XC Watchlist: Patrick Carty - Fryeburg Academy

<p> Check out our 2015 Maine XC previews as we prepare for the upconing season</p>


XC Watchlist: Patrick Carty - Fryeburg Academy

Athlete Name: Patrick Carty

School: Fryeburg Academy

Year of Graduation: 2016

2014 State Meet Finish: 3rd in Class B 16:33.34

How long have you been running and how did you get started?

I have been running since the fifth grade with Hershey Track and Field. People always say that peer pressure is bad but l think that it can really play a huge (positive) role in someone's life. My three best friends, Tj Rose, Elizebeth Grzyb, and Sully Briggs all ran and were continuously trying to get me to join them. I'm glad that I did. Some of my best memories come from doing the sports that I love, and none of this would have been possible had I not been pressured to join.

Do you remember your first real race?

Oh god, I actually don't remember. It must have been so bad that I blocked it out!

How is your summer training going?

My summer training has been great. I feel that I am in more than good enough shape for preseason. Every member of our team has been training hard and I am excited to see what the fall brings!

What is your favorite workout?

Every year our team runs up Hurricane mountain. It is two miles straight up hill and I absolutely love it. When we get to the top, my coaches are up there with a table of cookies, watermelon, drinks and every other thing you could possibly want after a run!

Which meets will you be running in this year? Sacopee Valley Gray Our new home course! Manchester Invitational Poland NYA St. Joe's And both regionals and states at Twin Brook

Do you have a favorite course? What do you think is the toughest course in the state?

It is hard for me to say, any course with hills is a course that I love, although our new home course at Fryeburg Academy is made up of fields and one of my favorites. Especially when comparing it to how pathetic our old one was! As for tough courses, the first one that comes to mind is actually Derryfield Park in Manchester, New Hampshire. Any time I hear the name "Derryfield Park" I can't help but cringe a little.


Out of all your running accomplishments so far, which stands out the most?

Although placing top 100 last year in the New England Championships was certainly an accomplishment that stands out on paper, my personal favorite was having one of the best seasons that the Fryeburg team has ever had. Nothing quite matches the feeling of going to states with a team that has worked so hard for it. I hope we can accomplish this again because doing well individually is great but when you can pull together and do incredible as a team, there aren't words to describe how great it feels. That is something that I love!


What are your goals for the upcoming cross country season?

I would love to break my PR of 16.33 by at least 20 seconds and being the captain, leading the team to states would be one heck of a way to end my senior year of Cross!

What do you love most about running? Running is a very unique sport in the way that you don't trash talk your competition. There is a sort of silent respect that everyone has for each other. Although you are competitive out on the course, at the end of the race, you shake the hand of your competitor. You actually talk to them and can make some great friends from this. In fact, you need them to push you and make you better.

Finish the sentence Patrick Carty is

I've always hated this type of question... I like to think of myself as a positive person. If you can look at any situation with a positive attitude it will make whatever it is that much better. Positivity is catchy too, if you can make the people around you happy, it can make someone's day. The world isn't always a good place but through the power of positivity we can make it all the more better. If you want to change the world, you've got to start with the things around you first.



Do you have a favorite quote?

I have a lot of favorite quotes but my great grandmother once said "Columbus took a chance!". She proceeded to win the lottery.

Do you have any pre-race rituals or routines?

I love to have spaghetti, meat sauce and coffee milk before a race and then soak in the tub for like an hour


What is your favorite food?

There are too many choices! I love food, especially some good chocolate chip muffins!

What was the last movie you saw and what did you think of it?

Haha well, the last movie I saw was "Super Troopers". As dumb as it may be, there were many points where I couldn't help but laugh hysterically. I loved the opening scene!

What brand of shoes do you train/race in?

I run in New Balance 860 V5's. They are incredibly durable and comfortable. With the distance that any runner must do, it is not uncommon to get blisters but with these shoes I have never had any problems. My spikes are Saucony Kilkenny XC5s. I had a pair of Kilkennys my freshman and sophomore year and I beat them so badly that nearly every spike had broken inside of the shoe. I loved those spikes (in fact they're enjoying retirement in my closet) so much that I bought a new pair my Junior year.

What professional athlete would you like to meet the most?

Without a doubt, Louis Zamperini. His ability to stay so positive in such desperate situations defines the essence of endurance sports. So much of it is mental. If you tell yourself you can do something and never except defeat, you accomplish anything.

What is something most people don't know about you?

I tend to be a collector of strange and random items... I go to the flea market, yard sales, or Uncle Henry's magazine every Sunday and almost always come home with some weird antique. Recently, I bought a coleman grill, a civil defense helmet, and a jerry can. I also drive a moped to work and am in the process of restoring a 1953 military jeep.

Lastly, if you were stranded on an island with three things what would they be?

A radio so I can call for help, A pot to boil water, and matches


More on Carty

Cartyi's Milesplit Profile

Personal Bests

  • 1,600 Meter Run 4:48.09
  • 3,200 Meter Run 10:19.62
  • Three Mile Run 16:56.00
  • 5,000 Meter Run 16:33.34
  • 800 Meter Run 2:13.29