Fab Four On The Fast Track

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Four state champions, four distinct paths, one honest conversation about what it really takes to get faster, stay healthy, and choose the right next step. We bring Lili, McKenna, Marissa, and Piper together to go beyond highlight reels and talk through the decisions, data, and doubts that shape a young distance runner’s future. From the moment Lili knew Texas felt like home to the twist that led Marissa to Arkansas after a rough race, you’ll hear how fit, team culture, and coach trust drive recruiting choices more than logos or hype.

We dig into the science too. Lab testing isn’t just about paces on a sheet; it’s a confidence engine that turns training into targeted progress. Lili explains how winter structure fueled her spring breakout. McKenna shares how dialing iron and pacing solved mid-race fade. Piper talks about growing with the program since seventh grade and why evidence beats opinions when the pressure rises. Marissa adds the hard-won lesson of rebuilding after an unsustainable peak: sometimes you have to accept being slower today to be stronger tomorrow.

You’ll also get the fun stuff that reveals race IQ—who wins an elimination 1200, what distance flips the odds, and how each athlete would beat the others with tactics that fit their strengths. Sit-and-kick or press from the gun? Late surge or controlled suffering? Their answers show a deep understanding of strategy and self. We close with clear goals—430 in the 1500, a 3K title defense, NXN bids, dropping track times—and generous peer praise that reminds us why community moves the needle.

If you care about middle distance and distance running, recruiting decisions, training data, and the mindset behind big performances, this one’s packed with insight and heart. Subscribe, share with a teammate, and leave a review telling us which race tactic you’d choose and why.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:08):
Hey everybody, you are listening to the Accelerate
Performance Lab Podcast, hostedby Accelerate Head Performance
Coach Ben Tillis.
You are about to hear strategiesthat have helped produce many
elite middle distance anddistance runners over the last
15 years.
He shares why running successdoesn't have to be hard.
You just have to know a few keytools.
From workout strategies toimportant info on sleep and

(00:31):
nutrition, you are guaranteed tolearn something that will help
you in your running journey.
Be prepared to get faster,stronger, and better in your
racing and training.
So, as always, sit back, buckleup, enjoy the ride.
Here we go.

SPEAKER_00 (00:53):
Hey everybody, welcome back to the Accelerate
Performance Lab podcast.
All right, girls, you can laugh.
What do you think?
My podcast voice, Piper.
One out of ten.
Give me one out of ten.

SPEAKER_03 (01:03):
I think it's a ten.

SPEAKER_00 (01:06):
Lily, what do you think?

SPEAKER_03 (01:07):
Uh, I feel like nine.

SPEAKER_00 (01:09):
No, you give it a nine.
All right, McKenna.

SPEAKER_06 (01:11):
Definitely a ten.

SPEAKER_00 (01:13):
Marissa, give us the audience.

SPEAKER_06 (01:15):
I was also gonna say ten.

SPEAKER_00 (01:17):
You got a ten?
I could go with a lower voice.
I could talk at this volume, butI don't think that'll work.
I like to be right about here.
Get that nice little voicegoing.
You've got to slow down yoursentences sometimes on your
speed back up just to make surethe listener is staying tuned
in.
Piper just can't contain it backthere.
I her her like Wi-Fi is onlyhalfway decent, so it looks like

(01:39):
she sometimes shape shifts theVoldemort or something back
there on the in the middle ofher phone.
But um, so all right, everybody.
Hopefully, people, if they'relistening to this podcast,
probably know uh I don't know,what do we call you?
The Fab Four females.
I don't know.
What do you guys give me athumbs up if you like that?
You guys can be the Fab Four.

(01:59):
Yes, McKenna, maybe you give ita thumbs up.
Piper, you gave it a thumbs up.
All right, the Fab Four.
We should get you guys shirts orsomething.
This is a fun, fun crew.
You guys, all right, so I thinka lot of people don't know,
obviously, um that all four ofyou at some point or other have
ran um four accelerator testedwith us, and probably we'll have

(02:22):
some pretty good fun this thiswinter uh racing or training.
Are all of you, Piper?
Are you going to Nike?

SPEAKER_02 (02:29):
Yep.

SPEAKER_00 (02:30):
You're going, Lily, you are McKenna, you're going to
Nike.

SPEAKER_05 (02:36):
Yep.

SPEAKER_00 (02:36):
And Marissa, you're going.
For sure.
Love it.
So I'm going to bounce around alittle bit.
We'll just have a little bit offun.
I've got a few things like uhwe're gonna do a little cage
match, compare, see which one ofyou guys thinks you would win
and different things.
We'll bounce around and and uhhave a little fun with it.
So, but I'm gonna start with 1Awith Lily.
Lily, you just signed withTexas.

(02:57):
That has to be the biggest 1Asigning of a female athlete,
probably in U.S.
history for or in Iowa history,I mean.
So uh there's probably others,and I hope people chime in and
tell us other uh, but at onepoint this year, you were the
only girl on your team.
How many ended up on the team?

SPEAKER_03 (03:15):
Um we had three girls this season.

SPEAKER_00 (03:18):
So you tripled in size from when we talked before
the season.
Uh also Texas, what was yourlike final five before Texas?

SPEAKER_03 (03:29):
Um, it was the five schools that I had it down to
were Texas and then MichiganState, Missoul, Illinois,
Nebraska.

SPEAKER_00 (03:40):
Just those bum schools.
Okay, I got it.
My goodness, kiddo.
What a did you ever think whenyou first started running that
those would be five schoolsyou'd be choosing from for your
college?

SPEAKER_03 (03:51):
No.

SPEAKER_00 (03:51):
What'd you like?
What'd you like the most aboutTexas?
What tipped the scales uh to godown Longhorn State?

SPEAKER_03 (03:58):
I really liked Coach Smith and the team a lot, and
then the weather is really nicedown there.
I think training in the winteris gonna be really nice.

SPEAKER_00 (04:08):
Yeah, you've been on your own or treadmills or
whatever all winter, your wholelife.
You haven't had trainingpartners or anything.
So um, yeah, I bet that'll bedifferent.
So that's awesome.
Um, all right, everybody, theother girls, Marissa, McKenna,
Piper, on the count of three, wehave to give either horns up or
horns down if we like Lily'sdecision.
So here we go on the count ofthree.

(04:29):
One, two, three.
Piper's waiting.
Oh no.
Okay.
Piper, hold on.
Was that the DCG?
I don't know.
Or that's the Northwest, isn'tit?
Is that like the Northwest?
Don't they have like their isthat what it was?
Marissa, you got it.
Um, yeah, there's that.
There you go.
Um, I guess we'll all live withit, Lily.

(04:49):
You cool, it's like we'll youthe one requirement I have is
you've got to buy me, this istrue for everybody, you gotta
buy me some piece of gear andsend it so we can put it up in
the lab or something.
We'll we'll do something fun.
I need some Texas, I need someburn orange now.
So um, congrats, kiddo.
What are you like outside oftraining?
Most excited thing to get downthere.
Like, is there somebody athleteyou really can't wait to see?

(05:11):
Somebody you met on a recruitingvisit that's like a roommate, or
like you're just like, I have noidea.
I just can't wait to try it out.

SPEAKER_03 (05:18):
Uh I feel like I just can't wait to get down
there.
I think it's gonna be fun andexciting and a lot different
from up here.

SPEAKER_00 (05:26):
Yeah.
Uh just a little bit.
They have more than three girlson the team, I think.
So man, it's so excited for youbecause I know you've you, you
know, between Piper, Piper, howmany girls are on your team?

SPEAKER_02 (05:38):
Uh, we have like 40, 40-ish.

SPEAKER_00 (05:42):
Marissa, is that about the same?

SPEAKER_06 (05:45):
30 to 40, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (05:46):
And McKenna, how many on your team?

SPEAKER_06 (05:48):
I think we had around 11 this year.

SPEAKER_00 (05:50):
Yeah.
And that's a decent size teamfor you for Albia, right?
So Lily's like, I haven't had 11in the whole career.
Like all of them added togetheris about 11, probably, right?
Um, so McKenna, all right.
So you have some visits comingup.
Are you cool to share like whereyou're at with some of the
visits?
I had a cool talk with, I know,can I say the one I talked with

(06:13):
this week?
Just or do you want me to not?
Like Kansas State.
I had a great call with them, sothat was kind of cool.
But uh, where are you at withsome of yours?

SPEAKER_06 (06:22):
Yeah, it's definitely been quite the
experience.
Um, I've gone on most of myvisits this fall, and then I
have K-State coming up thisweekend.

SPEAKER_00 (06:29):
What any others that you want to share that you
visited?

SPEAKER_06 (06:33):
Yeah, um, I visited St.
Thomas, which is in St.
Paul, Minnesota, Iowa, IowaState, and then I have K-State
coming up.

SPEAKER_00 (06:42):
Man, that one was that one was kind of cool,
wasn't it?
K-State, they reached out alittle bit kind of on their own,
didn't they?

SPEAKER_06 (06:48):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (06:49):
Yeah.
I remember you messaged mebecause you're like, a coach is
asking for video.
What does that mean?
Like, of me running orsomething, right?
What did you first think whenthey yeah, what did what did you
first think when they askedthat?

SPEAKER_06 (07:02):
Well, I was just like video of me running, buzz.
Like, is there anything specialto this?

SPEAKER_00 (07:06):
Or do I not want them to see certain distances or
others?
Like, yeah.
What are you most excited aboutfor the visit to K-State?
What are you what's somethingthey could do that would like
wow you a little bit if there'slike a thing that you're hoping
to see?

SPEAKER_06 (07:20):
Gosh, I don't know.
Just meeting all the people'salways just been my favorite
part because I think everyone'sbeen amazing.

SPEAKER_00 (07:27):
You guys are too sweet.
You guys are too sweet.
I'm gonna make you not be assweet when we get halfway
through this.
We're gonna cage match, we'regonna get the claws out a little
bit.
So, okay, we're gonna bounce upthe next level.
This is kind of funny though,because we're gonna go to
Marissa who's 3A and Piper who's4A, but Albia used to be 1A,
right, McKenna?
A while back.
Or have they always been too?

(07:48):
No idea.
I don't remember, but they'vebeen pretty 2A for the majority.
And then Marissa, but then youhave DCG, which used to be 3A.
We got all these like smallerversions of the same thing.
So Lily's team had three, so butum, okay, Marissa, uh you're
going to some random school.
I think their colors are likered and white or something.
So what's the something likethat?

(08:09):
But you decided on uh I knowunfortunately for the Pella
people, the red and white is notgonna be the central central
Dutch, although I know you loveCoach Dunham, so that's of no,
you know, I'm sure you wouldhave loved uh just it would have
been fun to keep him around.
I'm sure I know how much youalways are like, you know, you
like him and he's always really,really positive to you.
But you're gonna go south aswell.

(08:30):
You're probably like Lily, theweather, but what are where are
you headed this fall?

SPEAKER_05 (08:35):
Next fall, I'll be headed to Arkansas.

SPEAKER_00 (08:38):
Yeah, next fall, I guess I should say.
It's we're we're the next crossseason, Arkansas.
So, and you loved Coach BarCoach Burns, but can you tell
everybody the funny story ofmeeting Coach each one of you
actually?
I think other than Piper metCoach Burns, maybe.
I don't remember if McKenna didor not, but funny story.

SPEAKER_05 (08:55):
It was at their Arkansas indoor meet, and he was
actually talking to Lily, Ithink it was after our mile, I
think was the first race we had.
And I just ate crap that race.
It was terrible.
And but you had told me that hewas gonna be there and I should
meet him, and I had already I'dbeen on a visit and I'd been

(09:15):
talking to a lot of coaches thatfall, so I was kind of like a
visit, but not a visit toArkansas.

SPEAKER_00 (09:20):
You'd been on visits.

SPEAKER_05 (09:21):
Yeah, I went to NAU like two weekends before, so I
was like already kind of farinto my far into my recruiting
process and like had my list ofschools and such.
But you wanted really wanted meto talk to him, so I did that,
had some calls with him, said Iwould go on a visit, and then
ultimately ended up picking it.
So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
Yeah, it was kind of funny because you were just in
the worst mood, and I had to saywhat?
Do it for who?

SPEAKER_05 (09:47):
You said just do me this one favor.
I was like, whatever, I'm notgonna come here.
So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (09:53):
Just do me a favor.
I already told him you would betalking to him, so get your butt
over here and talk to him.
Lily, you liked him though too.
He was pretty nice, wasn't he?
Yeah.
When I asked you, did you knowwhen I reached out like a few
weeks ago and I was like, Whereare you at?
was because he'd actuallymessaged me.
We were talking about you again,too.
And he's like, Oh, I'm stillthat girl is still so super
good.
He's like, I know I could cut,I've got this freshman that's

(10:14):
coming in from, I think it wascalled like Pella, that he could
he said he could cut her andchoose you instead, was what he
said.
So, and I was like, I don'tknow, we'll see.
But um, but yeah, so that youknow, so we've got SEC, a little
bit of SEC like beef now.
So we gotta have we got what'sArkansas, so we have hook'em
horns, but what's Arkansas'sthing?

(10:35):
What is it?
So how is that?
Does it cross over?

SPEAKER_05 (10:39):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (10:40):
Is it an A or is there more to it?

SPEAKER_05 (10:43):
Like it's an A.

SPEAKER_00 (10:44):
It's just an A.
There's no like razor backhidden in there anywhere.
So okay, on the count of three,we've gotta give her like
either, I guess it's okay.
Either woo pig suey or boo pigsuey.
Piper, what do you think?

SPEAKER_02 (10:58):
Whoopig suey.

SPEAKER_00 (11:00):
Lily, it's gonna be your competition.

SPEAKER_06 (11:03):
I think woopig.

SPEAKER_00 (11:06):
Alright, fine.

SPEAKER_06 (11:07):
Whoopig.
Definitely woo pig.

SPEAKER_00 (11:09):
Definitely woopig.
Get ready, Marissa, because ifyou guys win a title, what do
you have to do?
Whoa.

SPEAKER_05 (11:18):
Don't worry, we've done plenty of that.
We went to a couple footballgames and there you go.

SPEAKER_00 (11:23):
Nonstop.
You gotta call the hogs.
You gotta call the hogs tosomething.
So, all right, so we got allthat.
Meanwhile, there's Piper overthere who's like, I think I
heard from like, you know, uhLake of the Ozarks College, but
Piper, where you you're you'vegot an extra year, so you're
just waiting to see how this allgoes for them before you decide.

(11:44):
But anybody reach out sincestate?
I know people saw yourperformance because they've all
been bugging me, you know, orwhatever.

SPEAKER_02 (11:50):
So yeah, I've had a few um like a few different
schools reach out.
I have a busy week of calls.

SPEAKER_00 (12:00):
I bet.
What what advice do you wantfrom these girls?
Like if you could get one eachof them to give you something,
like what would you want toknow?
Like what you should ask, orsomething like that.

SPEAKER_02 (12:12):
Or what That's a hard question.
Honestly, just like what theythought the most important part
was when deciding where theywanted to go.

SPEAKER_00 (12:21):
What would you say to that, Lily?

SPEAKER_03 (12:24):
I think it was kind of just like a feeling.
Like for me, I got to Austin andit just kind of like felt right
being with the coaches and withthe team and the atmosphere down
there.

SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
What about you, McKenna?

SPEAKER_06 (12:39):
Yeah, just getting to know everyone and seeing if
you can see yourself like fit inthere.

SPEAKER_05 (12:46):
Yeah, I agree with Lily about the feeling.
Like now that I've chosen it, Idon't see a better fit.
But also the biggest thing forme was my recruiting class.
Like you're gonna spend they'reliterally gonna become your
family, like you're gonna beliving with them.
So you have to really like thosegirls, and that's probably the
biggest thing for me was Ireally liked my recruiting
class, as well as the coach,obviously.
But yeah.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (13:07):
And it is in this new age, they're gonna, if you
go to the school at the quality,you probably will be looking at
Piper, they're only recruitingseven or eight, right?
Like it's kind of they will tellyou, well, we're also recruiting
these four or five, like, youknow, so you can kind of get to
know them a little bit, try tofind a recruiting date that
lines up.
And um, you know, because likeMarissa, you really like, is it

(13:30):
Ryan?

SPEAKER_05 (13:31):
Yeah, Ryan, Gabby, and Braylon.

SPEAKER_00 (13:33):
Yeah, Ryan, Gabby, and Braylon that that you've
met.
So that helps a lot.
You already know Peyton and youliked you like Olivia, you know,
and and you know, obviously, andyou've met Bradley down there
and like that whole crew.
So, like, that's obviously agreat start to know them.
But Piper, what do you think?
If you could go, if you couldwave a magic wand and have one
coach reach out to you, though,who would it be?
Is there a school that we cantry to help connect some dots?

(13:56):
Is there one that's like, man, Ijust really wish they would.

SPEAKER_02 (14:01):
There's not one that's like top of my list that
hasn't reached out.
I feel like it's just whoever Italk to, and I feel like whoever
fits, like they said.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (14:12):
All right.
Well, we I've got to get a newflag on the wall, though.
So I've got to find a schoolthat we don't have anybody at
yet, right?
So we got that's what I gottado.
That's it's all about the flagson the wall, right?
So, all right.
So people probably don't allknow this, although they
probably are figuring it outnow.
But all four of you have doneaccelerate.
And obviously, I'm very proud ofthat, right?
And there's no, I mean, we coulddance around it a million times,

(14:35):
right?
People have different thoughtson we got four different schools
represented here, and like whatrunning in high school should be
like, or whether or not youshould, but I think each of you
would say like the experience isextremely different for each of
you of what you need or do.
So, like if we bounced aroundthe group a little bit, Lily,

(14:56):
what would you say is likewithout it, what would your
running journey be like?

SPEAKER_03 (15:01):
Um, I think that it really, really helped me over
the winter.
Um, because like my um myfreshman year, I didn't really
do a ton of running during thewinter because I was playing
basketball.
And then my sophomore year Ididn't anymore and just kind of
tried to do some running on myown, but I didn't really know

(15:21):
what to do.
And so then last year when wecame in and tested um and then
started doing it, I thought itreally, really helped my spring
season.
Like I could see bigimprovements and it was just
really nice having somethinglike structured throughout the
winter that like wasspecifically designed for me

(15:43):
based off like numbers that we'dgotten in the lab.
And yeah, I thought it wasreally nice.

SPEAKER_00 (15:49):
Were you able to tell pretty quick that the
numbers actually kind of matchedup with what you thought?
Like, I think that's alwayssomething that is hard for
people is like, oh, isn't itjust a plan?
Right?
They're like, Well, Ben ha hegives these workouts, but like,
what do you what did you seewhen you came in that was like
you knew you were coming, youdidn't really know what to
expect.
But like you said, you gotworkouts, but what made you that

(16:10):
confidence level that it waslike, oh yeah, they are for me?

SPEAKER_03 (16:15):
I think it was just like um like looking at like the
pacing and everything on theworkouts, like it I knew it
matched up with what we'd donein the lab, and then we were
just like you know it's matchingup when you go back in and get
retested, like because I wentback like right before the
spring season and got testedagain, and everything was like

(16:38):
improving or nothing had gottenworse or anything, so you could
tell that it was helping.

SPEAKER_00 (16:44):
Gives you a lot of confidence then, right?
Like, um, I'd say this, andmaybe you guys would say thumbs
up or thumbs down to this, andthen you probably yes, yes,
yeses or whatever too.
But and I know, look, anybodythat's listening's like, yeah, I
mean, we're on the podcast,you're not gonna say no.
But I've said it before that Ithink being in accelerate, even
without the like performanceaspect, but just knowing the

(17:07):
data is worth like a second alap in a race, like just the
confidence you take.
I'm seeing some nods, right?
Like, you're like, Oh, I can runthat time.
If Ben says I can run this time,I can run that time.
Does that mean you've always runthose times?
No, but you guys have you'rewilling to take more chances,
right?
You know what I mean?
Like you're just you take morechances because, like, hey,
that's in there.

(17:28):
Um, what's your favorite Lily?
What's your favorite one memoryof like a kid and like a thing?
You've gotten to join the group.
I remember the first time youcame, one of my favorites is
Northwest.
Like one of the first meets, andit was like, this is Lily
Denton, and it's like, and meetNoelle Steinis and meet, and it
was like, you guys, everyone isso scared of you, and you guys
are like, We're just here torun.
I don't know.
Like, what what's one of yourmemories of sort of like trying

(17:51):
to like figure out theaccelerate?
Like, oh, there's otherathletes, and I actually have to
meet some of them and likefigure this out.

SPEAKER_03 (17:58):
Yeah, I just remember like going to the first
meet that I ran in and thinkingit was just like weird having
every like because they were allhigh-level athletes that like
you hear about across the state.
And since like down in SouthwestIowa, I don't really see any of
them that often.
So it was like weird seeingeverybody in one spot.

SPEAKER_00 (18:18):
Yeah, all wearing the same uniform, or else they
didn't order the nice one typething.
So, like they all the random onethat you had, I think, Lily.
Did you have the red and white?
Just the random one.
Yeah, right.
So, um, and then you don't knowwhat to expect, and you guys
line up.
And I think I just walked overand said, Lily, don't go out too
fast this time on the first one.
I think, didn't I?
I made you go out behind Alyssa,maybe, if it was Alyssa who led.

(18:40):
And then I was like, then youcan go be Lily.
And then I let you be Lily inthe mile, right?
So, but I but that was like thefirst time I'd ever talked to
you at a race.
I think McKenna, the same withyou, right?
I was like, just get in line.
All right, McKenna.
You you kind of got uh yeah, youwere a stud.
You came in, you'd been secondin cross, obviously been third
in cross, like you had all theseaccolades before.

(19:01):
What led you to coming in?

SPEAKER_06 (19:03):
Yeah, I mean, I had a really good like coaches to
help me out when I first startedrunning my freshman year.
And like I just think throughoutthe four years, I kept adding
resources and like I knew youguys like had like all the labs
and all like the numbers andscience behind it.
So I just went and got testedand I really liked how that
went, and it's been a huge helpstarting with accelerate.

SPEAKER_00 (19:25):
Okay, so you say it was a huge help starting.
How awful were the first likefour months?
Oh, it was tough.
Yeah.
Share with people, like I thinksometimes people think like it's
accelerate the magic orsomething, right?
You'll little pixie dust, thenit's like you'll run, like some
kids come in, I think theirparents or families think
they'll give it a month or two,right?

(19:47):
You're like, oh, oh, but youhave no idea the things that
will go wrong along the way.
What, but like, how did thatkind of go?
Why and but then like what doyou think led to also like maybe
where the resources come in thatthen can maybe answer some
questions that you'd alwayshave?

SPEAKER_06 (20:05):
Like my iron?

SPEAKER_00 (20:06):
Yeah, because like, yeah, that's the bit like that's
the yeah, the the thing, right?

SPEAKER_06 (20:11):
Yeah, um, I had some bumps in the road, and like you
helped me figure that out.
And then like when we gottested, you like pointed some
things out.
And I mean, some of it went overmy head, but some of it was like
connecting the dots, like, oh,this is why this feels that way,
or this is why I die out in themiddle of the race or whatnot.

SPEAKER_00 (20:26):
And how does that help you?
Why don't you share?
Like, I know it helps in likeour confidence.
McKenna, people ask me what Itell you guys before races, like
strategy and things like that.
I always laugh because I'm like,did I I don't know if I talked
to any of you about strategybefore, or if even Lily, I think
I said good luck, you know, toyou before your race or
something, maybe texted.
But McKenna, what was I had thelongest call with you, and I

(20:49):
don't think we talked strategyat all, did we?
What did I what did we talkabout?

SPEAKER_06 (20:53):
No, it was mainly just a big confidence boost
about all the training we putin.
And I mean, you're just gonna goout there and run your race.

SPEAKER_00 (21:02):
You're you you kind of had a very roundabout, you
know, different ways of sort oflike getting to accelerate um
through other athletes andwhatever, but I've known you now
for about two and a half years.
Like, what's your your take onwhat it's been like for you?

SPEAKER_05 (21:18):
Yeah, so I first tested track after track my
freshman year.
I was like good by no reasonfreshman year, other than I
don't know, I was just good fromrunning.
I didn't really do anythingspecial.
But I finished like second inthe 1500 at state, and my
parents were like, I guess we'lllet you go test because I had
friends that did accelerate.

(21:38):
And then I trained through likesophomore year through the
summer, but it was like there'slike tears to the training, and
it was just like I got like thebasic training plan and like
never really came up, and thenkind of did that through
sophomore year, and then beforejunior year we decided to step
it up a little bit and had moreof like a detailed training
plan, but I didn't really comeup.
I think I came up once a weekand trained in the lab, which

(22:00):
was new, and then I had a reallygood junior year, obviously, and
then kind of through the winterswhen we started like kind of
stepping into more of arelationship and like working
through working through I wasgoing not wrong, but just like
how to work through my currentsituation.
So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (22:17):
Yeah, so what would you say like when because we we
get that a lot or other athleteshear it, right?
I think because for you guys, Ithink you feel like, man, I wish
other people would think of itdifferently than they think of
it sometimes, right?
The people that love it, great,that's fine, that's who we're
here for, right?
But when you hear somebody thatmaybe is like interested, but
they have just a really likestrange view.
One of it is like, what if yougo and you get hurt or you go on

(22:39):
this?
It's gonna happen, isn't it?
Sometimes, right?
But like Marissa, obviously,like you had the phenomenal
junior year, you're with us alittle bit, you're with your
team, you'd always been doingthat, that's all great.
Like the honest question wouldbe like, why stay if you're
like, aren't you just slower andright now and not as good?
And why?
Like, what would you possiblyhow is this helping you?

(23:00):
Like, that's probably a fairquestion, right?
Like, that's a question anybodyshould answer.
Like, maybe share what that hadlike why you look at this as
maybe different than just yourperformance outcome, you know?

SPEAKER_05 (23:13):
From the outside, it may seem that I'm not as strong
or as fast as I was last year,but kind of had to do some we
and I knew this all last season,but to do some reevaluating
about the position I was inafter last season, kind of, and
this is a rabbit hole I can goway down, but that's probably
not the time and place for now.
But the overview yeah, yeah.

(23:33):
The overview is a very goodthing.
And I feel like what wenormalize as healthy now is so
not healthy, and it wasn't whereI intentionally went last year,
it's just what happened, andkind of that's the card I was
dealt with.
But I think the hardest part ofcoming back from that is you're
gonna be slower for a littlebit, and that's kind of what
happened with track, and thatwas really hard for me to kind

(23:54):
of work through.
And you know, it still came outon top.
I'm not gonna say I ran slowduring track, but it wasn't
anywhere where like I haddreamed that fall.
So then kind of working back,it's yeah, I'm not running as
fast as times I did last year,but my relationship with you and
with like my other teammates,um, I accelerate is kind of it's

(24:15):
more of a place of comfort wherelike we're getting better every
week.
And I can see that through whenI come to the lab and compare
workout to workout and can justsee like through my mental
shifts or in physical shifts,like that I am getting stronger
each week to week and workingback to where I know I can be.

SPEAKER_00 (24:32):
Yeah, I'm gonna put this out there for people too.
Like on social media, if you'reinterested in Marissa, maybe
doing a longer form podcast onsome of the things you've felt
because you've heard it allyear, is like, what's wrong?
What's wrong?
What's wrong?
And you're like, that questionactually was probably the one
for last year.
We just didn't know it yet,right?

(24:52):
What do you think, Piper?
What's your take on?
Yeah, talk a little bit aboutthat.
You've had a lot of journey.
Everybody knows you as thelittle, like, you know, 60-pound
freshman that was this thepocket, pocket piper.
Could we call you that likepocket piper?
I don't know.
Like, that's uh we'll come upwith something like pint size
piper.
Um, but like you're not anymore.

(25:14):
You're pretty, you're pretty,you're pretty chiseled, and
you've always been that, butlike your journey, yeah, you're
a champ.
I'm I've known you since likeseventh grade.
And like what would you share inthat regard around like how you
have amazing staff and coachesin school?
And like what though you'vealways been like, no, I still
care about Ben and when I canspeaking, you know, positively

(25:36):
around this other resource wehave.
Like, what what do you thinkabout that and how has that kind
of shaped you a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 (25:42):
Yeah, so I've been working with you and Accelerate
since like the beginning ofseventh grade, and so it's been
a long time.
And just like the thing I'vecome back to, even when like
other people around me haven'tthought so positively about it,
is like it's you've seen so muchsuccess with other people, and
it's also just based aroundscience, which I mean you can't

(26:04):
argue with that, and then it'salso had so much success for me.
Like I was good in middleschool, but it was something
that just helped me get to thatnext level, and it's just
something that has worked forme.
And why would I not utilizethat?

SPEAKER_00 (26:20):
All right, uh enough talking about what it's good.
There's a lot of funny thingsyou guys have about me, I'm
sure.
So when you hear probably thingsthat it's like super serious or
the workout yeah, or whatever,you guys probably laugh.
So what do you think, Piper?

SPEAKER_02 (26:34):
Wait, so like one that you have actually done is
you just like dressing up andmaking TikToks, like it's just
hilarious.
And that is just a wholedifferent side to you, and that
is just awesome.
But then, like one that likepeople say is that you just like
run people into the ground,which just isn't true at all.

(26:54):
It's really up to like theathlete and you just work with
whoever it is, however that maybe.

SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
All right, Lily.
Come on, you gotta.
I know I don't see you don't getto see me as much or whatever,
but I know you've got somethingthat maybe you'd be like, you've
never it's okay.
You gotta let me have it herebecause I picked on you earlier
when you first came and I waslike, oh my gosh, Lily, smile
and say hi to these other girls.
I promise you can stand fivefeet away from mom and dad.
They you'll be fine.

(27:21):
Now make fun of me.
Like, what's one thing you'veheard that's you're like that,
there's no like you guys have noclue that's ridiculous.
And one that's like, oh guys,you have to hear this about Ben.

SPEAKER_03 (27:31):
I feel like um there's not a lot there since
I'm not up there all the time,but I just remember like walking
into it and thinking that likeit was gonna be like so serious
just because like I knew likethe results and everything were
good.
So I was like, this is gonnaprobably be like the most
serious thing I've ever walkedinto.
And then it was like probablythe most laid back thing ever.

(27:54):
Yeah, just like it was so laidback and chill, and everybody
was like having fun and you'remaking jokes, and it was just
like it wasn't at all what Iexpected it to be.

SPEAKER_00 (28:05):
Did you feel that helped you?
Feel like it could be somethingfor you?

SPEAKER_03 (28:08):
Yeah, I feel like it did just because like it made me
more comfortable like going inand doing the meets during the
winter and everything, justbecause I didn't know the girls
as well.
And knowing that it was gonna bea more like laid-back
environment made it easier.

SPEAKER_00 (28:24):
Cause I here's what I know, and you guys know this
about me.
I know you're gonna run as hardas you can.
So what am I gonna say?
Right?
Like, I don't need to like driveyou guys to performances that
you guys have already pushedyourselves to the limits to do,
right?
It's I always try to say justopen up some doors.
All right, make fun of me, Lily.
What's something you're like, ohmy gosh, this dude, like, like
there's no way, like you guysgotta know.

SPEAKER_03 (28:47):
I feel like the like Piper said the TikToks, I seen a
couple of them and I didn't knowthat you did that.
I was like, I was very when Ifirst started.

SPEAKER_00 (28:58):
The time when they made me when I had to wear the
jeans like up to here orsomething, I think I lost a bet.
And uh yeah, that was there'salways something.
Hey, you gotta remember, Itaught middle school and was a
music teacher for a long time.
So um, the middle school side ofme, you know, or whatever, you
gotta have that.
Like, this sport is silly.
We're running in circles.

(29:19):
Like, if the when the alienscome down, they're gonna be
like, they're they've lost likethis is some advanced race.
They literally are just they'relike a top.
These people are the smartestones.
You guys are each, which ones inhere are like at least like are
at a 4-0 or higher, or all fourof you?
4-0, 4-0, 4-0.
Yeah, right.

(29:39):
The aliens are gonna come downand be like, Who's the smart
ones?
They'll be like those girls overthere, and you're running around
in a circle, right?
Like, how serious can we takethis for crying out loud?
Yeah, take take a chill pill.
We we take our work seriously,but man, this like gotta have
some fun doing it.
Um, all right, so it sounds likeI gotta do more TikToks though,
then.
It sounds like we gotta get uhthis is.

(30:00):
Bad news for me because itsounds like at meets or
something, you guys might bemaking me uh have to put on my
dancing shoes again.
All right, McKenna, what's up?

SPEAKER_06 (30:07):
Yeah, I have to agree with Lily.
I mean, I don't have a lot ofin-person interaction with you
guys, but like when I first cameto Northwest Missouri State
Meet, like it was just like sonerve-wracking, and then it was
just like so relaxed, and youguys were so silly, and
especially Ben, like he's agoofball, and you want to expect
it.

SPEAKER_00 (30:24):
So is it because when you don't expect, is it
because of the the businessbeing what it is?
Or is there also like I don'talways know the outside
conversation?
Like I get bits and pieces, andyou know you get the polar
extremes.
So you know it's not that much,like those are the extremes,
right?
But like what would make youthink that it was gonna be that

(30:44):
serious?
Was it like Lily, like theresults, or were you had you
heard like, oh no, this guy'sgonna make you work?

SPEAKER_06 (30:50):
No, yeah, just because there's like fast
runners, so it's gonna be likeall business, but I also think
there can be a bag bad stigmaaround it, like he's gonna
overwork you or like stuff likethat, but that's not the case at
all.

SPEAKER_00 (31:02):
Lily, what were you gonna say?

SPEAKER_03 (31:03):
I think it was just like seeing the results.
Like I thought it was gonna bethis super serious thing, and it
really wasn't all that bad.

SPEAKER_00 (31:12):
Yeah.
Life's not worth chasing thesehuge goals if it's gonna be that
nerve-wracking, right?
I all right, here we go.
So we're gonna I could, youknow, I could talk to you guys
forever, like have fun.
We're gonna have some awesomemeets this winter.
We're gonna go for some crazytimes, do some, you know, and
obviously having four statechamps um out of four classes is

(31:33):
gonna make it a lot of fun towatch you guys go toe-to-toe at
these meets when you guys getafter it.
It'll be a lot of fun, even thisweekend.
But all right, we're gonna gocage match style.
Um, I'm gonna pick a person, andthen each person has, or two
people, and then each the restof you have to decide.
You two get to say who youthink, and then the other two

(31:53):
will be the tiebreakers aroundwho would do it.
So, okay, Piper versus Lily.
First to eat five hot dogs.
Piper, do you think it'd be youor Lily?

SPEAKER_02 (32:06):
I feel like I could win that.
I I think I got it.

SPEAKER_00 (32:10):
Lily, what do you think?

SPEAKER_03 (32:11):
I think, I think Piper's got a side.
I don't like hot dogs.

SPEAKER_00 (32:16):
No, no hot dogs?
No.
Okay, who would which one whowould okay, McKenna, would you
beat Piper?
Probably not.
You're going with no?
Marissa, what do you think?
Would you beat Piper?
Or does she get to meet Pipe?

SPEAKER_05 (32:28):
No, I don't like hot dogs, so she can have the five
hot dogs.

SPEAKER_00 (32:32):
Okay, so Lily, what would you out-eat Piper in then?
So Piper's the hot dog, she'sthe five hot dogs.
What would you be like?
Come on, like this is what noone will ever out-eat me in.
Come on, Lily, but this isterrible radio.

SPEAKER_03 (32:46):
Maybe like pizza or something.

SPEAKER_00 (32:48):
What type of pizza?
Like deep dish, thin crust,meat, cheese?

SPEAKER_03 (32:52):
Uh, just like a good like Casey's pizza.

SPEAKER_00 (32:56):
Okay, who could beat Lily and Casey's pizza?
Anyone like, yes, I'm theCasey's Pizza champ.
No, Piper says no, she's hotdogs.
McKenna, would you do Casey'spizza?

SPEAKER_06 (33:05):
No, that's the only pizza we have in LBS, so I'm
tired of that.

SPEAKER_00 (33:08):
You're tired of that?
Marissa, what do you think?

SPEAKER_06 (33:10):
Yeah, I'm not a big fan either.

SPEAKER_00 (33:12):
Okay, so Lily, so it's pizza for Lily, it's hot
dogs for Piper.
McKenna, what are you like?
There's zero chance.
Like, I would bet my entire lifethat I would out-eat everybody
in this.

SPEAKER_06 (33:23):
Um can I go Domino's pizza?

SPEAKER_00 (33:27):
Domino's?
Why Domino's pizza?
Just because it's different thanthe Casey's?

SPEAKER_06 (33:32):
Yeah, their thin crust is so good.

SPEAKER_00 (33:34):
Their thin crust is so good.
What's your style?
What's your flavor?

SPEAKER_06 (33:38):
Flavor?

SPEAKER_00 (33:40):
Like on the pizza, I guess.
Sorry, toppings.
Pepperoni.
Why did I say flavor?
That's like what are yourtoppings?
Pepperoni.
What flavor of pizza?
What kind of weird question?
I need a I need my ownmoderator.
This is not worth it.
Marissa, uh, did you guys votetoday, by the way?
Who's 18?

SPEAKER_05 (33:57):
I'm 17.

SPEAKER_00 (33:59):
17.
McKenna, can you vote?

SPEAKER_03 (34:01):
No.

SPEAKER_00 (34:02):
No, Lily.

SPEAKER_03 (34:03):
Lily's like, I don't I think yeah, I should be able
to send 18, but I didn't.

SPEAKER_00 (34:10):
Didn't.
There's it's a weird election.
Like this is kind of one ofthose weird midterms.
Piper, you're you're like 13 anda half, so we're good.
Okay.
All right, Marissa.
What would you oh okay, sonobody anybody else even trying
to take on McKenna with Domino'spizza?

SPEAKER_05 (34:25):
No, I'm trying.

SPEAKER_00 (34:27):
What would you say?

SPEAKER_05 (34:29):
I'll take Hawaiian bagels.

SPEAKER_00 (34:31):
What now?
I feel like you said Hawaiianbagels, but that can't possibly
be what you said.

SPEAKER_05 (34:36):
Nope, fair thing.

SPEAKER_00 (34:38):
Raise your hand if you're not sure what Hawaiian
bagels are.
It's just me.
Okay, you gotta explain thisbetter.
Hawaiian bread, like Hawaiian,like King's Hawaiian, like
King's Hawaiian roll.

SPEAKER_05 (34:50):
But it's a in a bagel.
Like it's a bagel that'sflavored.
So they're like sweeter.

SPEAKER_00 (34:54):
King's Hawaiian bagel.
So like a sweet bagel.
Do you put anything on it?

SPEAKER_05 (34:57):
Peanut butter and honey.
Or you can eat it with anything.

SPEAKER_00 (35:01):
You could out-eat everybody with the King's
Hawaiian bagel.

SPEAKER_05 (35:03):
I think I've eaten one day.
I think I ate three or four ofthem.
It was like Drake.
It's like the only thing I eatwhen I race.
Because like I've just alwayseaten them.
It was like one, it was Drake'ssophomore year, and it kept
getting delayed.
So we were just eating bagelsbecause we had no idea.
Yeah, the 1500.
And I ran like 431 or something,430.
So like obviously they work.

SPEAKER_00 (35:23):
Who was all in that race?
Were each of you in that race?

SPEAKER_05 (35:26):
Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 (35:27):
Yeah.
King's Hawaiian bagels.
There's the first one for King'sHawaiian bagels.
So, all right, let's let's pickon a few accelerate people that
aren't here though.
All right, Piper.
Like, if you go into Accelerate,who's the person that you're
like, oh my gosh, no way they'rehere today.
Like, this is this ridiculous.
Who's just in there all the timethat you're like, this is so
silly?

(35:48):
Like they must live here typething.

SPEAKER_02 (35:51):
Well, I remember like three years ago, Caleb was
hanging out with you all daywhen I came into test.
So I'd probably say him.

SPEAKER_00 (36:00):
Caleb was just there.
Yeah, he was just there.
Oh, you're Lily, you're not inthere a lot.
So you I don't know.
Do you have any would you evenhave a thought?

SPEAKER_03 (36:09):
No.

SPEAKER_00 (36:10):
Mecana, would you have a thought?

SPEAKER_06 (36:12):
Um, well, she's probably not there anymore, but
like when I would always come totest, it was Claire.

SPEAKER_00 (36:17):
Marissa, what were you gonna say?

SPEAKER_05 (36:19):
I was gonna say, when I was up there with the
winter and spring, I was like,how is Claire still here?
She would have like her lunch,her dinner.

SPEAKER_04 (36:26):
I'm like, you don't live she loved that lab so much.
She would have like a blanket onthe treadmill.
I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 (36:35):
I know.
What you know, it's she it uh,you know, Claire, Claire grows
on you like a like a like along-growing mole, I guess, you
know.

SPEAKER_05 (36:43):
But every time she wasn't there, I was like,
where's Claire?

SPEAKER_00 (36:46):
But if you've ever gotten a note, if you've ever
gotten a note from her, isn'tshe just like the most
encouraging human?

SPEAKER_04 (36:53):
She's got a big heart.

SPEAKER_00 (36:55):
Yeah, she's totally psycho.
Like we can all agree, like thatshe's totally psycho, but but
she's our we she's our psycho,right?
She's our psycho.
So I hope she's having fun atNebraska.
But yeah, the the she came backthe first week, too.
The like the first weekend wewere in there for class.
I was like, dear lord, go enjoyLincoln.
We'll all be fine.
Um, but Piper's just over therelaughing because she's like, oh

(37:18):
no, she's she knows she's gonnabe in there more, but it's like
when winter hits, you guys knowwho's gonna be wandering in
there over break.
So um, okay, all right.
I gotta like legit, legit,legit.
Who would win in a straight?
I'm gonna pick a weird distancefor you guys.
Uh a straight 1200, like threelaps.

(37:39):
Who's fourth?
Like, better idea.
We're doing a dropout race, anelimination race.
Better idea.
That's where at each lap,whoever's last is out.
Okay, whoever's last is out.

SPEAKER_05 (37:51):
I'm lost first.

SPEAKER_00 (37:53):
Marissa just does anybody not agree with that.
Marissa would be, is anybodychoosing?
I think I might even make itthrough the first 400 before
Marissa.
It's possible that I could hey Iran 15 miles an hour for for 10
seconds on the treadmill.
Okay, so all right, so everyoneclose their so Marissa's out

(38:14):
first.
We know this.
So, okay, so now we've got threespots left.
Um, we're gonna hold up,everybody close your eyes.
Piper's number one, Lily's two,and McKenna's three.
Close your eyes, close youreyes, close your eyes.
I won't say who votes for who,but go ahead and hold up the
finger of who's out next.
And you can knock yourself out,or you can be like, McKenna, I

(38:35):
can't see your fingers.
Turn your fingers.
Is that okay?
Oh my gosh.
So, McKenna, you wereunanimously chosen, even after I
just said that no one would pickwho it was.
McKenna, you're out.
Sorry, no good.
So it was too obvious though,McKenna.
You chose yourself too.
So fair enough.
Okay, so now we're down to Piperand Lily.

(38:55):
Um, Piper and Lily, we we'redown to we're on a third lap.
So 800 meters are in the bag.
You guys have dropped Marissa,dropped McKenna, and now there's
just one lap to go.
Uh which one of you is gonna winthis and why?
And then I'm gonna ask McKenna.
Well, first let's ask Marissawhy, why, who will win it and

(39:15):
why?

SPEAKER_05 (39:17):
This is a hard choice because I had personally
experienced this with Piper, butLily has insane 400 speed, so I
don't know.
I don't know if I can pick.

SPEAKER_00 (39:29):
Pick one, cage mat, bring the claws out, then
they'll hate you forever, butyou just gotta do it.

SPEAKER_05 (39:37):
I have to go with Lily.
I feel like she's got just likeinsane 400 speed.

SPEAKER_00 (39:41):
McKenna, what do you think?
You gotta pick.
You have to pick.

SPEAKER_06 (39:43):
I have to agree.
I mean, you guys are bothinsanely fast, but I feel like
Lily's got like four and eighthundred speed for sure.

SPEAKER_00 (39:51):
Okay.
Lily, before you get to answer,Piper, are you gonna tell is
this true?

SPEAKER_02 (39:58):
Yes.
Lily's got better photo speedthan I do.

SPEAKER_00 (40:02):
Alright, Lily, would you be like, yeah, I know I got
this one in the bag?

SPEAKER_03 (40:06):
I mean, I was gonna say, like, Piper, you have a
good third lap.
Like, I remember the 1500 atDrake, like you there at the
third lap.
That was I remember you beingthere.
It's like I would have said you.

SPEAKER_00 (40:21):
But no, come on.
If you had to put$100 down andif you want it, you get a
thousand back, would you pickyourself?

SPEAKER_03 (40:28):
Maybe.
I feel like running the 800helps.

SPEAKER_00 (40:31):
That helped a little.
Yeah, exactly.
It helps a little bit.
So okay, Marissa, how far wouldyou have to run before you'd
beat the other three?

SPEAKER_04 (40:40):
5K.

SPEAKER_00 (40:42):
Is 5k the shortest it would have to be before you'd
feel good about where you'd beyou'd win?

SPEAKER_05 (40:47):
I can maybe maybe two mile would be close, but I
get better as the distance gets.

SPEAKER_00 (40:54):
Okay, who thinks that would you would take her
on?
We'll go down to two mile.
Anybody able to take her on attwo mile that you feel like no,
I I'm not taking that from her.
You can be honest.
Tana's like, nah, I don't thinkI get her still at two.
Lily, could you get her at3,000?
Do you think?
I know you did once in thespring and she's gotten you some

(41:15):
dates.

SPEAKER_03 (41:16):
It might be close, but I feel like she'd still have
me at the end.

SPEAKER_00 (41:19):
The 3K.
Right now, like her fitness hasgotten good enough now.
Piper, what do you think?

SPEAKER_02 (41:26):
I think she's I think she could get me.
Like in track, we were reallyback and forth, but I think
she's got me now.

SPEAKER_00 (41:32):
Okay, so then what distance, Piper, would you be
like, there's no way Marissagets me anything shorter than
anything shorter than a mile, Idon't think she's got me.
McKenna, what do you think?

SPEAKER_06 (41:46):
I think she's got me no matter what.
600?
Maybe.
I mean, put put up in a 100, sheprobably got me.
I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 (41:56):
McKenna's over here like, oh my gosh, I've like
these these three.
Um Lily, what's the distancethat you go?
There's no way.
There's just no way.

SPEAKER_03 (42:06):
Uh, I feel like either the 15 or maybe the
eight.

SPEAKER_00 (42:12):
You you you're still a little nervous even at 15?

SPEAKER_03 (42:14):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (42:16):
Piper, when are you like, I don't want to race Lily
then?
When are you like, don't put mebelow this distance and I'm
gonna be like, no, no, no, no,no, I'm out.
This is not good for me.

SPEAKER_02 (42:27):
Uh 800 and a 400, definitely.
1500 is like very iffy.

SPEAKER_00 (42:33):
Very iffy.
How would you race it?
How would you race it to beatLily in a 15?
What would you do?

SPEAKER_02 (42:41):
Run behind her the whole time and then take off
that last lap.

unknown (42:45):
Marissa.

SPEAKER_05 (42:46):
I feel like that's the only way I got her.

SPEAKER_00 (42:48):
That's the only way.
Marissa, what would you try todo?

SPEAKER_05 (42:50):
See, I have to do the opposite thing.
I'd have to try and get enoughof a lead because I ain't gonna
out kick anyone in any race.

SPEAKER_00 (42:56):
You're just gonna have to go from the gun, right?
McKenna, what are you gonna whatare you gonna try to do?

SPEAKER_06 (43:01):
Drop the people's elbow on them, you know, like
the same thing as Marissa, andthen maybe like pray the entire
time.
I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 (43:09):
Yeah, set up a set up some roadblocks, have some
teammates out there fall intothe room.

SPEAKER_06 (43:13):
Some hurdles for her, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 (43:15):
Yeah.
Some hurdles.
Don't worry.
Marissa's out at anythingshorter than two.
Lily, okay.
You and Piper are going at itthough.
She said she's gonna sit on you,or are you gonna what are you
gonna do about that?
Are you gonna like sit and waitthen and like duke it out in a
sprint, or are you just gonna belike, all right, if you sit on
me, I'm sending it?

SPEAKER_03 (43:31):
I think just like wait until that last lap and
then just kick the last lap andthen maybe try to pick it back
up at the last 200.

SPEAKER_00 (43:41):
Are you more likely to push the pace hard early,
Lily, if you know you're thatmeans you'll win it?
Or is it a tactic you like touse if it's c you think it might
be close, right?
Because people know you for justtaking it out really hard.
Is that a tactic you do whenyou're like, well, yeah, just
because I don't as long as Iknow I win by a lot, I'm more I
just do that because then itjust kind of eliminates dumb

(44:01):
crap from happening, or is theresome more to it?

SPEAKER_03 (44:03):
Yeah, I think I just kind of get out fast just to
make sure, like, like here athome, I like to just make sure
I'm out and away from everybody,and then I can just focus on the
rest of the race and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (44:17):
Yeah.
All right, we're coming up on anhour, and I don't want to go
past that because I know youguys be being 4-0 students, you
got a bunch to do.
Piper, what would be one, likeif you could just have one
magical moment for yourself, andthen one thing you would tell
each of these girls that youknow about them that they could
accomplish?
Like, let's end on a upbeat kindof thing, like um, that you were

(44:41):
like, like, girl, I wish you'dbelieve this about yourself
because this is what I see.
What's one that you hope youaccomplish, and then what's
something you'd tell for each ofthe other three girls?

SPEAKER_02 (44:51):
Um, just something I hope I accomplish, I guess
defending that title in the 3Kat state track, and then just
for all of them, I think we allcan uh win the 3K at state
track.
So I say we go for it.

SPEAKER_00 (45:07):
What do you see in Lily that you you always hope
she sees in herself?

SPEAKER_02 (45:14):
Um I feel like Lily said like she feels like she has
to get out to get away fromanyone.
I feel like however she races arace, I think she can beat
anyone.
How about about McKenna?
Um, McKenna?
I feel like you just don't havea lot of confidence in yourself,

(45:34):
and you definitely should.
Like you could win that um statetitle and cross easily, and we
all can see that and you shouldbelieve it too.
Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 (45:46):
That's Piper, that was awesome.
What do you think about Marissa?

SPEAKER_02 (45:50):
Uh Marissa is just a very fierce competitor, and she
can literally win a race nomatter how she runs it.
So yeah.

unknown (46:00):
Okay.

SPEAKER_00 (46:01):
Piper, you're you're awesome, kiddo.
Lily, what do you think?
What's a goal you hope youaccomplish, and then you know
the drill now, bounce around thegroup.

SPEAKER_03 (46:08):
Um, I think a goal that I hope to accomplish is
dipping under 430 in the 15 thisseason.
And then for everyone else, I'dsay like McKenna again, I think
like just having tons ofconfidence because I feel like
what you did at the statecrossmate was incredible and

(46:31):
showed a lot of people like whatyou're capable of, and I think
it also proved to yourself whatyou can be capable of.
So yeah.
And then um Piper, I feel likeyou're an amazing competitor and
yeah, you can see that out onthe track and on the cross
course and just keep thatbecause it's it's a really good

(46:55):
quality to have.
And then again, Marissa, I thinkyou're also like you're really,
really competitive and it showsand I think that's a great
quality to have and just stayconfident on the track and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (47:11):
All right, McKenna, what do you think, Kidd Alpha?

SPEAKER_06 (47:15):
Um I'll go ahead for myself this upcoming track
season is probably what Pipersaid.
I'm hoping I can go in that 3Kand drop my times and track
because that will definitelyboost my confidence.
But uh for you three, I wouldjust say like knowing like when
you're out there running, youguys are superstars because like
when everyone looks at you,that's what they're thinking for
sure.
So like just remembering thatbecause people are definitely

(47:37):
looking up to all three of youguys.

SPEAKER_00 (47:40):
Anything specific you see, like what's the first
thing you think of when you hearPiper Masterly?

SPEAKER_06 (47:46):
Fast.
Super fast.
I mean, I don't get to see youguys race a lot, but like just
like interacting with you guyswhenever I do.
It's just like awesome and youguys are incredible.

SPEAKER_00 (47:59):
Lily's things.
It it did something weird withyours, Lily, but don't worry
about it.
It's all good.
Hers dropped out.
Okay, all right, Marissa, go forit.

SPEAKER_05 (48:09):
Um I'm not quite ready to move on to track yet,
and I'm not a big track fan, socross is gonna take precedent
for a couple more weeks yet.
So the next goal is to qualifyfor NXN both individually and
with my team.
So this weekend should be prettyfun.

SPEAKER_00 (48:25):
But for the other girls, Lily's actually had to
come here or compliment, butwe'll wait a second, go with
Piper first.

SPEAKER_05 (48:32):
Okay, also with Piper.

SPEAKER_00 (48:34):
Hi, Lily.

SPEAKER_05 (48:35):
Yeah, Piper was a very skilled racer.
I feel like not many people canwin a race like she did in the
Foy race, and that was reallyfun to watch, especially I
wasn't there, but I was watchingthe splits, and that was really
impressive to watch, and not alot of people can break people
as easily as she did.
McKenna, I got to watch uh herstate qualifying meet in person
and just move from spot to spot.

(48:55):
People were like, oh my gosh,that girl looks so strong, and
like she was all out there byherself.
So just remember that as moveinto like you're stronger than
you think, and I definitelythink believing in yourself is a
big factor in running.
And then Lily is just reallyfast.
Yeah, I feel like I don't knowif I've ever met anyone that
looks as calm and poised duringa race as Lily does, and just

(49:17):
like it could be the middle of a1500, and you look like you're
just out there for a jog, likenot even trying.
So just kind of yeah, that's oneof the things I admire about all
you the most.

SPEAKER_00 (49:30):
Well, you guys know me, as goofy as I am, though,
too.
Like, I think one of the thingsthat's underestimated in
something like what we do is youguys know with the work you put
in how much I believe in you.
And I think that's and each one,how much you guys believe in
each other, right?
Like you line up and you go to arace like a Drake and you see
each other now, you're like, wecan go really fast, right?

(49:51):
Like we can go really, really,really fast.
And the I would say the nervesare probably a lot less when you
guys see each other in a racetogether because you're just
like, yeah, we this is just whatwe do, this is what fast people
do.
And um, but guys, likeseriously, um, I I'm so proud of
all of you, and I know you guyshave had amazing seasons.

(50:13):
19 in a row for girls that havedone accelerate at some point in
their career, you know, andthat's like I I told Piper, I
was like, hey, I put thatInstagram post out the night
before, and I knew she was like,uh oh.
Like, nah, you were like, uh-oh,you were looked at me 800 in and
you're like, Yeah, don't worry,I got it.
When did I yell at you it'sover, Piper?

(50:35):
Right at two miles.

SPEAKER_02 (50:36):
My dad was talking about this.
I think it was when I just tookoff from the rest of the pack
and you started screaming at theboth of us.

SPEAKER_00 (50:44):
Yeah, I was like, it's I was like, Ben, it's over.
She's got it.
You took like three fast steps,and I just was like, it's over,
it's done.
I was just stoked for youbecause you had a long ear.
Not a lot went in your favor,you know, and so um long ear.
But uh, you guys are awesome.
I kept you a lot tonight.
I'm gonna um edit and tidy it upa little bit and stuff because

(51:05):
not everybody needs to listen tome blab.
And um, I don't know, theremight be a story or two in there
that I might not want the wholeworld to know about.

SPEAKER_05 (51:11):
So we'll still cut my story out.

SPEAKER_00 (51:13):
Marissa, give us a secondary story in case I I
chicken out on that other story.
That might just be an accelerateinternal story.

SPEAKER_05 (51:20):
To say whenever Ben says I'll be there at five, the
workout's not starting till sixp.m.

SPEAKER_00 (51:25):
So how many of you know that to be true?
Is that a Lily's Lily's like, Idon't know, I'm not close enough
to that.
But yeah, everybody knows that afive five o'clock workout means
six o'clock.
Well, ladies, you're the best.
I can't wait to see you outthere in South Dakota.
Wear your your earmuffs andeverything because it sounds
like it might end up being alittle bit chilly.
But um, and Lily, she's like, Ican't get to Texas soon enough

(51:46):
after running at Nike.
But and then we're gonna runfast this this winter, ladies.
It's gonna be a lot of fun.
I can't wait to line you guys upand and uh watch you guys, you
know, it's like wind up thechoys and let you guys go do
your thing in a circle, right?
And so um, you guys do it crazyfast.
You're the best.
You make this a ton of fun, andI'll leave it there.
I'm gonna do my clothes so youguys can all laugh a little bit

(52:09):
while I do the clothes.
How about that?
I'll do it.
You guys can hear it in realtime and then I'll end it.
I won't even say bye after thatbecause otherwise you know me
I'll never shut up.
So here we go.
I'm gonna do podcast, clear outthe podcast voice and be like,
all right, everybody, thank youso much for listening to this
episode of the AcceleratePerformance Lab podcast.
I see all you faces on theresmiling, you're all chuckling.

(52:30):
Everybody that's listening, Idon't know if you're glad it's
back.
I don't know if you hope I neverdo another one, but I thought
the fab for females was thebest.
Like, oh, I added females.
That's perfect.
The fab for females.
What a great idea.
We got four more state championsthat I have the fortune.
Oh man, the fortune didn't seethe fab for females.
This is just getting longer themore I talk about it.

(52:52):
You guys are the best.
Uh, listeners, you're awesome.
And we will be back with anotherepisode.
You know how it goes with theaccelerate podcast.
It might be a year.
So hopefully you liked it.
We'll talk soon.
Bye, everybody.