Meet Brooke Rauber!

 Hometown - Homer, NY
High School - Tully HS
College - NC State University

Favorite color? Blue.

Favorite food? Carrot cake.

Favorite drink? Thai milk boba tea.

Favorite running training shoe? Adidas Supernova Rise 3.

Favorite running race shoe? Adidas Avanti.

Favorite place to run? Bear Swamp State Forest in NY.

Best race memory? I remember crossing the line in Stillwater, OK for the 2022 XC national championship and finding out we won as a team. Kelsey, Sam, Nev, Gionna, Sydney, and I were all hugging and crying and KT came sprinting over from her interview to join all of us. It was funny she was the last one to find out we won.

Personal best times?

• 5k: 15:41
• 1500: 4:13
• 6k(XC): 19:49
• 3k: 9:08

What's your current injury? When did it happen and how? I have had a bilateral sacral stress fracture, a stress fracture of my vertebrae, knee surgery, and plantar fasciitis.

Have you had this injury before or one similar? This was my first bone stress injury, and hopefully last :)

How do you feel about your injury mentally? I felt stuck in a constant cycle of injury, like every time I made progress, something pulled me back again. It made it seem like all the hard work I put in was slipping away, and I started to doubt whether I’d ever reach the goals I once believed were possible. I started giving up on myself, but thankfully my teammates and coaches never did. It was to the point where I almost medically retired, but I decided to keep giving myself a chance. Eventually, I broke the cycle and found all my goals becoming realistic again. As a 5th year, I am still PRing and doing things that seemed impossible to me for many years. Now when I toe the line, I know that things only seem impossible until you do them. I never thought I would be able to race again, but here I am.

What's your recovery plan? Depending on the injury, I took anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks completely off. After taking the required time, I would cross train. At first it was every other day for 30 minutes working up to 75 minutes per day for 6 days a week. Once I could start running again, I would do 15 minutes on the Lightspeed Lift 3 days a week and built up to being able to do 5 days a week on the Lightspeed Lift at pretty close to full mileage until I was able to run outside again.

How will LightSpeed Lift be incorporated into your recovery plan? Every Saturday, I do my full long run on the Lightspeed Lift even now that I’m healthy! I also do some of my easy runs on it if I need a little extra recovery especially after races!

What do you love best about the LightSpeed Lift? I love that Lightspeed allows me to run with completely normal form while supporting my body! I am able to use it to train at the highest level and elevate my recovery! Ever since I have been incorporating the Lightspeed Lift into my training, I have been able to remain consistent!

How long have you been using the LightSpeed Lift? I started using the Lightspeed Lift in the summer of 2024 and haven’t looked back!

Which LightSpeed Lift system do you use? LSP-400 at home and at NC State University.

"Brooke had a LightSpeed Lift system at her home to help with her rehab and training.  Her mother who is also a high school track and XC coach was so impressed with the system that she purchased a system for her high school team." - Malcolm Macaulay, LightSpeed Lift Founder

"I admire Brooke’s determination to muster herself back to peak fitness despite numerous setbacks from injuries. A native of upstate New York, Brooke’s work ethic and grit is evident in clutch moments for the Wolfpack. We are proud to support Brooke and her teammates at NC State!" - Molly Watcke, LightSpeed Lift Sales & Marketing

Photos courtesy of Brooke Rauber.