BOISE, IDAHO — At the UW Invitational in Seattle last weekend, 22-year-old Allie Ostrander broke the Boise State record in the women's mile with a time of 4:35.79.
But that wasn't the only ceiling Ostrander shattered; she anchored the Boise State women’s distance medley relay Friday, breaking another Broncos school record.
Now, Ostrander is preparing for a home meet and Mountain West Championships.
"Ya know, originally I thought that running taught me however much you put in, is how much you get out," said Ostrander.
On the heels of her two-time record-shattering weekend, she reflects on the trail to her success.
"Sometimes you have to be working smarter and not harder."
Ostrander essentially "rewrote" the Broncos record book this weekend.
"Obviously that was a team effort with with the other members of the relay team, but then to come back the next day and run as well as she did in the mile..." said Corey Ihmels, Head Track and Field Coach, Boise State. "I think the one thing that I learned at a very, very early in my coaching career is-- you don't limits on athletes, male female."
After all, when you're as fast as Ostrander-- who needs limits?
"Sometimes when I run my best times-- it's when i don't even notice what my splits were during the race and I'm not aware of what the time is and I'm really just going off of what I feel," said Ostrander.
"And I think that's that's Allie's mantra too-- is-- I don't know how good I can be but I'm gonna try as hard as I can to be as good as I can," said Coach Ihmels.
In her senior year academically and her junior year athletically, Ostrander says she's learned not to mentally over-exert.
"It has to be a smart and planned effort as well."
Part of that-- she says-- includes life balance.
"Well I really like cooking and baking and I've been getting into rock-climbing over the last year."
And despite being a consistent front-runner on Boise State's Track and Field team, Ostrander says she wants her legacy to include more than just a number in a record book.
"Obviously I want to be a positive role model, and I want them to be able to look at me and think, that like they'll be to do the same sorts of things, but I also want them to know that running doesn't have to be your whole life and your whole identity."
