Read Alex Bailey’s Chat with Fans – Ohio State Buckeyes

Senior men’s cross country captain answered fans’ questions Friday

COLUMBUS, Ohio Alex Bailey, a senior captain on the Ohio State men’s cross country team, held a live online chat Friday to answer fans’ questions Friday.

As host of the 2007 Big Ten Cross Country Championships, Bailey and the Buckeyes look to finish in the Top 3 against strong conference competitors. Slated for an 11:30 a.m. start time, the men’s championships trail will be an 8-kilometer course on The Ohio State University Golf Course Sunday after the women’s 5-kilometer race at 10:45 a.m.

Bailey, a native of Hilliard, Ohio, has consistently turned in top team times in both his junior and senior campaigns, including a fifth-place (25:57:59/8k) finish at the Tennessee Twilight Invitational Sept. 14.

ohiostatebuckeyes.com::	Welcome to Alex Bailey’s online chat. Please post your questions here.

ohiostatebuckeyes.com::	Alex is here so we will go ahead and begin.

Kevin:West Jefferson:	What do you guys do the night before the race? Is there a specific food that you eat is there a place you like to go?

Alex::	Usually the night before the race we’ll go to a restaurant – like the Olive Garden – for a light pasta dish which can be important if the race is early the next morning. You don’t want any red meat or steak – food that sits heavy in your stomach – during the race.

Kevin:Sparta, NJ:	What’s the deal with the beard?

Alex::	It used to be a tradition that the older guys would grow a bread before the Big Ten Championships to “look tough”. Now it’s more like a rally beard. We haven’t shaved since September but I plan on shaving the minute the race is over. The mustache is starting to curl on its own and it’s getting itchy.

Matt:New Albany, OH:	How does this team compare to past OhioState teams you’ve been a part of?

Alex::	It’s hard to make a direct comparison but different people bring different strengths to the team. Past teams I’ve been on we have had a strong front runner and now we have a pack. Each teammate is pushing the other to do better. It is also the smallest team I’ve been on so there is a feeling of urgency to get the job done.

Nate:San Francisco:	Does the OSU course appeal to your strengths? The teams?

Alex::	It was designed to appeal to a cross country runner’s strengths. It has a good amount of hills, some flat fast straight aways and sharp turns. Those are all things I really enjoy in a course. It’s great for the spectators too because it loops so they can cheer a couple of times without really having to move.

Jacob:Hollywood, CA:	Why should I come to Sunday’s race? What should I expect?

Alex::	I think you should come to the race Sunday because anyone who ran cross country in high school or run road races should stay involved in the sport and support other runners. Plus, you’re seeing some of the fastest runners in the country. Two of the last three national champions have been Big Ten runners.

Glenn:Upper Arlington:	You are OSU’s only 5th year senior. Do you think that lack of veteran depth has helped or hurt the team?

Alex::	There’s not a lack of depth on the team. There may be a little lack of experience at the college level but we also have a junior and senior on the team the younger guys can look to. Everyone’s excepted to contribute on this team. We joke that there is no time to be a freshman.

Robby:Upper Arlington:	What’s your favorite athletic moment as a Buckeye?

Alex::	My favorite athletic moment was the 2005 Big Ten Championships in Minnesota. We were second as a team behind Wisconsin who won the national championship that year. No one on the team had a standout performance but each worked together and ran their best race.

Cole:Happy Valley, PA:	Assuming you could bet on such things, what odds would you give me getting to Sunday morning’s race after driving all night from HappyValley?

Alex::	I would say the odds of 50/50. The odds are a lot less if we win the football game. Enjoy the game and stay safe.

Chris:Pickerington, OH:	What is the team’s goal this weekend? Your goal individually?

Alex::	Team goal is to have a presence with Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. We want to fight for a Top 3 finish. Those three teams are nationally ranked so it would be great to finish in the Top 3. My individual goal is to be in the Top 20 and really to shoot for Top 14 be named an All-Big Ten honoree.

Jessie:New Albany, OH:	What’s more your forte: track or cross country?

Alex::	I would say cross country. I enjoy it more because of the team ideal of working together towards one goal. Track is more about the individual. I like the scenery and that each cross country course has different challenges.

M Zak:Raliegh, NC:	If there was one cross country race and you could choose any of your OSU teammates over the past five years to be on your team, what six would you line up next to you?

Alex::	I would probably line up with the same guys I am going to line up with on Sunday.

Charles:Greenville, SC:	What are you going to miss most after cross country is over?

Alex::	I’m going to miss having people to run with and the competitive racing. I’m going to miss the Big Ten meets. I’m going to miss being around Coach Gary and working with my teammates towards a common goal.

Joe 2.0:Houston, TX:	I heard a rumor that you love doing warm-up strides before races. Is this true?

Alex::	No. I hate doing strides because it takes my body time to warm-up to move that fast. It’s one of my Top 3 least favorite things up there with wet socks and having to towel off after a shower.

JW:West Lafeyette, IN:	In your eyes who is the best overall athlete that you’ve run with at OSU?

Alex::	The best runner I’ve ran with was Rob Myers. But there is a debate over who is the best overall athlete. I’d have to say Jeff See is the best overall athlete.

KLAWS:Gainesville, Fl:	If you had to pick the one teammate with weirdest quirks, who would it be?

Alex::	I’m probably the weirdest kid on the team. There are times when I’m on the phone and I don’t want to talk to my teammates so I’ll just wait til they say something.

Lunchbox:Indianapolis, IN:	What’s your favorite place to run on/ off campus?

Alex::	My favorite loop is nicknamed the ABL – The Alex Bailey Loop. It runs by my childhood house and is just about five miles – the perfect length. My favorite off campus place is HighbanksMetroPark. It’s a versatile place to run. You can work out hard or do an easy run. It’s nice to have a place that serves multiple functions.

Ryan:Hilliard, OH:	Any meets stick out in your mind as one’s that went exceptionally well or very poorly?

Alex::	My proudest race was the 2005 Big Ten Championships in Minnesota. Pretty much everyone on our team passed a Minnesota guy in the last 100 meters which put us ahead of the Gophers by a point. I’m proud that I contributed to that. My least favorite race was an indoor Big Ten championship when I finished second to last in the 5k. I told my legs to go faster and they were not moving.

Kathy:Hilliard:	How important is crowd support?

Alex::	It’s pretty important. I would put that in my Top 5. Having the hometown advantage should give us an advantage with friends and family coming.

dan:brunswick:	How is the overall team morale coming into Sunday’s race?

Alex::	It’s pretty high. Everyone feels fit, tough and confident. Everyone wants to do their part for the team.

Paula:Dublin:	How does the weather influence your racing? What conditions do you like the best?

Alex::	I’ll race in any weather. I’ve raced in rain, snow and 100 degrees. I feel like I can race in any weather so it doesn’t matter. I’ll take any weather that makes it harder on my competitors.

ohiostatebuckeyes.com::	That’s all the questions for Alex. Thanks for sending in your questions.

Departments

Media

More

University

Information

Athletic Facilities

Athletics

The Team Shop

Get In The Game

Purchase Tickets

Purchase Tickets

Ticket Office

Resources

Schedules