Excellence and perfection is something that most people look to achieve at one point or another in their lives. Jake Kluver discovered his passion for long distance running and has looked to achieve excellence in his running career. His quest for success began as an eighth grader.
“I had been told by some of the coaches in eighth grade that I should try track. Before, I had always done soccer and lacrosse until I went out for track and I was really good. I always came in first place for the mile and I remember how good of a feeling that was and I realized ‘hey, I can do this’ so I continued with track and joined cross country in the fall,” explained Kluver.
As Jake felt began to experience success as a runner, he realized that he wanted to continue and that he wanted to be successful. This feeling encouraged him to put in hours upon hours a week to reach his goal.
“I like the feeling of success when I win a race… runner’s high… There’s nothing else like it. It is hard to explain, you feel like you can do anything even when you’re really tired. Especially after a race, if you go out and run a PR [personal record], you feel like you can do anything,” explained Kluver. “I have a goal to get a scholarship and run in college, that is my long-term goal, plus I just love to run. That is why I do it.”
In order to reach his in-season goals and his goal to become a collegiate athlete, he planned and continues to put continual effort and hours into the sport.
“You have to put in a lot of work in the off season, that is what really makes your season successful [track or cross country]. You have to stay focused on your goal during the season even if things aren’t going right,” said Kluver. “Last year I ran 385 [miles during the summer] and this year I plan to run over 400 for sure.”
