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As we begin our Interview series, I wanted to be sure to start off with a great story of patience and perseverance. The many tests that Sarah has endured throughout her college running experience and her attitude towards these hardships is one that many runners can learn from. Now in her 4th year at CSU Chico, Sarah Hallas is leading the Lady Wildcats in hopes of another trip to the NCAA championships which are held in Pennsylvania this year. Hallas struggled early in her career as a Wildcat with chronic injury problems, but has finally been able to train in order to allow her to perform up to her potential on race day. Her 14th place finish at the NCAA Western Regional Championships in 2000 earned her a first ever All-Region certificate, and she was an important part of the women's team qualifying for Nationals out of a very competitive Western Region. Sarah was the #5 runner for Chico at the NCAA championships (86th place). This year Sarah is one of the top runners in the CCAA Conference which includes many runners from UC Davis, CSU Stanislaus, UCSD, and Sonoma State. The Conference championships are held this Saturday (10/20/01) at UCSD.
Background Info:
Name (Nickname?): Sarah Hallas, "Haul-ass"
Age: 22
Hometown: Guerneville, CA
High School: Ursuline HS
College: Chico State
Major: Agricultural Business
Collegiate PR’s: 1500-4:59, 3000-10:24, 5000-18:24
Major Achievements: All-Region (2000)
Favorite Athlete: Julia Stamps
Favorite Quote: "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." -Prefontaine and "Let's go butthole." -Tuff Hedamen
(Run Much) After coming off two great seasons (both XC & Track) last year, what have been your individual goals for this year? And are you pleased with how things are looking so far?
(Sarah Hallas) So far Lisa, my goals have been to be in the top 7. All I ever wanted was to be a part of a National team, and so far I've been able to do that. And hopefully we'll be able to do it again this year...so far so good!
(RM) You have been Chico’s #1 girl in each race this year. What was your summer training like this year in order to prepare you for this season?
(SH) Summer training was good, I think. I got in the hills, but as far as tempo runs and other workouts go, I didn't get in as many as I wanted. I still had a good enough base though. It was hard to balance work and running and cooking and cleaning, but I knew that the hills would be important to get in this summer. After talking to Coach this summer, it sounded like our fall schedule would be full of tough courses with even tougher hills, so that's what I figured I'd concentrate on.
(RM) Last year the Chico State Men & Women qualified for Nationals and placed 8th and 9th, respectively. What are Chico’s team goals for this year? Conference? Regionals? Do you think the women will have a repeat Top 10 NCAA performance?
(SH) I don't know if I can speak for the rest of the team, but personally I would like to see how we match up against Davis at Conference. The Men's team I would love to see beat them, and I know they can on a given day...and on the women's side, I'd like us to give 'em a run for their money like we did at Regional's last year. It would be nice to see us close to them in team scoring. Regionals should be interesting, I'll be very disappointed if we don't go to Nationals, but I think our chances do look good if we can keep our top 5 together. Four teams can advance this year which gives us an even better chance of taking the trip to PENN!
(RM) There were a rough couple of years for you early on in your college career. What do you think was the main reason the transition from high school to college was so hard on your body?
(SH) I think the main reason I had so many problems coming into college was that I wasn't smart about my running. I didn't listen to my body when it was hurting, and I wasn't getting the proper nutritional balance. Living off dorm food, I wasn't thinking about the fruits and vegetables that are so important in a runner's diet. Being sort of new to the sport, I didn't know much about running and the importance of taking care of your body.
(RM) What do you think has been the biggest factor in your improvement these last two years?
(SH) I think the biggest factor in my improvement these last 2 years is cross-training, icing and taking care of my body. I think Coach Towne and I have come up with a happy-medium for keeping me healthy and running at the same time.
(RM)You have a great attitude. How did you stay positive through all the injuries? Did it ever make you feel like giving up running completely? What made you stick with it?
(SH)I've stayed positive only by thinking, it can't get much worse. When you can't do the one thing you love more than anything else you get discouraged and start to hate everything else in your life. I just took it one day at a time. I don't know if giving up running completely ever crossed my mind. I know I thought about joining the swim team since I was in the damn pool so much, but I knew I'd be back one day. Honestly, I couldn't give up running if I tried, and that's what made me stick to it.
(RM) What does a typical training week look like for you?
(SH)A typical training week:
Monday: 35-40 minutes of the elliptical cross trainer followed by upper and lower body weights.
Tuesday: Whatever crazy hill workout Gary comes up with!
Wednesday: 35-40 minutes of the elliptical cross trainer, followed by upper and lower body weights.
Thursday: Another crazy workout of Gary's (Intervals, Repeats, Tempo Runs, etc).
Friday: Depending on a Saturday race I'll do 45 minute elliptical cross training, followed by upper and lower body weights. Or if there's a race I'll do 15-20 minutes on the cross trainer.
Saturday: Race Day!!
Sunday: Long run, usually 9-10 miles, in some far off place in the Butte County vicinity.
(RM) You were one of the top athletes in the Bay Area coming out of High School (1600m-5:07, 3200m-11:15). What were some of your college choices? And why did you choose Chico?
(SH)Some of my choices were Davis, Mt. Hood, Sac State, Sonoma State, Idaho University, Santa Barbara and Northern Arizona. These are the schools that the coaches called me the most. What made me pick Chico was visiting it and meeting Gary. I didn't go on any of the recruiting trips I was suppose to except this one. And the first letter Gary sent me, and I think every letter I got from him, was hand-written. It showed me that he actually took time to write it instead of all the letters from the other schools with the standard recruiting letter changing who it was addressed to only. I also liked how Chico was close to home...sort of.
(RM) What would you say Coach Gary Towne’s coaching philosophy is like?
(SH)I think Coach Towne is pretty easy-going. He puts his athletes first and I think this is one of the reasons he does so well as a coach. You can tell he loves doing what he does, and the time he invests and doesn't get paid for just shows the dedication to this job he has. Gary is the reason I'm still at Chico. The town itself isn't that bad, but I would have been long-gone to Montana the second semester of my freshmen year if it hadn't been for him...seriously.
(RM) What has been your most memorable running accomplishments or races while at Chico State.
(SH)My most memorable running accomplishment is, I guess Regionals last year. Getting All-Region was the last thing I expected even though I wanted it so bad. I don't know if it was even that race so much as qualifying for Nationals. Thanks to the steady hand of Jasmine Green, I am able to watch that race whenever I want, and see the expressions on the girls as we found out that we were the 3rd qualifying spot for the National spot.
(RM) Who has been the biggest influence on your running? (Family, coach, athlete, etc??)
(SH)I think my greatest influence on my running is probably a combination of my parents and myself. I strive to become a better athlete just to see how far I can go with it. I don't want to stop after college, so I just want to see how far I can take it in the future.
(RM) How long have you been running, and what first got you started?
(SH)Well Lisa, it all began in the 8th grade. Our teacher made us do a 1 mile run every month or so, don't ask me why, and I was always in front of everybody but 2 guys. I liked running, but never got the opportunity to run outside of the P.E. Freshman year of high school, after being cut from the soccer team I knew I wanted to go out for cross country. So by the time I actually got out to the first day of XC practice I was so nervous I made my mom go with me. She asked the coach if there were any cuts, and he said no, so I was in! Then for practice we did 2 x 1 mile repeats, and I was in front of the rest of the girls wondering if I was going the wrong way. But I wasn't, and that's where I stayed for the next 4 years of high school.
(RM) What do you enjoy most about running?
(SH) What I enjoy most about running is probably everything from the team to the blood, sweat, and tears we contribute along the way. I like the way it makes me feel, and I hate to say this, but I like the way us runners can keep a relatively small size. I don't want to be fat, and I'm glad I don't have to worry about being fat so early in life like a majority of the other college girls do here. It's one less thing to worry about.
(RM) What are your long-term running goals? What are your plans after college?
(SH)That's a good question and I'm sorry to say I don't have a clear answer. My dream would be someday to get sponsered, but that's a long way away. Right now I just want to be able to run healthy, and I'm doing that, so I can't complain.
(RM) Rumor has it that you are engaged. Who’s the lucky fellow? And have you set a date?
(SH)Well the rumor is true and his name is Kurt Lanker. He's a small town rancher from Bodega, and is everything I ever hoped for in a guy. The date is sometime in the summer of 2003 cuz of my damn sister hogging up the summer of 2002. Most likely June.
(RM) I’ve heard that you wear the biggest belt buckle this side of the Colorado River. What are some of your other interests or hobbies, outside of running?
(SH)Outside of running, I love hanging out with my Kurt, going four-wheeling, hunting, fixing fences, working on our trucks and usually getting dirty somehow.
(RM) Do you have any advice for other runners out there?
(SH)Advice to other runners would be just to pay attention to your bodies. Don't do anything stupid, and don't think skinnier is faster like many runners sometimes think. It's not and it only hurts you in the long-run when your body starts to fall apart and your season starts to take a shit.
(RM)Very well put. Do you have any additional comments you’d like to share???
(SH)Let's kick-ass at conference!!!
(RM) Thank you so much Sarah. I wish you and the team the best with the remainder of the season.
(SH)Thanks!
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