Student-Athlete Summer Spotlight #12: Lauren Bartels
Aug 17, 2017 | General, Cross Country, Green Wave Club
Tulane Athletics will be putting the spotlight on student-athletes from all sports during the summer months, as many of them work internships, travel the world and share their unique experiences. Check back each week for a new edition featuring another Green Wave student-athlete! #ROLLWAVE
Who:Â Lauren Bartels, Cross Country
What:Â Interned as an Engineering Policy Analyst
When:Â Summer 2017
Where:Â Washington, D.C.Â
Q1: How have you enjoyed your summer? What have you done this summer to work on your skills and/or conditioning?
Summer has always been a great time for me to divert my attention away from competition and remember the reasons why I love running. The summer is the only time of the year that collegiate distance athletes are not competing, so I have been using the time to build myself a solid foundation for the upcoming season. By alternating between mileage runs, tempo workouts, and interval sessions, my training has focused on slowly increasing my weekly mileage while maintaining aerobic fitness. The goal of summer training is to prepare for the upcoming season without running yourself to the ground (hehe), so the overall intensity and pressure during the summer is lower than it is during the season. I really value and appreciate the flexibility of summer training, but I am ready to race again! Â
Q2: What is one aspect of your game have you been working on most or you want to improve from last year to this coming season?Â
Any athlete, regardless of the sport, can always identify a number of aspects of his or her game needing improvement. Personally, I want to improve both my physical and mental strength at the end of races. These two components go hand-in-hand; not only do I need to fine-tune my finishing speed, but I also need to maintain confidence in my abilities. I saw improvements in my overall competitiveness and endurance throughout this past outdoor track season, and I will work to continue this progress on the cross country course!
Q3: What is one of the more interesting things you did this summer?
I was fortunate to have a great internship in Washington, D.C. this summer working as an Engineering Policy Analyst. Throughout the summer, I had the opportunity to visit numerous federal agencies, interact with influential leaders, and experience life in the U.S. capital. The entire summer was an adventure, from shaking hands with Ted Cruz to indulging in bottomless brunch, and I learned so much more than I ever anticipated. The city also maintained great running trails, and I will miss running along the Potomac River and around the Washington Monument!Â
Q4: How would you describe your time at Tulane so far, in terms of enjoying life on campus and being so close to home for college?
Choosing to attend Tulane has proven to be one of my best decisions. In addition to running, I hold leadership positions in several clubs, attend incredible shows sponsored by student organizations, and meet lifelong friends from across the nation. The location of the campus itself also allows me to experience the city of New Orleans through parades, festivals, and concerts, and I truly appreciate the unique culture of the city. Being from Texas, Tulane lets me enjoy an entirely new way of life without being too far from home!
Q5: What has you excited about coming back to campus this fall and preparing to compete during the 2017 season?
Both the potential and personality of our 2017 cross country team have me excited to return to campus! We have such a strong group of runners this year, and I am eager to see how we perform as a team. We also have a fairly young team, and I love watching my teammates improve and perform beyond their expectations. Although I mentioned how I enjoy summer training, I miss running with everyone on the team. When you run as frequently as we do, it is nice to have a solid training group consisting of distinct personalities. Since this is my senior year, I am starting to get sentimental about returning for cross country, but I cannot wait to reconnect with my teammates back at school and kick off the season!
Â
Who:Â Lauren Bartels, Cross Country
What:Â Interned as an Engineering Policy Analyst
When:Â Summer 2017
Where:Â Washington, D.C.Â
Q1: How have you enjoyed your summer? What have you done this summer to work on your skills and/or conditioning?
Summer has always been a great time for me to divert my attention away from competition and remember the reasons why I love running. The summer is the only time of the year that collegiate distance athletes are not competing, so I have been using the time to build myself a solid foundation for the upcoming season. By alternating between mileage runs, tempo workouts, and interval sessions, my training has focused on slowly increasing my weekly mileage while maintaining aerobic fitness. The goal of summer training is to prepare for the upcoming season without running yourself to the ground (hehe), so the overall intensity and pressure during the summer is lower than it is during the season. I really value and appreciate the flexibility of summer training, but I am ready to race again! Â
Q2: What is one aspect of your game have you been working on most or you want to improve from last year to this coming season?Â
Any athlete, regardless of the sport, can always identify a number of aspects of his or her game needing improvement. Personally, I want to improve both my physical and mental strength at the end of races. These two components go hand-in-hand; not only do I need to fine-tune my finishing speed, but I also need to maintain confidence in my abilities. I saw improvements in my overall competitiveness and endurance throughout this past outdoor track season, and I will work to continue this progress on the cross country course!
Q3: What is one of the more interesting things you did this summer?
I was fortunate to have a great internship in Washington, D.C. this summer working as an Engineering Policy Analyst. Throughout the summer, I had the opportunity to visit numerous federal agencies, interact with influential leaders, and experience life in the U.S. capital. The entire summer was an adventure, from shaking hands with Ted Cruz to indulging in bottomless brunch, and I learned so much more than I ever anticipated. The city also maintained great running trails, and I will miss running along the Potomac River and around the Washington Monument!Â
Q4: How would you describe your time at Tulane so far, in terms of enjoying life on campus and being so close to home for college?
Choosing to attend Tulane has proven to be one of my best decisions. In addition to running, I hold leadership positions in several clubs, attend incredible shows sponsored by student organizations, and meet lifelong friends from across the nation. The location of the campus itself also allows me to experience the city of New Orleans through parades, festivals, and concerts, and I truly appreciate the unique culture of the city. Being from Texas, Tulane lets me enjoy an entirely new way of life without being too far from home!
Q5: What has you excited about coming back to campus this fall and preparing to compete during the 2017 season?
Both the potential and personality of our 2017 cross country team have me excited to return to campus! We have such a strong group of runners this year, and I am eager to see how we perform as a team. We also have a fairly young team, and I love watching my teammates improve and perform beyond their expectations. Although I mentioned how I enjoy summer training, I miss running with everyone on the team. When you run as frequently as we do, it is nice to have a solid training group consisting of distinct personalities. Since this is my senior year, I am starting to get sentimental about returning for cross country, but I cannot wait to reconnect with my teammates back at school and kick off the season!
Â
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
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