McKeever was an All-American in the 5,000 meters last season (Kirby Lee)

1. You’re already off to a great start this fall, winning your first race [Murray Keatinge Invitational] by over 15 seconds. How do you feel about your fitness now compared to this time last year?

I know I’m in better shape than I was at this point last year, but I’m more concerned with how my fitness progresses as the season goes on. For distance runners, the ultimate challenge is striking a balance between training at a high volume and intensity and recovering properly. If I can maintain that balance as well as I did last year, I know I will be prepared to compete at a high level by the end of the season.

2. How have you developed as a runner since your senior year in high school when you placed 9th at Footlocker Nationals?

Since high school, I’ve become much more intentional about how I approach every aspect of running. In high school, I ran every workout as hard as I could, and when practice was over, I was done with running for the day. Now, thanks to great coaching, the positive influence of experienced teammates, and some painful mistakes on my part, I understand that different types of workouts have different purposes and should be done at the appropriate intensity for maximum benefit. Also, I now realize that almost every decision I make outside of practice can directly or indirectly affect the running/recovery balance.

3. What was the transition like coming from running at altitude in Colorado to running at much closer to sea level in North Carolina?

Well, the first three weeks were awesome! Now, I’ve spent the majority of every year in North Carolina, so I don’t notice too much of a difference until I go home. It’s kind of depressing to have lived 18 years of my life at altitude and to still struggle a little when I get back to Colorado. Ironically, I run a lot more hills where we are in North Carolina than I ever do in Colorado, which I think has made me a stronger runner overall.

4. You placed 17th at the NCAA Championships last fall. What do you feel was the biggest contributing factor to your success in just your second year?

I’m the type of person who likes to observe things for awhile and figure out what kind of approach is going to be most effective before I fully commit myself. Conveniently, I had the distinct advantage of spending my first year at Duke tagging along at the heels of a group of seniors who spent every day preparing to win a National Championship. While the outcome wasn’t what they had hoped, I learned so much from being a part of that process, and I think that experience translated to my success the following year. I made small adjustments to my lifestyle based on what I learned from them, and those small adjustments added up to a big breakthrough. It also helped to come into the season last year without any huge expectations. I was able to progress at my own pace without the mental burden of trying to live up to any real or imagined pressures.

5. What are some goals you have for not only the rest of cross country season, but for the indoor/outdoor track campaigns as well?

I tend to avoid making specific performance goals until shortly before a competition, when I have a better understanding of what might be realistic given how I’ve been training and racing up to that point…and I’m a little wary of telling other people what I expect of myself. My primary goal is to run (and recover) with intention everyday, with the hope that by doing so, I will be as prepared as possible by the end of the season.

6. What’s a typical week of practice like for you?

For the most part, every week includes a long run, a tempo run, and an interval workout, followed by strength training. The other days are devoted to recovery runs, either on my own or with teammates.

7. What made you choose Duke over anywhere else? Especially with having the lure of the University of Colorado right in your backyard?

Quite simply, I felt that Duke offered the best athletic/academic balance. Adding to the incentive, Kevin (my coach) convinced me that I could trust him completely, which is what I was looking for in a coach. I admit that I was pretty naïve throughout the college decision-making process, but both Duke and Kevin have exceeded my expectations.

8. You were an All-American in the 5000m last spring becoming the first Duke woman to break 16 minutes (15:52). What did that achievement mean to you?

The time and school record don’t actually mean that much to me because in my head, there’s a little asterisk next to that distinction reminding me that Shannon Rowbury ran faster during her senior year, but because she was redshirting and not wearing a Duke uniform, she doesn’t get credit for it. In terms of the race itself, it was unusual in that I entered the race with confidence rather than my usual uncertainty, and I was completely satisfied with my effort after it was over. By remembering those feelings of complete confidence and complete satisfaction, I remind myself what I’m working for on a daily basis.

9. You’re on a pre-med track. Have you given any thought to where you’d like to go to medical school and what type of doctor you want to be?

I’ve given thought to it, but I haven’t come to any significant conclusions. I will probably take at least a year off after graduating before medical school. I’m not really in a rush to make any of those decisions at the moment.

10. When you have some, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I’m on Fall Break at the moment, so that question is easier to answer than when I have to work to remember what « free time » feels like. Taking the last few days as a guide, apparently I enjoy sleeping and spending time with my teammates. When I’m not in a racing cycle, I like to ride my bike, hike, and do whatever I can to make myself feel physically exhausted by the end of the day.