Five Questions: Sarah Kettel

By Parker West for DyeStat

If you follow distance running, chances are you know who Sarah Kettel is. In just her second year of competitive running, the home schooled athlete from East Lansing, Michigan continued to improve by leaps and bounds. Last year, she won the NXN Midwest Regional and also qualified for the Foot Locker National Championships.

Now a senior, Kettel runs for Capital Home School and has her sights set on even better results in 2015-16.

Here are five questions we asked her: 

Question 1 -- You faced a slight injury at the end of track season. How did that affect your summer training?

Sarah Kettel: After not running for three weeks at the end of my junior year due to injury, I started the summer around 15 miles a week and gradually got back to 45.  I’m still working on getting some base mileage now, so my focus rests on the post season and furthering my accomplishments from last year!  This summer I was able to focus more on supplemental training, which has helped me improve my running form and overall strength as well as prevent further injury.  So in the end, my injury actually helped me focus on some of the other areas of training where I was lacking before.

Question 2 -- Not only did you get to be a runner this summer, you also got a little bit of coaching experience with the running club you hosted. What was that experience like?

Sarah Kettel: We had a blast!  I certainly have more appreciation for my coach now and all he does!  It was great to remember the simple pleasure of being able to run a whole mile for the first time!  While it was sometimes hard motivating the kids I was coaching, I soon learned what they liked (competitive workouts such as relays) and once we got past the first couple of weeks, a lot of them were already starting to improve their stamina!  My coach has been an incredible inspiration, not only in my own training, but in coaching – something I might want to continue in the future!

Question 3 -- Michigan is one of the few (if only) states that has a championship meet for home schooled athletes. Can you tell us a little bit about your situation for school and training? What are some of the pluses and minuses to being home schooled?

Sarah Kettel: The minus: I can’t win a state title.  While I would like to compete at the state meet, that being the only negative goes to show how well homeschooling has worked for me!  Otherwise I run with a phenomenal group of runners, all of whom are home schooled.  We train and race together, competing in the some of the best meets in the area.  As far as school goes, except for a couple classes at a community college or coop group, I have completed much of my schooling here at home.  Apart from popular belief, I don’t spend my days in pajamas watching TV, in fact I don’t usually make/have time for TV as I stay occupied with school, running and the following ... 

Question 4 -- What are some things you enjoy doing outside of running?

Sarah Kettel: While running is certainly one of my main hobbies, I do have other interests!  I’m an avid reader.  I like to invent things in the kitchen – most of which are edible!  If I have time, I usually sit down at the piano in the evening and accompany myself while singing.  Spending time with children is a big passion of mine whether it’s babysitting, leading a group at vacation Bible school, or helping out in the church nursery.  Hanging out with friends is always fun, especially when it involves laughing, in depth conversations/debates, and doing something crazy together!  I love to spend time with my family watching movies on Sunday, going on trips all over the country or just laughing over old family stories. 

Question 5 -- What are some things you are focused on achieving in your senior year? What are you most looking forward to?

Sarah Kettel: What I’m most looking forward to is continuing to spend time with my teammates (especially when we travel to regionals!) and then Nationals!  This year I’m focusing on being as great a teammate as my whole team has been to me and doing my part as a co-captain.  Training-wise, I’m focused on performing up to my potential at Nationals, staying healthy, continuing to get faster, and to have fun along the way!  And of course, with this being my senior year, I’m starting to think about goals that involve my future running career in college!