Johnnie Guy, a sophomore mechanical engineering student, is enjoying success on the course for the Eagles cross country team this fall. Guy transferred from Purdue to USI after the first semester of his freshman year and joined his brother, Josh, who was already a runner for the Eagles. Guy is The Shield’s next recipient of the “Big Man on Campus” title after being honored as both the Great Lakes Valley Conference Runner of the Week and Division II National Runner of the Week. Guy beat 312 other competitors as he took first place in the Michigan State University Spartan Invitational.

Q: First off, easy question, why USI?

A: I would have to say the team. We are close friends on and off the course. We hang out, not just running.

Q: You ran for a semester at Purdue last fall before transferring to USI in the spring. What are some differences that you have noticed between the two schools?

A: I would say that there’s a little bit more freedom here. I get to be a little bit more responsible. Not a lot of difference honestly besides that.

Q: They say college athletes have to pick two of the three: personal life, school-work and dedicating themselves to athletics. Obviously the only two choices you really can pick are school and athletics. How hard is it to not have a personal life?

A: It is definitely a challenge, school work is tough. I’m an engineering major, so that’s quite a bit of work. I want to be 100 percent dedicated to my running and making the team be the best we can be. It is a challenge, but you got to have fun. I think we all do a good job of staying dedicated to running, getting good grades and enjoying time to have a little fun.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: I try different things. We have team dinners and group nights, and other things like that. We play volleyball every once in a while just to have a little fun while trying to still stay healthy for the season.

Q: What is your diet like as a runner, is it difficult to maintain healthy eating habits?

A: I’m not on a strict diet or anything. I do try to watch what I eat a little bit, but I don’t drink soda at all. I try to stay away from junk food, but obviously you can’t be too strict as a college kid.

Q: What would you tell people who want to get into running, but hate doing it?

A: I’ve never really hated running; I don’t really know what that feels like. Don’t make it a chore. You have to learn to do it so the more you do it, eventually you’ll start to get good and start to enjoy it a little more. I don’t know though, I haven’t really had that problem.

Q: How many days a week do you train?

A: Seven days, every three weeks I take a day off. If you want to compete with the nation’s best, which is where we need to be, you have to train harder than them so you can’t really take a day off unless you absolutely have to stay healthy.

Q: How many miles a week are you running now and how many do you hope to by the end of the year?

A: Nine-five a week, which is where I’ll probably stay. Later this season when we get closer to national championships, it will lower to make sure we’re fresh.

Q: Have you always been on the same team as your brother?

A: Yeah, we went to the same high school. We’re pretty close, so it’s cool. It was a little weird not running with him when I was at Purdue, so that did play a little bit of a part in me transferring. I think it is cool having your brother on the line with you.