Clay Biddle and Susan Scott were outstanding track and cross country runners at Mt. Carmel High in the late 1980s and early 1990s, so it made sense their daughter, Riley, might be pretty decent.
Riley Biddle didn’t really run competitively until last year as a freshman at Rancho Bernardo High, and things didn’t exactly go as planned.
She didn’t qualify for the state cross country meet and while she fared better on the track, it still wasn’t what she wanted.
“I played soccer before high school,” said Biddle, 15, who was a defender. “Finally, last June, I decided to give up club soccer. I just quit and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
“It allowed me to be more flexible with my time and I had more energy. I discovered I really loved running more than playing soccer — I don’t miss it.”
She made another discovery that affected her performance.
“I had an iron deficiency,” said Biddle of a condition that is not unusual among young long distance runners — especially girls. “I had a goal of qualifying for the state cross country meet but I didn’t make it. My legs were tired — I felt like they were on fire.
“It was really, really disappointing but it motivated me for track and while I was really happy to break 11 minutes for 3200 meters (10:56.14 at the Mt. SAC Relays), and winning the Palomar League (in 11:18.72), I still didn’t qualify for state in track either.
“I’m taking iron supplements, and I eat foods that are rich in iron. I’m still low but my iron levels are coming up and I feel a lot better. Not qualifying for state was another motivation for me.”
She certainly didn’t look weak or even very tired after she won the Bronco Roundup Division 1 title Aug. 24 at Kit Carson Park in Escondido, clocking the day’s fastest time of 11:37.2 over the 2-mile course that features a pair of challenging hills.
Biddle and Del Norte’s Emily Russo battled down the final stretch and the Broncos runner was the stronger of the two as Russo was a close second in 11:38.5 and University City’s Darcy Ray, who led with a quarter-mile to go, was third in a tight finish at 11:38.6.
“It was really a good competition and after the first mile, I pushed to be among the leaders,” Biddle said. “Actually, I slipped at the start of the race and had to run around everybody.
“I was looking for the win and the key was remaining calm. Once I came out the last downhill, I knew I still had some energy left, so I focused on the leaders and kicked — watching to see if they responded.
“My goal was to break 11:40, so that’s a real boost in confidence.”
Biddle said she put in a quality summer, logging an average of 40 miles a week in preparation for the season while watching her iron levels to make sure she didn’t over-exert herself.
Biddle is one of those rare runners who actually prefers the heat — the hotter the better.
“I knew it might be a little warm (for Bronco) but since I trained during the summer in the heat, I was fine,” said Biddle, who also decided to focus on her own training, eschewing running camps that others attend.
One of the first big tests for her will be the Mt. Carmel Invitational Sept. 21 at Balboa Park and she also plans to run at Mt. SAC in October, leading up to the section meet, where a state berth remains a carrot.
She said her parents are big boosters, as expected, and her dad will even her on some of her training runs.
“Sometimes he’ll just follow me on his bike,” she said.
And who wins when they do run together?
“Oh, we don’t race,” she said smiling, “but if we did, I’d win.”
