XC Sessions: Aaron Templeton

XC Sessions 2013

Sep 16, 2013

MileSplit - How is your fitness as you begin the 2013 season. What excites you most about the coming year of HS XC?

Aaron - I'm feeling really good right now and I think that I'm right where I need to be for this point in the season. I had a really great XC season last year as a junior so I think the thing that excites me most about this year is that I have one more chance to see what else I can do and how much farther I can push myself before I finish high school.

MileSplit - After an impressive 7th place finish at Foot Locker last year what are your plans for this season?

Aaron - I would love to return to Foot Locker Nationals and see how well I can do.

MileSplit - When & how did you get started in cross country?

Aaron - I was a soccer player and cross country seemed like a great way to get ready for high school soccer tryouts. My brother, Will, was on the team and he was the #1 distance guy. Maybe my coach thought I could run too because he let me on the team even though I told him I might miss some meets because of club soccer conflicts. I guess the turning point came the week after we ran in the Wendy's Invitational. My coach told me I was ranked #3 in nation among freshman. That's when I decided to stop playing soccer and focus on running. I'm really glad I made the switch because since then, I've really fallen in love with the sport and everything about it.

MileSplit - Person/people most influential to your success in cross country and why?

Aaron - As far as my running success goes, there are four sets of people in my life. Without them, I would not be the runner I am today.

#1 is my coach, Bryan Brown. In my opinion, he is the best high school coach in the nation. He's also like a second father to me.

#2 would be my family. My brother Will is the most mentally strong runner I know. He inspires me be tough in spite of whatever circumstances I may face. My parents are my biggest supporters. These are the people who keep me grounded and on the right track.

#3 is my LMT, Bryan Carter, who I think is a miracle worker. He helps me stay both injury free AND right in the head!

#4 would be my friends, teammates and especially my training partner Lachlan Dickie. They have all supported me and cheered me on.

To all these people i would like to say a big THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

MileSplit - Who has influenced you the most so far in your life and what they mean to you and your success?

Aaron - My parents are the biggest influence in my life. They are always there for me. They guide me and help me through all my ups and downs. They remind me that running is a big part of my life but not the center of it. No other people on earth care more about my success at life and as a person.

MileSplit - What are the keys to your successful cross country training program?

Aaron - I think the keys to my training are a good mindset of just enough confidence in myself and trust in my coach. ...and of course lots hard work.

MileSplit - What are the keys to your team's unity and how you train to reach your goals?

Aaron - At Hardin Valley we make sure we support each other both on and off the course. We like to laugh a lot and keep it light when we can. But at the same time we are focused when it comes to racing.

MileSplit - Your favorite past performance in a cross country race and why?

Aaron - My favorite XC race performance would have to be Foot Locker Nationals. I went in calm and confident with a goal in mind. I wanted to reach my goal and to leave the course with no regrets. Coming across the finish line and knowing that I had become a high school All American was an unbelievable experience.

MileSplit - Who are the cross country competitors you most enjoy competing against and why?

Aaron - Since Foot Locker last year, I've met so many really great runners across the country and it's been an awesome experience to run with all those guys. But the person I most enjoy racing against is Quintin McKinnish. We don't live in the same TN city but this will be the fourth year we've spent following each others seasons on TN.milesplit.com and then lining up together at state meets. We've always had a friendly rivalry and it was fun to go through the Foot Locker experience with a friend and fellow Tennesseean.

MileSplit - What is your greatest non-running experience in cross country so far and why?

Aaron - My favorite non-running cross country experience would have to be attending the Nike Elite distance camp this past summer. Blake Haney and I were roommates at camp and It was a huge honor just to hang out on the Nike campus with 19 great high school distance athletes. I met great people, learned so much and left there inspired and excited for a great season. A big thank you to Nike for giving us the experience.

MileSplit - What are your goals for the 2013 cross country season?

Aaron - Other than returning to Foot Locker Nationals I would like to repeat as state champion and break as many course and meet records as I can.

MileSplit - Do you have any long-term goals in running?

Aaron - I would love to run professionally some day. I guess we will see how college goes first!

MileSplit - What was your favorite performance from the 2013 World Champs?

Aaron - I really enjoyed watching the 5k and 10k. Mo Farah always puts on an awesome show in the last laps. For some reason after I watch those big races I always want to go out and get in a solid run!