By: Vince Menon '14
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Senior Erin Hartwig (EH) finished her 2012 season on a high note, recording a personal best time of 2:16.55 in the 800m at the West Coast Invite. The Glendale, Calif. native has been a mainstay on the Bronco cross country and track teams where she has made solid contributions each year.
With the season in full swing, Hartwig and the rest of the SCU running program are focused on stepping up their performance to the highest level and pushing their limits. Recently, www.santaclarabroncos.com talked with Hartwig about the team's depth and ability to pack their runners together, her memorable high school runs at Mammoth Lakes and why one should always look twice before crossing the street.
SCB: How did you keep up your training during the summer?
EH: I did all of my runs when I got off of work in the afternoon. On my days off I got up in the morning to do my runs to beat the heat. I stuck to trails and runs that I did when I was in high school.
SCB: How do you work with the coaches to set your summer training schedule?
EH: At the end of the school year, [Head Coach] Felipe [Montoro] gives us a training regime of how many miles he would like us to peak at this summer. He then gives us a break down of how many miles per day that amounts to and how he would like us to build up to that number. He has always been very good at personally tailoring training plans to the individual which is great.
SCB: What's the biggest aspect of your running performance you'd like to improve on for the season? How are you going about doing that?
EH: Coming off of the success that I found in both cross country and track my junior year, I would really like to push myself and see what I'm capable of. I've finally started to see my times drop and I really want to push myself this year and have them drop even more.
SCB: How good can Santa Clara be this year? What needs to happen for the team to reach or even exceed its potential and expectations?
EH: I think our team has a lot of potential as long as things come together and we all stay HEALTHY. In years prior, we've always had one or two runners who kind of lead the way up front. This year, however, we are all so close to one another that we have a chance to be a team that is really good at "packing it up." We know from firsthand experience that packing is just as dangerous as having those one or two really good runners.
SCB: Most runners seem to have pretty lax eating habits since they burn so many calories in such a short amount of time. How would you describe your eating habits?
EH: We all joke around how we can basically eat whatever we want because we run it all off. However, I usually try to maintain a pretty balanced diet in order to maintain proper nutrition. The only things I really stay away from are soda and sweets.
SCB: Do you take any vitamins or special drinks to help you recover faster?
EH: I had some issues with anemia (iron deficiency) last year, so rather than risk having that be a problem again I have continued to take iron supplements.
SCB: Where is the most memorable place you've run? What course or location have you enjoyed most during your SCU running career?
EH: In high school, my team would go to Mammoth ever summer for a week. There was one run that literally looked like the backdrop for the scene in the Sound of Music when they are escaping through the mountains. The view is absolutely breathtaking.
My favorite course that I've competed at during my SCU career is a tie between the Stanford Invitational and the West Coast Conference meet at Crystal Springs. My high school team comes up to Stanford every year. I just love that my high school coach is able to see how much I've progressed as a runner since he has had such a big influence on me. However, there's absolutely nothing that beats the atmosphere at the conference meet.
SCB: If you could meet any runner, past or present, who would it be and why?
EH: As cliché as it sounds, I would love to meet Steve Prefontaine. He was such a motivated and strong-willed individual and I think those are two traits that are absolutely essential to running.
SCB: If not running, which sport would you have wanted to play?
EH: If I wasn't running and was six inches taller, I would love to play volleyball. Their agility and the power that they can put behind a shot amaze me.
SCB: Have you ever had any interesting stories while running?
EH: In high school, I was once hit by a car when I was running across an intersection. It was nothing serious, but I definitely look twice before I cross the street now.
SCB: When you're not running, what do you like to do in your free time?
EH: I'm the type of person who loves being busy and constantly having something to do. So when I'm not running, working, or in class I love being active and going on hikes or going to the beach or just making plans with friends.
SCB: What is one thing you wish the SCU community knew about the SCU running program that they might not know?
EH: I wish the SCU community knew how fun and exciting it is to go and watch a cross country or track race. I have yet to find a more thrilling atmosphere than the one on race day. People get watch the runners push themselves to their body's utmost limits which usually leaves them with huge rewards.
