Amid the seemingly nonstop running, Teri Brady still finds time for cake.

The Punahou sophomore doesn’t have a workmanlike approach to running. She simply thrives on it. She grew up in a family of runners — five kids in the Brady bunch — and is following in the footsteps of older sister Elli, now a freshman runner at Notre Dame.

Teri Brady won the 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs at the Ruby Tuesday meet at Punahou on Saturday. Her 1,500 time of 4 minutes, 52.75 seconds is a personal best, and it came on a gusty day.

"I focused on picking it up, going faster against the wind," she said. "With the wind, stride it out."

Brady is at a mecca of sorts for athletics, including long-distance running. Coach Duncan Macdonald had a celebrated career as an athlete, molding young minds into contributors to dozens of team and individual championships. Brady is basking in the midst of it all, but finds time to relax — and make a few dollars — with her baking skills.

"We bake cakes and sell cakes. Me and Shay Nakahira have been friends since freshman year. We met through soccer," said Brady, a one-time goalkeeper, who has since hung up the soccer spikes.

"It started as a sophomore English project. I love baking pastries, but we found out that we like to make really cool, intricate cakes," she said.

The two friends post photos of their cakes on Instagram. The business is booming.

"We make whatever people want. I’m supposed to make one today (the interview was Sunday) for one of my mom’s co-workers. We individualize them," she said, waving off a reporter’s concern about time limitations.

"I have all night," she said.

Most of her time is spent in class, doing homework and running. Within the Buffanblu culture of runners, Brady cherishes the closeness.

"My team is the most important thing about track. You get really close to them, bonding together and pushing each other," she said. "Especially my classmates, Noe (Obermeyer) and Kailey (Totherow). Noe encourages me during a race."

The universe of long-distance runners is not so large. Maybe it’s a byproduct of a sport where coaches sometimes help athletes from other schools.

"There’s a close bond among distance runners. Sacred Hearts, Kamehameha, Mid-Pacific, IPA (Island Pacific). We’re friends. We go see a movie and hang out," she said.

On the track or cross country course, it’s a different story. Last fall, she finished seventh in the ‘Iolani Invitational in18:47.08. The authentic course at Kualoa Ranch was a challenge she enjoyed.

"It’s pretty tough if it’s chilly," she said. "On the back course, there’s no pavement."

Pavement is prevalent at most cross-country race sites, including the hilly route at Hawaii Preparatory Academy on the Big Island. During her freshman year at the state championships there, she finished third. A year later at the states on Kauai, she finished fifth.

"HPA is my favorite course. I like the temperature there — not too hot and not too cold."

As a freshman last spring, she finished second in the 3,000 run at the Island Movers/HHSAA State Track and Field Championships in 10:38.56. She’s dabbled a bit in other events, such as the 800, but long distance is where she feels at home. Chasing after repeat state champions like Dakota Grossman of Seabury Hall gives her plenty of incentive.

"She’s amazing. She can run a whole bunch of races in a day at an elite level. I strive to be like her. She works hard and she’s always prepared," said Brady, who finished just 1.79 seconds behind Grossman in last year’s 3,000 run.

So Brady keeps churning away. Her parents, Con and Mary, were runners before raising a family. Mary ran for the University of Hawaii. She began running with her family at the Mililani Track Club at 7 and hasn’t stopped.

"It was fun and the coaches were supportive. We still do it in the summer. When I was younger, we were never forced to run," she said. A few years later, Elli won the cross country state title as a freshman.

"When I was 10. I knew I wanted to be like her," Brady said.

In seventh grade, while attending Holy Family, she began to get serious about training. A teacher, Karen Dixon, had plenty to do with it. Dixon is a former competitive runner, who coached in the school’s track program. "She was my math teacher. All my siblings ran there," Brady said.

Elli is another mentor on the track. "She always reminds me to be mentally stronger. We’ll run together and she’ll show me how to improve my form," the younger sister said. "I’m hoping to run in college, too."