PTXC: A course record in your first race. Are you that fit early, and is this where you wanted to be at the beginning of the season?
Hallinan: I'd say it's exactly where I wanted to be. I'm in better shape than last year. I feel good for right now, but I think I had a lot left. The last mile was tough running by myself, but I felt I could go a lot faster if someone was with me. I'm satisfied with how the race went today.
PTXC: Were you able to increase your workload this summer?
Hallinan: Yeah, I was. I was doing more mileage, but then a few weeks before the season started, I got strept throat, so that sidelined me for four days. But I haven't felt any weakness.
PTXC: What kind of mileage were you up to?
Hallinan: I was up to the mid-40's, so I'm on my way to the high 50's.
PTXC: What kind of mileage does the O'Hara program do?
Hallinan: We're more a quality over quantity program. Coach K would rather have us do ten miles at 6:30-6:45 pace than something like 15 miles at 7:30 pace. But we haven't done anything more then eight miles so far this year in any workout. But we're pushing it, running about 54-55 minutes for that. We keep the pace honest and we don't overdo the mileage.
PTXC: What are your goals for this year, starting with Cross Country?
Hallinan: Well, to start, Tom Donnelly is the only guy who won the Catholic League individual crown three times, so that's a goal because I already have two. As a team, we want to be nationally ranked at the end of the year by the Harrier. And the way we look now, I think we have a pretty good shot. And it would be great to go to nationals individually out in San Diego. So hopefully my workouts and my racing puts me in a place to get there.
PTXC: How does moving the PCL Championships up a week (the day after PIAA States in early November) affect your plans with four weeks until Northeast Foot Lockers?
Hallinan: Racing is great, but I feel you get more out of training, so I think the time off from racing will help out. Plus there is the Mid-East race in Ohio. So I don't think the time off of racing will have an effect on the shape I am in.
PTXC: What does the team look like this year?
Hallinan: We're looking pretty good. We had a time trial at Rose Tree and we had six guys under 18:00 last weekend, and the most before that was three, so we're already looking that much better. And it's all younger guys. There are three sophomores in that group and three seniors, so we should be in good shape.
PTXC: What races is O'Hara doing this year?
Hallinan: We're going to be doing Abington next week. Then we're off a week before Briarwood. Then another week off before Steel City. Then it will be Delcos and Eastern States (@ Van Cortlandt Park and Catholic League's. I know I'm doing Northeast Foot Lockers. And Greg should give it a shot.
PTXC: Why didn't you run Foot Lockers last year?
Hallinan: I had a good season last year. I had nothing to complain about, but I wasn't satisfied with how I was running at the time so I just packed it in and got ready for indoor. But I did get 5th at the Freshman race at Foot Lockers.