Shortly after arriving at Harvard, however, Lonergan's injury woes began. After just four cross-country races in the fall of his freshman year, be developed a stress fracture in his shins, sidelining him through the fall of his sophomore year.

During that period, Lonergan was relegated to the role of spectator.

"I once had a dream of timing a race, and woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat," he says. "I vowed to try to do everything that would keep me from timing again."

After a summer of intense training, Lonergan faced his first real test at the season-opening Fordham Invitational, which was also at Van Cortlandt Park.

While the team finished a disappointing fifth overall, the race was a personal success for Lonergan, who finished just 14 seconds behind Carswell.

"I was pretty surprised at how well I did," he says. "It was a big load off my shoulders, and really showed me what kind of shape I was in."

The room that the duo occupies in Leverett House with teammate Daniel Herlihy has also allowed them to maintain their focus off the course.

"We're submersed in the sport, and it keeps us focused on our goals," says Carswell. "It's a very good environment. We feed off each other's intensity and performance to improve ourselves."

"We don't compete against each other," agrees Lonergan. "We wish each other the best of luck. When I was injured, he was a real model of what could be done."

Although the Crimson finished a dismal eighth last year, both runners agree that anything short of victory will be unfulfilling.

"I've been impressed with how the team's come together and focused on our goals," says Carswell. "We can't label our season a success yet. "[The Heptagonals] are the epitome of the season, which will determine our success as a team."