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Sickles High runner excels by pushing past the pain
By TERRY JONES
© St. Petersburg Times, CITRUS PARK -- From his first season, Sickles cross country runner Adam Sisler has qualified for the state tournament. As a junior, Sisler repeated the feat and was selected all-state. Now the 17-year-old Citrus Park senior wants more. "I definitely want to place at least fifth or sixth at the state meet this year," he said. "I am working hard every day, either with my team or alone." One factor in Sisler's favor is the location of this year's meet -- Ed Radice Park. "I go there on my own at least once a week and run the course," he said. Gryphons cross country coach Dan DeMoss speaks highly of his team leader. DeMoss said Sisler's work ethic is contagious; he helps push the other runners on the team to improve. "Adam is a coach's dream," DeMoss said. "Once he became involved in sports as a freshman, it was obvious he was a natural athlete. I am just glad he chose cross country. There are others with more natural running ability than Adam, but the difference is his athletic ability to run beyond pain." Sisler started running competitively as a freshman on the Gryphons track team, where he discovered distance running was his best event. He was ready for the 3-mile cross country event the next fall. With DeMoss's guidance, Sisler developed technique and mental strength. From negative splits to total focus on a race, he put together a plan and continues to improve. So far his best time on any course is 15 minutes, 38 seconds. He wants to drop that by November. The best way to improve, he said, is to race tough runners; and through no fault of his own, Sisler has been forced to miss several important meets. "The tropical storm caused one big meet to be canceled, another because of lightning in the distance and last weekend I missed the Leto pre-state meet at Radice, because I was taking my SAT's," he said. Sisler attacks his studies with the same mind set he brings to running, so he excels academically. His grade-point average last year was 4.5, including honors courses. Sisler hopes to increase that to around 5.0 by the end of this year. He hopes good placement in the state meet in November and a high GPA will be enough for a full college scholarship. Sisler believes the mental training and preparation is as vital to cross country running as it is to academics. He runs to the end of his endurance then pushes beyond to get better. "I don't think about a race until I am running it," he said. "On the course I push to the outer edge of my endurance, then I push beyond it. I force my body to subject itself to the drive of my mind. It helps when I run against the best. They help push me more."
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