Pandemic Papers: An interview with Brittany Burns (Class of 2010/2011)

When we think back to the stellar five-year career (2006-2011) for Brittany Burns at Marist, all we can do is smile. A hard-working, low-maintenance student-athlete, she succeeded in the classroom and on the track and in cross country. She did it in a low-key, humble and quiet way. All the things that we value deeply, Britt embodied. She was a serious, hard-working student – perhaps the trait we value the most. She parlayed that success in the classroom into a successful teaching career, first in her native upstate New York and now in Connecticut, where she lives with her husband, another record-setting Forever Fox, Will Griffin. I sent the same set of questions to Britt and Will, and Britt wins the contest for replying first, so her Pandemic Papers interview is today. She was a tenacious racer; I always found it funny and odd that when she was digging deep and getting into some serious pain during races, it looked as though Britt’s face was breaking into a smile. You might be able to detect that in some of the great pictures she sent to accompany this interview.

 

There’s so much to say about Britt’s legacy. She overlapped “eras” in our program – she was among the last recruits brought in by Coach Emeritus Phil Kelly, who retired at the end of Britt’s sophomore year in the spring of 2008. She made the transition for Coach Chuck that much smoother by taking on a leadership role for the young team and continuing the great success that Phil had started. She was beyond easy to coach, and her improvement skyrocketed when she took ownership in her training by becoming more collaborative with us on her day-to-day workout and training plan. Britt is smart and Britt is tough, and that combination cannot be beat. I hadn’t remembered the California trip that she references here, but traveling with the three amigos – her future husband Will, and a young Ken Walshak and Quimes DelaCruz, both of whom would end up in their wedding party – was definitely “interesting.” Those clowns made “pre-race nerves” obsolete; they were too busy having fun, and Britt recounts that here!

 

Britt’s legacy lived on in the latter stages of the 2010s, when her first cousins – Emily and Drew Burns – both decided to attend Marist. Both had successful careers, academically and athletically, and were similarly joys to coach. As Britt says a few lines down from here, I guess it “runs” in the family. We have fond memories of Will and Britt’s wedding – way, way, way upstate past Watertown in the tiny town of Clayton, New York. Phil and I made the long trip there and back together, and it remains one of my favorite alumni weddings as a result – the road trip, the wedding and the reception, all of it. Their teammate and good friend Matt Janczyk (now Father Jacob Bertand Janczyk) presided over the beautiful ceremony. Again, we think back to Britt and Will, and all we do is smile. Reaching out to them – in general, but also as we have kickstarted this interview series – has been on my to-do list for months. I’m so glad Britt replied and allowed us to relive some great memories. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

 

How, when and why did you first start running? Was it your "first love" in terms of sports and when did it become your primary athletic focus?

 

I guess you could say running “runs” in the family. My dad and my Uncle Dean (Drew and Emily’s dad) both ran at St. Lawrence University, and I had other uncles and aunts who ran. Growing up, my dad was the director of the local YMCA, so I was always participating in the fun runs that he put on for the community. I was encouraged to play other sports as a kid, but I think I always knew I would end up a runner. I joined the modified cross country and outdoor track teams as a seventh-grader, but I kept playing basketball through graduation. I loved basketball but I knew my future was in running.  

 

Talk about your high school career -- how many years and seasons did you compete and what were some of the highlights and low points from your high school years?

 

Starting in seventh grade, I ran cross country and outdoor track each year for South Jeff. I had a really talented teammate who was a year older than me, so I spent most of my career running in her shadows. It was definitely a blessing in disguise because it gave me the chance to gradually improve each year without the pressure of being the lead runner. I had great coaches and support from my family throughout my career. The plan was always to keep me on a steady training plan with the ultimate goal being that I would run my best times as a senior. I was fortunate to keep my mileage low throughout high school, and I was never over-raced, which helped me stay healthy my entire high school career. The biggest highlight was winning state championships in two different sports my senior year -- basketball and in the steeplechase in outdoor track. 

 

How did you find out about Marist and end up choosing Marist as your college over other schools?

 

Marist came on my college radar a bit later than some schools. I had an older cousin who attended Marist, and since it checked a lot of boxes in terms of what I was looking for both academically and athletically, I decided to check it out. I came down the weekend of the New York State Federation Cross Country meet and met with Coach Phil the day before the race. Phil and several of the girls on the team came to watch the race the next day, which definitely made a big impression on me. In the end, I narrowed my choice down to Iona College and Marist. I liked Phil’s approach to coaching, and I felt like I could make an immediate impact at Marist with room to continue to develop. It definitely ended up being the best place for me. 

 

What was your major in college and how did it prepare you for your teaching career?

 

I got my undergraduate degree in Psychology/Special Education, which gave me teaching certification in both elementary and special education. Being certified in both areas opened up so many more job opportunities for me. I started in general education when I was home in New York, but made the switch to Special Education three years ago in Connecticut. 

 

What were some of your favorite academic memories from Marist -- favorite professors, classes, etc.?

 

I was able to take a lot of great education classes at Marist, but surprisingly my favorite was a history class -- The History of the Mid-Hudson River Valley. It was really interesting to learn so much about the area I was currently living in. My biggest academic honors were receiving the President’s Academic Achievement Award my senior year and then, thanks to the hard work of the Marist athletic center, being named a Second-Team Academic All-American during grad school. 

 

You had an awesome, record-setting career at Marist. What moments are you most proud of, and what are some of your fondest memories -- on and off the track?

 

--Winning the program’s first ECAC cross-country title my senior year. 

--Setting the school record in the DMR at the indoor ECAC championships during grad school. It was a race where things clicked for all of us and I finally broke 5 on the mile split. 

--Running the steeplechase at Mt. SAC during my grad school year. I went out with Will, Quimes, and Kenny, and let me tell you, traveling with that group of guys is quite the experience. Eating Mexican food instead of my typical pasta meal the night before my biggest race and then watching the boys wrestle in the hotel room the morning of wasn’t part of my typical pre-meet plan, but it showed me that you can still run well even when things don’t go as planned. I ended up running a big PR that day and qualifying for ECACs, and it’s still probably the race I’m most proud of. 

--Running the 5km at Penn Relays during grad school. It was only the second time I’d run the 5k on the track, and really the first time I’d ever “raced” it. The event was a big change from the steeple, which was the event I was focusing on that season, but I was excited to give it a shot. The race ended up getting delayed several hours due to some bad weather, so we raced really late that night, which was definitely not ideal for an early bird like myself. I remember really losing focus during the middle of the race and falling way back, but somehow I managed to regroup and finish strong. I ended up breaking the school record and being the first girl to qualify for ECACs in the event. 

 

You dealt with a few injury issues and other setbacks, how were you able to bounce back from adversity?

 

Since I played basketball in the winter throughout high school, I had never competed in indoor track. The change to running year-round was definitely a big adjustment for me, and it took a while for my body to be able to handle the pounding. Incorporating cross-training was really important, and thanks to Will, I started to embrace pool running towards the end of my time at Marist. The pool really came into play the fall of my grad school year when a pretty serious ankle injury kept me on the sidelines for several weeks. I was still able to maintain some fitness while letting my ankle recover. Even today, I incorporate cross-training and take multiple planned breaks from running throughout the year to prevent injury and burn-out.

 

You started your career with Phil as your coach and then were an integral athlete during the "transition of power" ... how was that process for you and your teammates? What do you recall from those years?

 

I feel very honored to have competed under both Phil and Chuck. With Phil, it was the end of the era, and I was lucky to be a part of so many great last memories, like when Phil was named the MAAC Women’s Track Coach of the Year his final season of track. When I started running under Chuck, there were a lot of firsts for the team, and it was exciting to lay the groundwork for so much success for future Marist runners. Chuck gave me a lot of freedom with my training, especially toward the end of my career, and I was always super grateful for that. By that point, we knew what kinds of workouts worked best for me, and he was always flexible with coming up with a plan that built upon my strengths. I also appreciated all of the support you gave me over the years, Pete, especially when I traveled to a lot of races with you during my last outdoor season. I was so fortunate to have coaches who worked together to give me the best opportunities for success.  

 

What have been some of your post-Marist running highlights and what are some of your future goals? How often do you train together!

 

I have been really lucky to be able to continue running post-collegiately. I’ve mostly competed on the road, but I have been able to get in some college track meets over the years, which always provide great competition. I’ve worked up to the half-marathon distance-wise, but I would definitely say the shorter distances are still my favorite. Spring of 2019, I really focused on speed and ran a 4:54 road mile. It was a lot of fun to shake up my training with shorter reps. In the future, I figure I’ll eventually attempt a marathon, but seeing as how long-run day is my least favorite day of the week, I’m in no rush. Since Will has been teaching remotely most of this school year, we have been able to run together more frequently. We tend to run together 2-3 times a week, typically on his easy days. It’s great having the company except when he’s feeling extra peppy and pushes the pace!  

 

Talk about your current teaching position -- what you do, where you do it -- and how have your jobs been affected by the pandemic?

 

I currently work as a third-grade special education teacher in Connecticut. I’ve been teaching in-person since the beginning of the school year, starting in a hybrid format. In November, my district made the decision to send all K-5 students back full-time. The students benefit tremendously from being in school each day, but all the restrictions put in place to help reduce the spread of Covid has definitely taken some of the joy out of their learning. As a special ed teacher, I spend time in multiple classrooms throughout the day, so I’m coming into contact with a lot more students than the typical classroom teachers do. Because of this, Will and I have really had to isolate ourselves from our families for fear of spreading something to them. I haven’t been able to see my family in-person since the middle of summer. That has definitely been the hardest part for me. 

 

The pandemic has had a clear impact on our program -- specifically, last year's graduating seniors as well as this year's graduating seniors. What message can you impart to them?

 

I feel terrible for all the athletes who have had their college careers impacted by the pandemic. Last spring, I felt so bad for my cousin, Emily, who missed out on her final season at Marist. I know she was ready to run some great times, and I wish we all could have seen that. As difficult as it must be, the good thing about running is you can continue to do it post-collegiately. A lot of collegiate track meets allow open runners to compete. Though I know it's definitely not the same, if you still feel hungry to get after it, take advantage of those opportunities. 

 

New question to this series: If you could have a conversation with the 18-year-old version of yourself, about to enter college, what would you say?

 

I think I would tell myself to really make the most of my time at school. This is the only time in your life when you are going to have all of your best friends living within walking distance of you. In regards to running, I wish I could have told myself that this is the easiest running will ever be for you. You have teammates you can train with every day, coaches who do everything they can to help you be successful, and a school that will send you to amazing races. Make the most of it while you have the chance!

 

What message would you convey to any high school students considering Marist?

 

Marist is an amazing school. It’s in a great location, close to so many cool places for both exploring and training. The academics are strong and challenging and help prepare you for life after graduation. The team is like a family, with coaches who look out for you and always want what’s best for you. You honestly can’t go wrong picking Marist.

 

Your cousins, Emily and Drew, were also record-setting runners in our program. How cool was it to see them follow in your footsteps?

 

I was so excited when Emily and Drew decided to go to Marist. Will and I definitely talked up the school during their recruiting process, but I wasn’t sure if they would end up there. It was so awesome to see them have so much success and enjoy the school the same way I did. It was also pretty cool to see the Burns name added to a few more records :) 

 

Anything else you'd like to add …

 

Thank you so much for including me in your Pandemic Series. Reading so many of the profiles this year has reminded me of how special Marist truly is. Even though there have been runners from so many different eras included in the series, it's obvious that we all have one thing in common--our love for such an amazing school, team, and coaching staff.