Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Catching up with Miramonte HS runner, Tyler Hanson...

Today we chat with Miramonte junior, Tyler Hanson (pictured to the left courtesy of lamorindaweekly.com) who won the Small School race at the Ed Sias Invitational leading his Miramonte teammates to victory over league rival Campolindo by a score of 71 to 75.  Tyler is a two time state meet qualifier in cross country.  His freshman season, he was the team's 3rd man as Miramonte finished in 4th place to lock up the final qualifying spot.  Last year, Tyler qualified as an individual finishing in 9th place in the always competitive Division III race.

1) Besides cross country and track and field, what other sports have you participated in before or during high school?
Before track and cross country, I was a competitive road cyclist until the start of my sophomore year cross country season. I was very passionate about it and very dedicated as well. I was on a local team based out of Walnut Creek called Tieni Duro. I competed at nationals starting from when I was a seventh grader all the up until last summer. I had to make a decision and choose only one sport. I chose running because I love the teamwork, competition and benefits of being a high school athlete.

2) How did you get your start in running?
My father is probably the reason why I started running. He told me it was essential that I compete on a high school team and that I wouldn't regret my experience. He was right. I instantly fell in love with cross country. As a freshman, my coaches and teammates alike pushed me to secure a spot on the varsity level. Running became part of my lifestyle and I'm glad it remains that way.

3) What were the first successes that you remember in cross country and track and field?
My first successes came as a freshman during cross country. Making it onto varsity was an achievement I had never imagined, especially as a newcomer to the sport. Racing on varsity throughout the year was an honor. In 2009, that varsity team in particular made it to state. In track, my first successes came in my sophomore year, as I didn’t run track my freshman year due to cycling commitments. As a sophomore, I had more result based successes. Winning any kind track race is an achievement. I knew I wanted to try to win all three distance races in one season (800, 1600, 3200) and fortunately I was able to do that, as well as making it to Arcadia.

4) What were some of your freshmen highlights in both sports?
My freshman highlights as a cross county athlete were various. Being a part of the varsity team was by far one of the best highlights. I also traveled with the team to Clovis Invitational and Mt. Sac Invitational that year and the experience of going to those two events created fond memories and are definitely highlights of my freshman season. Unfortunately, in 2009 our varsity team was mostly seniors except for Jamie Fehrnstrom and myself, but I still enjoyed spending a lot of time with them. Besides those things, our adventure runs and the things I learned from my senior classmates will always make my first year of running very memorable.

5) As you started running in high school who were the role models that you wanted to emulate whether that was on the Miramonte team or other teams?
Coming into the sport, I really didn’t know anything about running, whether it was the high school level or the professional level. I looked up to all the runners on varsity individually because they each have special qualities about them. As I learned about each of their running backgrounds, I became more fascinated and inspired. Even now, I look up to Jamie Fehrnstrom for his undivided dedication and his determination. I’ve been running with him for as long as I’ve been in the sport.

6) What about your sophomore year highlights?
I really enjoyed my sophomore year of track and cross country. The list highlights of my cross country season in my sophomore year are endless, but going to Clovis once again was amazing. I just really enjoyed being around my friends and fellow athletes. As far as track goes, my trip to Arcadia was one of the greatest highlights. The experience of getting to race at Arcadia is unlike any other race I’ve ever taken part in. The combination of the intense competition and getting to spend time with my friends made Arcadia my favorite track experience.

7) What are your current track and field personal records?
My current track and field personal records are as follows
            800: 2:00
            1600: 4:26
            3200: 9:41
            400: 53

8)8) You won the Ed Sias Invitational Small School race. What was your plan going into the race and how did the race unfold?
My plan before Ed Sias Invitational was to stick with the runners from Campolindo High School. I knew that those guys have put in a lot of work over the summer and I wanted to see how they were running. When the race started I decided I would stick with the lead runners. Evan Quigley and Thomas Joyce were leading the race for the most part and I held onto them as best as I could. I tried not to let myself fall behind 4th place at any time. At the mile marker, I didn’t really pay any attention to my split but I knew we were all going to set a fast time. I ran up next to Thomas right before the bridges near the final hill. I really tried hard to stick with him on the hill. Once I got some ground on him on the downhill, I gave it everything. I finished hard after a tough race.

9) Miramonte also took the team title narrowly defeating league and section rival Campolindo HS. Tell us a little about the rest of your varsity team and how you guys prepared for this season.
Miramonte has prepared for this season by using a vigorous summer training program and getting more high level runners involved. We have all adopted a very positive outlook for the season and we are prepared to run hard. We know we can produce great results this year, and our race calendar provides us with plenty of opportunities to show what we can do when we work together. I love my teammates. We spend a ton of time together, during and outside of practice. They are just as much my best friends as they are my training partners.

10) What does a typical week look like for you? Weekly mileage? Long run distance? Toughest workouts? Favorite runs? Team traditions? Favorite meet? Favorite course? Favorite track and field race distance?
A typical week for me includes a combination of long runs and speed workouts. Usually, monday is the run of the week in terms of miles. We will do anything from 10-14 miles. Then we alternate between workout and recovery days. Sometimes we have workouts back to back, but we follow a very precise schedule. I’d say that some of the most challenging workouts are probably hill sprints or 1000 meter intervals. My favorite run is the Kings loop in Valle Vista which is a part of the EBMUD trails system. One of the varsity traditions is to drive to Jamba Juice in Lafayette after hard workouts and sit in one of our cars and listen to music. Especially during this time of year when the weather is hot, it becomes one of our frequent traditions. My favorite meet and course are at the some location, Clovis invitational. I like Clovis because it gives me an opportunity to run the state course with less intensity. People often say that the course is one of the most difficult all year, however I believe it’s the competition that makes that course as challenging as it is. My favorite track and field distance is probably the 800m. It’s not my fastest, but it is my favorite.

11) Tell us a little about your coaches during your high school career and how they have helped you develop into the runner you are today.
This year my coaches are managing one of the largest teams we’ve had in a long time.  They are doing an excellent job looking after every runner's needs and they work hard to get to know each runner personally. Coach Alison Zamanian has made helped me complete one season of XC and one season of track and to make the best of my training. She has always been positive and brings a good work ethic along with her. This year, with the assistance of Coach Brad Alban, our distance team can become even more developed. Their collaborative efforts will allow our team to produce great results, as we already have in the young 2011 season.

12) Anything else you would like to add.
I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season. Our team is putting in a lot of hard work and it’s already beginning to pay off. Miramonte Cross Country is a fantastic and well organized team. I speak on behalf of the entire team when I say that we are prepared to have a great season, dedicated to producing great results and having fun.       


Thank you very much Tyler!  AJC

1 comment:

Andrew said...

This kid is going to be a star in this sport. I can't wait to see him grow and become faster. He sounds like a well spoken young man as well. People like Tyler are what makes this sport amazing.

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