University of Minnesota Athletics
Warm-Up Lap: Q&A with Abby Lange
4/13/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
By Jordyn Anderson, Athletic Communications Student Intern
MINNEAPOLIS -- Stillwater, Minn., native Abby Lange has made quite a debut competing in her first outdoor season for the Maroon & Gold after competing unattached her true freshman year last season. With Big Ten experience already under her belt during the 2016 indoor season, Lange looks ahead to what the rest of the outdoor season has in store.
The redshirt freshman made her debut in uniform this past indoor season when she competed in seven races for Minnesota. She recorded a number of career-best times and earned a spot on Minnesota's Big Ten team where she notched a 12th-place finish in the mile with a time of 4:55.02.
GopherSports.com sat down with Lange to talk about this past indoor season, how she keeps herself healthy and prepared for meets, and why she loves this sport.
Gopher Sports: Your first year here you ran unattached, what was it like to race in the Gopher uniform for the first time this past indoor season?
Abby Lange: It was a very exciting experience. It had been on my mind all summer as motivation for training. When things were tough, I thought about how exciting it is that I will finally be able to compete in uniform. It was a huge point in my running career to finally be able to put that 'M' on.
GS: How did that unattached season help prepare you for your second year?
AL: I think last year was a little bit of a struggle for me with adjusting to everything and dealing with injuries. It was nice to have that year that didn't really count towards a lot but have it be a huge learning experience. It helped when I was dealing with having more training than I was used to, learning to cope with the stress of college, and finding my routine. It was a big building block into this year.
GS: How have your teammates or coaches helped you adjust to your new role this year?
AL: This team is the best thing that has ever happened to me. We are just one big family. A lot of the older girls are a huge inspiration to me in both school and running. Everyone is so positive, and we are all working towards the same goal together; when one person is feeling down due to an injury, everyone really builds them up and helps get them back into it. My class is really close, and I think that helps. A lot of us are in the science majors, so we struggle together in classes and study together.
GS: What are some goals you have set for yourself for this outdoor season?
AL: This year has been huge in building for me. At the beginning of indoor, I never thought I would be traveling as much as I did or make the Big Ten team. I'd really like to make the Big Ten team again outdoor and just continue to build up my strength, stay healthy, and continue to PR. I also want to continue to be a positive teammate because that is a huge part of what got me back from being injured, and it is a huge aspect of our team.
GS: You mentioned that you have battled some injuries. How do you work through that?
AL: I have been dealing with injuries since my sophomore year of high school, so having a full season without injury this year has been huge. I attribute a lot of my success now with not being injured from taking more time in the training room and utilizing my resources with the trainers and our nutritionists. They all help me get on track with where I need to be, like taking my iron and what works with my iron because I have dealt with that before, too. Having a positive mindset is also important because it is really hard to overcome that and feel that you will be able to get back to where you were before. I thought, 'Maybe this it is, if I am always injured then I am never going to get passed that.' The team is also so supportive, so that helps. Seeing other people overcome injuries is an inspiration.
GS: You competed in your first Big Ten Championship this past indoor season. How do you feel about that race and what does it mean for your future here at Minnesota?
AL: I wasn't as nervous for that race because I didn't have any expectations going into it. I probably wasn't going to score, but it was a huge learning experience for me. I went in there and tried to hang with the group as long as I could. I thought it was a big jump for me being able to make moves during the race and stick with the group ahead of me. I ended up PRing, and that was because I was focused on actually racing and not about the time. This was a big step in being able to push for more in the future. Now that this is under my belt, I'd really like to look for more next year.
GS: Do you prefer running during the cross country season or track & field season?
AL: Throughout high school I always enjoyed cross country more, but now I think I enjoy track a little bit more because of the speed. From a team aspect, I love them both. Track is really fun because there is so much going on and I enjoy watching the other events, but cross country is also really cool because you are all in it together and are all in the same race. You start and finish together.
GS: Have you needed to make any changes to your training, technique, or form in college?
AL: I didn't make any big changes; it was more of focusing on the little things that are going to get you to that next step. Going to bed early, making sure I focus on my nutrition, and the training room, keeping those in mind and not letting them get pushed to the back burner with how busy things are. Making sure I am being a 24-hour athlete, not when you are just at practice, but outside of practice and on the weekends.
GS: If your coach made you participate in a field event, what would you choose?
AL: I think I would try high jump, but I am also very uncoordinated. I think it is amazing that all the girls can do the field events, but I would probably not be that great at it. Pole vault would be really cool because you can jump over stuff that is so high.
GS: What does this sport mean to you?
AL: I think running is a love-hate relationship where there are times it is really tough. It is a really mentally tough sport where you have to push out the pain and not think about certain things. My love for it comes down to the competition and being in the moment, having your hard work showing through success. There is also something very calming about running for me. When we go out for long runs, sometimes I am by myself and sometimes I am with teammates, we can talk about basically anything while we are out. It is a stress reliever when school is getting tough; it's nice to take that time to think about something totally different.
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