Defending AA boys state champion Dominic Hockenbury of Lake Lehman has become one of the biggest stars in the state since his 2014 AA 3200 meter outdoor gold medal. Entering his senior season, Hockenbury will look to cement himself as one of the best to come through the AA division and will look to be the latest to qualify for the Foot Locker Finals in San Diego. Hockenbury took some time to give us his thoughts on the new season.
How has your summer training been going? When did you start? How many miles/week? Can you attach a week’s worth of training?
My summer training has been going really well. Many of my college friends have come home for the summer that I am able to run with. Running with great friends like my former teammate Kieran Sutton of Shippensburg, Dominic Deluca of Cornell, and Ben Robinson of Lock Haven is a nice change of things, for during the school year most of my runs are on my own. Overall my summer training has been not only very productive but also enjoyable. As a result, I feel stronger, faster, and ready for the fall season to start up.
I started my summer training two weeks after the state meet, opting out of running any post season meets. I made it a point this year to take a short break from running in order to recover from the long track season.
This summer I set out the goal of running an average of around 80 miles a week. I like to start out by setting a mileage goal each week, however I make sure to listen to my body and back off the pace or distance when I feel necessary. Along with the weekly mileage I like to incorporate weight training into my schedule, roughly three times per week. I focus on lots of core strength work and runner specific exercises to improve my running form, prevent injury and to make me an overall stronger runner.
A typical week of training looks like this for me.
Monday- 8 miles followed by 10x30 second hills
Weight Training
Tuesday- AM 3miles 10x1:30 on 1:00 off 3miles followed by 10x15 second hills
PM 8 miles
Wednesday- 12 miles
Weight Training
Thursday- 5 miles 10x30 second hills 5 miles
Friday- AM 8 miles
Weight Training
PM 7 mile progression run
Saturday- 10 miles followed by barefoot strides
Sunday- 15 mile long run
What meets will you be competing in this season? Which meet are you looking forward to the most and why?
Aside from districts and States, this season I will be competing at Cliff Robinson Invite, PTXC, Foundation Invite and lastly Footlocker Regionals. I am looking forward to running Footlocker Regionals the most this year. It has been a goal of mine for a long time to earn a trip to Nationals. After coming so close last year (finishing 15th) I’m determined to make it this year.
One of the meets you’re going to this year is PTXC 7. What do you enjoy about this meet? How does this meet help with the rest of your season?
What I enjoy about PTXC is being able to get good competition early in the season to see where my fitness level is at. It’s also great to be around some good friends and the people of Penn Track for the day.
Running this meet helps me with the rest of the season by letting me know what type of shape I am in early off in the season, so I can adjust my training accordingly.
As the defending state champion in the AA division, how have you prepared to spend the year being chased by all the top contenders looking to beat you?
I have prepared myself for this year by building up a strong mileage base this summer and by having the confidence in my training to get me through any type of race situation. I believe having confidence in yourself come race day is one of the most important aspects of racing.
Your big race performances have been a mixture of good and bad. How will those races prepare you for the season ahead?
My past performances have prepared me in many ways. The bad performances have taught me various lessons and showed me what I need to work on to improve as a runner. The good races have built up my confidence. One of the things I try to do every race is to learn something. If it be a racing strategy or a simple warm up drill.
Talk about the competition you will be facing this coming season. Who are your toughest challengers in your mind? How will they be tough to beat?
At the AA level I believe some of my strongest competition will come from my very own district. District 2 AA over the past few years, girls and boys, has produced championship teams, many state medalist, and even individual champions. Athletes like Matt Kravitz, who had a great track season running the mile will be great contenders. Also I feel my good friend Jacob Totzco will also have a great year, for I know he has been working really hard this summer, even tagging along with me on some runs.
Outside of AA competition, I feel the hardest competition will come from kids like Jake Brophy, Jaxson Hoey, and Nick Dahl. Come cross country season we hardly get the chance to run against each other, but otherwise I feel they make up some of the state’s top runners.
Foot Locker Northeast last year was a tough race to swallow after being so close to qualifying. Will you be giving it a second chance? Is the target for the year to qualify for San Diego?
I will definitely be running Footlocker Northeast this year. After coming so close to my goal of qualifying for Nationals last year, I am determined to do it this year. The target for this year is to defend my state title, earn a trip to San Diego for Footlocker Nationals, and then represent my state well at the National level.
