Morgan Moseley: I Was Just Running to Run

Name: Morgan Moseley
School: J.L. Mann High School
Hobbies: I'm a foodie so I love finding new cool places to eat, I like hand-lettering and other artsy things, thrifting, I love finding cool shirts, old mom jeans and sweaters that I can alter to make them unique, and I love hiking and being outdoors.
Event PRs: 5K - 18:22, 3200-11:24 (time trial at practice), 1600- 5:11, 800- 2:20, 400- 1:02
Academic interest: Business, Marketing
Interesting fact: 
I have a chihuahua named Beamer that I am obsessed with.

How did you get involved in the sport and why?
My mom used to run half marathons all the time and I would always love watching her race and cheering her on, sometimes even finish the race with her.  She was the reason that I started running in the first place.

Did you perform as you expected so far this season?
I had expected to come out of the gates with great times and competitive with the other runners; this was not the case. I'm starting to build my way up to state where I can hopefully have a great competitive race when I toe the line at Sandhills!

How do you look at rankings?
I don't concern myself with rankings and how everyone else is doing.  I focus on myself and what I can do to better myself so that when I am in the race I am focused on staying strong and running for myself and my team.


What do you hope to achieve the rest of the season?
I hope to get a good PR this last cross country season of my high school career and hopefully win state in the process.

What confidence do you have for rest of the season?
I think with my training I am beginning to peak at the right time for state. This season has been a steady incline and I have learned from each race and bettered myself each week for the next race ahead.

Do you have any family members involved in the sport? Please explain.
My uncle (mom's brother) ran cross country in high school; so my grandpa, uncle, and mom have all been exposed to the world of running. My younger and older sister both ran cross country with me in the past, making it that much more fun.  My dad got into it after I first started and now he's hooked;  he looks at stats, times, competition, course routes and is always on Milesplit.  

What roles do you have on the Mann team this year?
I am one of the captains on the team, I'd say I am one of the more vocal captains.  I lead stretches, cheers, and warmups.  When a teammate needs some motivation before a race or someone to calm their nerves, I'm their girl.  I love getting the team pumped before races in the middle of our cheers, it's one of my favorite things on race day.

Do you have any post cross country meets plans?
I'm thinking about Foot Locker (South) this year, I've never done it.

Do you have any specific race strategies that work best for you?
Each race has a different strategy. Some days it's to hold back the first mile, hang on to the front as long as possible, and sometimes it's just to run.

What do you enjoy about the team and being on the course with them daily?
I love how on our team we don't take ourselves too seriously. We have fun on our runs, we will play games, crack jokes, tell stories and take it easy. I love how we can go for runs and have fun, but at the same time when it comes down to it...grind.

What plans do you have for the future?
I plan to run in college and find a new family to run with every day.

Are you looking to run at a college?
Yes, I really want to find a coach and team that I can grow with and accomplish some big things!

Do you remember your first race?
Yes, it was a JV 3K at the WNCC Carnival. When I crossed the finish line in first it was crazy.  My parents picked me up and started crying and my old coach, Jackie Borrowicz and the team went nuts! They asked what I thought of "the hill" and I remember not even realizing there was a giant hill; I was just running to run, one foot in front of the other.  I fell in love with the freedom and individuality of the sport.

What do you feel you get out of the sport?
All of my closest friends I have met through running.  Runners are the best people and I'm so glad to be apart of this community.  I love how all you have to do in this sport is put one foot in front of the other, there aren't game plans (for the most part), you don't need coordination, all you need is a pair of running shoes and the drive to push through the pain.

How did summer training go?

Summer training went well, I had lots of good runs in cleveland park and downtown. Many different workouts from easy runs to time trials.

Do you have a specific reason to achieve a goal or goals this season?
I want to run at a D1 school and be competitive and score for the team.


What do you enjoy the most about being part of the Mann team?
Having a good relationship with my coaches.  Being able to laugh and communicate with them is very important to me and I love that I am able to do that.  Also, how everyone gets along and doesn't put anyone down.

What helps you stay focused during practices and races?
Realizing that I have to be a role model for the rest of my team and that what I do in practice and how hard I work, will reflect in my races. During my races, I just focus on staying strong, breathing, and form.  Overall it's just remaining positive that keeps me focused on what's important and what needs to get done.


What responsibility do you feel you have to your teammates? Please explain
.
Since I am one of the two people on the team who have been doing this for six years now, I feel the responsibility to be a role model, motivator, and expert on all things cross country.  I know that if I am positive, motivated and work hard then the rest of the team will follow.  I am there to help my teammates through race day nerves, questions, and tips for racing. I love being able to help my team perform to the best of their ability.

Do you have a pre-race tradition? Please explain.
My pre-race tradition is listening to my pump up playlist singing and dancing. I used to have this whole routine before races, but over the years I learned to simplify it and now just get pumped for my races with my music and being with my teammates.

How do you balance academics, athletics, and other responsibilities?
Balancing school, practice, and work has been a challenge this year. Sometimes it is hard with practice running late and work right after, but I've managed to get both done successfully.  Since I get out of school at 12:35 I usually try to get the majority of my school work done then so I can have little to no homework after practice or work that day.

What challenges or injuries have you encountered in the sport? How did you stay motivated during this time?  
After my sophomore season of cross country I spent two weeks in the hospital due to pancreatitis caused by a birth defect. That time in the hospital was very difficult for me because I wasn't able to eat, drink, and could barely walk. All I could think about was my competitors training for the track season to come and how I was laying in a hospital bed. I had to stay positive and believe that God had a plan for me and this was just another obstacle that I had to overcome. With no training in the offseason I had to ease my way back into running but ended up finishing fourth in the 1600 at state with a PR of 5:11.

If there is one thing in the world you could do, what would it be and why
?
If I could do anything in the world...win an event in the Olympics. I can't even imagine the challenges and the hard work it requires. When you cross that finish line in first, the rush, relief, and accomplishment you would feel afterward?! I get goosebumps just thinking about it.  If not that, I think I would like to travel the world marketing for Nike. Going to races, meeting amazing runners of all abilities, being able to work for one of my favorite companies, traveling, inspiring others/being inspired, and making a living off doing what I love for a great company.

Favorite runner(s): 
Emma Coburn
Favorite food: Burgers
Favorite quote: "Don't let fear decide your future" -Shalane Flanagan
Favorite training shoe and racing shoe: Hoka Bondi, Saucony Shay XC4
Hobbies: I'm a foodie so I love finding new cool places to eat, I like hand-lettering and other artsy things, thrifting, I love finding cool shirts, old mom jeans, and sweaters that I can alter to make them unique, and I love hiking and being outdoors
Inspirational person in your life: My mom, she is such a strong, independent, motivated woman. She is the one I go to when I have a problem, had a bad day, scared, stressed, or upset.  She raised my sisters teaching us to be ourselves and figure things out on our own. She taught us how to work for what we want, to be independent, strong, and push us to reach our goals.  She's one of my closest friends and I don't know what I would do without such a great role model in my life.