Georgetown Hoya's Emily Infeld just completed a crazy season. In cross country last year, the Ohio native took eighth place overall at NCAAs, running 20 minutes and seven seconds over the 6,000-meter championship course. After redshirting through the spring, Infeld recently placed 10^th overall in the 1,500 at the USA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Looking ahead, she and her Lady Hoyas are aiming to improve on their 21st-place team finish at NCAAs and she, personally, is looking to improve on her placing and crack the 20-minute barrier.

How many times did you race this past redshirt outdoor season?

I think...maybe four times. Maybe five.

Can you sum up your outdoor season?

I think it went really well. We got a lot of really good training, which is awesome. Me and Renee (Tomlin) from my team were training together. We were able to train with Maggie (Infeld, her sister) and Liz (Maloy) a lot. I feel like all of us got in a lot of really good training. We did traveled to a few meets. It was cool, though, because it was pretty low-key. I think it went really well. I think everyone beat a lot of girls that competed at USAs and did really well there. It was a really good season.

What was a typical training week for you through this last season?

I think I was averaging 60 miles a week, which was really good for me. That's a lot and I bumped up my mileage. That's good. I would double on Monday and Thursdays and then do some short and fast stuff at the end of my second run at the track on those days. Then, I'd do an hour run on Wednesdays. Tuesdays and Fridays we'd do workouts, like a tempo workout one day and then maybe some repeats the other days. I was getting closer to race-paced stuff or faster stuff at the end. I'd long run one day and then an easier 35 minutes the other day.

You said you increased your mileage a bit. How much did it differ from cross country last year?

Coming in my freshman year, I was doing a lot of 45-50 mile weeks. Then in cross country that year I was hitting 55 and maybe once or twice 60 miles a week. I was pretty consistent this outdoor season at 60 or a little above. Just being at that was really good because I wasn't racing a lot and that helped me to get at that higher mileage.

Is 60 comfortable or do you see yourself bumping up from there?

I might try to bump up a little more and see how that goes. Maybe a little increase before the next season. Maybe try to get up to 65 miles a week. We'll see. The next few weeks are really easy—not running a lot with trying to get my training back up and all that.

What is the goal going into cross country?

I just want to improve. I want to try and break 20. I got close to that this past season. That's definitely a goal and to just keep racing hard. I feel like there's so much great competition within the Big East and everything. It should be exciting. We have some really good freshman coming in this year, so I'm really excited for that to see how we're going to do.

Are you going to be competing at Pre Nats this year?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure we are. I'm not sure what I ran there last year, but I think my best time was 20:07. I might be making that—maybe I went a little slower than that. It was something around there. It was close but not quite there.

I'm going to keep hammering you with these cross country questions even though you probably feel like you just took off your track spikes: do you know your recruits and how your team looks coming into this season?

Yeah! We have seven freshman coming in. There's actually one girl from Cleveland, Ohio, who's close to my area. I'm excited about that. We've got Madeline Chambers, Kelsey Cox—there's a lot of great girls with a lot of talent coming in. It should really help our team a lot. I'm excited! Renee is going to be back, Emily Jones, Katie McCaffterty is getting back and doing so great training. I'm really pumped. Next year should be really exciting!

21^st last year seems like a place you're going to be improving on. Any clue how much you think you can improve?

I really don't know yet. I think that I will once we get back and get into training and all that. I think we were a little disappointed with that finish last year and we'll be looking to be more up there. We'll see how this year progresses, but I think we've got a good shot with a lot of great girls coming in and a lot of healthy girls coming back.

Do you like being in the Big East, where there's piles and piles of great teams or would you prefer to be in an easier conference?

No, I love being in the Big East. I think it helps so much to be going against Villanova so many times last year and having them come out on top. It's really good for our girls. We're running with the best people all season so it's not a shocker when we get to the bigger meets and greater competition. The only different between nationals and other races are the number of people that are that talented. I feel like everyone there is at the top, I guess. Racing those types of people all season is good for us.

Not to mention to great basketball games.

I was kind of disappointed. I didn't watch as much when we were out of it. It was really exciting when were still in it.

Back to the track! Do you think you'll stick around the 1,500 and mile distance or move up?

I love the 1,500. I think that's my favorite race. I've never run a 5K on the track and I definitely want to do that. I could definitely see myself doing that next year. We'll see how that goes and then decide from there if I want to move up or keep doing 15s and maybe some eights.

With you having redshirted this past season was it an idea to experiment with the 5,000 then?

Oh yeah. I was going to try to run a 5K. I was debating whether or not to run a 5K or a 15 at a Stanford meet that I went out to back in April, but I decided to do the 15. I was trying to concentrate on getting that USA time and ultimately end up running the 1,500 there. Next year, maybe indoors, I'll try to hit a 5K or something and see how that goes, then maybe outdoors—I guess we'll play it by ear.

Aside from running this summer, what do you have planned? Any cool plans?

I'm just relaxing this summer. I'm still looking for a job (laughs). I'm going to try to figure that out and it's really nice to be home. I haven't been home in a while and I'll hang out with my friends and family. It's nice and relaxing.

You're going to waste all of that by getting a job?

I know, right! (Laughs) I should find something to occupy myself a little bit. We'll see!

Cashier sort of thing or something more outdoorsy?

I've lifeguarded the last four or five years, so I might try to do that and work at a pool or something. I'm sure I'll be able to figure out something or, if not, work at a local running store or something like that.

When you get interviewed, how often do you get questions about your sister? Does it bother you?

We train together and it's great having her. I like talking about her, so I like when people bring her up.

Are you doing similar training right now? She's in the NYAC club?

Yeah, she is. She's over in Europe right now doing some races. I think she raced this past Saturday in Cork, Ireland. I just looked up the results and she did well. She ran 4:16. After traveling for two days in a row and she went and did a race. She was up there with them—Amy Mortimer and Erin Donahue. Also Elizabeth Maloy who trains with us on the Georgetown team as an assistant coach is over there and doing really well. I'm going to be looking up their results and all that.

Is it just going to be training or do you have any fun races planned this summer?

Probably just training and taking a break from that. We'll see. I'm just trying to get back in it and I doubt I'll do any races.

If you had to choose one, would you run track or cross country?

I don't know! I like them both a lot. I feel like a track race would be fun right now, but I like road races a lot. I used to run them with my dad and I haven't done those in a while. They're always nice, fun Sunday activities.

Why Georgetown in the first place?

Obviously Maggie liked it a lot. It's such a great school. I like the location; Washington, D.C. is awesome! I like the size. When I went and visited, I loved it. I loved the visit and I loved the girls on the team and Coach was so great. I felt like I couldn't be anywhere else.

Was the decision made up before you actually visited?

I was debating whether I'd even take a visit to Georgetown. I went and visited Duke and Michigan and really liked them a lot. I wasn't even sure. I wanted to follow my own path and not just follow in Maggie's footsteps. Then it was really great with her being on the team. After I visited, though, I fell in love with it and couldn't go anywhere else.

OK, what about the other selling points? How are the trails there?

(Laughs) Yeah. I think we've got great academics and people would be surprised to know how many great trails there are in D.C. There's way more great places to run than I have at home here. It was really great to go there and have all those great places to run and having that great atmosphere in D.C.

If you could have one meal, prepared by anyone, what would you have and who would make it?

I don't know! I love watching the Food Network. I love watching Bobby Flay! I love everything, but if I could have anything...probably some sort of good steak. I love steak and vegetables and ice cream or something. Those are my favorite foods.

Can you share a crazy running-related story?

I'm a boring runner! I'm not sure I have any really exciting stories besides I can be an idiot sometimes and almost get hit crossing the street.

Ooh, ooh. That's good!

(Laughs) D.C. Can be really trafficky and I can be an idiot crossing the street and running into the trails. I've gotten lost in the trails a few times and I don't have the best sense of direction. I run around in circles in different places and come out somewhere in D.C.

Where in Ohio are you from? Is it rural or not much of an adjustment for you?

I'm from a suburb right outside of Cleveland. D.C. is a much bigger city, which is much faster paced, which I enjoy a lot. It's definitely different from my small town suburbia where I am now.

My last question and I should have asked you this earlier: will Lebron James stay in Cleveland?

I think so. I think he loves it and I think he loves us. I want him to!

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