In Focus: Neale Finds Success After ‘Humbling’ Experience
October 19, 2016 | Cross Country, General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
There were days when Amy-Eloise Neale had doubts about her future. There were moments when she asked herself, "Why are you doing this?" There were stretches of time when the frustration was almost too much to take.
But, after years of being betrayed by her body, Washington's junior standout is seeing the payoff of her persistence.
And she isn't just running well. She is competing at a level that places her among the nation's top cross country runners. Facing an elite field at last week's Wisconsin Invitational, Neale finished fourth in a race Washington won while placing seven Huskies in the top 50.
"This cross country season has been a little bit of a shock," Neale said. "It hasn't quite sunk in that I'm finally back doing what I love."
When Neale crossed the finish line, it took time for her to process her accomplishment.
"I was pretty tired, first of all," she said with a smile.
After taking some time to recover, her accomplishment washed over her.
"Oh my goodness, I didn't think I'd ever be here again," she said. "I knew I came off of a good track season. I was on the start line at the NCAA final (1,500 meters) and that was the goal. And, even though that happened, cross country is so far outside of my comfort zone, I don't think I ever thought I'd be here and be that successful."
Back in high school, Neale was a star. A local product – she attended Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish – she was one of the most decorated runners in the state's history, a coveted recruit who decided to continue her career close to home.
But, early on at Washington, she had to beat back injuries, the two most notable were a stress fracture in her shin and an IT band issue.
It took years of work for Neale to get her body to a point where she could compete at a high level. While she worked on her body, she also shifted her perspective.
"It's humbling for sure," she said. "I think that's the No. 1 rule that can probably apply here. You learn a lot. It's given me a lot of perspective in terms of where running is in my life. It's a very, very important thing in my life, something I care about a lot, but it isn't the only thing in my life anymore."
These days, she doesn't run "even a mile over what I'm supposed to," she said.
She listens to her body. If she doesn't feel great. If something doesn't feel right, she addresses the issue immediately before it "spirals out of control."
"It's really just being in tune with what my body needs," she said. "What my body wants. I'm listening to my instincts."
While she worked on her body and mind, she also expanded her interests.
"I have school," Neale said. "I have relationships. I have goals outside of running. The focus is on my family and friends. You surround yourself with people who are going to make you better, the people who are going to support you and the people who are going to support you as well.
"It's a lot more fun when you're not doing this alone, going through school alone or whatever it is. The main thing has been surrounding myself with the right people."
Now that she has returned to the form that made her such a prominent prospect, Neale's training is consistent and that fuels her confidence.
"There's something to be said for having a really solid block of training," she said. "I've been training really consistently since about last January. Before that, I was really up and down with my training. Even when I wasn't having any big injuries, I was having a lot of smaller setbacks, because I was rushing the process a little bit."
Neale's return started on the track. Not only did her time in the 1,500 semifinals at the NCAA meet (4:13.93) shave almost five seconds off previous PR, it was the sixth-fastest time in school history.
For Neale, her success starts with consistency. She has learned to be meticulous. She combines the right amount of rest with just enough training and a dash of confidence. Then, once she's on the track or the cross country course, she lets her instincts take over.
"During a race, you can do anything for 20 minutes – hopefully less than 20 minutes – after you've had the mental pain of being injured for 18 months or more," she said.
But, more important than her personal success, Neale feels fortunate to be a part of one of the nation's top cross country teams.
"If I was going to be back for any year, I think I'm blessed to be back for this one," she said. "We have a really, really great group of girls. We're so deep right now."
And after a win at Wisconsin, well, anything is possible for this group of Huskies.
"Getting on the podium at nationals, that's something you talk about every year, but it's not something any of us really, really believed until this year, because it's actually more feasibly in reach than it had been, and I think it's really, really cool," Neale said.
This group knows when to push each other. They understand when a teammate needs to rest and recover. They appreciate the commitment that goes into becoming an elite cross country program.
And, now that Neale is healthy, now that she is back doing what she loves, she can't wait to see what comes next.
"I'm just happy to be back," she said. "I'm grateful to be back. We've got a lot of potential this season. I'm just happy I'm back and can be a part of it, because I'm kind of tired of watching from the sidelines at this point."
Players Mentioned
