Grace Tinkey has been a force in Georgia cross country and track. She is a two time Foot Locker National finalist and is one of the favorites this year to return back to San Diego and capture her 2nd GHSA State title this fall in cross country. MileSplit's Todd Grasley had a Q&A with Grace about her goals for this fall and her Foot Locker experience
What did your summer training consist of?
Summer time is the best time to build good base miles to get ready for cross country and also a time for your body to recover from the higher intensity track training. We normally run anywhere from 30-55miles a week, varying on how our training is going, and how we feel. Once a week we run a longer run which is always a fun time running with our running buds and trying to escape the heat which always seems to catch us every time. Near the end of summer after getting in our base miles we start doing some light quality workouts that wake up our fast twitch muscles that have had rest during the summer. They are not hard workouts, but enough to get your legs back to running a little faster than the easy miles run during the summer. They’re kind of like when you are sampling something because it’s just a small amount of what you would order, just a small bite not the meal quite yet. Don't worry the harder workouts will come later, but for now they are fun.
This summer I went to the Smoky Mountain Running Camp and got to see some other runners that live in Georgia, so that was fun seeing them and getting to hang out with the counselors who made camp a lot of fun. It was nice getting to run at some new places which I think almost all runners can relate to cause during the season since you train in the same places most of the time.
At the beginning of the summer, we went a little bit up north to North Georgia with our running buds to get in our running with a break from the heat, and had a lot of fun hanging out and running together.
Last year First Presbyterian Day School moved from the GISA to the GHSA division. What was that transition like and how is the team looking so far?
It was different because we no longer raced the same schools as previous years, but it was awesome being able to race against school we had never competed with, and meeting some amazing runners. As a team we placed second at state last year and we have almost all of the same runners returning. We have a pretty young team and learned a lot from last year. Our goals are for everyone to try their best and have a fun season.
You have three individual state championships already. What are your personal goals for the season?
This year as a junior my dream would be to make it back to Foot Locker, to perform well at states, and be injury free. There are so many great runners out there and you never know who is going to be at each race. So this year I would love to break 18 minutes on our state course and improve my time on our other courses. Good luck to everybody running cross country this year!
Last year as a freshman you placed 10th in the seeded race at Foot Locker South to make it onto Foot Locker Nationals where you finished 15th. What was the whole experience like for you?
My first year making it to Foot Locker Nationals was beyond what words can describe. We came to the regional course in Charlotte excited, but nervous about running in the seeded race because ever since I started running we would watch that race and be amazing with how fast all the girls were and how lucky they were if they got top ten because they got to go to San Diego. So going into that race I remember lining up and seeing Chelsey Sveinsson and a few other runners I look up to standing there with me and feeling like wow we are in the same race together. The whole Foot Locker experience was amazing and being able to hang out with the south girls was so much fun.
In San Diego you roomed with arguably the top distance runner in the country Aisling Cuffe. Did you learn anything from her or try to pick her brain as a fellow runner?
Rooming with Aisling Cuffe was an amazing experience because she is on her own level of running than most of the runners at Foot Locker. Everyone kind of looks up to her like she is a celebrity. She was one of the sweetest girls I've ever met and she was really open to answering all of our questions. Shelby Davidson was next door to us, so Shelby and I would hang out with Aisling in our room and just talk to her about running and just have fun hanging out together. Aisling is a true dedicated athlete to running, but also knows how to have balance with everything else in her life outside of running. She's very focused during her races, but afterwards if you met her she would never come out and say she won Nationals because she is so humble, and always asking how your race was or how you're feeling. We all wish her the best of luck in her college debut at Stanford this year and will be cheering for her.
What is an ideal course layout for you?
One of the best parts of cross country is being able to run on new courses and running through valleys, fields, woods, etc. I love courses that are rolling with changes in elevation instead of pancake flat ones. Whether it is dry, muddy, or swamp land, that’s what makes cross country different than track. There are challenges that make cross country the sport that it is. Some of my favorite courses are the Wesleyan School course in Atlanta, Berry College in Rome, and our own state course.
What is your race strategy?
Every runner has their own way of racing and sometimes what works best strategy - wise for some runners doesn’t always work as well for others. Some like to start out fast, others like to start off slow, and some just like being out there for fun, or are still experimenting with what strategy works out best for them individually. Normally I try to run a consistent pace throughout the race, and not go out too hard, which generally means I’m not running in the front most of the time. Not every course is the same because every course has different terrains, changes in weather; so everyone tends to find what strategy generally works best for them at the beginning of the year and keep their strategy through the rest of the season.
Do you have a running brand of choice?
Since I started running we have swapped back and forth between different brand shoes like Nike, Mizuno, Brooks, Asics, Pearl Izumi, and Saucony for training shoes, or spikes. All these companies have really nice shoes, and running clothes, but everyone has to find what shoe works best for them because unlike all the other athletic teams like baseball, basketball, etc. all you really need for cross country is a good pair of running shoes, and there are so many different types of brands and shoes out there. Currently I’m running in Asics and love them, but we normally swap to Nike or Saucony spikes for racing.
Who are your rivals or toughest competitors?
As a team this will be our 2nd year in the GHSA, and from learning last year, we are more familiar with which teams are strong and to be watching out for, but there are so many strong runners and teams out there. It is going to be fun being able to race against them, seeing everyone improve, and reach their personal goals. Cross Country is a great sport, but you can’t always base yourself off of other runners and let your goals be driven specifically on beating individual people because you never know what they are going to run time-wise, or if they are injured, or sick. Our goals are to run our best and run hard and try to reach our time-goals throughout the season. Best of luck to everyone running cross country this year because you never know what you can achieve as long as you believe in yourself and the training you have committed yourself to.
Do you have a motto or quote you live by?
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” - Harriet Tubman
Personal Bests
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1600 Meter Run5:10.20
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3200 Meter Run11:00.00
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5000 Meter Run17:24.00
Interview After 15th Place Finish at Foot Locker Nationals
