They live in I.V. together, eat steak on Wednesday nights together, go to class together and, most importantly, run together.
The identical Christman twins are a forceful duo on the cross country scene and top runners on the UCSB team. Juniors Lauren and Lindsay manage to do everything together, including taking spots one and two at last weekend’s Big West Championship.
“We always do everything together,” Lindsay said. “We’re best friends. We’re always together and usually don’t separate. We always talked about going one-two at conference, but we were sure someone would squeeze between us.”
The girls played soccer for years until a fateful day junior year of high school in Santa Cruz. Lauren broke her ankle, and as part of her physical therapy, joined the cross country team. Since the sisters do everything together, Lindsay went out for the team too, beginning her love affair with cross country as well. Later that year, the twins took up track, the other sport they participate in at UCSB.
“We’re not competitive with each other at all,” Lindsay said. “We don’t like to race each other, especially in track.”
However, the twins do train together. Over the summer, it is a benefit to have a training partner, since most of the team trains on its own. During the season, the girls run eight to nine miles every day, including weekends, and have drills twice a week.
Recently on a recovery run by the golf course together, Lauren was unexpectedly hit by a golf ball, right on the cheek. She had to come to practice with an ice pack, an unusual sight.
“I saw something bounce in front of me, then I get nailed by a golf ball. I had to come to practice and tell everyone, ‘I got hit with a golf ball,'” Lauren said. “They made fun of me for a while.”
The jokes were all in good fun as the inseparable couple is also close with its teammates also. The UCSB women’s team sees itself as a family and even had a team-bonding getaway in Northern California to train over the summer.
“During a race, just knowing my teammates are suffering just as much as I am and are in just as much pain keeps me going. I’m not alone out there,” Lauren said.
“I always think about the team when I run,” Lindsay said.
The twins are definitely never alone. In their three years at UCSB, Lauren and Lindsay have taken every class together, study together, cram for finals together, and stress together. They both plan to major in physiology and have always roomed with each other, even at home.
Since freshman year, the girls have always gone to the Beachside Caf
