Ryan Stafford is on the verge of making the next step in his running career.  After a successful year of training and a "Malmo" like summer of conditioning, Ryan is ready to lead his fellow Ft Myers Greenwave team-mates back to Dade City.

DB:  Ryan, how was your summer of conditioning?  What kind of mileage did you accomplish?  Did you double or go to any running camps?

RS:  My summer training went well. I worked my way up to 60 miles a week over the summer, which included a long run of 10. I would do at least one double a week once I started running 50 miles a week and up. I did not do any intense speed work over the summer, I would do workouts like (3x 800m at 5k race pace with a faster 400 added to the end of each one) just to get my legs moving. For XC camp, 17 guys on the team went to Blairsville, Georgia and we stayed in our coach’s cabin for a week for some mountain training.

DB:  As you go into your senior year, it appears you're ready to make some huge strides and be a real contender as one of the State's best harriers?  Is this your goal?

RS: I know there are many very talented competitors in the state and I would just love to be able to compete with them.

DB:  After finishing 16 seconds back of Erick Montoya in the Fast Cat 5K and winning the 4Knight's XC Classic in 13:06(4K), are you happy with your season so far?

RS: Yes, its been a great start; I’ve known Erick since I was in middle school and even ran with him and I know how talented of a runner he is. When I pulled up behind him at the 2 mile in the Fast Cat I was pretty excited. He was able to pull away and I realized I still have a lot to learn about racing up front. I was very happy about how the 4k went! Cypress and Palmetto both have good front runners and it was exciting for me to pull off what I did. My goal for the 4k was to break 13:20, so 13:06 was a great surprise to me.

DB:  Your presently ranked 6th in 3A according to the FLrunners.com FACA rankings.  Do you see yourself as a legitimate top 3 contender in 3A?

RS: I think I have to prove myself before I can think of myself to be as legit of a runner like that.

DB:  The Mountain Dew Florida Invite this weekend and it will be a great opportunity to race against some top notch competition.  Do you have a race plan?

RS: It will be a great opportunity to see where I stand early in the season. My race plan is to have even splits throughout the miles; I think this is the best way I race physically and mentally.

DB: Last year at State, you finished 44th (16:48) and your Ft Myers team, 14th.  What will it take to dramatically improve upon those places this year?

RS: This will be my 1^st XC season that I have had a full year of consistent training leading into the season and I have really focused on the little things like eating healthier, stretching more, icing consistently, etc. It will take these extra efforts to help make a dramatic difference from last year. My team has also been focusing on these extra efforts also and My coach and I both think we can place better than 14^th this year.

DB:  As a senior, do you plan on running competitively in College if the opportunity arises?

RS: Definitely; Running in college would be a great opportunity and if the chance arises it would be amazing! I had run over the summer with Jake Brooks (FSU) and Zack Kovacik (Florida Southern) and from what they say it sounds like something I would enjoy very much.

DB:  Which schools would you like to attend and what field of study?

RS: My top three choices are Florida State University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of South Florida. I am planning on majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

DB:  How did you get your nickname, Skip?

RS: It originated as “Skippy” from a team mates dad randomly calling me it once up at XC camp the summer before my freshman year, everyone heard it and it stuck. Once freshman year started I started to “Skip” practice. I would sometimes go on pizza runs instead of doing a workout, so everyone just started calling me Skip. I was not a very dedicated freshman haha.

PR's:

800M - 2:04.78

1600M  - 4:26.60

3200M - 9:45.75

4K - 13:06.00

5K CC - 16:29.78

5K Road - 16:00

Coached by Mr.Yancey Palmer