From 12th at Regionals to US No. 2: Hattie Beshears on Dropping 17:33 to 16:12 in One Year, 3:30 AM Wake-Ups, and Why Slowing Her Workouts Down Made Her Faster

In one year, Hattie Ray Beshears went from just missing nationals to chasing a national title. In this installment of our Fleet Feet x Brooks High School Cross Country Series, Dominic talks with the Har-Ber junior, two days after her 16:35 Arkansas 6A state title, about the year her 5K dropped from 17:33 to 16:12. She traces it back to a soccer concussion that left her in a dark room for a week, and to her sister, Lilly, now at BYU, who showed her that sleep, food, water and stretching matter. 
Hattie Ray explains why her coach told her to back off after she averaged 4:57 for mile repeats in early summer, why she’s kept her mileage around 30 to 35 a week, and what it’s like to run cross country with a grass allergy. She walks through her workout mornings, the 30-minute drive to the nearest open track, and the pillow and blanket she keeps in her coach’s classroom for a mid-morning nap. She’s honest about how hard the weight room is for her, and she talks about the faith that drives her, partly inspired by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. 
She’s still waiting on a Golden Ticket and makes a humble case for one, and Dominic makes a much less humble case for her. Wherever this season takes her, Hattie Ray has already shown how far patience, consistency and a big sister in your corner can carry a runner, and we can’t wait to watch her chase the rest. 
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