By Hannah Park
Hundreds of feet pound the pavement. The smell of rain and sweat mingle in the chilly air. One runner breaks away from the pack.
Senior Diego Alonso streaks toward the stadium. He’s making great time. His first mile was a 4:52. His second mile was a blazing 4:47. Now, he’s in the final stretch of the third mile. I’m in a good spot right now. I can make it!
He glances at the stadium clock. His heart jolts; fire roars through his chest. Black hair whipping behind him, Alonso lunges toward the three-mile marker. His blue jersey whips by the spectators: they crowd against the yellow caution tape barriers. Alonso’s breath is ragged, but his legs are strong. He rockets over the finish line.
14:30, flat. Alonso’s three-mile time at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section finals (Nov. 18) qualified him for the California state championships — only the second runner in Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) history to do so. And he broke FVHS’s three-mile school record.
“I achieved both my goals in the same race. I couldn’t wrap my head around that. It’s something I’ve dreamed about doing for so long.”
Diego Alonso
On Nov. 25, Alonso ran a 15:25 at the state championships (five kilometers, 3.11 miles). He placed 22nd in Division I. Although he wasn’t able to close the race like he wanted to, he smashed another FVHS record — the “5k” record, formerly held by FVHS coach Luis Morales (15:32).
“I’m pretty happy with it,” Alonso said. “Because, at the start of the year, I got hurt.”
Alonso’s accomplishments shine even brighter considering the serious injury he incurred on the first day of school (Aug. 30). That day, Alonso sprained his ankle: the swelling made it impossible for him to run. To someone who had spent the last two-and-a-half months building strength through intense summer training, this was a devastating setback. On top of that, when Alonso returned to the trail, he experienced shin splints (every runner’s worst nightmare).
“Coming back was really hard. I needed to use kinesiology tape to even run,” Alonso said.
Despite it all, Alonso trained even harder to come back in mid-September — combining sprint workouts with long, grueling runs on hiking trails (example: Alonso ran 17 miles in one workout last Sunday). He made his first shot at breaking the school record at the Orange County championships on Oct. 14. However, he ended up placing 55th with a time of 15:25, falling short of the 3-mile record.
“I had doubts, in the back of my head, that I wouldn’t be able to make it,” Alonso said. “I put too much pressure on myself to break the school record … I wanted to have a race that I could be proud of.”
Still, Alonso kept training (on top of his four Advanced Placement classes). Going into the critical CIF Southern Section finals, he adopted a new mindset. He stopped stressing about the record — and started focusing on the moment.
“I was just trying to move up as many spots as I could,” Alonso said. “[During the race], I felt really good. I didn’t even realize I was on pace for the school record.”
Now, looking back, Alonso is proud of his double-record smash.
“I’ve been hurt a lot throughout cross country. [Nearly every] year, I was out for a week or more,” Alonso said. “But this was the first year that I was able to come back … [and] achieve what I set out to do.”
A runner’s lifestyle: Q&A
Q: Why did you join cross country?
A: “I first heard about it from my eighth-grade P.E. teacher. When COVID hit, I did it to get into shape for soccer. Then … I got better at running than soccer.”
Alonso was famous for his soccer skills in middle school (and for being an absolute superfan).
Q: What do you eat before meets?
A: “It depends. If my race is at 8 a.m. and I wake up at 5 a.m., I eat a bowl of oatmeal. If the race is later, and I can afford to eat more, I eat 2 eggs and then more oatmeal.”
Q: Do you have a favorite workout?
A: “My favorite was a double workout day. I ran 18 hills … It was pretty intense. Only me and [junior] Ethan [Kwong] did all 18. In the afternoon, we did a 12 by 400 [meter track workout].”
12 repetitions of 400 meters is equivalent to three miles.
Q: Did anything surprise you about cross country?
A: “The longer runs were surprising … I thought we were going to be done after four miles. It turns out we were only halfway … Obviously, the races are three miles. That was an adjustment I had to make,” Alonso said. “[Still, there were] scenic views. We got to go to a lot of pretty places.”
Q: What kind of runner are you?
A: “I try to help my team … They’re just as willing to put in the miles and workouts as I am,” Alonso said. “[Also,] I’m a really big goal-setter. For the three-mile, I wanted to run 14:10, and I wanted to place really high at the state [with my team] … Still, I’m really proud of what we were able to achieve this year.”
Q: What tips do you have for fellow dream-chasers?
A: “It’s important to set goals and understand the process it takes to achieve [it]. It’s easy to say, ‘I’m going to run 4:20 in the mile,’ but … it’s important to understand how much time and effort and mental strain you’re going to have to put in … to maybe run the time [that you wanted to]. Even if you don’t, don’t be disappointed.”
“[That being said,] this year is the most fun I’ve had with my team. It’s really enjoyable to run with them … It’s important to be serious and committed, but still have fun!”
And, finally …
Q: How do you feel about your four years in cross country?
A: “We’ve grown a lot … Before [I went to FVHS], we hadn’t won league in 10 years. Now, we won four years in a row,” Alonso said. “Our team culture also became much more friendly, [which] translated into even more success on the grass …We have the talent to compete with any team in Southern Section.”
Alonso plans to continue running in college. He’s talked with coaches at California State University (CSU) Fullerton and University of California (UC) Berkeley, although no plans have been confirmed yet. He hopes to go into civil engineering. Without a doubt, Alonso’s running down the best of trails.
