Ella Yanni
Pine Richland
Junior

What is your favorite workout and why?
I love any fartlek or speed work. I remember one time in middle school when our coach devised this “modified Michigan workout” on the track, which involved short fartlek and tempo runs. I actually wrote it down on a notecard and brought it to the track. It ended up being one of my favorite practices. The weather was miserable—it had rained throughout the night and into practice. I remember feeling super bouncy that morning, and without thinking about it, I channeled that energy into the workout. I hit every split I had written on my (now soaked and smeared) notecard. But the most enjoyable part was running it with my teammates. I gave it everything I had on each rep, side by side with my friends, practically laughing while crossing the finish line on the last rep because we realized how hard we had pushed each other. Running with them made it so worth it.

What is the most challenging aspect of cross country for you?
I feel like a lot of people say that the “mental” part of cross country is the most challenging. However, many of those mental challenges greatly affect your body, turning into physical challenges. Similarly, a physical challenge, such as an injury, can greatly affect your mental strength. In fact, balancing the physical and mental aspects of cross country is crucial, as they work hand in hand. Last year, I struggled with an injury at the very start of the season and felt so behind while trying to get back into shape. I was constantly worrying about pushing myself hard enough without pushing myself to the point of injury. It takes time to get to know yourself and learn to listen to your body, but it is incredibly important in the long run for maintaining a balance between mental and physical health.

What is your favorite XC memory?
My favorite XC memory is from my first year at the Foundations Invitational in Hershey. Every year, we drive up the day before in the school vans, stop at Panera for lunch, do a shakeout run, drop off our stuff at the hotel, and then stop by the same Italian restaurant—it’s a tradition, the upperclassmen said as they explained the routine. It’s usually pretty early in the season, so our team wasn’t as close yet. Back at the hotel that night, we had a team pep talk—which we had never done before. The Hershey course is tough; it’s a true cross country course with rolling hills, but I feel like it was during that race when our team “clicked.” We worked together, and each of us had a great race. The moment became even sweeter when I found out my teammate, Natalie McLean, won the race. Without that bonding experience, I don’t think we would have qualified for states. We ran on that same course a month later.

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