Lauren Cancelliere

Lauren Cancelliere
Resides in: Nazareth, PA and Storrs, CT
Years running: 7
Bio: I attended Nazareth high school where I ran track for four years and cross country for three years and I also played basketball for four years. I am now done with my freshman year at the University of Connecticut where I am majoring in Nutrition and also continuing running track and field.

What do you enjoy most about running?
I actually love the feeling you get after running: The feeling that you accomplished something and did something good. Especially after a successful race I can look back on my training prior to that race and know that it was all worthwhile. It is enjoyable to be happy and have a good time after your done racing.

What are your favorite training foods?
Um, I don’t really have any specific foods for training, but overall, I love avocados, pasta, and salmon.

What is the strangest/funniest thing that has happened to you on a run?
My freshman year of high school, I was the only distance runner to qualify for track states so my friend, another distance runner, and Ken Rolek, my coach, were training outside on the gravel track. We were doing 200s and my coach wanted to simulate how the 800 would be very congested with some bumping and pushing. So he pushed my friend and I ended up tripping over her and fell. My coach felt bad because he thought it was his fault I fell so he ended up stopping the workout after that.

What is your biggest running accomplishment and why?
Making the UConn track and field team after the coaches told me it would be difficult to do, but I rose up to the challenge and accomplished what I wanted.

Favorite race distance?
800 meters, definitely

Running Heroes?
Chanelle Price, even though she is only one year older than me, she has inspired me to realize there are no limits to what you can accomplish.

Current running goals?
To break 2:15 in the 800

What are some things you’ve learned about yourself from running?
That I can overcome challenges as long as I remained focused on the overall goal

What would your family and friends tell us about your passion for running?
That I will run a race through anything because I will not give up on the race or training for this sport

Best race experience?
I think my first district championship for track when I qualified for states because it was something that had not happened in a couple of years for a Nazareth high school runner. All of my coaches were very happy and excited for me.

What gets you excited about running?
Thinking about reaching goals and getting faster

Do you have a favorite race?
In high school I loved racing at J. Birney Crum Stadium because I loved the stadium and the overall atmosphere.