This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
11/07/2017 11:00 PMIt isn’t every day that someone just decides to pick up running at the drop of a hat. However, that was exactly what Sarah Sullivan did when she was a sophomore at North Branford High School. Although she initially struggled, Sarah got better by putting in those long, hard miles, and she hasn’t stopped since.
“I didn’t even know the track team existed until I asked my friend, because there was this guy wearing this cool-looking hat. It was cute, and I was wondering what team it was, because it had the North Branford logo on it, and he said it was the track team,” says Sarah, who’s now a senior. “When winter rolled around, I figured I’d join...I was incredibly bad at first. I couldn’t even run a mile without stopping and resting for a minute. But then I got a lot better to the point where I felt comfortable running.”
Sarah felt so comfortable that she wound up running for North Branford’s cross country team, as well as its indoor and outdoor track teams. Sarah says that long-distance races are favorite.
“Most people don’t like running distance. They do it as maintenance to run shorter races like the 800. I wanted to just keep running forever. It’s all I wanted to do,” Sarah says. “At first it was difficult, but I ran five miles per day and, after every time I did it, I’d ice and go to this conditioning camp I was in. It was amazing.”
Sarah enjoys running in each of the three seasons for their specific nuances. She likes cross country because of its long distances and challenging terrains, she likes the team aspect of indoor track with how everyone bonds by competing in close quarters, and Sarah also likes running in some nice weather during the outdoor season. In the end, Sarah gives cross country a bit of an edge, because she relishes the feeling of overcoming the uphill struggle.
“I hate running on roads. It’s terrible. I’d pass people on the hills during cross country, and it felt good,” says Sarah. “That was always gratifying, because it’s more difficult. You have to put more effort into it, and you get muddy sometimes, which is fun, too.”
North Branford’s first-year cross country Head Coach Barry Doohan loves the tenacity that Sarah displays when she’s running. Doohan says that Sarah brought great energy to the T-Birds as a senior captain this season.
“Sarah is a very gritty runner and has a never-say-die attitude toward running,” says Doohan. “She plans on running cross country in college. She wants to do that, so it looks as though she’s going to be a dedicated lifetime runner.”
As a captain, Sarah enjoys watching the younger runners on her team succeed. Although she was sidelined due to a few injuries this fall, Sarah still felt pleased to see how much her teammates improved.
“I thought it was fun,” she says. “We got some good freshman girls and new runners...Our freshman girls won a meet at Deep River, and that was amazing to see as a captain, because I like watching them do well.”
Like everyone else in the North Branford running community, Sarah was shaken by the loss of coach Floyd Parness, who passed away in May. Sarah fondly remembers Parness for all the positive ways that he helped shape her life.
“When I started as a sophomore, I was petrified. I was scared, because I only knew a few kids on the team and didn’t know what races I’d run. He helped me and was my steady rock. I always knew I could ask Floyd what to do,” Sarah says. “He understood how much I loved running. He appreciated when you put in the work, and I appreciated that of him.”
Sarah isn’t certain about where she’s going to college, but she knows that she will continue running long beyond her time at North Branford High School.
“I don’t know where I’ll go to college, but I’m hoping to run,” says Sarah. “I want to keep doing that, even if not for a team, but for a club, because I don’t want to stop. It’s fun.”