended that I also consider picturing myself running for a coach for the next four years. When I met Coach Jared Beers and walked around Colby's campus with him I knew this was the place and the person that I would want study and run for the next four years.

DATG: What would you tell the Tyler Morris who was a freshmen at Weston ? What would you tell him about your journey ?

Tyler Morris: I would tell my freshman self that running definitely has some hurdles but the process is so rewarding. The hard times make the good ones taste so much sweeter that is something Coach Vinciullo and Coach Montrose of Weston both taught me well. The biggest thing I would tell my freshman self that if you truly love something then you will fight for it no matter how much it may hurt. That is the biggest lesson I learned in high school and I am stronger because of it.

A major thank you, Coach H, it has been an absolute privilege getting to know you these last few years and I feel honored to be mentioned here. Please continue to be yourself because you have helped and influenced so many great runners. I

DATG: I cannot accept the compliment but I will say Iron sharpens Iron.. Thank you for believing in Me

Previously on DATG: Questions to my former self w/ Rishab Prakash

Previously on DATG: Questions to my former self w/ Aaron Lucci

Previously on DATG: Questions to my former self/ Catarina Rocha

Questions to my Former Self w/ RIshabh Prakash @rishabhprakash8

In the running world we have various types of runners. Theoretically speaking we all work really hard as runners. In the context of personality type, i grativate as coach both introverted and extroverted ahtetles. In this particular case, where the mixture of hard work, talent and personality is what we find in Rishabh Prakash from Burlington High School now a freshmen attending Cornell University. Over the past two years I have started to develop a rapport with this amazing talent and better human being. Honesty is the best policy he is missed this year. However we are going to check in with Burly's Finest. 

Info:

DATG: First & Last name: ?

 Rishabh Prakash 

Social Media Instagram: rishabh_prakash_ 

Twitter: RishabhPrakash8 

Facebook: 

Age: 18 

HS Graduated & year graduated: Burlington High School Class of 2019

 College: Cornell University 

Events: Distance and XC PR’s: 

Mile: 4:14.88 

2 Mile: 9:08.02 

5K: 14:46.89 

8K (XC): 24:22.30 

10K: 30:10.5 

DATG: How are you man ? How are things at Cornell ? I’m doing great man! Things at Cornell are going great! It’s been an adjustment getting used to college but I think I’ve finally gotten into a nice routine and I’m having the time of my life. 

DATG: What's your major ? Computer Science and I’m hopefully trying to minor in Business 

DATG: Seems like yesterday watching you crush it here in Massachusetts, you had an amazing high school career. Where there any lows if so when ? It is inevitable that every great runner has some lows in their career, and a runner is defined by not only by their successes but also by how they have bounced back from their lows. For me, the biggest low in my high school career was senior year indoors around All States. I was amidst my best season of running and thought that I was poised to have a great run in the two mile, and thought that if I could stick with Ryan Oosting for the majority of the race, I could break 9 and make the race one to remember. There was a lot of hype around that race and I definitely let that pressure get to me. Unfortunately, I got sick a few days before the race, and despite that tried to put myself in the race and consequently died hard to something like a twelfth place finish and a very shitty time. I was very down on myself for almost a week after that race, but was able to get over my sickness and use my disappointment/frustration as motivation to run well at Nationals two weeks later. 

DATG: When did you start to believe that you were in the best runners in the area ? State Coaches my junior year was definitely a turning point in my running career where I realized that I truly was one of the best runners in the area. I led that race nearly gun to tape (before being outkicked in the last 150 lol) and ran 4:24, which was a massive PR for me at the time. I beat a lot of talented runners in that race and it really showed me what I could achieve in my high school career. 

DATG: Is their preference in favorite season or track event ? In Massachusetts, and Eastern Mass especially, we’re definitely spoiled in that we get to run at either BU or Reggie, two of the best indoor tracks in the country, for nearly every meet, so there was always an opportunity to run fast. So during high school, indoor was definitely my favorite season, and I don’t see that changing in college. Event wise, I thought I was a miler junior year and then moved up to race the two mile consistently senior year. In college I think I’ll be a 3k/5k runner, but I honestly love to race anything from the 4x400 to the 10K and just race in general, and think my versatility and range is what makes me a good runner. 

DATG: How is Upstate NYC treating you ? Gets cold and alot of snow ? How is that working out for you ? So far, the weather has not been that much different from home in MA, but we haven’t really hit peak winter yet so I can’t judge. If anything it’s just a few degrees colder than MA and snows more frequently, but the weather is pretty manageable for someone born and raised in the Northeast. The trails in Ithaca are amazing though so when the ground wasn’t covered in snow during XC season I was able to hit nearly all my mileage on soft surfaces with scenic views which was really nice. 

DATG: Go to Cereal: Lucky Charms or Froot Loops 

DATG: Biggest adjustment in College so far ? From Academics to Athletics ? Freshman year in college is really all about adjustments, and how well you can adjust is a huge determinant in your success both academically and athletically. Being a student athlete at an academically intensive school like Cornell has been far from easy. The workload is exponentially higher than high school, and time management is very key to ensuring you are successful. For a decent amount of my first semester, it felt like my life was really just doing schoolwork with running being my only break from that grind, but I have slowly started to have more time for myself. Athletically, running itself doesn’t change other than a slight increase in volume. The biggest change from high school has been the emphasis on all the little supplemental things, such as post run lifts, hurdle mobility, and recovery, that we do every day that adds to the length of practices, but are vital to staying healthy. 

DATG: Funfact you know I am gamer. Are you ? We have a Nintendo Switch set up in my dorm so I play a lot of Super Smash Bros Ultimate with my roommates and teammates. 

DATG: Favorite High School moment ? Third Place and All American in the Two Mile at Nationals. Being an All American was a goal that I had for so long so to be able to finally achieve that was surreal. 

Team wise, winning State Relays indoors my senior year was my most memorable moment. We had a tough couple of losses in dual meets leading up to Relays that decreased our confidence as a team, and injuries and other factors really left our team shorthanded. Despite the adversity, we exceeded our expectations in multiple events and were able to defend our Relays title. I think if you ask Coach Carr to tell you his favorite meet throughout my four years, he would pick that Relays meet - it’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him. 

DATG: Your taking a road trip and you can only play 3 albums what albums are there ? 

1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, since every road trip needs Kanye and that is 

undoubtedly Kanye’s best album 2. Big Bootie Mixes #1-#16. If you don’t know what Big Bootie Mixes are, they’re basically 

one our long mixes that top pop hits of the past 6-8 months, plus a few rap and rock throwbacks, but remixed to be up-tempo with EDM beats in the background and quite a few bass drops. They’re great for warmups and road trips, and playing all 16 would get you through 16 hours of driving. 3. A present day rap album, maybe today something like Astroworld or Drip Harder. 

DATG: Your School alumni Paul Hogan had an amazing career Post High School at Umass Lowell, has he mentored you or provided guidance along your journey ? Paul has been a huge mentor through high school and I’m sure he will continue to be one through college. More than anything, he has served as an example to look up to, and a runner that I can strive to be like. I remember freshman/sophomore year in high school when everyone would talk about Paul’s greatness, and thinking to myself “I wanna be like that.” And as I got faster and realized that his records were actually attainable, I would look at the school record board every day and it would motivate me to try to break his records. Seeing Paul’s success as an NCAA All American, and now as a pro runner for BAA, is something that will definitely motivate me throughout college. 

DATG: How is the Culture on the Cornell team ? I would say that our positive and supportive team culture is our strongest aspect and will be one of the primary reasons behind our success in future years. It was also one of the main things that drew me to Cornell during the recruiting process. We all hold each other accountable towards our own goals and push each other to be better versions of ourselves, while working our 

asses off every day at practice. At the same time, we are all best friends and have tons of fun outside of practice together. 

DATG: If you could play another sport what would it be and why ? Probably soccer. I played soccer growing up until high school and it was always my favorite sport until I started running. I’m also a huge basketball fan and can give any of my teammates the work in 1 v. 1, so either soccer or basketball. 

DATG: How was it to be coached and trained by my main Coach Matt Carr ? It is something I am very grateful for - to have had the opportunity to be coached by one of the best coaches in MA. Aside from writing killer workouts and training plans that contributed to my improvement, he definitely brought the best out of me as an athlete and truly made me believe that I could be the best. One of the biggest takeaways I will take from Coach Carr is in regards to goal setting, in that he would always say “if you achieve all the goals you set for yourself, then your goals were too damn easy.” Aside from that, practice was a blast every day with Carr’s sarcastic humor and memeable personality. 

DATG: How was your first XC season in College ? Any Highlights ? Overall, it went pretty solid. There were ups and downs but as a whole, it was a great first season. My first big invite, Paul Short, was a huge surprise in that I ran 24:22 for 8K (way faster than I expected to run) and placed really high. From there, I had a terrible race at Pre-Nats where I DNF’d, and a not as bad but still kind of terrible race at Heps. A lot of things like nervousness, bad fueling before the race, and stress from school, contributed to those shitty races, but I was able to improve on those things and run 30:10 at Northeast Regionals, and our team finished 9th running all sophomores and freshmen (with one junior) so our future and room for improvement definitely look bright.

DATG: What are your short term and long term goals ? Short Term: Run 4:08 for the Mile and 8:10 for 3K indoors, and score at Heps (Indoor), and hopefully sub 14:20 for 5K Outdoors. Long Term: Break 4 in the Mile and 8 in the 3K, win Heps as an Individual and as a Team, make NCAA’s as an individual 

DATG: I noticed that Prakash family isn't done yet with running ? Baby Bro is on the come up huh ? Introduced him here first and last name so the audience can check for him ? Do you believe he has learned anything from you 

Rithikh Prakash. Remember the name. He actually just broke 5 (4:55) in his first indoor mile a few days ago, so he’s definitely got a bright future. I definitely hope he has learned a good amount from me, just being at my meets and seeing me run the past four years. More than 

anything, I just want him to have fun with the sport of running during these early years and not feel pressured to run crazy fast, and eventually pave his own legacy. 

DATG: If we had an ability to go back in time and you could have a conversation with Freshman Rishabh who is entering his first track season what would you share with him that you think he could benefit from ? I would tell Freshman Rishabh to just have more fun with it. Running is such a mentally taxing sport, so if you are always dialed in 24/7 and focused on running fast in every single race, the sport becomes less fun and you go into races feeling more pressure and nerves than necessary. There are hundreds of opportunities to race, and every shitty race has the potential to be followed by a great race. I feel like I was too dialed in too early on, and would tell my younger self to just chill out a little bit more and have more fun with running, because it truly is an amazing sport with amazing people! Other than that, I would tell freshman Rishabh to keep working hard, and to stay patient. I was a bit of a late bloomer and would get down on myself early on when I saw freshmen and sophomores running crazy fast, wondering what I could do to be like that, but the truth is, all I could have done was stayed patient and let myself mature while putting in the work. So - have fun with it and stay patient and improvement will come! 

DATG: You know I need that Cornell Hoodie or Beanie ? Size Large thank you kindly. Gotchu! 

DATG: What can I do to make the podcast better ? Just keep grinding out content man! You also have a lot of outreach in MA, and I’m sure a lot of other runners would do Q&A’s like this. I think the public would love to read more content like this. 

Looking forward to seeing you crush at the IVY Championships 

Dreams Are Tangible Goals

Previously on DATG: Questions to my Former Self w/ Aaron Lucci

Previously on DATG: Questions to my Former Self w/ Catarina Rocha

Questions to my former Self w/ Catarina Rocha @catrocha11 #PeabodyFinest # ProvidenceFriar

As a coach we are educators and I find myself seeking and looking for stories of inspiration to share with the youth. What’s not better but sharing a story of Catarina Rocha from Peabody. The Rocha family has been a household name in the sport of running for over three decades especially in the New England Area. How many State Championships has this family produce ? For now we are entering All State Weekend Here in Mass, why not a Q/A with a winner Cat Rocha, i believe many can learn from her and her journey.

DATG: When you were younger you played soccer & basketball ? What positions in each respective sports you played and how did that assist you in your running career ?

Cat Rocha: Yes, I played a lot of different sports when I was younger. I was a really energetic kid so any sport that allowed me to move really interested me. My main sports that a played for many years were soccer and basketball. I started playing soccer when I was five years old until I was a sophomore in high school. My main position was midfield and on rare occasions I played goalie. I also began playing basketball at a young age (elementary school) until I was in eighth grade. Because I was so short, I played point guard. Being a midfielder and point guard both involve a great deal of running which assisted me in finding what I really love to do…RUN! I never would have found my passion unless I played those sports. Playing those sports not only helped me discover my passion but also be competitive and be a member of a team. Even though running is more of an individual sport there is nothing like going out and crushing a workout with your teammates, who also are some of your best friends. There is no better feeling than working together in order to achieve a collective goal. Playing team sports instilled this feeling in me and I am grateful. Some of my best memories in my life thus far have been with my high school and college teammates.

Side Note: I also played flag-football and honestly was one of my favorite childhood sports. I made an all-women’s team in middle school and we made it to the national tournament in Florida.

DATG: I notice you like music, is there a particular genre's is your favorite ?

Cat Rocha: I enjoy all music genres. Depends on the day what I feel like listening too. I listen to anything from country to pop to Indie!

DATG: Is there a pre-race routine that you do to get in your zone ? 

Cat Rocha: The morning of the race I try to stay relaxed and stay positive. I usually get nervous but that is natural for everyone. Once I get to the course, I throw in my music in and try to visualize the race. I try to visualize how I am going to run my own race and think about all the work I have put in to get here.

DATG: Why Providence for undergrad ? 

Cat Rocha: I chose Providence for undergrad because of the great academics and athletics. Providence’s rigorous liberal arts academics is what I was looking for in a small city school. They also have one of the best Elementary/Special Education Degrees around which is what I wanted to pursue. When you walk onto campus you can just feel that there is so much support from all Academic Departments, faculty, staff. The athletics was also a major factor in my decision to become a Providence Friar. Providence has a great athletic reputation, not just in cross-country/track but all sports. Being part of one of the strongest conferences (BIG EAST) in the country and having many sports nationally ranked drew me in. I wanted to be part of an institution that valued, supported, and took pride in their student-athletes not only in sport but in life. What sold me was the coaching staff and teammates on both the men’s and women’s cross-country/track team. They were all very welcoming and all were trying to achieve the same goal, which is what I really wanted. I chose to be a Friar because of the longstanding reputation of the program and my desire to continue running to the best of my ability. I trusted Ray and knew he was the best coach for me and would help me work towards my goals athletically and academically. Immediately after my official visit, I knew Providence was special and I wanted to be part of the Friar Family.

DATG: What was it like growing in Peabody with your Uncle & Father, at the helm of the Cross Country & Track & Field teams ? 

Cat Rocha: Growing up I knew my Father was the track coach and had great success as an individual athlete as well as a coach. Even though I knew this growing up I did not really realize the impact my father had on the programs and more importantly his athletes. My father had a major impact on the Peabody High XC and Track programs. He has coached multiple individual State Champions, HS All-Americans and won State Team Titles. He has helped student-athletes achieve their athletic goals, continue running in college at all Divisions, and even becoming Professional runners. More importantly my father had a major impact on the athletes themselves. He knew running came second to the well-being of his athletes. He cared for each of his athletes like they were one of his own. I did not get treated any differently in high school than any one of my teammates. My dad made everyone feel as though they belonged and that they brought something special to the team. Growing up and hearing that my dad has touched the lives of so many athletes was not a bad way to grow up. Knowing that the Peabody community respected him for not only his coaching abilities, but also character was something to admire.

DATG: Favorite pre & post race meal ? 

Cat Rocha: My favorite pre-race meal would have to be chicken-parm and pasta.  My favorite post-race meal is big cheeseburger and french fries !

DATG: Your the oldest of Jose & Gina's children. As the oldest siblings your younger brothers have carried the Rocha torch, describe the feeling when Marcelo won MA state title in XC ? Now Claudio attending Assumption. When you see them run do you see some similar attributes and traits that you see in yourself ?

Cat Rocha: When Marcelo won the MA State Title and Claudio committed to Assumption, I was extremely happy for both of them. When Marcelo won the State Title, I think I was more excited during that moment than when I won my own state title. I just knew how hard he worked and the lengths he went to win that title. When I found out Claudio committed to Assumption, I was so proud of him. He has been the underdog that no know thought twice of when we were young, and now he is one of the best runners in MA. Claudio is one of the toughest runners I know, and I wish I was half as gritty as he was in high school. I give both of them a great deal of credit and respect as well. I respect them a great deal because of how they overcame all the obstacles thrown in their way throughout their high school career. Whether those obstacles be an injury or teammates doubting their abilities, they overcame all those adversities. I honestly think in high school I could have not done what they did. After I graduated from high school, unfortunately they were known at first as Catarina Rocha’s brothers. But as they progressed throughout their career, they made their own names for themselves both athletically and academically. They created their own path that I believe tops anything I have done so far. I bet in a couple years people will be asking me, “Oh are you Marcelo and Claudio’s sister?”, and that would make me so happy!

DATG:  Reflecting on your career what was your "worst race", and how did you bounce back from it ? 

Cat Rocha: Throughout my career I have had many bad races, both in high school and college. I would say the “worst race” in my career so far would have to be the 5,000 meters outdoors in Florida at the NCAA East Preliminary Championships last spring. Going into this meet I had a great chance of placing top-12 and making it to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time in my career. Unfortunately, I did not make it. It was not because I wasn’t capable or fit enough but because I doubted my abilities. It was one of the first times I went into a race having no confidence in myself. I convinced myself that I did not belong there, and I didn’t have a chance of making it to the NCAA Championships even though I could have. I was overthinking every move the lead pack made, I ran their race instead of mine, and just quit on the race with one mile to go because I convinced myself I wasn’t going to qualify.  I also feel that it was my “worst race” because it was the last race of my college career. It was difficult emotionally to take in because I knew I would never have another opportunity at the college level again.

I am going to be honest I was upset for a week or so. I was sad, mad, and disappointed not only in how the race went but in myself. During those couple weeks, I didn’t run one step and kept saying to myself I don’t think I want to run anymore. I kept feeling bad for myself and playing back that race in my head thinking I could somehow change it. After a weeks of not running, reflecting ,and much support from my family, friends, and coaches I realized some things…

1.      It is inevitable for every race you run to be great!  No matter how good you are or who you are, everyone has bad races. That is a major part of the sport and that’s why we run the races! We as runners put in so much work and get so little out but that is part of the sport!

2.      This ONE race does NOT define my running career. I ran some of my best races last year. I had won three-straight BIG EAST titles and was part of a team that supported me throughout the good and bad days.  What defines my career is how I bounce back from that and how I learn from that experience.

3.      I found out that I really do LOVE running. Those weeks after the race I was upset and told myself I don’t want to run anymore but I was kidding myself. I realized it was okay to be upset because it just showed how much I cared about the sport.

DATG: With a stellar career what would you have done differently if anything ? 

Cat Rocha: There are not many things I would have done differently in high school and college because I had such great experiences in both. The only thing I can think of is appreciating the little things in both my high school and college careers. As athletes, we need to appreciate our coaches, teammates and families because they are there for us through thick and thin. Appreciate the time you have with your teammates and the goals you want to achieve together. I would appreciate the hard workouts, the long runs, and each race you run. I say this because once you get older somedays you won’t always have that.

DATG: If we could go back in time, what would you tell yourself Freshmen year before you transitioned from Soccer to running ?

Cat Rocha: I would tell my freshman year self to enjoy my first year of high school and live in the moment. I would tell myself to not put any pressure on myself in regard to athletics. I would say to have fun being on the varsity soccer team and being the underdog. C

 DATG: Did High School prepare you for College and did College prepare you for the Pros?

Cat Rocha: In regard to running, I feel as though high school prepared me for college to an extent. My dad who was also my coach definitely prepared me for the type of training that I had throughout college. My mileage was very low in high school (40-45 miles per week) compared to college (60-65 miles per week) but the type of schedule and workouts were similar. During high school, I did a lot of strength workouts, such as four mile tempos and interval reps, and at PC I did the same except they were faster and longer. High school definitely prepared me for the type of training that was ahead of me, but it did not prepare me for collegiate racing. Racing in high school is very different than college. In college, everyone is the best of the best and very experienced, especially at the NCAA Championship Meets. I feel as I gained more experience in the collegiate scene throughout my five years, I became more comfortable and confident in both my training and races.  I learned a great deal about training, racing, recovery, and patience in college, which then prepared me for pro-racing. I would say one of the most important things I learned in college was patience. In college I found that patience is the essence of progress. Being patient and trusting in yourself, your abilities and your training will allow you to move forward and achieve your goals. One of the biggest obstacles I faced during my senior year of college was injury. I was injured for a full year and it was really difficult for me because I had never been injured for that long. Throughout that year, I learned that I need to be patient and let my body heal as it wants. It is not up to me and I can’t speed up the healing process. Being patient during my senior year definitely benefitted me in the long-run mentally and physically. It made me appreciate running more and being healthy. Learning how to be patient and progressing will hopefully lend itself in trying to run professionally. Being patient and accepting results is all part of this new running journey that I am just starting. My favorite quote about patience… “Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in your mind”

DATG:  What is next for Catarina Rocha ?

Cat Rocha:To be frank I am not sure what is next, which is sort of exciting but also a little scary. Currently, I am a Graduate Assistant in Sports Information at PC and am finishing up my Masters in Counseling. On top of graduate school and my GA I run for the Ocean State Athletic Club. Ocean State Athletic Club is a group based out of Rhode Island that is sponsored by New Balance. We are coached by the legend/guru himself Ray Treacy, who was also my college coach. I am the only woman on the team thus far and just finished up my cross-country season last week. My last race was the USA Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida. I placed 24th and was one spot away from a NACAC USA Team. I am very happy with how my first post-collegiate cross-season went and ready to run some races on the outdoor track this coming Spring. I hope to run some PR’s on track and get in some decent road races during the summer under Ocean State. But as of right now I am just enjoying the ride and motivated to get better each and every day!