Most people tune out when they go for a run, but Hana Baskin’s mind is racing as quickly as her legs: What is the average speed needed to cover X distance in Y minutes? How many more steps before the finish line?
As a math teacher and cross country coach, Baskin has a natural affinity toward both computations and calisthenics. When she’s not gushing about algebra to East students, she makes time to compete not only in 5k and 10ks, but also marathons and ultramarathons. Since running her first 26.2 mile trek as a recent college grad in 2010, Baskin has steadily added more than a dozen races to her portfolio, including the iconic New York City and Boston Marathons. Over the course of her running career, she has accumulated 30 medals, all of which she proudly displays in her living room. Discover below Baskin’s favorite pre-race rituals, tips for high schoolers hoping to begin long-distance running, as well as the nirvana-like experience of “runner’s high.”
How did you first get into running?
I started running as a freshman in high school. I was originally on the field hockey team, but there were no boys on the field hockey team, and that didn’t really fit with my goal. But then I noticed that there were some attractive boys on the cross country team, so I decided to switch sports… and that worked out well for me!
During my first race, I walked. I was so tired that I walked downhill. Then I found out that nobody walked in a 5k and I was like, ‘Well, I won’t do that again.’ And then I didn’t.
Who is your running inspiration?
Desiree (Des) Linden. She’s an Olympic marathoner. In 2018, she won the Boston Marathon, and that was a really, really amazing year. Everybody else dropped out or decided not to do it because the weather was bad, but she ended up winning and became the first American woman champion in over 30years. Her motto after that was “just keep showing up,” and I’ve tended to abide by that.
Do you have any pre-race rituals?
I like to eat sushi the night before. It’s not uncommon to eat rice or fish prior to a race, and it’s a solid routine that’s worked for me. Other than that, I’m pretty ‘go-with-the-flow.’ I’m not really a rigid person, so I don’t have any routines that I stick to.
How would you encourage others to take up running?
It’s a great lifetime sport. I liked playing soccer in high school and that was awesome, but only because I had a soccer team to play with. Meanwhile, running is amazing either on a team like cross country or track, or as something that you can do individually.
What advice would you give high schoolers who want to eventually run marathons like you?
Keep running, keep pushing, and keep staying motivated. Even 30 minutes a day is great. Whatever you do, I would not run a marathon in high school. Your body is not developed enough for that and I think you really risk injury. I wouldn’t go above a half marathon in high school. I waited until after college to do a marathon, since I just don’t think it’s wise to start with that at such a young age.
How do you cope with the strain that long-distance running puts on your body?
It’s super important to make sure that you are eating enough, as well as eating the right things, because otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for injury down the road. That takes a really long time to figure out—I’m thinking back to high school, and I did not make smart food choices, not just in terms of what I ate, but also I probably didn’t eat enough of it. To then go and try to run 15 miles outright, you’re just breaking your body down. Also, a lot of high schoolers deal with shin splints. So unless you’re completely injury free, I wouldn’t recommend ramping up like that. It’s good to increase your mileage really slowly over a lot of years, and then once you have that base, you can do longer races.
Has running marathons and ultramarathons become easier overtime?
Absolutely. But like I said, it’s from having that base and a number of successes. I know it’s something that I can do because of that spirit. I used to be like, ‘Oh my god, how am I going to finish this?’ but now I’m like, ‘Yes, it may be really difficult and it may not go the way that I want it to, but I am going.’
Do you ever get runner’s high?
After some long runs and after some races, I get super giddy and talkative and probably really annoying.
What’s your favorite pair of running shoes?
Currently, I’m wearing the New Balance 880s and I really like them. But as far as racing goes, Nike next% is the way to go.
Does your background as a math teacher help you run long-distances?
Yes, but I also think that long distance runners are more math oriented people anyways, and that’s probably because of all the math that we have to do. Our brains just work that way. Everybody in my running group (Bull City Track Club) has a PhD or an MD or a JD, or another degree of higher education. There’s a reason you’re a long distance runner, because of that special something in our brains.
How do you handle cramps, side stitches, or any other sorts of discomfort when running?
I don’t get them often, but sometimes I get some side stitches and that’s mostly from just being dehydrated and not doing a good job of drinking water throughout the day, since I love drinking my can of Dr. Pepper… Most of the time it’s fine, but it is something I need to work on.
Did you ever have to work past any injuries?
I’ve been really, really fortunate. I’ve only had one major injury that took me out of running, and that was in college. My IT band was so tight that I could barely walk and couldn’t put any pressure on my knee. That took me out for probably 16 weeks. All I could do was be on the elliptical, to take the pressure off my knee from running. But actually it turned out really great. It forced me to take time off. And then when I came back, I was faster than before. You could say I more than recovered.
Do you strength train? Do you believe working the upper body is important?
I totally believe in it, but doing it is another story… I try to do two to three days a week of strength training. I’m not into heavy lifting, but I do some weights. I struggle with maintaining that type of consistency, so that’s another thing I hope to improve upon.
How do you balance running and teaching?
It’s really hard. I run at 6 in the morning. But that’s just who I am, like whether I was going to run or not, I’m waking up every day. Then again, I’m also going to bed at 9:30, and I’ve been doing that since high school. That’s just who I am, I’m not trained that way, so it’s easier for me, or at least I find it manageable to have a chunk of time in the mornings to run. School always starts at the same time. I always get up at the same time to run. Once I get home from school, I talk myself out of everything. So if I wanted to do strength training too I would need to also do it in the morning, but realistically I find it hard to do all the things I’m supposed to do. When I miss my run in the morning, I don’t do it. So I have to be really regimented, sticking to a schedule.
Do you plan your workouts, or is there a certain mileage you aim for?
I try to keep it under 60 miles a week. When I do more than that I risk injury and also it just takes the fun out of running. I try to do at least 40 miles, but that’s a totally arbitrary number. I don’t hit 41 miles per week, and that’s it.
I hired a coach once for six months and I found it so stressful to have somebody telling you, ‘Here’s what you’re going to do in the next week, here’s a diet, here’s the time that you need to run at this pace.’ It just took away all the joy from training, so now I do whatever I feel like but since I have so much running experience, I more or less know what I’m doing so it’s not completely random. And then a lot of my friends have coaches, so when they have a program workout, I’ll just jump into whatever they’re doing and stress about it for a whole week beforehand!
Do you prefer running alone or running with people?
Well, it’s hard to find people at 6am to go running, since not everybody’s job starts at 8. Even still, it’s definitely better to run with other people. I’m excited for spring break, because then I can run with my friends whenever.
What has been your favorite part of coaching the East runners? Best memory so far?
Watching everybody in person and having them be proud of themselves feels really good. I know that running can give you real confidence, because you can really see your own improvement and it’s not based on anybody else. It’s all based on what you did and what effort you put in, so I think that’s really fulfilling.
After our conference suites meet for the JV and Varsity race, I think 90 percent of our runners set a new PR (personal record). That was fun to see everybody super happy about it. Overall, I’m just looking forward to the future and to keep seeing these amazing young runners working hard and pushing their distance and achievements.
Photo courtesy of Hana Baskin
