There is much to say about one’s physical fitness when they run three miles in less than seventeen minutes, averaging each mile under five minutes and forty seconds. Teresa Perez, a junior at Coronado High School, did just this. Two races into the season, Teresa would never have thought that she would have “PR’d” (Personal Record) this early on. She kicked off the season winning her first race, competing against nearly one hundred people, at the Vaquero Stampede. Two weeks later, she placed third at the Bronco Roundup in Escondido.
The following week, Teresa was about to compete in the largest high school cross country meet in the world, the Woodbridge Classic. 13,000 runners were racing, and she was running among the fastest there. Throughout the race she had maintained second place, keeping a safe distance from the first-place runner. As they were both approaching the finish line, Teresa used that last bit of energy to catch first place. Although she didn’t completely pass her, Teresa finished at the same second the first-place runner did. The Coronado Times sat down with Teresa, the fastest girl on the cross country team, to ask her about her season:
How are you feeling about that race last Saturday?
I didn’t really expect it. I knew I was trying to PR and get close to my goal, which was seventeen minutes, but I wasn’t trying to break it. Once I did, I couldn’t believe it.
What were factors that impacted your performance?
The fact that it was night may have been a small factor. Training over the summer was probably the biggest factor. Coach Green gave me really good workouts and helped me push myself to PR.
What type of training did you do over the summer?
I did a lot of hard workouts, most of it speedwork. Mile repeats, 800-meter repeats, 400-meter repeats, 1k repeats, and tempo runs.
What is your preferred distance for a race?
For track, the 800-meter is definitely my favorite. For cross country, I like the 3-mile races and the 5k. In those races I have time to build up, and everyone usually gets tired by the third mile. That is my opportunity to pick up the speed.
What are your strategies during a race?
I usually start fast. I try to get out fast to avoid the crowd, and I try to hold my spot and stick with the front group. My slowest part is typically between mile one and mile two, and that is currently what I am trying to work on. On the third mile, I just try to hold on until the end, basically.
Not just a runner — Although Teresa performs remarkably on the cross country fields, she also excels in academics.
What are your favorite/hardest classes in school?
My hardest class right now is AP Calculus AB, and it’s also my favorite. I like problem-solving, and it always feels good doing well on tests.
What other activities do you do outside of running?
I used to play field hockey, and I used to dance. But running takes up most of my time, and it’s my passion.
We wish Teresa luck with the rest of her season and hope she has many more PRs to come.
