Photo courtsey of the NC State Sports Information Department.
MileSplit U catches up with NC State junior Andrew Colley for a preseason update.
How did your summer training go?
My summer training went really well. At the end of my track season I was pretty banged up, so I took some time off and really eased back into training. This helped me make sure that my legs were healthy and ready to go for the upcoming season. After getting back into swing of things I got some great training out in Colorado before coming back to school to start training with the guys again.
What type of mileage did you put in over the summer?
Over the summer I took it easy in the beginning, but worked my way up to 80-90 miles at the most during the summer. Most of my miles varied from 70 to high 80's during the summer.
How excited are you about your season at NC State?
I am extremely excited about this upcoming season at N.C. State. We managed to get top ten at nationals last year and we're looking to improve on that performance for sure. I am also really excited because I have a feeling that this is going to be a break through year for me, and I cannot wait to see what I can do.
When is your first race?
Our first race is Sept. 14 at our home course in Raleigh. It is called the Adidas XC Invite, its a tune up for the bigger meets where we pack up and try and win as a group. The first race where we will get to get after it will be Sept. 28 at the Notre Dame Invitational.
What are some of your goals for this season?
I have some big goals this season. Firstly I want our team to defend our title as ACC Champions as well as individually winning as well. As a team we want to improve on last years performance and get in the single digits at nationals. Individually I would like to reach that next level of competition this year and be fighting for the win in every race that I get to race in, and come out on top of course. A main factor in that will be staying injury free the whole season, which I have not been able to do so far. That in itself is a goal as well.
What is something your fans might not know about you?
Something my fans might want to know about me is that I use Pantene Pro-V and Tresemme conditioners to tame my mane. A couple of hobbies of mine are painting and surfing as well.
Do you get pre-race jitters? If so, how do you overcome them?
I actually do not get much pre-race jitters, but the way I manage to avoid these is through acting goofy before a race to keep an open mind and avoid stress.