Elliot Krause: rolling on confidence
November 12, 2009 | Men's Cross Country
Nov. 12, 2009
MADISON, Wis.--For most members of the UW men's cross country team, their week primarily consists of three days of heavy mileage mixed in with designated days off for rest and recovery. However, for sophomore Elliot Krause, there is no such thing as a day of rest. Krause tears up the grass six days a week, a strategy he has implemented throughout his career in cross country. Come race time, he always shows up ready to outwork the other runners.
Krause had always dreamed of attending the University of Wisconsin and has made the best of it thus far. Coming off a tremendous day at the Big Ten Championship, Krause earned first team All-Big Ten honors. He was the Badgers' top finisher, taking second place overall with a time of 25:05.
With the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship coming up on Saturday, Nov. 14, in Bloomington, Ind., the races from here on out will no longer be eight kilometers, but 10. Krause sees himself as more of a 10k or marathon type runner and with his jump up 23 spots from last year's Big Ten finish, one can only imagine how he will perform at this year's regional championship.
Krause devotes all of his success this season to his training and new bout of confidence, something his high school coach Annette Jadin knows all about.
"He certainly has worked very hard for his accomplishments and is very deserving," Jadin said. "During the four years that I had the opportunity to coach Elliot in cross country, I saw an individual strive to become a strong runner and competitor."
Now at the UW, Krause is still striving to be the best runner he can be, putting in more mileage than anyone else on the team. Running a lot of mileage "just makes sense to [him]," he said, and has helped boost his confidence even more. This work does not go unnoticed.
"The guy's work ethic is incredible," said Wisconsin men's cross country coach Mick Byrne. "He's a high-mileage guy, everybody knows that. For a lot of kids it can kill you, but he has a capacity to do high mileage. It's what he does to be successful and he's very dedicated to what he does."
Each member of the UW cross country team has a certain quota they try to meet for mileage every week. Krause has been recorded as running anywhere from 110-120 miles per week, an astounding 40 more miles than some other teammates. He admits, however, that running in such great amounts used to be a necessary evil in order to keep up with the others guys. Now it is simply what works for him.
The big difference this year is Krause's confidence. For most freshmen running at the collegiate level, it is a tough transition from the standard 5k in high school to the eight and 10-kilometer races in college. Having one year under their belt makes a world of difference.
"It's a year of training, a whole lot more confidence in my ability and just being ready at the right time that made the difference," said Krause of his performance in 2009. "Last year I just wasn't ready to go. This year I've been rolling on the confidence, and I'm ready to race right now."
Cross country is very much a mental sport. Runners have to be focused on their own ability as well as be wary of the other runners' strategies. It can be hard to concentrate at times on "your race," but Krause has faith in his skill and preparation.
"You have to be confident in your ability and training, and you can't let the little things affect you," he said. "You can't let what other people are doing affect you. You have to concentrate on your race, and I know my team is capable of that."
With the remaining races of the 2009 season increased from 10 kilometers to eight, for Krause, the season has just begun. His confidence is at an all time high, and his best is yet to come.
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Justin Mozer
Athletic Communications
