SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Jacob Donahue is a senior at Maria Carrillo High School. He ran the fastest three-mile recorded in Sonoma County, and is officially on the 2022 cross country roster at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. 

When did you start running competitively?

Jacob Donahue: I’ve been running since I was a kid, as I have always been athletically inclined, but I really started to run competitively during 8th grade. I started running with a lot of the high schoolers at the time, and they got me into the sport.

Did you suspect then that you would come this far?

Donahue: Honestly, yes and no. I had a lot of support around me through my running peers and coaches that imprinted the idea in my mind that if I put in the work, I could be very successful in this sport and competitive in the state of California. However, it is still surreal how far I’ve come, and I don’t think I would have gotten this far in the sport.

What was your goal for last year’s cross country season?

Donahue: My main goal was to have a successful last season of cross country in my high school career, but I also had some time and place goals. I wanted to be competitive in California when it comes to my division (Division 3) and try and crack 15:30 at the California Cross Country Championships state course. I also wanted to win my league finals this year and compete to win my section/state finals.

Are you surprised by the records you set last season?

Donahue: I was definitely surprised that I ran the fastest 3 mile time in Sonoma County history. The time that I ran, I actually planned on running before the race, but I didn’t realize that it would be a record. I ran a time of 14:40, which was definitely planned, but I had no idea how impactful that would be for me after the race. 

How do you prepare for the finals?

Donahue: We prepare for finals very strategically. Our overarching goal for the season is to be in our best shape and run our fastest race at the state meet at the end of the year. So all of the training days are scheduled for us to prepare for the postseason. The main thing we emphasize in the postseason, and most of the season in general, is to run/train smart. We do not want to burn out too early and be fatigued by the time the state meet rolls around, so we make sure we are training hard to gain fitness but not hurting our fitness in the long run. We do this by slightly cutting down our mileage and intensity towards the last one to two weeks of the season, so our bodies recover enough to run fast.

Is it difficult to switch from cross country to track?

Donahue: Not really. We typically take a two-week break after the cross country season, which helps us physically and mentally recover well. We are usually ready to get back into the swing of things after that.

Speaking of transition, you’re heading to Cal Poly. How do you maintain your focus here, while preparing for student life as a Mustang?

Donahue: The main goal for transitioning from high school to college (especially when it comes to running) is to make it as smooth as possible. The goal is to stay healthy physically to go into the next chapter of training without any setbacks but still run fast these next few months. It’s a balance, and I want to make sure I can reach my goals without sacrificing what’s to come down the road in college.

What advice would you give a 2022 freshman runner at Maria Carrillo High?

Donahue: The advice I would give is that it’s crucial to have a healthy balance of competitiveness and fun in the sport. It is mentally draining if you are too focused on the competitive aspect and can hurt you more than help. Competitive running requires a huge commitment, and if you don’t enjoy what you are doing, it is harder to succeed. Make sure you always keep your love for the sport in mind!

The Class of 2022 has experienced lots of unexpected obstacles during the past five years. Has running played a role in how you deal with it all? Did those obstacles impact your running?

Donahue: Yes. The obstacles over the past five years (fires, COVID-19) have affected my running. Living in a place that has been affected by the fires has caused me to evacuate every year. There were immediate fire threats, but there were also years where we had to leave just because the air quality was too poor to run, and I still had to get workouts in. All of this made training very difficult. It was a huge disruption. My running was also affected during the covid season. My sophomore track season and junior cross country season were canceled, making it mentally tough to stay on top of my training, as there was nothing to train for almost a year. Running did help me face all of this adversity, as it was a constant in my life and gave me consistency in my crazy schedule and life. It really helped me get my mind off of all the adversity I faced.

I’m guessing that you have a network of supporters. Is there anyone(s) in particular that you’d like to thank for helping you along the way?

Donahue: I would love to thank all of my family and friends for their support throughout the whole process. I’d most notably like to thank my parents and siblings, Patrick, Samantha, Jonathan, and Allie, for always being there for me and fueling my passion for the sport. I’d also like to thank my coach, Greg Fogg, for getting me to where I am today and guiding me throughout the whole process. Finally, I’d like to thank my uncle, Dr. Pisenti of Pisenti Chiropractic, for keeping me healthy throughout my high school career and injury-free.

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