Meet Alabama Cross Country Freshman Abby Rentschler
9/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
What brought you to Alabama?
Intitally, I was attracted to Alabama because of the academic scholarships the university offers. For an out of stater like myself, the scholarships gave me the opportunity to attend college out of state, and experience something new at a cost basically equal to what it would cost to attend an in state university. What really sealed the deal for me was my first visit to the campus and meeting with Coach Tribble. I instantly fell in love with the campus, all the facilities, and everything Coach Tribble had to say about the team. I wanted the chance to work hard and be a part of team with so much potential, spirit, and fight.
In your opinion, what is your best distance race and why?
If I were to look back at my high school career in its entirity, I would have to say the 3200 meter run was my best race. Overall, I had the most success in outdoor and indoor track during this race even during my senior year when I directed my focus towards running the 1600.
What is your favorite distance race and why?
I really enjoy the 1600-meter run for track. The race is just long enough so I have time to settle into a certain pace, but short enough where I don't get mentally exhausted. In order to do well, I believe you have to constantly be paying attention to what's going on in the race and be ready to adjust and respond accordingly. If someone moves up, you move up with them. If someone tries to move to the inside of the track in front of you, you don't let them. Racing the 1600 is almost like a game so it takes away from the actual pain of racing which is always nice.
Are you competing in any new distance races that you did not train for in high school?
Besides the cross country 5k, all the race distances will be different for me. I have never raced the 1500 meters, 5000 meters, or 10,000 meters on a track before, and I've never run a 6k for cross country. I like the mystery of not really knowing what those races will be like. It will be exciting to test myself on distances I've never encountered before. Who knows. Maybe I was born to be a 10k runner and don't even realize it yet.
If so, what has been the biggest challenge?
I haven't had to race any distances unfamiliar to me yet. I will say the overall quality of competition is much higher in college than in high school. Races start out faster and more aggressive than in high school, which kind of caught me off guard during my first race. Adjusting to the the new level of competition will probably be my biggest challenge when I really start racing more. After a couple races, I'm sure I'll be more than acclimated and ready to go.
What has been the biggest challenge in training as a collegiate athlete overall?
As a freshman collegiate athlete, my biggest challenge is being patient. It was a shock coming from my high school where I was one of the top girls leading all the workouts and controlling the pace, to coming here where I am busting my butt everyday just to keep up with the rest of the group. While it's inspiring to see all the top girls doing things in workouts I never even knew I person could do, it's frustrating to be at the bottom of the totem pole when all I want is to be accomplishing the same things as the older girls. Even with this frustration, I feel blessed to be part of this team because having the girls upfront is only going to make everyone faster and stronger. In time, as Coach Tribble reminds me weekly, I will get the results I'm literally running after; I just have to take it one day, one practice, and one rep at a time.
What has been the best part about training as a collegiate athlete?
As a collegiate athlete, there's always someone to push me. I never have to worry about whether the pace is going to be fast enough for me to improve because that takes care of itself. Everyone on the team is kind of in the same boat in the sense that everyone wants to be the best they can be. It's nice to be in an environment where everyone is giving one hundred percent for every workout because it's exactly the kind of group I want to be a part of.
How would you describe the Cross Country team's chemistry?
Everyone on the team gets along really well! Each girl has their own personality that they add to the mix which makes for interesting locker room conversations before and after practice. After long runs, we all go to a little café called Heritage House, which is always a blast since we are happy it's the end of the week, everyone is hopped up on endorphins from the run, and we all get coffee. I think this chemistry will really help when we get into the meets later in the season. Personally, I believe that when you run for a purpose greater than yourself, like your team or how Coach Water's likes to refer to it as "our family," you'll push yourself more than if you were just running for yourself.
What is your favorite part about practice?
Showering! No matter what the workout is, a tempo, fartlek, an easy run, etc., I am always drenched in sweat because of the heat and humidity. In Michigan, we had maybe two or three hot and humid days the entire summer so I would sweat, but not a ton. You don't know the meaning of the word sweat until you've done a six mile run in Alabama in August. It's the best feeling in the world to just feel clean and accomplished after finishing a run. Also, the shower normally precedes eating food which I look forward to post run as well.
If you could compete in any event, what would it be and why?
I always wanted to try pole vaulting. Pole vaulters are so strong and tough looking. Plus, the idea of pushing yourself over a bar with just a pole seems so cool. It's definitely not something just anyone can do.
What are you looking forward to most this Cross Country season?
I'm looking forward to seeing how far my team can go this season. Our coach has really been preaching to us how fast and strong our team is this year. Based on what we have been doing in practices so far, I definitely believe that he's right. I think I'm most excited to see how our team competes against our big competitors at the SEC Championships. I think it's going to be the battle of the century, but I have faith in our team. Each girl works so hard and pushes themselves in every way they can to be the best they can be. The hard work will most definitely pay off, and I can't wait to see it when it happens.
What are some of your goals for this Cross Country season?
My goals for the cross country season as a whole are the same as the goals I have each day at practice: stay focused, get stronger, and keep striving to improve my spot on the team. Eventually, I would love to be a scorer for the team and break 18 minutes for the 5k. That is only going to happen if I do the little things each day, which is what Coach Waters and Coach Tribble always say. For now, I would like to just stay motivated, keep showing improvements, and continue to develop relationships with my teammates.
What motivates you?
The potential of how good I could be is what motivates me. I always hear about runners who weren't necessarily super stars in high school and go on to become national champions or these just amazingly talented runners once they are in college. Coach Tribble does an amazing job of working with each girl and really developing them into high caliber athletes. Many of the girls on the team were good in high school, but are great now thanks to the training and extra attention they received as a college athlete. When days come where I question or doubt myself, I know I can always talk to my coach, my teammates, or my amazing support group in Michigan for some extra motivation. I can't wait to see how good I can be and how good I can help the team to be in the future. I feel like even after just a short month of training, I'm already a completely different runner than I was.
What is the greatest part about being a student-athlete for The University of Alabama?
The University of Alabama take pride in their athletes. They boast about how hard working and excellent we are, but then expect in return that you take the steps you need to in order to make that true. The University gives its athletes everything they need in order to succeed: tutors, recovery snacks, athletic coaches, top notch facilities, great gear, knowledgeable and inspiring coaches, and whatever else you could possibly need. It's truly an honor and a privilege to represent the Tide.
What are some of your hobbies outside of training?
I absolutely love cupcakes! So whenever I'm not training, you can probably find me in my dorm room watching Cupcake Wars, looking for new recipes on Pinterest, or talking to my mom on the phone about how I wish there were ovens inside the dorm rooms so I could bake whenever I wanted. In Michigan, I would bake a batch of cupcakes 1-2 times a week depending on how ambitious I was feeling. I can't wait to live in an apartment next year so I can resume my baking habits.
