Samantha Nelson made her XC career debut at the SUU Invitational where she won in a time of 18:31 for 3 miles. She then placed 6th in a loaded field at Utah County a week later. These are the only two cross country races of her life and she is already showing she is one of the best in the class of 2019. She has run track before clocking times of 5:11.05 for 1600m and 10:57.56 for 3200m. So this high level of performance shouldn't come as a surprise.
Samantha Nelson's Personal Bests
| 1600m | 5:11.05 | Herriman Twilight Invitational (2018) |
| 3200m | 10:57.56 | Arcadia Invitational (2018) |
| 3 Mile | 16:58.80 | Woodbridge Cross Country Classic (2018) |
| 5k | 18:14.00 | Nike Cross Regionals - Southwest (2017) |
I've always loved to run, but I actually played soccer growing up. To say conditioned I would run in the early mornings with my mom or dad. It wasn't until my sophomore year of high school when I realized that I wasn't enjoying soccer as much as running so I decided to join track. Since then I've been hooked!
Favorite Workout?
Anything that has to do with running is my favorite, but my favorite workout would definitely be tempo runs. I get a thrill being able to work my way up to a pace and then finishing off strong.
Least Favorite Workout?
I don't have a workout that's my least favorite, but I would say my most challenging are the short sprint repeats. Anything under 800m is rough for me, and I definitely like to work into a pace. Maybe that's why I'm a distance runner :)
How do you prepare yourself mentally and physically for a race?
I would say my mental game is the key when it comes to races because I know that I've put in the work and done what I've needed to prepare. It's something I'm still learning and working on but I have to go into a race calm and relaxed. The night and morning before I try to do some visualization and meditation just to calm my mind. Going into a race I always have to tell myself that it's 100% mental because I'm confident that my body can do what I need it to do as long as my mental game is strong. Lastly, bust most important to me is my faith. I believe that I am nothing without the strength I receive from a higher power. Going into a race having spiritually enlightened myself is a game changer.
Pre Race superstition
