MileSplit - How is your fitness as you begin the 2013 season. What excites you most about the coming year of HS XC?
Taylor - I would say I'm faster than last year. I grew a lot more so I am stronger also. My team excites me the most because we are all faster than last year. Also, I'm really excited to race good schools and runners at prestigious meets like Forest Park.
MileSplit - After finishing 13th last year at Foot Locker as a frosh and running 4:49 and 10:25 this spring, what are your plans for this season?
Taylor - I have many goals and plans I want to achieve this year. I really want to lower my p.r. of 16:59. I'm looking at trying to get through both Nike and Foot Locker Midwest again so I can improve at nationals!
MileSplit - When & how did you get started in cross country?
Taylor - When I was when first grade, my mom would come into our track and run. Well, eventually she talked me into going one morning. From then I found my nitch and I have been running ever since. I wasn't intensely running every day. My sister started getting in shape for cross country before she went into seventh grade. When she was in cross country I fell in love with the racing and the atmosphere. I started running more during the summer before sixth grade and once that school year started, I was running everyday with the middle school team. From there I haven't stopped running.
MileSplit - Person/people most influential to your success in cross country and why?
Taylor - I would say my coaches have definitely had the biggest play in my success (my dad, John Boyd, Brian Jett). They spend a lot of their time for me and my teammates. I want to make them and me happy. Also my teammates make me happy everyday when I see them especially on a bad day. I'm not going to lie though, I'm a huge fan of Alyson Felix and she inspires me a lot! Also, Hannah Long (Eureka, biggest rival) makes me push everyday and I'm always thinking about her and other girls who have beaten me.
MileSplit - Who has influenced you the most so far in your life and what they mean to you and your success?
Taylor - I'm going to have to say my coaches again. I would be nothing if I didn't have them and their support. They have given me so much mentally and physically. They've been there the whole time right by my side, supporting me, helping me, and acting like my family in general. I don't ever want to let them down and that really makes me work harder also.
MileSplit - What are the keys to your successful cross country training program?
Taylor - My teammates and I are in a long distance program meaning we do pretty high mileage throughout the season rather than short mileage. Also, I work hard every workout. I go to my maximum potential unless told otherwise. When things start to hurt or I get tired, I always think of different quotes like " when the going gets tough, the tough get going". That motivates me to stay positive and keep going. Also, I work on all the little things including core, flexibility, and always stretching to make sure I don't get hurt.
MileSplit - What are the keys to your team's unity and how you train to reach your goals?
Taylor - Me and my team are pretty much connected at the hip. They're mainly the only people I hang out with during the summer and during the school year. We are all practically best friends and we learn to tolerate each other when things get difficult or aggravating. We also try and do many team bonding things like movie nights for example. We go by the quote "train together, race together, win together". We do morning recovery runs where on most days all the girls will pack run the whole course. Then in the evening, we get after it. All the girls try to stay or beat one another and in the end, it makes us all better especially when it comes to racing. I know I would never cheat, or be lazy when it comes to these girls because we all want to achieve that team goal. I feel as if I would let them down if I didn't try my hardest. And I know they are the same way so it really makes us a strong bonded team altogether.
MileSplit - Your favorite past performance in a cross country race and why?
Taylor - I'd have to say my favorite race was either Forest Park 2012 or Foot Locker Midwest 2012. It's really hard to choose between these two. Forest park just amazed me. I can't remember a time where I was more nervous for a meet. I had two girls there who I never raced in cross before that I knew would be out for a win and an amazing time. I was shooting for around a 17:30 that race. When I got really close to the finish line I surprised myself and I think many others. I had never thought I was good enough to go sub 17 in a 5k. Also that was my first 5k cross country race ever. That was my breakout meet for last year's season. Foot Locker regionals, I surprised myself too. I was looking at a list of all the girls that were going to be there and I was hoping just to get top ten so I could go to the finals. Throughout the race I was able to stay either with or really close to that front pack. I felt really good that race and I even think I had a little more in me in the end. Even though foot Locker finals wasn't a really good race for me, I'm still really glad and I feel accomplished of my second place race at the regionals.
MileSplit - Who are the cross country competitors you most enjoy competing against and why?
Taylor - I'm going to have to say Hannah Long. I first heard of her when I started eighth grade. I heard such great things about her and her abilities. I wanted to be as good as her. My eighth grade cross season was alright but it wasnt good compared as the times Hannah was running. In track, I was inspired of her eighth grade time of 5:06. When I started racing in eighth grade track I was only running about a 5:20 in the mile. After a while though I suddenly dropped many seconds off my time an was able to capture a 5:01 at the end of my season. I raced Hannah for the first time at a mile event called the festival of miles when I was in eighth grade. Even though she smoked me, I was honored that she even said hi to me! From then she pushed me every day in the back of my mind and at forest park I raced her for the second time. From then I've gotten to know her pretty well and I'm really glad I have. She is so nice and I would say out of racing were pretty good friends! Even though we're big rivals against each other I enjoy racing against her and it makes us both better. That's good because then we can represent our state throughout the nation.
MileSplit - What is your greatest non-running experience in cross country so far and why?
Taylor - I would say having such a close bonded team is the greatest non-running experience. I never feel excluded or hated with those girls and also the guys. Not many teams are that close to each other as me and my team are. It makes running more fun and enjoyable when you have a team like that.
MileSplit - What are your goals for the 2013 cross country season?
Taylor - I have many goals this season. I would really like to exceed my time of 16:59 at forest park this year. Also I want to go back to Foot Locker and Nike nationals and improve my performances from last year ( I've been thinking on how to improve running in mud at Nike!). Also me and my team want to try and win state again this year and maybe try to get through Nike Midwest.
MileSplit - Do you have any long-term goals in running?
Taylor - I for sure want to get a full ride scholarship to a D1 college that has a really good prestigious program in the long run. Other than that, I really only focus on the goals of each season.
MileSplit - What was your favorite performance from the 2013 World Champs?
Taylor - The four women rowing competition... The back rower was a graduate from Ste Gen and she also did cross country and track!
The Fun Run
What music do you rock while working out…
Taylor - I like any kind of music but usually inspiring songs like hall of fame or lose yourself
Do you like to run in the mud or the grass…
Taylor - Definitely grass! Nike nationals really surprised me cause that was the first time I had ever ran in mud. I didn't like it that much!
Do you hang out on Facebook or Twitter...
Taylor - I am on Twitter more than Facebook.
Do you like going out or chilling at home...
Taylor - Going out with friends once in a while is nice but I love resting at home more. I'm more comfortable and I usually have my best friend come over a lot and we just chill at my house or hers.
What gear is your favorite while running...
Taylor - My favorite piece of running gear is probably sports bras or spandex. They're so comfy!
Check out Taylor's MileSplit Athlete Profile...
Taylor Werner interview after the 2012 Foot Locker Championships
Foot Locker Girls Race Highlights
Werner's 2012 Breakout Run in MO
