Freshman elementary education major Hannah Watkins started running cross country when she was a junior in high school two years ago.

“I ran a little in elementary school but then I hurt my knee,” Watkins said. “Part of my physical therapy was running on a treadmill though, so I decided to pick it back up. My favorite thing about running is the feeling you get afterwards. It is the sense of accomplishment that I love about running.”

Watkins is told all the time that she is crazy for loving something that others dread, she said it is who she is.

“Running is just what I do,” Watkins said. “I wouldn’t be me without it. Some people draw, some people read. I run.”

In high school, Watkins’ best times were 19:12 for a road race and 20:06 for a course race, but the collegiate level has been hard to get used to for her.

“We have only had two meets so far and it has been much harder than high school because I feel like I am going backwards with my training,” Watkins said. “It is just so much more intense and different because there is a lot more mileage per week. I usually run between 40 and 50 miles a week. It varies depending on if we have a race or not.”

Even though Watkins loves to run it becomes tough for her from time to time. Her team is very encouraging towards her though.

“Sometimes I feel like I can’t do it but I just have to stick with it and make the best of it,” Watkins said. “Everyone on the team is very supportive. We all push each other, especially on workout and race days.”

Watkins said the team runs usually four days a week, one recovery day and either a meet or a work-out day.

Watkins predicted the overall experience to be more difficult than it has been thus far.

“I expected the fact that I am a freshman to make this transition much harder than it has been,” Watkins said. “Now I am anticipating the really hard stuff because right now it is easier than high school was.”

Even though the transition from high school to college has not been near as stressful as Watkins expected, she still got butterflies before her first race.

“I felt like I was going to throw up,” Watkins said. “After the first mile I got into it and felt like it wasn’t any different than any other 5K I’ve ever raced and it wasn’t that bad, but still there all these other people who are so fast. It is ridiculous. It wasn’t intimidating, it is just something you get used to. It is just different.”

Watkins has set a personal goal for herself this season to get up there with some of the faster runners.

“I want to get at least a 20:30,” Watkins said. “I know that I can do better than that but since I have been sick and hurt it is an attainable goal.”

Watkins said the team’s biggest competition is Bellarmine and both the team and coach look forward to facing them. In order to be best prepared for the competition, Watkins takes her own advice on running.

“It will be really hard and uncomfortable when you first start running until you get into shape,” Watkins said. “Once you get into it the flow of it though it’ll come a lot easier to you. You just have to keep going after it and not give up because you won’t get any better if you don’t stay with it. It is worth it in the end.”