Question: What are some of the things you did during your winter break?
Lisa Nitzsche: Broke some records on Wii, hung out with my friends as much as I could, made some hats for my teammates, caught up on TV shows and of course came back for two weeks for track. I also got really really good at sleeping.
Q: Since your running career began in college, what have you learned about the importance of health and how difficult at times it can be to remain 100 percent healthy?
LN: Once you get to college, it's really easy to live a completely unhealthy lifestyle. All the ordering of takeout and opportunities to sit around and do nothing without a parent yelling at you to get off the couch can lead to some professional couch potatoes. However, running track - or playing any sport for that matter - helps me stay healthier because not only am I getting an intense workout, the team also goes to eat after practice. When I'm around my teammates I tend to eat healthier, since I kind of base my meals on their advice. Mental health is just as important, because you need to be all there up there to really focus on what you need to do. It's one of my personal goals this season to get mentally stronger and I feel like having that will help me run much better. As for being physically healthy, let's just say that I'm no stranger to the trainers, and getting injured is something I continuously have to be careful of.
Q: You work part-time hours in the sports information office. What is something about that department is what you expected and what about has come as a surprise to you?
LN: I definitely expected to be exposed to the different sports more than the average college student, and it is pretty nice getting to watch games from the press box or court side. I didn't realize how intense basketball games could be, especially with the fast-paced, high-energy shots and rebounds while the referees are standing in your line of view. The working environment came as a surprise as well, since everyone is nice and we can joke around and make fun of each others favorite sports teams and scores on the end of semester quiz.
Q: On campus at TCNJ, what is something you like to do or a place you like to go to relax and clear your head
LN: Oddly enough, the team locker room. After some long days before I go back to my room I'll go to the locker room to get my stuff and just sit there for awhile and enjoy the silence. There's very little to look at, and not much changes in there, so it's nice because I can block out the rest of the world and just let everything going on in my head disappear for awhile.
Q: Scandals and incidents seem to surface on a daily basis with professional athletes. What is your reaction to these issues? Do you get angry, sad, apathetic ... What are your thoughts?
LN: I feel like they should have known much better. When you're involved in something people care about, like sports, politics, or acting in a movie, what you do will affect many more people than just yourself. We have heard about a lot of famous people and the mistakes they have made, and I can't help but think how selfish these people are to not care what their families, friends or even the public would think of them. There are people out there that look up to and expect you to behave with integrity and respect for yourself and the organization you represent, so as you go about living your life and having fun, you just have to keep in mind that there is always someone watching.
Q: What was the best vacation you ever went on and why?
LN: I would have to say either my senior trip to Disney or a family vacation to Puerto Rico. Disney was fun because we had a lot of freedom, I got to be with my friends for four days, all while being in a place where childhood never seems to die. I went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at least four times, Tower of Terror at least ten, pretty sure Pluto was hitting on me, and overall it was a great time. As for Puerto Rico, it was just plain beautiful. We had a little beach at the first place we stayed, the water was like bath water, and the sunsets were breathtaking.
Q: With a sister heading into college, what advice are you going to give her as she enters that chapter of her life?
LN: Don't get stuck in a major that you don't like. It's not worth years of your life working toward getting a job that you'll hate. College is a time where you come first, so if you want to be a zookeeper, do it. Same goes for other parts of your life. If you want to go to an pillow fight event or a hot dog eating but no one else does, just go. Meet new people. Have fun. Don't rely on others to create a life for you. If you do things for your own happiness now, in the end you'll end up with a better life that you will actually enjoy.