Megan Johnson's senior leadership helped the Lady Chieftains during the 2014 XC season. Photo by Holly Patterson.
The 2014 New Mexico Cross Country season has entered the post-season and now we wait for the Outdoor Season to begin. Until then, we wil pass the time continuing to get to know this season's Senior Class.
As noted previously, questionnaires were handed out at the Jamboree, or emailed to those who were not in attendance, and this is what we get. The Top 30 Seniors were determined from the 5K Rankings before the Jamboree, then adjusted after the Jamboree. If a kid was Top 30 before the race, they received a questionnare, if they raced themselves into the 30, then they were emailed a questionnarie after. With that, we continue our series with Shiprock Lady Chieftain senior, Megan Johnson.
NM Milesplit Top 30 Senior Profile - #10 Megan Johnson
What were your Goals for the 2014 XC Season? How did you progress toward them?
My goals included winning another state title with my team and placing lower than 18th as an individual at state. The past two years my times have been faster but I have placed 18th both years. I trained harder every week and my times went down.
What does a typical week of training look like for you? Do you Cross Train?
Typical week of training involves hills, intervals, pickups, a long run (recovery), and ending with a short 3 miler. Not usually in that order, the intervals and pickups switch every now and then.
Yes, I do Cross Train, I'll go to off season track and cross country workouts as well as running on my own and going to cross country running camps.
Describe your favorite workout and tell why it’s your favorite.
My favorite workout would probably be the Milfords loop which is a long run. I enjoy running out to the ‘boonies’ and away from the high school, as well as seeing the Shiprock rock and community. You also run by Nizhoni Elementary and Tse’ Bit’ Ai Middle School (two of the schools I attended).
How long have you been running and how did you get started?
I have been running since my 8th grade year. I never liked running distance I was a sprinter in track, I sucked at it. Then I went to high school in Wingate and played volleyball for the fall, finally transferring to Shiprock I picked up track once again but got mixed up in the distance bunch. I ran with them in practice thinking they were sprinters until the first meet when coached named our races and that’s when I found out I was running miles and 800s. The next year I was recruited by Shandiin Yesslith, a former Varsity Cross Country runner.
What is your favorite and toughest race so far?
That would either be the Farmington Totah Invite or the Twilight run located in Casa Grande, AZ. I liked the Totah run because it started off with a huge hill and the rest of it was just small dips and an aaroyo. So it went from a hard course to something simple, but everyone killed themselves in the beginning so at the second mile I was able it pass a lot of girls and they weren’t able to keep up. Casa Grande, was probably because it was at night, on a golf course, and it was a fast race. I had run my fastest time there and so running my last mile was probably the toughest because that’s when everyone picks up so I had to pick up with them, I’m just glad they couldn’t run that way for longer than half a mile.
Describe your favorite XC memory.
My favorite XC memory would probably be this year in, I think, September. It was raining for about two days off and on, so the roads and our running route was muddy. We had a recovery run that day and as we were going down Blueberry Hill I had fell and the rest of the girls came tumbling after me and by the time we got back to the school everyone had mud all over them and in their hair. It was funny because after falling down the hill we didn’t care how we looked and we just played in the mud, throwing it at each other, all the way back to the school.
Out of all your accomplishments, which one(s) stand out?
I think winning state (2012) would be one of my accomplishments that stand out.
What is your favorite subject in school?
Math! I could do math all day, there’s just something about numbers that makes me happy. While running I’ll listen for my splits and I’ll calculate what I should be running for my next mile or even the next 400.
When you’re not running, what do you like to do?
I enjoy reading (I’m currently reading ‘Unbroken’) and doing volunteer work with the Northern Dine Youth Committee (NDYC).
How have your Coaches influenced you?
My coaches: Alice Kinlichee, Brian Paniagua, and Christel Begay have influenced me by pushing me past my limits and telling me I can do it in my times of doubt, without them I don’t think I would have made it through my Cross Country seasons.
What are your plans after graduation?
My plans after high school include going to college at Northern Arizona University (NAU) and majoring in Sports and Exercise Psychology.
Fast 6
- Your favorite pre-race meal: Jimmy Dean pasta
- What shoes do you train/race in: Nike Air Pegasus 29(trainers)/Mizuno Wave Ekiden(racers)
- Favorite athlete (running or non-running): Kellilynn Zuni (Varsity Volleyball Labero) c/o 11’ from Wingate High School
- Favorite song: Through the Glass – Stone Sour
- Favorite book: Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand
- Favorite quote: “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.”
Thank you for your time Megan, and congratulations on an excellent 2014 fall season.