Simon Thorpe: What Winning a State Championship Actually Changes

Three Minnesota cross-country state championships, an 8:53 3200-meter performance, and ambitions that reach far beyond his home state.Erik Semling of Cotter/Hope Lutheran joins Ándale Run to talk about what drives him to keep pushing toward bigger goals, even after becoming one of Minnesota’s top high-school distance runners.Erik shares how his training has evolved, why developing speed helped him take another step forward, and one of the biggest lessons he’s learned: harder workouts don’t always lead to better results.We also talk about the importance of consistency, fueling, recovery, and understanding why a slower race time doesn’t necessarily mean a poor performance.Beyond training, Erik opens up about his Christian faith and how it shapes his purpose, his approach to competition, and the way he handles disappointment.And while he’s already accomplished plenty, he’s thinking much bigger. From competing against the nation’s best at NXR and NXN to setting his sights on the U.S. high-school 10K record, Erik isn’t afraid to set ambitious goals.One of my favorite parts of our conversation was hearing his advice to younger runners about finding a goal that genuinely excites them enough to get up every day and work toward it.It’s a conversation about ambition, discipline, faith, and learning that becoming a better runner isn’t always about doing more.🎙️ Another conversation about the people and stories behind the sport. Ándale!

What does it take to go from simply trying out running to becoming one of the top cross-country runners in Illinois?Rock Island senior Elliot Batz joins Ándale Run to share a journey that started after COVID, when he joined his middle-school running team without any real expectations of where the sport might take him.A breakthrough 17:15 during his freshman year changed the way he viewed his potential. Since then, Elliot has gone on to run 14:25 at the Illinois 3A State Cross Country Championships, finishing 17th, and a 4:12 mile on the track.But his journey hasn’t been just about getting faster.We talk about how his confidence developed, what he’s learned about handling pressure and expectations, and why he believes you have to train with humility while showing up on race day ready to compete with anyone.Elliot also shares his goals for his final high-school cross-country season, why consistency has played such an important role in his development, and what makes running for Rock Island special.Toward the end of our conversation, Elliot opens up about something many athletes can relate to: learning how to separate running from the rest of life and recognizing that there’s more to who you are than your performances.From chasing faster times to appreciating the moments with his teammates, Elliot reminds us that growth in running isn’t always measured by the clock.🎙️ Another conversation about the people and stories behind the sport. Ándale!

https://sustainablelifelive.com/Are we doing enough to help female runners become stronger, healthier, and more confident?Annemarie Sampson, girls cross-country head coach at Libertyville High School and founder of PEAC Train Like A Girl, joins Ándale Run for a conversation about what female athletes need from their coaches and why developing a successful runner involves much more than mileage and race times.Drawing from decades of experience in fitness and coaching, Annemarie shares why she began rethinking traditional training approaches and how a better understanding of female athletes can influence the way we coach.We talk about strength training, fueling, recovery, injury prevention, and the importance of creating an environment where girls feel comfortable discussing their health.Annemarie also addresses the conversations coaches sometimes avoid, including menstrual health, body image, and the importance of properly fitting athletic equipment.Beyond the physical side of running, we explore what it means to help athletes feel seen, heard, and valued, why finding joy matters more than constantly chasing personal records, and what she’s learned from the young women she’s coached over the years.One of the biggest messages from our conversation is simple: We’re not just developing runners for the next race or season. We’re building athletes for a lifetime.🎙️ A conversation for runners, coaches, parents, and anyone who cares about the future of girls in sports. Ándale!

Thor Springman didn’t start out as one of the fastest runners. In fact, when he first joined middle-school track, he struggled to find an event where he could even compete.Now, the Southwestern High School senior is chasing All-State honors in Illinois 1A cross country and hoping to break 15 minutes at state.Thor joins Ándale Run to talk about how he discovered distance running, what changed when he started taking the sport seriously, and the challenges of getting noticed while competing for a smaller school.We also get into how social media helped him connect with other runners, the pressure of chasing certain times, and why the second mile of a cross-country race can be just as challenging mentally as it is physically.Thor shares what he’s learned from disappointing races, how he’s helping younger teammates develop confidence, and why running has become such an important part of who he is.And, of course, we get into his love for J. Cole, his favorite post-run foods, and his bold claim that he might be the best cross-country pickleball player in Illinois.From barely getting into meets to chasing some of the biggest goals of his high-school career, Thor’s story shows just how much can change when you find something you love and keep working at it.🎙️ Thor Springman joins Ándale Run. Ándale!

Karlin Janowski joins Ándale Run after winning the Illinois 3A cross-country state championship as a sophomore.In this conversation, Karlin talks about what changed after becoming a state champion, why defending a title can feel harder than chasing one, and how she tries to keep outside expectations from changing the way she races.She also opens up about the work behind the results, why people sometimes mistake years of effort for “natural talent,” and why a good race isn’t always defined by time or place.We also talk about:Finishing second at state as a freshman and coming back to winThe final moments of her state championship raceStaying mentally strong after a bad raceRacing smart instead of chasing the clockYork’s team cultureBalancing running, school, sleep, and everything elseWhat she still wants to prove to herselfKarlin has already shown she can win. Now she’s learning how to keep growing without letting one result define who she is as a runner.🎙️ Karlin Janowski on Ándale Run.

What changes after you finally win the state championship you spent years chasing?Dixon Dukes head coach Simon Thorpe returns to Ándale Run after leading his team to the Illinois 2A cross-country state title.This time, the conversation is less about how Dixon got there—and more about what happened after.Simon talks about the difference between confidence and entitlement, what it’s like coaching a defending state champion, why winning brought relief but didn’t necessarily feel the way he expected, and how fatherhood has changed the way he approaches coaching.He also shares how his training philosophy has evolved, why Dixon has moved away from some of the harder race-pace workouts they used to rely on, what this year’s team does better than last year’s championship group—and what last year’s team still did better.We also get into team culture, leadership, developing young men beyond running, and why Simon says winning isn’t worth much if the people doing the winning don’t grow along the way.🎙️ Defending a title. Coaching with perspective. Training smarter. And figuring out what success actually means after you’ve already reached the top.

Winnebago junior Molly Webb joins Ándale Run to talk about confidence, team culture, and how she learned to believe she belonged among some of the best runners in Illinois 1A.Molly opens up about a time when confidence didn’t come naturally, the teammates who helped change that, and the race that showed her she was capable of more than she realized.She also talks about being part of Winnebago’s state championship team, the pressure of trying to return to the top, why relationships matter just as much as results, and what she believes makes a season successful—even if it doesn’t end with a win.We also get into keeping running fun, the importance of competition, her goals for the rest of junior year, and what she hopes younger Winnebago runners learn from watching her.🎙️ Confidence. Team. Growth. And learning that a good season is about more than where you finish.

Ali Londrigan joins Ándale Run to talk about how her relationship with running has changed from freshman year to senior year at Glenwood.As a younger runner, Ali believed every run had to be hard. Now, she’s learned that progress often comes from being more intentional — knowing when to push, when to back off, and how to stack consistent days instead of trying to be perfect every time.Ali shares how she uses a detailed mental race plan at Detweiller, why instructional self-talk works better for her than simply saying “you got this,” and how working with a sports psychologist has changed the way she approaches competition.We also talk about her background in competitive swimming, the importance of sleep and strength training, what she’s learned from being part of Glenwood’s championship culture, and why she believes all seven runners matter in a team race.Ali also reflects on difficult races, learning to trust different race strategies, and what she hopes younger runners take from her time at Glenwood.🎙️ Intentional training. Mental preparation. Team culture. And learning that you don’t need an A-plus day every day to keep getting better.

What changes when you stop chasing times and start remembering why you love running?Plainfield South senior Alex Batsala joins Ándale Run to talk about his transformation from finishing 58th at the Illinois 3A Cross Country State Championships as a sophomore to finishing 7th as a junior.Alex opens up about a difficult sophomore season, losing some of his joy for running, and the mindset shift that helped him rediscover it. He shares why becoming All-State didn’t suddenly answer all his questions, why he believes there is no “secret sauce” to success, and why some of the hardest moments in a race are also when he feels the most free.We also talk about the tradition behind the Plainfield South stripes, training alongside his teammates, why the second mile is where he believes a cross-country race is really made, and what he’d choose if given the option between an individual state championship and a team title.Now entering his senior season, Alex has bigger goals ahead—but he’s approaching them much differently than the runner he was just two years ago.🎙️ From 58th to 7th. From chasing times to finding joy. And one final season in the Plainfield South stripes. Ándale!

Kara Glenn joins Ándale Run to talk about what it’s like competing across an incredible range—from the 400 and 800 on the track to the 3200 and cross country.The Illinois 3A 800 state champion reflects on her state-title race, how she handles pressure and rankings, and why she believes growth is never a straight line.Kara also opens up about dealing with injuries, learning that every race doesn’t need to be an all-out effort, and why working hard has to be paired with training smart.We also talk about team culture, choosing track over soccer, what keeps running fun for her, and why loving what you do may matter more than simply adding more mileage.“It’s not really what caused you to have that bad day, it’s how you’re gonna bounce back from it.”🎙️ Range. Resilience. Smart training. And enjoying the process.🌶️ Ándale!