Mainsheet: So tell me about your sports.
Jaye Buchbinder: Ok well, I do cross country and track, and they both entai how fast you can run a certain distance. I like track more because of the crowds there, there is so much more energy, there are no hills, which is really nice because cross country hills are like the worst part. Although it is not with a team, overall, the team points count. For me, it is the purest form of a sport, because there are no balls or nets, just you and the ground and your feet.
MS: How long have you been running?
JB: Well, my parents used to force me to do the long beach fun-run every year, which is two miles, and that started like since I was born. They used to take me with them, and then I started to do a few 5K’s, like in 6th grade I would jog them. Then, I did track in middle school, but I though it was a joke. Then, I started cross country in my freshmen year, my mom made me. Actually, she told me that if I wanted to do water polo then I would have to try cross country, and I loved it.  I also did track, but I didn’t take it seriously. Sophomore year is when I really started to get serious about track.
MS: Why do you like to run so much?
JB: I don’t know. I think it kind of gives my life a different dimension. It gives me a way to get away from everything else, and at the same time it’s something I know that if I put work in I will get results, and it’s always been faithful to me. I think it just gives me an outlet to get rid of all my stress, and everything around me. It’s just kind of been amazing to watch my whole life progression in times.
MS: How often do you run?
JB: I run everyday. So, the last time I took a break was, well actually, I took a break this week because my foot was bothering me, but I usually run seven days a week or a swim the seventh day, and I run for about an hour. The most I have ever run is an hour and fifteen minutes.
MS: Do you often run with other people?
JB: Yes, most of the time it is with the team, but sometimes in Long B
each I run alone and put on my headset.
MS: Do you like to run with your friends or your family more?
JB: I would say a mix of the two. My dad and I run a lot together, which is kind of cool and special. My mom can’t really keep up anymore. But, she was an amazing runner.  She went to the Olympic trials for the marathon. So, she and my brother run together. It’s kind of like a fun family thing too.
MS: But whom do you like to run with the most?
JB: That’s a tough one. I would say that my favorite people to run with are when it’s a whole group of us from Chadwick. Lately its been so much fun with me, Evan [Hamilton], Alec [Borsook], Lucas [Lebovitz], Sam Cartwright and [coach Tyson] Sacco. We have so much fun on our runs.
MS: Do you know how many meets you have been to?
JB: I would say around twelve per season. Twenty-four per year, and this is, like, my fourth year. I would have to say more than 100.
MS: Wow, that’s a lot.
JB: I never realized that until now.
MS: When you go to college do you think you are going to continue to run?
JB: Yes, I am definitely going to continue to run.
MS: Do you ever feel stressed having to juggle both school and running?
JB: Oh yes! All the time! It doesn’t stress me out the fact that I have to run. It’s mostly just a big time commitment with all the meets that take up all of Saturdays, and I always have to fit in extra time to run later. But running is nice because there is only so much time you can run before getting injured. So it is not like football style all-day practices.
MS: Do you know how many awards you have received?
JB: No idea.
MS: Do you have an award you are most proud of?
JB: I would have to say the award I am most proud of is the award I got when I am a freshman. I got the unsung hero award on the cross country team. I wasn’t the best girl, but it showed that no matter what speed you are, you contribute to the team, which really meant a lot.
MS: Robert Leach told me to ask you where you keep all your awards.
JB: I keep them in my closet, or in a zip-lock where I keep my medals, and I put that in a box after every season.
MS: Do you know how many records you have set?
JB: I have the eight hundred, the fifteen hundred, the sixteen hundred, the thirty-two hundred, distance medley relay and the triple jump.
MS: Who do you think is your number one supporter?
JB: I would say my parents for sure. They go to every one of my meets. They are always there, and they have never said any negative word whether or not it was a good or bad meet, but I also think Sacco and Ramos. They are huge Jaye-Supporters, which is nice knowing that your coaches support you.
MS: Do you ever wish you could do a different sport other than running?
JB: Definitely! Running is based on how much pain you can handle. Like, sometimes I wish I did volleyball, which not saying volleyball is easy, but I would be with a lot of friends and I would have a lot of fun and I would maybe be more coordinated than I am now!
MS: Do you have any secret ambitions?
JB: Well, actually it’s not so secret. I want to go to the Olympics.  At least be a contender. I think that would be an amazing. There’s so much I want to do, and so much I want to accomplish. It’s kind of daunting.
MS: Name three things no one knows about you!
JB: Sometimes, I freak out before races. So, I end up tying and untying my shoes. Just to make sure they are absolutely perfect. Sometimes when I am in the shower, I’ll see a mosquito on the wall and get some water and shoot it at the bug, and I’ll kill it.  I’m also really good at killing flies with my hands.
MS: Finally, a lot of people would like to know how long your legs are.
JB: Well, when I was going into ninth grade, I had my huge growth spurt where I grew six inches, but I only grew one inch in my torso and five inches in my legs. I am assuming they are like one foot, two feet, like four feet maybe. I don’t know. Something around that.