1 on 1 conversation: Eastern Wayne's Fiona Pedrick

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on November 13, 2015 1:48 PM

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Eastern Wayne senior Fiona Pedrick took the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference by storm this fall. She emerged as the league's individual champion and was named the ECC female runner-of-the-year. Pedrick finished runner-up in the eastern 3-A regional meet and placed 13th overall in the NCHSAA state championships.

The News-Argus conducted a short Q&A session with Pedrick about her experiences from moving from the cold climate of Alaska to the heat and humidity of eastern North Carolina.

Q: What is the difference in running cross country in Alaska compared to North Carolina?

A: In Alaska, the courses are obviously a lot different. There are more hills because of the terrain, it's colder and the season is a lot shorter. It's only about a month of competitive running. Here the season is longer, more dynamic because you have a longer time to compete. It's a different challenge.

Q: Did you expect to have the kind of season that you had here?

A: I had no idea what to expect when I moved because I had no idea what the coaches would be like, had no idea what the team would be like. I didn't know how well I would do competitively. When I was making my goals at the beginning, they were goals I could control -- my own personal times and how I felt on different races. I knew I could mentally push myself. That's the bottom line.

Q: How long have you been running cross country?

A: As soon as we got to Anchorage (from Georgia), my counselor was also an assistant cross country coach and said, 'hey, we have practice tomorrow.' My parents run a lot and that's how they met. I always told myself that I wasn't athletic and that wasn't for me. Running has become a big part of me and I really want to continue it.

Q: When you first started running cross country, what was the biggest challenge for you?

A: I think the biggest challenge was looking at a race as a race. I would look at them as things that are going to be painful, last a long time and get through it. That was a challenge. Then, I think, the solution is looking at cross country as an opportunity to see how far you can go, how fast you can go, how many people you can catch. Then you get excited about the races and think, 'what can I do this time?'

Q: What do you enjoy the most about the sport?

A: I enjoy making goals and working toward something, then realizing you can go totally beyond that. You get in good shape, can physically do more, run longer, run faster but also the mental aspect of knowing that you can do so much more than what you think you can at the beginning. That's what I enjoy the most. You look back and say, 'wow, I really didn't think I could do this.'

Q: Are you considering running indoor and outdoor track?

A: I am definitely going to do outdoor track. Indoor track, we didn't have that in Anchorage and it sounds cool. I like the individual events because you don't have to rely on anyone else. (Editor's note: Pedrick did say that she ran on the mile (1,600 meters) and two-mile (3,200 meters) relays at her old high school in Anchorage.)

Q: When you're out on the cross country course or on the track, what do you think about?

A: As soon as the gun goes off, I think 'why am I here. Why did I choose this sport?' I just use running like it's totally my time. I think about the day, think about anything that's stressing me out. It's really like cleansing. I try to focus on the race, not focus on my pain and how hard I'm breathing, but do acknowledge that it's going on. It's a little part of the race. You don't need to let it control you.

Q: Do you have an idea of what you'd like to study in college?

A: I want to major in international relations, like global diplomacy ... the different things that all come together. Thinking about countries and how they work together, and how people in those countries form different identities. I want to travel a lot. With a background as a military brat and being able to see the world a lot more, that really pushed me toward that. I'm not sure what job that will lead to (but) I'll find something to study, something to love and everything will work out.