Interview with Aislinn Ryan
by Ricky Quintana

Aislinn Ryan on her way to victory at the 2004 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. (Photo by Alison Wade/New York Road Runners)

One thing that has eluded defending Foot Locker Cross Country champion Aislinn Ryan of Warwick Valley, New York, amazingly enough, is a New York state cross country title. That's obviously unusual for someone of Ryan's talent, but in the highly competitive New York AA division that includes perennial national power Saratoga Springs and three more of the Northeast's best teams, it's apparent that one needs to be near the best in the nation to win in the state.

For Ryan, it will be somewhat bittersweet race. Absent from this year's race will be defending state champ, Nicole Blood of Saratoga Springs, New York High School. Blood opted out of running for her high school this season. Last year, they both traded wins all season last year, bringing out the best in one another, and eventually a coveted national title for Ryan.

Ryan will still get a chance to race her friendly rival in the weeks to come. The state championship race will begin a four week run of championship races for her, which will include a meeting with Blood at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park, and hopefully a third-straight appearance at the Foot Locker Cross Country National Finals in San Diego, California, in December.

Fast-Women.com caught up with Ryan the Thursday before her state championship. The highly-recruited senior is in the midst of the week-long early signing period and graciously accepted the request to be interviewed.

[Editor's note: Ryan won the New York AA state title, defeating Saratoga Springs' Hannah Davidson 17:23.9 to 17:32.6, and will compete at the Federation Meet — more of an all-state meet — on November 18.]

Fast-Women.com: What about colleges?
Aislinn Ryan: Basically, I took all my five visits. I went to Oregon, Providence, Colorado, Duke, and Villanova. I'm just basically thinking about the things I would like if I went to each school. I haven't made any decisions yet, or eliminated anyone. I'm just thinking about the decision.

FW: When will that decision be made?
AR: I don't know if I am going to push it for early signing, but I'm really not sure yet.

FW: Let's talk about your upcoming state meet.
AR: Basically, I want to leave my mark and get out there and do my best.

FW: Any specific time you are looking for?
AR: I don't really know what this course is like. Basically, I want to run the best I can. I've been trying to break 17:00. It totally depends on the course. I just want to do my best.

FW: Sub-17:00 seems to be routine for you now.
AR: It's race goal every time I go out there.

FW: Are you happy with how the season has gone thus far?
AR: It's been a good senior year. My team is doing really well so it's making the year even better.

FW: Can you compare your fitness now to any other previous years?
AR: Definitely, throughout my running career, I've been getting better and improving. I think that's the same from this year to last.

FW: Mileage wise, can you talk about your progression?
AR: It's such a gradual thing that I'm probably increasing without even noticing. I bet you I have increased it. There's a certain point [beyond which] you can't increase it, to like 100 miles per week or something. I'm probably running more quality runs, though.

FW: Can you go over a typical week?
AR: Sunday would be a long, fairly easy run, feeling good or whatever way I want to do it. Monday would be warm-up, then 10:00 tempo, maybe 30 minutes running 1:00 hard and 1:00 easy, then 10:00 tempo, then warm down. Tuesday would be a tempo run. Wednesday is a long run. Thursday is a long interval workout — 1,000s or something like that. Friday is a really easy day with strides, and Saturday we race.

FW: How fast do you do your Wednesday tempo run?
AR: I run for 20 minutes and try to stay relaxed for the entire time without breathing too hard.

FW: So there is no definite pace.
AR: I've been trying to run on how I feel lately. For some people who don't know what that feels like, my coach would probably say 30 seconds slower than race pace, per mile. So, if your race pace was 7:00, your tempo run pace would be 7:30.

FW: How long are your long runs?
AR: We go by minutes. We go about 70 minutes.

FW: What pace is that at?
AR: It varies. If you wake up and you are totally sore, you run slower. It depends on how you feel, if you are sick or not. As long as you are not killing yourself.

FW: Last year during the cross country season, you were battling it out with Nicole Blood nearly each week. Now that she is not running for her school, Saratoga Springs, what is it like not having her there?
AR: I don't really like it that much. I liked having her to race with. It makes it more exciting. Races are exciting and nervewracking and you have a lot of different emotions about who is in the race, but it's definitely more exciting having someone [really good] in the race, with everyone waiting to see what happens. It's just fun to pushing yourself and having someone there trying as hard as you are. I think we helped each other to run better.

FW: The Warwick boys team has come on since you've been there. Can you comment on that?
AR: The seniors on the team have been trying to their best ever since the eighth grade. One guy will start running more than the other guy. Now, it's caught on with the whole team. They are all trying hard. They have a really deep team of awesome runners. They could hold out their top seven and still win with their JV in most races. That's pretty cool.

FW: Your teammates have really run well this year, too.
AR: I think it definitely has to do with the new batch of freshmen that has come in. Even if they're not in the top seven, they are all into running. It's a contagious thing. They like working hard. People see freshmen working hard, so they work hard.

FW: It seems like you take a leadership role.
AR: I'm there for everyone on the team. If they want to know anything, I'll tell them anything. I doesn't even matter what it is about. I like talking to the girls. They teach me a lot too.

FW: When you first started, was Warwick Valley as good, or was it spurred on by what you have done?
AR: We've always had good runners. [My coaches] are good coaches. Coach [Rich] Furst started a track program over the summer. At night, there is a cross country program for little kids. It just starts young in Warwick. It's just this thing. Everyone likes running. That's the way it has always been. There are like 80 guys on the boys' team. We just have a lot of runners in this place.

FW: Are you a product of those programs?
AR: A lot of my friends ran in those programs. I may have gone once when I was little. I started going when I was going into my seventh grade year. I went to a cross country camp. It's really fun. They tell you what to do and you just play games all day basically.

FW: What is your outlook on Foot Locker this year?
AR: I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be fun. I enjoyed it a lot last year. Regionals is always hectic. There are a lot of people there. Van Cortlandt is such a nationally known place to run, so it's cool to go there.

FW: Does being defending champion change your mindset?
AR: I guess it gives me a little more confidence. Every year, it's totally different, so when I'm on the line, I'm even with everyone else. It's a totally new race and things are going to be totally different. I'm just going to go out there and try my best again.

(Interview conducted November 10, 2005, and posted November 17, 2005.)