Friday, August 14, 2009

Catching up with Lassen HS runner Tiffany Heflin...

Today we chat with one of the best runners in Northern California that you may not be aware of yet. Her name is Tiffany Heflin and she competes for Lassen HS (in Susanville) which is part of the Northern Section. You think you had to travel far to get to Mt. SAC last year? How does a 10 hour drive sound which is the amount of time it takes to go from Lassen HS to Mt. SAC? Heflin finished the '08 cross country season in fine fashion as she place 3rd in the Division IV race with a time of 18:27. Heflin's time was the 14th fastest out of all NorCal girls in any division. As she heads into her junior xc season, Heflin will definitely be a runner to watch.

1) How did you first get involved in running?
Where I live, in elementary school, they have cross country. My second grade teacher was talking about it to the class so I came home after school and asked my dad if I could do cross country.

2) What was the first sign for you that running is the best sport for you?
Well, when I was little, I always wanted to get better so I ran road races and this lady came up to my dad and told him I should do Junior Olympics and I think that is when everything sorta fell into place.

3) What is the hardest part of being a runner in the Northern Section?
The hardest part is that all the races are so far away. Also, my school doesn't really have anyone that can help me push myself so I'm basically alone 'til I get to races.

4) How has your dad helped support you with your running?
He has always been there for me. He spends so much money on new shoes and gas to get me to races that my team doesn't attend. He knows me the best when it comes to how I should run a race and how hard I need to push myself in practice.

5) What was your most memorable experience from the '08 cross country season?
Definitely state. There was a girl in my section (Michelle Johnson of West Valley HS) that was a senior and I had been trying to beat her all season. Every race I just kept getting closer and when state rolled around I finally got her.

6) Favorite XC meet? Favorite course? Favorite workout? Favorite run? Favorite competitor?
I'm going to say Mt. SAC is my favorite meet. There is so much going on and they are fast about getting the races going. My favorite course is definitely the state meet course. Hills are the best workout by far. I like runs on dirt trails. My favorite competitor is Michelle Johnson. She was a senior from the northern section and the few years I raced her I learned a lot about myself.

7) Describe what a typical week looks like for you during cross country in terms of training?
Well I run in the mornings and then some days in the afternoons we do really long runs or my coach will have us do pacing or speed work on the track. Then, we always have those killer hill days.

8) You finished 3rd last year in Division IV and are the 2nd fastest returner this year. What would a state championship mean to you?
I would love to be a state champion. It would definitely make all the training and pain worth it in the end.

9) What are your track PRs?
3000meters: 10:30, 3200meters: 11:48, 1500meters:4:53, 1600meters: 5:11, and 800meters: 2:26

10) How did you end up being a member of the Buffalo Chips Running Club?
Well I ran for the Silver State Striders out of Reno, Nevada first, but we were always really good friends with the Paddecks so when the Striders fell apart, I automatically went to the Buffalo Chips.

11) List your classes for this coming school year.
In order I have Honors English,Honors U.S. History, Spanish 3, Pre Calculus, Academic Tutor, AP Chemistry, and Anatomy and Physiology.

12) What has been the most important lesson you have learned from running?
The most important lesson I have learned from running is you have to be patient and let me tell you, I'm not the most patient person there is, but I'm getting a lot better at it.

Thank you very much for your time Tiffany! AJC

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's weird that her xc times are fast but her 3200 time is slow compared to her 1600 time (I guess her 3k time is better though).

Albert Caruana said...

Not unusual for someone to be further along in cross country than in track or vice versa. Tiffany just finished her sophomore year in high school. Her best running is definitely ahead of her.

Anonymous said...

i think what they were saying is that her xc times are good so they should translate faster to the 3200 rather than the 1600. the 1600 is better in than the 3200.

Albert Caruana said...

I think Tiffany would be the first to admit that her track times don't equate to her xc success.

As I said, she is a young runner and her best running is ahead of her.

Popular Posts