Allison Porter is a freshman arts and graphic design major from Bolivar, Missouri.
In high school, she played basketball and ran cross country, breaking the school record for the 800m race. She was also a member of the 4X800m team that broke another school record and won the state championship. Porter also received All-State in cross country.
Porter says her father is the most influential person in her life and wouldn’t be the person she is today without him.
Porter went on to explain how cross country has impacted her life.
How do you balance being a student and an athlete?
“I just do what I have to do…Our practices are in the morning and they do a good job of getting it out of the way so that we have the whole rest of the day to do classes or whatever. It is hard because our practices are at 6:30 in the morning and we have to wake up at 5:45 and getting enough sleep is such a hard thing to do. Usually I get like four hours of sleep, four to five. It’s hard because you have work to do late at night and then you end up going to bed at 1 a.m. and wake up at 5:45.”
What is the most rewarding part of cross country?
“Running is just rewarding in so many ways, because it’s not only rewarding physically but as the season goes on everybody gets better. If you do your part and you work hard, then you’re going to get better. It’s rewarding to be a part of the team, you know. Everybody is working towards a goal.”
How did you start running? How did you know you wanted to be a cross country runner?
“My family runs. I’ve been running since I was a kid, really. My dad is very health-minded, and my mom. He had me running since I was a little kid. So, I just knew I was going to run. Also, I have older siblings who did cross country and stuff so they had me training at a young age.”
Are there any professional runners you look up to?
“Not in particular. I mean yes, and no. I don’t really have an idol.”
How did you end up at NSU?
“My cousin ran here. She went here like four years ago, and they tried to get my older sister to come here. My older sister told me to contact the coach. So, I contacted the coach like a long time ago and he contacted me over the summer. I wasn’t even planning on coming here. I had no plan, really. Then the coach called me and gave me a scholarship, and so here I am.”
Do you have any personal goals for yourself or your team?
“Yeah, of course. Here we are, we’re literally about to go to conference today. We’re going to regionals. I just want to do good. I want to have a good last couple of races, you know. Because we worked so hard, I want everyone, even if we don’t get to Nationals, I just want everyone to end on a good note.”
Do you want to continue running after college?
“I’m going to be a runner all of my life, I think. It’s my way of coping with life I feel like. I’m a very energetic person, and so I have to run. If I don’t run for a couple of days I go crazy. I don’t know why, but I have to run. I’m not going to be in training after college, I’m just going to go on leisurely adventure runs.”
How would you describe yourself as an athlete?
“As an athlete, I feel like I’m the weirdest most non-athlete person ever. I am, I don’t know. I’m motivated when the time comes. Whenever I’m on the line I’m so motivated. My friends did not think I was an athlete. I don’t act like an athlete. I’m just like a fun-loving person, until I get on the line. Whenever it’s time to go, I go.”
Do you have any pre-run rituals?
“Yeah, like I stretch. Sometimes, I close my eyes and then I take a deep breath and lift my arms up. It helps relax me. I get really stressed out before races.”
If there was one thing you could change about cross country, what would it be?
“Practices on the weekends. I hate that. I hate practices on the weekends. Nothing is worse. There’s no changing it [cross country], running is what it is. There’s no “rules” that need to be changed. I would never have practice on Sundays though, or Saturdays.”
What is the hardest part about cross country?
“Cross country is so mental. Getting up that early in the morning is one thing, but going and running eight miles after that and coming back and doing core and then weights after that, that’s just hard in general. Practices are nothing compared to the races. The races are literally like being tortured while you’re running. You’re in so much pain. You can’t breathe. You’re in the most pain ever. You have to finish hard. Everything about it is hard.”
What are your greatest strengths as an athlete?
“I feel like mentally I can talk myself into a lot of things. Mentally I’m like, ‘You’re not going to stop; you have to keep going.’ So, I feel like, mentally, I can put myself through a lot of pain.”
