Athlete Feature: Campbell’s Jeffrey Allen

When did you start running?

I started running in the 5th grade when I joined the middle school cross-country team. When I first joined, it was just something to do after school with my friends. My first 8th grade race came,  and I decided I’d actually try to run fast for once. I led the race until the end where I went the wrong way on the course and finished 3rd. I was upset, but it motivated me to work harder. I ended up joining Granite State Flash that year and started racing competitively. 

Briefly describe the experience as a member of your team/program. Give an example of some of the “fun” stuff your team does together.

Running with my team for the past couple seasons has been a great experience for me and I made a lot of new friends through it. While staying serious during practices, we fit in time to play some games like ultimate frisbee or chuck the chicken. We also have spaghetti dinners some nights before big races. 

How does your coach motivate you?

My coach motivates me throughout my season by helping me with setting my goals early in the season and helping me work hard within the season to meet them. She stays positive all season and helps everyone work hard during the workouts and runs. 

What motivates you most to do well?

The thing that motivates me most when it comes to running is seeing improvement. Watching my times go down week by week and feeling stronger every race is what makes me want to go out and run. It’s hard to notice this type of improvement in any other sport. 

What is your favorite workout?

My favorite workout we do as a team is Derryfield 2nd mile repeats. A couple times each season we get the whole team over to Derryfield to run and do a hill workout. It’s a lot of fun and great training for Manchester Invitational and States! We typically stop and eat at Olive Garden on the way home and that’s always a plus. 

What is your favorite cross training activity?

My favorite cross training activity has to be swimming. I like to spend a lot of time at lakes during the summer.  Swimming is an easy thing to do after a run or during an off day with family/friends that is not too stressful on my body. 

What is your go-to prerace meal?

My go-to prerace meal is an “All American Omelet”. It’s ham, bacon, sausage and cheese. It might not be the best meal before a race, but I think it has become a mental thing for me to feel prepared for my race. 

Do you have a favorite prerace song?

I don’t have a specific favorite prerace song, but I love music and any hype up song before a race. Our team always listens to music over a speaker on the way to and from meets. 

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

If I could go anywhere, I would travel to Washington State. I would love to run and hike through the trails in Olympic State Park. 

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

I think the logical thing to do if I knew I could not fail is buy a bunch of Powerball tickets. Without failure there would be no success. Everything in life comes with failure and all you can do is learn from it to benefit you in the long run (no pun intended). 

What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote is, “Not all who wander are lost”. I like this quote because it explains that trying something new from what you’re good at isn’t always the wrong thing to do because it can lead to even greater things. I also tend to wander down random trails when I run!

What is your favorite thing about Cross Country?

My favorite thing about Cross Country is the people. I have yet to meet one runner who doesn’t love to chat before a race about their goals for the day, or what their plans are for the rest of season. I love meeting new people at every meet and being able to talk to them again at the next one. 

What is your favorite course to run? (High school courses)

I can’t narrow down my favorite course to 1. Every course has its benefits and its downsides. I love the variety of courses we get to race on in New Hampshire.

What is your favorite race outside of the high school season?

My favorite race outside of high school is definitely the Mount Washington Road Race. I’ve been doing it for the past 3 years and plan to continue racing it for as long as possible. It is a great experience and prepares me for some of the tougher courses during the season. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years???

In 5 years I hope to see myself greatly improve running wise and be competing on a college team.