Going the Distance with Isla Broadbent

Name: Isla Broadbent

Grade: Sophomore

What is your favorite distance/race?

My favorite race is definitely the cross country 5K. It’s such a difficult race that it feels very rewarding to be able to complete. I especially enjoy how it requires you to not only be fast, but to be able to sustain your speed over rolling terrain.

When and why did you start cross country? What inspired you to join the Stuyvesant team? 

I started training for cross country in the late summer before my freshman year. I had been seeing a lot of Instagram videos about running and cross country that summer, and that probably influenced my decision to try out for the team when I came to Stuy. After reaching out to the girls cross country and track team coach, Coach DiSarno, for the summer training plan, I began to run around five times a week. As for inspiration though, I also have to credit my dad a lot, who runs pretty regularly. I had tried running with my dad earlier that year as well (I absolutely hated it at that time) and he continued encouraging me to go on easy runs with him over the summer. Seeing him consistently [go] for runs even on really hot days that summer inspired me to be like him.

What is the hardest part of cross country, in your opinion? What do you like the most about track, and what do you like the least?

The hardest part about cross country is definitely the terrain and distance. It’s easy to say that you’re going to go run a 5K, and to be honest, running your first 5K doesn’t require much experience at all, but to do it in a race and on a course specifically designed to make you struggle is another thing. Most NYC 5K races are held at one park, Van Cortlandt Park, and it really reflects exactly what makes cross country so hard. The course is composed of grass that sucks the energy out of your legs, eroded dirt paths, steep inclines, and dangerously steep downhills that make running a 5K so much harder. Additionally, the preparation behind that 5K for me was running up to 50 miles a week this summer, and the volume of training is hard. Coupling that with the fact that your heart has to be working at its maximum level, even often above 200 beats per minute, for a little over 20 minutes during a race, makes cross country so hard, but so rewarding to those who prepare for it. My favorite part about track is that you can meticulously pace yourself, and my least favorite parts are that it is more speed-oriented than distance-oriented, and that it removes the need for hill-training to place well.

What is your proudest moment in your cross country career so far?

My proudest moment so far in my cross country career was from a couple weeks ago at the largest single-day cross country invitational in the United States, Manhattan University Invitational. I came into the race not expecting to place super well, knowing that really fast athletes came from over 15 different states. I ended up placing fourth for sophomore girls, which was an absolutely incredible moment for me, and helped get our whole sophomore girls team to come in second place overall. This race was probably my proudest for cross country because the time I ran was almost three whole minutes faster than my personal best from last year, and I felt grateful that my training throughout the year had been working. I also do long-distance running for track and field, and my overall proudest moment in my whole running career was coming in first place for freshman girls in New York City at the indoor track [Frosh/Soph] City Championships, because it was the first time I had ever won a championship race.

Pre-game ritual or superstition?

Our team, the Greyducks, has a really cute tradition of what we call “confidence pills” at the starting line of races, where we all take fake “confidence pills” together. It’s great for remembering the fun in the sport, and that not everything is about your finishing place and time, and it calms our nerves before our championship races. Some people around us might think it’s amusing, but it’s honestly such a helpful team tradition.

What are you looking forward to the most in the next cross country season?

Even though we are still in the current cross country season, I am so beyond excited for next season. I trained much harder this past summer than I ever had before, and after preparing that way, I really have a strong sense of what I want to focus on going into next season, like strengthening my hill running ability. I am excited to hopefully keep progressing and keep training hard.

Are you looking to do cross country in college?

Doing cross country in college would be such a cool experience. When I first joined the team, I didn’t even think that could be a possibility for me, but I would love to be able to run NCAA Division 3 at a college. I also care greatly about my education during college, and because D3 emphasizes academics and not just sports, D3 is a good goal to strive towards. At the point I’m at right now, it would require a ton of work to begin considering divisions above that, like D1, and it’s hard to say how I will progress as I go into my later years of high school. For now, being able to do any level of college running would be incredible.

Fun questions: 

Favorite Teammate: I don’t have a favorite teammate but I love running with all of my fellow sophomores. We all push each other to run faster, and together we have progressed so much and done better each running season at city championships for our grade.

Favorite Drink: Water or Lemonade

Favorite Post-meet meal/snack: Lloyd’s Carrot Cake and granola bars

Hobbies: Baking, reading, writing, and learning about history

Track Pet Peeve: Overly complicated merges into lane one—it’s not even funny how serious they take it and how quickly you can get disqualified.

If You Could Play Any Other Sport: Figure Skating

Favorite Song: “evermore” by Taylor Swift and Bon Iver

Favorite Shoe: Blue and White Nike Dragonfly XC 2 Cross-Country Spikes