Written By Jefferson Reese '15

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Freshman Karen Mac (KM) spoke with Santa Clara Broncos (SCB) to discuss her first season at Santa Clara University.

SCB: How did offseason workouts prepare you for this season?

KM: I was injured during part of the offseason and early season, so I spent a lot of time in the pool or on the bike/elliptical. Most of the time, cross-training doesn't have the same cardiovascular intensity as running, so I tried to constantly push myself to mimic the same aerobic effort as running by doing double-days of swimming and biking, and doing long runs or intervals while pool-running. Though I hated not being able to run, I think those workouts prepared me to be mentally stronger because I had to personally motivate myself to keep going.

SCB: Your times in the 800m have improved in each of your four meets this year. What do you attribute this to?

KM: With each race, I've learned valuable lessons and have used these experiences to race more confidently. Also, coming off of an injury in the beginning of the season, I wasn't necessarily in optimal shape during the early season, so I think I've seen improvements each meet just through putting more and more training under my belt.

SCB: What are your goals for the rest of the season?

KM: I'm just excited to keep racing and competing, pushing myself to be the best that I can be.

SCB: How do your teammates motivate you?

KM: I have a great group of girls to train with for the 800m, and I love the way that we work together to push through some really hard workouts. My teammates definitely motivate me to constantly push myself to be the best that I can be.

SCB: What is your favorite aspect of Santa Clara University?

KM: I love the community here at SCU; everyone I know is friendly, caring, and passionate about the things that they do. Also, you can't beat the sunny weather and how beautiful it is everywhere on campus.