Trackshark.com - College Track & Field

Amaan Siddeeq, a senior at SUNY Cortland, has posted the fastest Division III times in 100 and 200 meter dashes so far this year with his winning times at the SUNYAC meet two weeks ago. Recently, Amaan sat down and shared with us how his running has progressed since high school, his goals for the remainder of the season (and his collegiate career), and his possible plans after graduation.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself, like where you're from and how you got started running?

I am from Goshen, NY. I got started running when I was younger. I would always race people for fun. I started running track in the 8^th grade but in high school I did track just to train for football

How do your PRs in high school compare to what you've done so far in college? More importantly, how has your understanding of training, racing, and running in general evolved?

My Prs have changed dramatically. In high school I ran a 10.7 100 meter hand time, and a 22.00 200 meter hand time. Now I’ve run a 10.37 FAT, and a 21.04 FAT. Along with my prs dropping, my knowledge of track and field has changed dramatically. In high school I would never train or try -- I would barely stretch. Since being in college I’ve learned to train and lift properly; I know actual lifts that benefit my performance. I am not one of those guys in the gym that just work on biceps and triceps, because even though it might make you look good, your performances will lack. My start has also evolved. I was horrible at my start until last year. I would rush the start but now I run a lot more relaxed, focusing on positioning, and making sure I am not running back side.

What drew you to choose Division III, and SUNY Cortland in particular?

I originally went to Alfred University to play football. I only weighed 145 lbs as a freshman and you cannot play collegiate football weighing that much, so I started running track at Alfred. They didn’t have good training facilities and their program was not very strong, as I broke numerous school records there as a freshmen, so I looked on the leader board and noted that Nick Wetherby went to Cortland. Nick Wetherby was a National Champion in the 100 and a runner up in the 55, so I wanted to train with him.

What type of training have you typically done over the summer and fall seasons to prepare for the two track seasons?

Over the summer I don’t run much. I just lift a lot and play recreational sports. During the fall a bunch of my teammates get together and start training. I don’t usually put spikes on until mid-October. I do a lot of tempo work during the fall to get back into track shape.

My goal for my team is to win nationals as a team. I want to break 21 in the 200 and I want to break 10.30 in the 100. I also want my 4*100 to break 40.00.

What is your favorite workout during track season and what do you like about it?

My favorite thing is overspeed training. Basically you have a pulley system and one of my teammates is attached to me by a bungee. They start when my hand goes down and pull as hard as they can for 15-20 meters. You end up running faster because someone is pulling you. I like going fast and being able to control that speed.

My biggest influence on running is my knowledge. I am an exercise science major and have learned so much while being in school, as how to train, what works, what doesn’t work, how to listen to my body, what to eat, etc…

The person who has made the biggest influence on my life is my little brother. Even though when we were younger we would argue and brawl, I love him. I am a role model to him, and I will not fail because I want to be a good example for him and I want to make sure he stays on the straight and narrow path. Coach Patrick has been the greatest influence on my running. Before Patrick became my coach, I would get injured a lot and my times were only alright. He taught me proper running mechanics. He also showed me that anything is possible. At first when he told me the times that he thought I would be running, I thought the times were bizarre. But I actually ran those times. I believed in myself before, but now I believe in myself even more.

What are your post-collegiate plans? Are you entertaining the possibility of continuing to run competitively after college?

After college it is up in the air. I want to go to grad school for biomechanics, exercise physiology, or exercise science because I want to design equipment to improve performance and prevent injury. I will also be ACSM certified so I can be a personal trainer because I will need a job while going to grad school. I’ve also thought about coaching. I am entertaining the possibility of continuing to run competitively after college or I might even give football another go round.

I like the swagger that we possess and the dedication of my fellow athletes. Everyone works hard and strives to get better. Everyone has a solid base of training so everyone helps everyone else. I also enjoy going to D1 meets with my team and dominating the meet.

What's the relationship between the track team and the other athletic teams? What's the athletic culture like at Cortland?

In Cortland, all the athletes know each other, especially if your name pops up on the athletic page every weekend. Athletes respect other athletes. The athletic culture in Cortland is strong.

How do students (and professors) at your school view the track team and its members?

At first people really didn’t know much about our team when I got here, but we’ve built a good reputation. When people see the track jacket, we do get respect. Some professors congratulate me on my performances from the weekend, and some people are totally clueless as to what is going on in the track world.

Interview: Toni Wiszowaty of SUNY Plattsburgh

There was one notable name missing from the indoor national performance lists earlier this year—SUNY Plattsburgh's Toni Wiszowaty. The senior, a six-time All-American, including two straight runner-up finishes in the 10000 at the Outdoor National Championships, was injured and saw both attempts to qualify in the 5000 for indoor nationals fall short of the provisional standard. But unbeknownst to the rest of the country, since that time her training had taken off, and she entered the Penn Relays in the best shape of her life. It was in the penultimate event in Thursday night's Distance Carnival that Toni won the 10000 in 33:57.46 to spectacularly announce her return to the national spotlight and stamp herself as the favorite heading into her final championships. Toni took time following the Penn Relays to discuss her goals, running as a vegan, and what she's doing when she's not hitting the Olympic Trials "B" standards.

Coming off a tenth-place performance at the Cross Country National Championships this year, you only raced twice indoors. How did your training go during that time?

Well after Cross Country Nationals my training picked up rather quickly because I was coming off of an injury. My mileage increased, my easy pace increased and so did the workouts. My coach, John Lynch, and I were aiming for the first BU meet in January and since I had a short cross country season I was ready to race again. Unfortunately, about two days before the BU meet and a great workout, I was struck with another injury in my glut/hip area. This injury came on with the snap of a finger and kept me out for almost 4-5 weeks of no running, just cross training. So my first indoor race was just an attempt to try and get me in for indoor Nationals, which didn’t happen. Not only did I suffer from the physical aspect of coming off from an injury but also the mental aspect. It was hard, I feel like most of my career is spent dealing with injuries.

Your Penn Relays 10000 win was stunning—in fact, your second 5K split (16:52) would be second in the country right now, and better than your own season best time for that distance! Describe how you felt leading up to the race, what your expectations were for it, and how the race played out for you.

HAHA Yes, my second split was faster than my previous 5k race (bad conditions at Bucknell might be the reason, who knows!) I felt strong and ready to prove that I can run an amazing race. My workouts leading up to the race kept me confident and helped me see that I am capable of running around 34 minutes. Thankfully my coach does some of the tough workouts, like the longgggg tempos, with me because man those are mentally tough to get through. Before the race I was so calm and I didn’t get nervous at all, it was really surprising. My coach kept joking around with me saying, "34 minutes" and I would just laugh and say, "yahhhh sureeee." Finally, when I got on the line I was in shock mode and I started to get nervous. The first half of the race felt amazing and I knew I needed to go faster, so I took off. It was hard to run the rest by myself but all of my training had left me prepared to do so. I have to say the conditions were nearly ideal, minus a bit of wind that picked up throughout the race. When I crossed the line and saw my time I finally felt content with a race this year, as it has been a rough one.

Last year, you entered the outdoor National Championships with the fastest 10000 seed (34:40) by 7 seconds. But this year you’re the 5^th fastest performer ever and you lead the performance list by over a minute. Does this change the goals you set for yourself for this season?

There have been some pretty fast 10k’s out there for DIII, I can't believe the first time of 33:22 that is so insanely fast! It does feels great to be on the list for the fastest performances ever, it definitely adds a smile to my face. My goals haven't really changed all to much because of my performance mainly because champions aren’t guaranteed before a race is even raced. Nationals can go in any directions depending on the weather, the time of day, and the mentality of runners going into it. Hopefully it goes in a way that is positive for me but with all the talented runners out there I’m not guaranteed anything.

What is your favorite workout during the track seasons and what do you like about it?

Workouts and favorite in the same sentence…ummm yah. If I had to pick one it would probably be long tempos usually about 40-50minutes in length only because I am accompanied by my coach which makes it go by so much faster. I always feel good when I’m done and knowing that I just ran at a great, fast, comfortable pace and that I still have energy left. I do enjoy long distance stuff much better than fast short stuff.

How long have you been vegetarian/vegan and how has it been to train seriously given that? Do you have to carefully watch your diet to make sure you’re getting the right balance of food?

Well I have been a vegetarian a long time, since I was about 16years old. When I first decided to give up meat I suffered from an iron deficiency and had to take iron pills. It was very hard for me to become aware of what I needed as far as nutrients go when I was in high school. Then when I came to Plattsburgh I started to become a little bit more informed about nutrition and the whole balance of food thing. I made the life change of becoming a vegan the summer before going into my junior year of college. This decision was for me, not for anyone else and I do get made fun of all the time by my teammates (in a joking manner of course) but I have such an easy going personality I just give it right back to them. It was definitely hard to realize what I needed to add to my diet and how to make sure I was getting all my nutrients which is necessary for being a runner. I would say I am pretty well informed now, after loads of research done by many people who have helped me along the way.

What's the relationship between the track team and the other athletic teams? What's the athletic culture like at Plattsburgh?

The track team and the cross country team get along well with one another. As far as the other teams go we all try to be supportive of one another by going to their games when they are at home. I have a great relationship with some of the coaches here at Plattsburgh state and they are constantly keeping up to date with how our team does, and our coach does the same for their teams. It is really a supportive atmosphere here; no one is out for themselves to say the least.

How do students (and professors) at your school view the track team and its members?

I am in the education program here and so I pretty much see the same people all the time. Everyone knows that I am a runner here at PSU so they all constantly read our schools paper or our local paper. They all support me and always congratulate our team on our success. Also, they are many professors here who are big time running fans and constantly follow our team’s progress. Its always nice to be in a grocery store, or on campus somewhere, and have someone come up and say, “Nice job this weekend.” It does happen a lot, which is really nice and always appreciated.

You mentioned before that you hoped to pursue a running career after college. As graduation quickly approaches, what are your thoughts now as you look ahead to your post-collegiate days?

I can’t say much as far as where I will be next year with running, I am going to still run and train. I am so uncertain what next year will bring for me so I just go with the flow. I would like to continue training under my current coach because I have had such great success with him, coming from a nobody in high school to where I am now.

Do you follow running at the collegiate or professional levels at all? Would you care to confess to what extent you lurk on Letsrun.com or other message boards?

I love to follow professional running, I am constantly on flotrack.com and trackshark.com looking up what people like Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan, and Kim Smith are running. I also love to follow DI individuals; it amazes me how fast these runners can run. I admire them so much for their dedication and their determination to put their bodies through pain like that. Our team recently took a spring break trip to Flagstaff and man that was an experience. I was fortunate enough to meet Jack Daniels, Amy Hasting, and a bunch of other professional runners out there and I was in awe. I DID go on letsrun.com last year but my coach made me promise not to go on this year and I have kept to that promise. (I swear!!)

I do not keep a running log let alone an online running log. I probably should start keeping track of my running more than I do. I just do what I am told and it works.

Are there any other closing thoughts or pieces of wisdom you'd like to share?

I have experienced so many ups and downs with running but when you run that one amazing race it puts all your negative and positive thoughts into perspective. It’s amazing how it only takes ONE race to make someone happy after so many disappointments. Therefore, as the old saying goes, never give up.

I also think that there is no limit to what your body can do, as long as you train it to do so not only physically but mentally too.

Division III Women's Olympic Marathon Trials Results

Indoor Nationals Photos

Post-Nationals Quotes: Women

My plan going in was just to have fun and to be in contention to win. I set myself up very well by taking an early, which ended up separating me from the rest of the field for the win. I was actually very surprised that no one challenged me at all during the race since we did go out in a 65-66 sec. 400. I guess I'll take it though! During the race I felt so fresh and relaxed, I definitely peaked at the right time. I am extremely happy with my performance and thrilled that I got the chance to compete for the national championship. I know right now that my mom is looking down on me smiling and is so happy that I finally reached one of my dreams! God bless!

My plan going into the race was to just sit back in the pack for the first 5 laps or so and then pick it up on the 6th lap and kick hard with 400 to go, but that changed a little bit when the race went out so slow. I was in the pack running in lane 2 and decided to take the lead because it was so slow and I didn't want to run in lane 2 anymore, although I was a little surprised at first when I took the lead and I couldn't hear anyone behind me. As of right now, I am glad it is over and I am happy that I won and that I could represent Minnesota, Bethel and my coach!

My plan going into the race was to go out at a good, steady pace that was comfortable for me and then try to really get it going with six or seven laps to go. I knew that it could be a possibility that I might have to go out and run my own race and was also prepared to do that. I was extremely happy that I won as it was my goal and I knew that I had worked really hard all season for it. It was also my first time running the 5k at Indoor Nats because I was sick my sophomore and junior year and just did the Mile. Right now I am just taking a little time to get restarted and pumped for the outdoor season.

Distance Medley Relay: Tufts University (Stephanie McNamara, Kaleigh Fitzpatrick, Katy O'Brien, Catherine Beck)
Standing on the podium after the DMR was the proudest moment of my running career. I was so happy to be a part of that team because I know how hard we all worked to get to that moment both physically and mentally. We were all so excited and it was wonderful to be able to share something as amazing as a national championship with your teammates!

Post-Nationals Quotes: Men

Interview: Becca Jordahl of UW-River Falls

(Courtesy of Alison Wade, eliterunning.com)

It is not often that someone in her first season ever of indoor track could be considered a favorite in an event at the National Championships, but by virtue of her 16:49.27 automatic qualifying time in the 5000m, Becca Jordahl has accomplished just that. Then again, in the short time that she has been running competitively, the University of Wisconsin at River Falls senior has made a habit of thwarting. In 2006, in her very first season of running ever, she ended cross country with a solid 19^th place showing at Nationals, and bettered that one year later with fourth place honors. Trying her hand at running indoors for the first time, Becca is discovering that her gifts extend to the oval as well. She took some time out following her two individual WIAC Championship titles to talk about what it’s like to jump into running and be rewarded with both immediate success and enthusiasm.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself, like where you're from and how you got started running?

I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, but moved out to Pocatello, Idaho, when I was about two and grew up there. I was always very involved in a lot of different sports: softball, tennis, swimming, basketball, dance, etc. and mainly soccer. I started running on my own in about 7th grade just to stay in shape for soccer. The track coaches at my schools would often try to get me to come out for the team, but my schedule was pretty full already and I really wanted to focus on soccer, especially nearing the end of high school. After I graduated in 2003, I moved to Walla Walla, Washington, to attend college there on an academic and athletic scholarship. In 2004, I decided to move back to Minnesota with my family. I took a year off of school to work and save money. I bought a car and then finished my AA degree at a small college near my home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. I wanted to transfer to a 4-year college to get my BA and looked into UWRF because it was close to home and affordable. I happened to be checking out the Athletic page on the UWRF website after I had applied and found an opportunity to request more info about any of the athletic teams. I checked the boxes indicating I was interested in the soccer team and the cross country team, not really thinking anything would come of it. But to my surprise I got an email from the former CC coach, Don Glover, the next day. He happened to live just about a mile from my house, so we met at a coffee shop a few days later and he told me all about the team and the sport that I really knew nothing about. And that's where my racing career started.

In the short time that you've been running, how has your understanding of training, racing, and running in general evolved?
Like I said before, I really knew nothing about racing or training at all. All I knew was how to run, I didn't know about paces or tempos, I didn't even wear a watch and I wore trail running shoes that were like five years old. So needless to say, I've learned A LOT and continue to learn new things still everyday. It is actually really surprising to me how much there is to know, and all the factors that go into the sport.

What drew you to Wisconsin River Falls? Was going to a Division III school a factor at all in your decision making process?

I chose UWRF because it was close to my home and affordable. The division of the school was not something I considered, because at the time it didn't really matter to me.

What was your training like this past summer? What was your peak mileage, what kind of pace did you run on the typical day, and what did you do in the way of harder efforts?

Last summer I ran about 70 miles a week. Anywhere between 4-16 miles a day. I didn't really keep track of the pace, some days harder than others. I guess I just went by feel. On harder days I like to run hills, I also did some 2-a-day and even a few 3-a-day workouts.

Similarly, what has your training been like since the end of cross country?
It has been pretty similar to the workouts we did during CC, just more track work I guess.

Even though this is your first year running track, you've already earned an automatic qualifying time in the 5000m (16:49.27). Do you have a sense yet of what your best distance is?
As of right now, probably the 5k, although my coach thinks I will do well in the 10K when outdoor comes around.

What are your goals for yourself and your team this season and year?
I really would just like to see myself as well as my team keep improving in our conference as well as on the national level.

What is your favorite workout during the track seasons and what do you like about it?
We do a drill called Lasse Viren where you run around the track without breathing. You get five minutes to run 400m in as few breathes as possible. I can make it by only stopping for breath once, usually right after the 200 m. It doesn't sound as difficult as it actually is, but it's pretty killer. It really simulates the feeling during the race in a really short amount of time. I actually really hate this drill, but I know it works and that's why I like it.

What do you think were the factors that allowed you to have such immediate success at running?
Some of the factors that have contributed to my success are my dedication and drive, plus I just love running. I guess it also helps that I was always kind of naturally athletic.

What made you decide to come back next year for a full season of running, rather than going ahead and graduating? Do you plan to run (competitively or otherwise) post-collegiately?
I really think I just got hooked and that's why I decided to come back. I want to take advantage of this time I have to continue to improve and compete. Originally I decided to do track just to help my CC season, but now I'm hooked on track too, and will be back for one more season. I would love to keep running/racing after college. I guess I'll see where the road takes me...

Who has been the biggest influence in your life and/or running?
My family is so important to me. They are the best, most supportive fans I've got. It definitely wouldn't be as fun racing if they weren't there to watch and cheer me on.

What do you like the most about River Falls running?

It's a pretty laidback environment and everyone on the team is super friendly and enthusiastic about running.

What's the relationship between the track team and the other athletic teams? What's the athletic culture like at River Falls?

All the athletic teams here at UWRF seem pretty supportive of each other.

How do students (and professors) at your school view the track team and its members?

In the department I'm in, Health and Human Performance, most of the instructors are really supportive and interested in the track team and how we are performing.

Do you follow running at the collegiate or professional levels at all? Would you care to confess to what extent you lurk on Letsrun.com or other message boards?

Not too much, my dad will look up stats from other schools every once in awhile and fill me in, but besides that I definitely don't have the time to lurk on letsrun.com. Actually the first time I heard about it was right before Nats for CC and a teammate showed it to me because people were blogging about who was going to win it and I think he thought it'd pump me up.

Are there any other closing thoughts or pieces of wisdom you'd like to share?

I'd like to thank you for the interview opportunity and my only piece of advice/wisdom is that you can always, ALWAYS try harder.

Thanks to Becca for a fantastic interview.

Interview: Marcia Taddy of the University of Wisconsin - Platteville

At the beginning of the season, Marcia Taddy was under the impression that she was out of indoor eligibility. Less than a week before the WIAC meet, the 15 time track and field and cross country All-American, and 6 time National Track and Field Champion, became eligible due to medical hardship her freshman year of college. At the conference meet, she went on to win both the 800 and Mile, running the fastest time in Division III in both events. Recently, Marcia took some time out of her schedule to talk about how she was able to compete this season, and what her goals are for the rest of the year.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself, like where you're from and how you got started running?

I am from Two Rivers, WI and graduated from Two Rivers High in 2003. Sports have been part of my life ever since I can remember. I started running at the age of 6 in the little kids events at the YMCA and other rec. track meets while my mom and dad competed in the 5k’s and triathlons. Both sides of my family have been into sports forever; my grandpa was on semi-pro basketball and baseball teams, my grandma was on the first softball league; besides my dad, his two other brothers ran and one still holds the 2 mile record for my high school, and 3 of my other aunts and uncles are still into marathons. I was in mostly every sport from dancing (since I was 4) to softball to basketball. My mom actually went the basketball route and played 4 years for UW-Green Bay on a full ride. I planned to follow in her footsteps until my freshman year in high school when I won the State 400m dash. I played basketball for 2 more years and then quit to concentrate on running during the winter. As long as I can remember I have been into running, it just took me awhile to decide that it is what I am really better at.

How do your PRs in high school compare to what you've done so far in college? More importantly, how has your understanding of training, racing, and running in general evolved?

High school was more about just getting familiar with competing and racing. I believe I was very lucky because my high school coaches were incredibly knowledgeable. Most often I trained with the boys, which was interesting, but the harder training helped bring my times down. My PR’s from high school were 2:12.2 in the 800 and 4:56.8 in the 1600. My times have come down in college but at times are frustrating because I look back at my high school times and do not see as big of improvement as others have. I contribute that to my high school coaches knowing what they were doing with me and how to train me.

What I haven’t lost on my PR’s, I have gained through my knowledge in college running. Coach Antczak and Coach Nickasch know a great deal about track and field and they try to not only get their runners to be better athletes, but try to help them understand why they are doing what they are doing and how to get themselves to the next level.

Your story of gaining eligibility this season is pretty interesting; can you tell us how exactly it unfolded?

It all kind of started after one of the other women on the team tried to get her cross country season back due to an illness. We all came back to school after winter break and at our first home track meet I brought it up to the coaches jokingly that it would be cool if I would be able to get back my first indoor season at UW-Madison. Coach Nickasch said, “Hey, why not try, the worst they are going to tell you is No”. That following Saturday, January 25, I went to Madison to watch Tyler Sigl run in the UW-Elite Meet and I ran into Chuck Heart, the athletic trainer for the UW-Madison women’s track team. In discussing my situation, Chuck told me that the DI rules for medical hardship had changed since I had attended Madison. During my first indoor season at Madison I had competed in 3 meets and at that time the DI rules for a medical hardship allowed for only 2 competitions. Because of this I had always thought that I wouldn’t be able to get that first season back. But Chuck explained that the DI rules had been changed about 2 years ago and they were now very similar to the DIII rules, which allow for 3 meets in the first ½ of an athlete’s season. Not only that, but DI had made the rule retroactive to any athlete who had first enrolled in college after August of 2003; my first semester of attendance at Madison was Fall 2003. This was great news and I called and left a message for my coaches, who were at a track meet at UW-Whitewater, and when they got the message they couldn’t believe what they heard. But there were still a lot of hurdles to overcome and paperwork that needed to be compiled and completed. Chuck told me to contact Steve Waterfield, the assistant AD of Student Affairs and compliance at UW-Madison. We did that on the following Monday to get the paperwork rolling and to see if I was actually eligible under the new DI rules. The biggest holdup was getting the medical paperwork released from the UW-Hospital. After submitting a release of information form we didn’t hear anything for 2 ½ weeks. Finally we called the Hospital and found out they were waiting to process the paperwork because of a $1.71 administrative fee that needed to be paid and which we hadn’t been informed of. I drove into Madison the next day, paid the fee, got copies of all the medical charts from my injury and hand carried them over to Steve Waterfield at UW-Madison. That was on February 24th. A day or two later Steve faxed all the necessary forms to UW-Platteville and we immediately forwarded them to our conference office for review by our conference commissioner, Gary Karner. I believe Gary called UW-Madison, as well as the NCAA, to make sure everything was in order. We received the approved waiver on Monday, February 25, 4 days before our conference meet. Because I hadn’t run in any meets for the team the coaches had to wild card me into the meet in both the 800m and mile run. That’s why I ran in the slow heat in the mile at our conference meet.

You initially enrolled and ran at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. What went into making that decision, and why did you then to choose to enroll at a Division III school, and Platteville in particular?

By the time I got through all the letters colleges had sent to me as a junior/senior in high school, I just wanted to stay close to home. My final picks were between Madison, Marquette, Minnesota, and Mississippi State. Obviously Madison was well known for their strong mid-distance/distance teams, so that drew me to their program. Going from being 18 and from a smaller Wisconsin town where you know virtually everyone to the very large town of Madison was quite a shock. The training, while good, wasn’t what I thought it would be, or maybe I wasn’t ready it for at the time. We met with our coach, Peter Tegen, on our harder track/speed days and were on our own for our longer days. Being a freshman, this was not something I was used to and it was hard to adjust academically and athletically. I transferred to Platteville because it was one of the schools where I could major in both health promotion and biology as well as keep my horticulture minor. Plus my boyfriend at the time was at Platteville and they had a pretty successful mid-distance/distance crew as well. Another good thing I saw about going D3 was the class sizes went from being about 320 down to about 30! I also met the coaches before I made my decision and really liked how they ran things here at Platteville.

What have you been doing since graduation last year? Similarly, what has your training been like since then (did you run any cross races and/or were you training for indoors at all before you got clearance to compete this season)?

Well, first off, I haven’t graduated yet [editor’s note: we were under the impression that Marcia had graduated last spring, as she was listed as a senior at Outdoor Nationals last year]. I will be doing that next December, after I get my internships squared away. My training has been pretty minimal. Since I didn’t have cross to compete in and thought I wouldn’t be racing until outdoor, I decided to have surgery this past summer. I needed bunion surgery on my left big toe because it was getting pretty uncomfortable to even run 20 minutes at the end of last school year. I needed to have the big toe broken, have a pin put in and shave some off the inside of the knuckle. I went under the knife at the end of July and didn’t start running, well I guess it would be more called jogging, until late October. I did some short track workouts on the track before winter break and I am probably up to running just about 200 minutes or 25 miles every week along with biking about 100 minutes to try and get my aerobic base up. Since this past July, post surgery, I probably have run at most 350 miles. At the time I had the surgery, I thought I would have until outdoors to compete, but with getting my eligibility back, I jumped into things a little earlier. The doctor said swelling should go down within 8 months to a year, so I am still looking forward to that, but I am guessing that running an indoor season is slowing that process down a bit! In all, I really am not doing many miles; my foot gets to dictate that, but I am trying to hold it all together for outdoors. This indoor season is more like a bonus.

What are your goals for yourself and your team this season? Also, what are your running plans and goals for the rest of the year after Indoors ends?

This indoor season our goal for the team is to trophy, which is possible according to the rankings and time lists. My long term goal is getting to the Trials this summer in the 1500. That is basically why I got surgery last summer; so I wouldn’t run into problems this summer before the Trials. I am going to start the outdoor season a little bit later than usual mostly because I will be racing later into the summer than Outdoor Nationals.

On the one hand, you have the top times in the country heading into Nationals in both the 800 and mile; on the other hand, your season is only about two weeks old and you've done very little racing for Platteville. Do you think it's fair to tag you as the favorite?

That is a good question. Basically from my story, my approach to the indoor season was “let’s see how I can do and what kind of shape I am in this season”. My times are solid and I have run the mile three times this season, all which have been under 4:55, but I don’t think I have the edge that I had last year. My training base was bigger last year and I had had my sights on tripling last year (Indoors 2007) since the end of cross 2006. This year, I didn’t even know I would be at Nationals until about 2 weeks ago!

I could go with some of the professionals; obviously I admire their dedication and persistence to the sport. People that have had the greatest influence in my life as far as running have been the people I have had close bonds with and have shared their stories of triumphs and failures with me. Some of these include my coaches here at Platteville as well as my high school coach, Amy Gahlager (Erickson). They competed through college and have been through a lot of the same things I have so their insights mean a lot to me.

Do you follow running at the collegiate or professional levels at all? Would you care to confess to what extent you lurk on Letsrun.com or other message boards?

To tell you the truth, I really don’t go on running sites and follow who has run what. I love running because how it makes me feel and what I have accomplished for myself. I tell fellow competitors congrats and nice job whether I am competing against them or I am at the same meet and see them run, but most of my information about performances of others comes second hand from coaches or other athletes. If I am flipping through the channels and catch a meet on TV, I admit, I’ll watch the whole thing. It is nice to know who has run times around mine, especially if I am going to race them and use that for tactics. But, on the other hand, I think going into races naïve gives me the upper hand because then I can go by how my body feels and usually that is when I run PR’s.

Indoor Qualifiers: 2008 Update

Championship Entries -- Final

Congratulations to everyone who qualified for Nationals and best of luck to everyone competing this weekend!

Blogs : NCAA Division III Blog

Interview: Amaan Siddeeq of SUNY Cortland

Interview: Toni Wiszowaty of SUNY Plattsburgh

Division III Women's Olympic Marathon Trials Results

Indoor Nationals Photos

Post-Nationals Quotes: Women

Post-Nationals Quotes: Men

Interview: Becca Jordahl of UW-River Falls

Interview: Marcia Taddy of the University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Indoor Qualifiers: 2008 Update

Championship Entries -- Final

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