September 13, 2019
Boston, MA
USATF New England
Louis Serafini named USATF New England Athlete of the Month for August 2019
USATF-New England (USATF-NE) named Louis Serafini of Boston, Massachusetts as the August 2019 Athlete of the Month. Louis earns this award after crushing the competition in winning both the USATF-NE 8 km and 10 mile championship races in times of 24:26 and 49:46, respectively. To make these times and victories more impressive, Louis set course records in both races. This is his second such award, having been selected as Athlete of the Month in September 2016.
Serafini’s commitment to running extends beyond his own athletic pursuits; he’s a founder and president of the Tracksmith Hare club. His team’s growth and his outstanding personal performances in recent weeks have got Louis feeling “excited to keep growing the club team and be involved with USATF!”
Full Interview
1) Could you tell me a bit about your performances at the USATF-NE 8 km and USATF-NE 10 mile? What was your mindset heading into these events? How did your racing strategy differ between the two races?
The 8K was my first race of the year. It was a bit of ‘rustubuster’ My plan was to go hard; I really didn’t have any particular goal or expectations heading into the race. The hill there was pretty serious, but overall I think the race went very well. I really exceeded my expectations here.
The 10 Mile was a super spur of the moment decision, I signed up at 11:30 the night before because our team roster needed a bit of help. I wanted to treat it like a good, hard tempo run. Glad that our team was able to win both races.
2) How have you matched your training to meet your needs?
I’ve been racing more than I usually do in the past month and a half or so. Back when I broke four minutes in the mile, I was running around 75-90 mile weeks with one day off every week. The one big workout day is the differentiating factor between track and marathon training. When I’m training for marathons I never go more than 105 on a week and I stick to longer interval workouts. I don’t like my body to have to adapt too much.
3) In addition to running competitively, you’re also a club coordinator of Tracksmith Hare. What's the most rewarding part of being a member of a competitive club like Tracksmith Hare?
I love working with runners of all ability levels and the ability to coach many different athletes.
4) What’s up next for you? Any events this fall that you’re anticipating?
I’m training for marathons this fall and focussing on building in mileage without going overboard. In terms of races, the US 10 Mile Championships in Minneapolis is the next big one on the schedule. The New York City Marathon is also on the horizon; I just want to practice the marathon distance and race a strong race start to finish.
Questions/Comments to communications@newengland.usatf.org