One of the fastest freshmen in the United States competes at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa, California. Rylee Bowen (photo courtesy of Spencer Allen and www.sportsimagewire.com) finished in the top 10 at the Stanford Invitational seeded race dipping under 18 minutes for the grassy 5k course.
1) How old were you and what led you into running?
I started running competitively when I was 7 but I’ve really always been running. My family jokes that I pretty much was born running and used to beg to get out of the strollers so that I could participate. My Mom loves to run and I loved to tag along with her and her friends. I still run every chance that I get even though I have high school practice and that takes priority. I’ve been told that I’m an energetic person and running just makes me happy. My friends can always tell when I haven’t been running because I get super hyper and make people crazy because I’m always jumping around.
2) What other sports have you participated in besides Cross Country and Track and Field?
I’ve done all the sports that kids do growing up including soccer, swimming, gymnastics, biking, rock climbing, water-skiing, surfing, skiing, and volleyball. I’ve recently focused my time on triathlon and running and really enjoy both of them. My goal is to make it to the Pan American games in triathlon in the next 2 years and if I’m going to do that, I’m really going to need to work on my biking. Next summer I want to spend more time focused on triathlon to see if I can qualify for the international events and be part of the USA team. I swim on a competitive team 5 days per week and run 5-6 days per week but I don’t get back on my bike too often. My Dad is an awesome cyclist so I hope to train with him more often. I’d like to compete in cross country, triathlon, and track in college if my coaches will let me try that triple.
3) What were your track and field personal records before high school in 800, 1600 and 3200?
I’ve run 2:18 in the 800, 4:56 in the 1600 (4:58 mile), and I haven’t really done too many 3200 meter races (they aren’t part of youth track). I have raced the 3000 steeplechase and I have a personal best of 10:50. I’ve run 9:58 in the 3000 at the Human Race back in May.
4) Tell us a little about your Sonoma Academy teammates and coaches and how they have helped you transition from middle school to high school?
I love Sonoma Academy and I’m so glad that I’m a part of the team. They’ve become a family and I love to spend every day with them. My coaches, Danny Aldridge, Sean Fitzpatrick, and Carly Forte all help me a great deal and make it fun to go to practice every day. My parents always laugh when I ask them to take me to school on Labor Day and every other day off. I just love my friends, coaches, teachers, and everything about what I do each day. Sonoma Academy is a fantastic place to go to high school and I’m really glad that I’m there.
5) What races have you run so far this season? Highlights so far? What did you learn from your Stanford Invitational experience?
I have competed in a couple of races this season and all of them were a great learning experience. I ran11:20 at the Viking Opener in Santa Rosa and then 17:49 at the Farmer’s Invitational on the NCS course. I wasn’t completely happy with my Stanford race but I feel like I learned quite a bit from it. I was hoping to run 17:40 on the course and I ran 17:59 instead. I’m continuing to work on my form because I got sloppy in the last mile of the course. My coaches have been working with me on my form and I think it is improving.
6) What does a typical week look like for you in terms of training? What is the length of your longest run? What do you enjoy the most about practices?
It’s hard to name a typical week because it depends on how many meets we run and what other activities are taking place. I normally do a long run (70 minutes) on Sunday and then try and do intervals once or twice per week. I juggle swim practice with cross country practice so sometimes my cross practices gets cut short to make it over to swimming. I love being a multi-sport athlete because it keeps me strong and I enjoy swimming, biking, and running.
7) Favorite track distance? Favorite run? Favorite workout? What do you enjoy doing during your free time?
I love the mile and I hope to improve in the next year. I ran 4:56 last season and I’d like to run 4:52 during track as a freshman. I’m still learning how to run cross country and I sometimes lack the patience needed to run a good 5K. My favorite run is up in Annadel State Park (Santa Rosa) with my Mom, sister, and friends. We have a blast and enjoy playing silly games. Last weekend we broke up into teams and had a contest to see who could see the most species of animals. We are pretty dorky but it is so much fun! There is also a huge lake up in Annadel so we often jump in and take a lap across (most of the time it is a race). My sister is pretty fast at running so we sometimes play the “rabbit game” and she gets a head start and then I try to catch her. I’m learning to be systematic in my approach because I used to sprint to catch her in the first mile and then I’d be completely fried going up the big hills.
In my free time I love to sing, hang out with my cross country friends, and be with my family. We enjoy going swimming at the gym and going for long walks with our three dogs. I’m learning to play the piano and guitar, just for fun!
8) What races are you looking forward to the rest of the season?
I’m looking forward to state, Nike Cross Nationals or Foot Locker, and then moving into track. I really love track season!!!!
