Owls runner sets spring goals

November 15, 2016

For The Tribune

You’ll find him with a pack of runners most days after school.

Alex Lovins has been running cross-country and track in Seymour since sixth grade.

“It’s more of a year-round sport because you have to continue to run in the winter to be good in track,” Lovins said. “After track, through the summer you get ready for cross-country.

“Summer conditioning is probably one of the biggest parts. Without it you don’t have base mileage to work with the season on, and it makes you stronger as a runner. It keeps up your endurance for the most part.”

Lovins, who said his career-best time was 16:53, listed several reasons he enjoyed cross-country.

“I enjoy being free in it, I enjoy the running aspect, and the team,” Lvins said. “I just enjoy the sport in general. It’s clearing my mind and getting down to it because in the end it’s painful, but you know the winning and the victories are fun.”

This fall he and Jacob Voss traded back-and-forth between running No. 1 and No. 2 for the Owls.

Lovins said his times have steadily improved over the years.

“Starting my freshman year, I think I kept my miles 6:20 on the first one and I tried to keep them low,” Lovins said. “As you continue through high school it gets a little bit easier to keep them low and consistent, so you go down near the fives.

“It’s not easy going from a two-mile course (junior high) to 3.1. After three or four races you start to get used to it, get a feel of it and you pace yourself much better. For the first mile I view it as going out and keeping up with the guy that’s in front of me, keeping my eye on them.”

This spring, Lovins plans to focus on the mile, and either the 800-meter run or 4×800 relay.

“I like the relay,” he said. “I find it more enjoyable than the two-mile, which I have been running. I ran second (relay leg) every time last year. I do like running second or third because that way I get to pass the baton off to somebody so I don’t have to be the anchor, but at the same time the baton’s passed off to me so I don’t have to start it.”

He would like to run 2:03 or 2:04 in the 800 in the spring.

“For the mile, I set it up going out between 1:05 and 1:10 because the first lap matters a lot because you know you can’t make up too much time in the last three,” Lovins said. “It’s a matter of consistency, and if you’re able to hold it for all those laps.”

The senior’s best mile time has been a 4:47, and that was on a 1:05 first lap.

“I’m going to try to keep it more consistent in track season, push it down into the 4:30 range, and get it down to where maybe I can win conference,” Lovins said. “I’d say running is 80 per cent mental and 20 percent physical. You really have to have that mentality that you’re able to run it if you want to run it.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Lovins file” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Name: Alex Lovins

School: Seymour High School

Parents: Adam and Brenda Lovins

Siblings: Corbin, Alivia

Sports: Cross-country, four years; track and field, four years

Athletics highlights: Cross-country — school record board, 2015 HHC champions, 4-time semi-state qualifiers, 2016 academic all-state, academic all-state; track — 2015 4×800 regional qualifier.

No posts to display