Sophomore Kailey Littlefield is a varsity sprinter and long-distance runner. Littlefield is a back-to-back state champion in the girls 800-meter run and set a new state record of 2:06:21 last Friday. Littlefield was also named “Most Outstanding Female Athlete” at the Texas A&M meet and is president of the Best Buddies Club. Littlefield will run the national meet in two weeks. 

Pre-game:

Pre-run meal: Waffles with peanut butter and honey

Favorite song: “Water Under the Bridge” by Adele

Favorite movie: “Taken” 

Athlete you look up to: Athing Mu

Post-game:

The Red Ledger: When did you begin running and how has your journey progressed over time?

Kailey Littlefield: I started running summer track when I was 9. I think that my passion for running has grown. I started doing it when I was younger for fun because that’s what I was around my whole life, but now that I’m in high school it’s obviously a lot more serious and a lot more competitive. In middle school, our seasons were a lot shorter. Now that it’s longer I’m getting to race more. 

TRL: What is your relationship with your mom as your coach in running and in life?

KL: We’ve always had a really good relationship so I think I started running to be around her more and surround myself with what our family loves to do. I’ve grown to love it so much more  and she’s definitely inspired me over the years to keep my passion for it.

TRL: Going into high school, what does your season look like in regards to training?

KL: It starts out pretty easy: getting a lot of millage, getting the base training in. We start to pick it up mid-season and make sure to do a lot of hard workouts, speed training, that kind of stuff. Towards the end of the season, it’s more about recovering, resting your body and getting ready for the big meets. 

TRL: How did it feel winning the state meet now compared to how it felt last year?

KL: I definitely had a lot of pressure this year so whenever I won it was more of a relieving feeling. Last year I won with a 2:08 and so I dropped two seconds this year and was able to break the state record so it was a better feeling this year. The pressure is going to continue but I think I feel more confident and I’m just not going to let it get to me as much as I did this year. I just want to set the record as low as I can. 

TRL: What is it like to run at a state meet?

KL: There are a lot of fans, the crowds are full and everyone is screaming. That’s all you hear; you can’t even hear yourself think. Going into the race, it’s super nerve-wracking, but once you’re in the race, the fans push you and the atmosphere makes it such a great experience. 

TRL: What are your running goals for the rest of high school?

KL: I really want to win state all four years. That’s a huge goal and now that I’ve done it twice, it’s like, ok, halfway there. I want to compete well at nationals because that’s something I wasn’t able to do last year.

TRL: What do you like to do when you’re not running?

KL: When I’m not running, which is not very often, I really like to hang out with friends. That’s something that takes my mind off of running and lets me feel normal for a little bit. [Best Buddies] is something I’m really passionate about. Being in something bigger than myself where I’m able to help other people, inspire other people, is really fun. 

TRL: What does your daily schedule look like from when you wake up to when you go to sleep?

KL: Usually I wake up and go to school; sometimes we have morning practice and sometimes we don’t. [I] run after school and I like to do something like lifting or core that’s for running but that’s not running. Something that’s very important to me is going to sleep early and getting a lot of rest. That’s my number one because that’s when you recover. I usually go to bed at 9 p.m., sometimes at 10 p.m. Yesterday I went to bed at 7:30 p.m.; I was so tired from this weekend.

TRL: What does your diet look like as a runner preparing for meets?

KL: I’m not super strict on my diet. I love sweets, that’s where it gets me. I love to eat sweets once a day, every other day or something. During the season, I never eat fried food or soda. I like to eat healthy [meaning] not necessarily not eating things, but more so putting good things into my body like superfoods. 

TRL: What has running taught you, especially in this season?

KL: I’d say the biggest thing running has taught me is hard work and mental toughness. There are so many times I wanted to quit. You just think to yourself, “Why am I doing this? Why am I putting myself through this much pain?” It’s taught me to keep going, persevering and that there’s something bigger than just trying to get a good time. It’s more about your team and your personal goals.

TRL: Why do you run?

KL: I run because it’s something I love. I’ve always loved it and a lot of people think, “You run because your mom is the coach,” but it’s not. She’s inspired me and she works so hard to get me to where I want to be, but I run because I love it.