Run with Riley!
1. Can you tell me how you began distance running?
Riley until the 7th grade didn’t participate in any sports. Her parents encouraged her to find a sport that she would enjoy. Her first experience was at cross country. Riley had many questions that she discussed with her parents, such as, “Would I get to ride a bus to meets?” and “Would I make friends?” Her parents reassured her that she would enjoy the sport. In the beginning, she hated how difficult running was. I personally related to that because when I started cross country, I got tired a lot due to the high intensity of running. Riley stuck with cross country for a long time, and she met her best friends through the sport.
2. What do you love most about running?
The thing Riley loves most about running is the community. At every meet she participates in, people cheer for her and are very friendly. Riley mentions that she loves track, but some of the athletes can be harsh or lack good sportsmanship. As a swimmer myself, I definitely agree with Riley and have observed the same. In addition, I enjoy cross country despite the pain because my teammates and opponents were very kind and displayed great sportsmanship. As we discussed, we both agreed that the community and the environment matters outside of your own internal motivation.
3. Running is a sport that requires a lot of mental toughness and strength. What motivates you to get out of bed and push yourself to be the best version of yourself?
Riley feels that her day would be incomplete without running. Her parents are very involved in her running journey and always encourage her. She says that their pep talks help her become the best version of herself. The love and support from her parents motivate her to work hard. Riley also mentions that she would feel guilty if she missed a training session. The key thing I learned is that if you love something however difficult or boring the activity may seem, you still push yourself.
4. How do you mentally prepare yourself right before the starting gun fires?
Most times, Riley has butterflies in her stomach. She tells herself to have fun and enjoy the experience. Riley reminds herself that everyone racing with her also experiences the same. No matter the final outcome, she tells herself to brush it off. She also mentions that keeping perspective is important and her perspective is that she enjoys racing with her teammates.
5. What are some skills you’ve learned from running that you can’t experience in school or everyday life?
Riley says that you can build stronger relationships through cross country than through school. She explains that in school, people aren’t always as open or kind, but in cross country, people are compassionate and empathetic because everyone is sharing the same activity. It’s easier to connect through a shared interest—in Riley’s case, running. She adds that school often triggers high stress levels, which makes it less enjoyable, whereas running helps her stay in a low stress state, allowing her to push herself more.
6. How would you define success?
MRiley defines success as achieving personal goals. She mentions that when she works hard, winning feels even sweeter—like the icing on the cake. Every time she sets a personal best in a race, she considers it a win. I like to think of sports as baking a cake: the base of the cake is the hard work and skills, which are the foundation, and the icing is the progress and achievement of goals. That’s a cool analogy I learned after my 2025 swimming season.
7. If you had to describe your running journey in three words, what would they be?
Riley chose to describe her journey with these three words: challenging, fun, and accomplishing. I loved her choice of words. Riley explains that she selected these because she has overcome many obstacles and had fun along the way. She feels she has achieved a lot, and her progress is growing every day!
8. I can imagine that high school is challenging. How do you manage running with school?
At Riley’s high school, students get early release, so she comes home early before practice. She uses that time to finish as much homework as possible. In the late evening, after practice ends, she completes the rest of her homework and prepares for the next day. Riley mentioned that once she started building a routine, school became much easier. During her freshman year, managing her time between sports and school was more difficult.
9.After achieving a goal, how do you mentally reset to stay strong and focused?
She writes down her goals or a rule to remember how it felt when she succeeded. Riley also tells herself to keep pushing forward to reach new goals. She likes to celebrate her successes by eating ice cream— I do the same!
10. What brand of running shoes is your favorite, and why?
Riley enjoys wearing Saucony running shoes because they provide stabilization, making her feet feel more comfortable during long distances. She mentions that the shoes are soft and bouncy, which suits her running style. Riley also likes any Nike running shoes.
11. I recently heard the quote, “Pressure is a privilege.” How would you interpret this quote?
Riley interprets this quote as an opportunity to move her body and push herself. She believes that experiencing pain during a race is a privilege because it means she’s pushing her limits. From an athlete’s perspective, I agree. I would say that the quote means having the chance to experience failure and pain is a privilege in itself.
12. What advice would you give to the younger Riley who just finished a tough season?
Riley would tell her younger self to keep pushing, regardless of the conditions. She’d remind her that she can overcome any challenge with hard work and dedication. Riley would also tell her that failing can feel overwhelming and hard to move past, but it’s important to be patient and confident because there will be opportunities to shine and achieve her goals.
I really enjoyed talking to Riley. I’m so thankful for her time, and I can’t wait to continue my journey with a new mindset and perspective!
I would really love to hear your feedback and comments. Please reach out to me@hanikachhajer.com.
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