The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Getting to know Allison Mendez
09.23.2009 | XC: Women_Old, Track & Field / Cross Country
Sept. 23, 2009
Senior cross country runner Allison Mendez has her mind set on one goal: winning. She has already won the Texas State Invitational, a race in which she finished eighth in last year.
In their highest finished since 2002, the Horns placed fourth in last year's Big 12 meet. Mendez has been taking strides, quite literally, to help her team place even higher.
Allison sat down with TexasSports.com to tell us a little bit about herself and the upcoming season.
How did it feel finishing first overall in the Texas State Invitational? I worked really hard this summer. I know that Texas State is always our first meet of the year, and it's pretty low-key, but I was going to take it seriously. I came in the week before the meet and I was thinking, "I really want to win this. I know I can. I worked really hard this summer, and I know I have the capability of doing that." It felt really good to cross the finish line first. It was amazing. It was a good way to start off the season.
What are your expectations for Texas in the Big 12 this year? I didn't really have a good race last season, but I know all of us competed really well. This year, my goal is to be in the top-15, and try to improve. I think I've made a lot of improvements. Winning that race at Texas State made me feel more confident about going into the conference and being in the top-15 or 20 runners, so I think we'll do really well.
Being an upper-classman, how do you help the younger runners on the team? I give them advice. Like when it comes to workouts, they freak out a little bit. They don't really know what to expect. They think, "The 5K is so long, I ran the two-mile in high school. What do I do?" And I tell them that it's not that much of a difference. I'm kind of the encourager and kind of the peace-maker too. I try to calm everyone down. Like with injuries; I've had two stress-fractures since I've been here. I tell them to go see the trainer. That'll definitely help.
What is your favorite place to go on a leisure run? I get my fill of running in practice! (laughing) But I really like running at Town Lake. I love Town Lake, especially on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Everyone's out there. Especially when you go with a group; everyone knows who you are. Even if we're not in our UT gear they pretty much have a feel for who we are. I love running there. I love the people and the atmosphere. I like the ground, especially for my legs, because I don't like running on the road.
Do you have any superstitious pre-race rituals? I actually do. Our races are usually on Saturdays, so starting on Wednesday night, I drink two bottles of water before I go to bed every day before the race. The night before the race, I make sure I drink four Ozarka bottles. A couple of years ago, I got really, really dehydrated, and that was because I didn't drink a lot of water before the race. Ever since then, starting Wednesday night, I drink a lot of water. I also talk to my dad the night before my race, and he gives me a little pep-talk. I also have some socks that I always wear. I've worn them since my high school races, but I wash them! (laughing) So they're washed socks, but I wear them for every race, and I have not put any other socks on. I also eat pasta the night before. I like going to Olive Garden and getting the steak gorgonzola pasta. It's the best.
Walk us through a typical week of a cross country runner: Our races are usually Saturday, so Sunday after the race will be a 13 to 16 mile run. It's kind of like a shake-out run. We'll do that Sunday morning, then Monday we'll go not as far, but we'll go anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. Then Tuesday's are brutal. They're very hard workout days. Wednesday's are our off-days, and our massage-days. Thursday's are our medium-long runs, so you're not going as far, but you're going anywhere between eight to 10 miles. And then Friday is usually like a shake-out run. We'll go for about 20-30 minutes.
What do you like about Coach Steve Sisson? He's recruiting a lot of good girls and building up our team. I think his enthusiasm, he's just very enthusiastic. You never know what's going to happen with Steve. I like that about him, because he makes it more fun. I think that if I didn't have that type of coach, I probably wouldn't still be running. His attitude and the way he approaches things; he's very honest with you and encourages you during practice as well.
Rapid Fire with Allison Mendez:
Chicken or Beef: Beef
Favorite Founding Father: George Washington
Skydive or Bungee Jump: Bungee Jump
This has been A) a great interview or B) the greatest interview: B) the greatest interview
