Interview: Tricia Frisella of Washington University in St. Louis
(Courtesy of Alison Wade, eliterunning.com) Tricia Frisella, a senior at Washington University in St. Louis, was an All-American in cross country last year (her first year competing at the Division III level), placing 22nd at Nationals and helping her team to a 4th place finish. Returning 6 of 7 runners from their National’s squad last year, Washington is currently the 3rd ranked team in Division III Cross Country.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself, like where you're from and how you got started running?
I’m from St. Louis, MO. I started running to train for triathlons in 6th grade. My dad would do the Mrs. T’s tri in Chicago every year and I thought it was the coolest thing. So, I trained my buns off on my pink huffy to compete in the kid’s triathlon. I got pretty into it and made myself a training schedule. It was a lot of fun.
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? I ran a 5:06 mile senior year, which put me in first place for Missouri class 3. My 2 mile time was something like 11:27. In college I’ve gone 4:40 for 1500, 10:22 for 3k, and 17:18 for 5k. Over the years I’ve learned to become more patient with my training. Coach Stiles and my high school coach, Coach Bene, have always stressed the importance of waiting and pacing yourself. Whether it’s the beginning of a season or the beginning of an interval session, I always feel the need to start fast. I’ve learned to relax when I need to, but still push hard when the time is right. I get a lot more excited about racing and workouts than I used to. I used to feel a lot of pressure and forget to have fun.
You transferred from the University of Miami at Ohio second semester of your sophomore year. What made you initially choose to run at Miami, a Division I school? I wanted more than anything to compete at the Division I level after high school. My sister Alison, who is 2 years ahead of me, went to Miami and I knew if she liked it, I would to. I liked the idea of being away from home, but having my big sister close by. I liked the energy and excitement I received from the coach and the team at Miami. Everyone was genuinely enthused about running.
When you decided to transfer, what made you choose to go from running at a Div. I school to a Division III school and Washington University in particular?
I needed more of a balance between athletics, academics and social life. Athletics is a huge part of my life, but it isn’t everything. At the Division III level, all of the athletes are running because they love the sport. We like to use the phrase “playing track” when we go to meets. It’s all about working hard, playing hard, and enjoying the atmosphere. I really miss my team at Miami; we were all really close, but I think they understand why I transferred. I love being back in St. Louis and seeing my family all the time.
What was your training like this past summer?
We all took some down time after track and then started rebuilding. Once at normal mileage, we threw in tempo runs and hill repeats. I was out in California interning at a medical device company, Stryker Endoscopy. It worked out perfectly because everyone who works there is competitive and athletic because in that type of industry a competitive drive and self-motivation are necessary qualities. They even had a company sponsored triathlon that I got to participate in. I had a few training partners and some sweet, hilly trails to run on every day. On Sundays, we’d drive out to Saratoga and do a long run in the woods. The scenery was unbelievable. I stayed on the conservative side and probably hit 50-60 miles/week.
What are your goals for yourself and your team this season and year? We all want to have a successful season and get after it in November. To do that, we follow our team definition of success each day: “Taking advantage of your daily opportunities, to the best of your ability, under your given circumstances.” Coach Stiles has us all memorize that. It’s a good definition and it’s all about success being a journey and not a destination.
What is your favorite workout during the cross country season and what do you like about it?
I’m a huge fan of tempo runs followed by some 300s at mile pace. I like when we can start off slower and really pick it up by the end. Negative splits get me really excited. VO2 Max workouts are my absolute favorite (when the time is right) because that’s when you know you’re ready to go fast.
As one of the few, if only, top returning Div. III cross country runners with experience at both the Div. I and III levels, what have your experiences been of each, both good and bad? From my experience, I believe Division III is athletics in the purest form, where being on the team is a privilege. Coaches don’t have to worry about scholarship allocation, leaving you with close-knit teams and crazy fans (i.e. Wash U. fans at NCAAs last year).
Who has been the biggest influence in your life and/or running?
My parents have always taught me to love what I do. They never pushed me to perform well, but they have always supported me. The drive to accomplish a goal has to come from within. My mom has an unbelievable work ethic and has always taught me to try my hardest. My dad would joke around about being hardcore. He’d say stuff like, “2nd place? That just isn’t good enough!” which is really funny because he’s the most laid back person in the world. They’re both amazing people. My high school coach, Don Bene, had the biggest influence on my running. He taught me how to run and, because of his training philosophies, I am still able to enjoy running. I guess you could say he’s the reason I love running so much. He and Coach Stiles have very similar philosophies on training. They’re both very conservative and have the big picture in mind.
What do you like the most about Washington Cross Country?
The team, hands down. I have so much fun when I go to practice. We’re all out there working for each other, we all want to be there, and when you have that it’s really something special. 
What's the relationship between the track team and the other athletic teams? What's the athletic culture like at Washington University? Everyone at Wash U. gets really excited about the school’s athletic success. The football games aren’t sold out like they are at DI schools, but it’s quality not quantity that counts.
How do other students (non-runners) and professors at your school view the track team and its members? Non-runners think we only hang out with each other, which is half-way true. We take up a huge portion of the dining hall at brunch and “civilians” (non-runners) usually don’t sit with us. We have team get-togethers on the weekends and joke around saying “civilians are not welcome.” In reality, we all have friends that aren’t on the team. It’s good to have a balance.
Your facebook profile says that are the co-founder of the Busella Cross Country Camp. What's the story behind that? My friend, Mark Buha (who runs for Duke), and I decided we wanted to share our knowledge and experience with high school runners. We also wanted a way to make money without having to work boring jobs that would interfere with our training. Buha + Frisella = Busella, we still make fun of ourselves for that one We put on a week long cross country camp at a local park and gave talks on the basics of training. A lot of friends who also run on the collegiate level helped us out (John “the shark” Oliver of North Central and Billy Bell of U. of Missouri, to name a few). We put on the camp for two years in a row, but were both unavailable to do it this summer. It was a great experience and the number of campers increased by 50% the second year!
Can you pick one passage from Once a Runner and tell us how you identify with it as a runner?
“…there’s no place to hide out there. No way to fake it or charm your way through, no deals to be made.” I think all runners can identify with this quote. It’s all about getting out of running what you put into it. There are no short cuts when you train. You have to work hard, take risks, and get out of your comfort zone.
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?
Yes. I like to watch interviews and read articles on Flocast.com and Trackshark.com. My idol is Kara Goucher because she has dealt with a great deal of injury and has bounced back with unbelievable success. I don’t spend much time on letsrun.com, but I don’t even want to know how much time the men’s team spends on the message board.
Are there any other closing thoughts or pieces of wisdom you'd like to share? Train smart, run hard, GO BEARS!!!
Thanks to Trish for a fantastic interview.
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Untitled Comment
4:15 PM, October 2, 2007
.. Posted by Anonymous
This girl is the hottest girl i've ever seen.
Congratulations Tricia!!
9:46 AM, October 5, 2007
.. Posted by Anonymous
You are an incredible young lady, a success as a runner but more importantly as a person! Your comment on your parents touched my heart, I know how wonderful they are too! Your neighbor, Judi Lahay
Untitled Comment
8:03 AM, October 15, 2007
.. Posted by Anonymous
It\'s tough out there but you have what it takes......
YOU INSPIRE .. YOUR AMAZING..THANKS !!
12:12 AM, October 28, 2007
.. Posted by Anonymous
You are very inspiraring .. and I hope all the best for you. Keep that mentality and you will go to many places !
You go Girl!
8:39 PM, November 7, 2007
.. Posted by Anonymous
good for you Trish! Hard to believe how fast the time has gone... you have become such a talented and beautiful young woman..
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<br>The Clarks
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