| Date of Birth: | March 13, 1982 |
| Events: |
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| Coach: | Joan Nesbit Mabe |
| Occupation: | Newsletter Editor / Website Manager for Fleet Feet, Incorporated |
| Other Sports Participated in as a Youngster: | Football, basketball and baseball |
| Years of Running Experience: | 11 |
| Greatest Achievements: |
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| Favorite Race Venue: | University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon |
| Favorite Race Event: | Penn Relays Distance Carnival, Philadelphia, PA |
| Favorite Training Venue: | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Favorite Training Session: | I have many favored workouts under Joan’s training program but my favorite would be her version of “The Michigan:” (On / Off track intervals coupled with short recovery – 30-60 seconds or however long it takes to get from the track to the road). Joan’s version looks like this: 1600m on track, 2 ½ miles off track, 1200m on, 2 miles off, 800m on, 1 ½ miles off, 400m on. On track means that we start at 4:20-4:30 mile pace and work our way down in pace at each successive interval, with an all-out quarter-mile by the end. The off track consists of a tempo effort, typically done between 5:10 and 5:20 mile pace. The workout requires absolute focus for the entire duration and leaves me feeling satisfied for enduring varying levels of exhaustion / pain throughout the workout. We do this session once a year in December. |
| Least Favorite Training Session: | 2 x 3km on the road. We start at the bottom of 54 Hill in Chapel Hill and do a loop that starts with 1000m uphill, followed by 2000m of rolling hills. There is no part of this workout where I am able to settle into a rhythm. By the time I make it to the top of 54 Hill, I am required to pick up the pace and run a FAST 2k. For recovery, an 8 minute cut-through jog back to the start is just enough to tease my body and mind, but not enough to allow for rejuvenation! Oh yeah, and the second interval is required to be faster than the first. |
| Favorite NB running shoe: | 902 |
| Piece of Kit you would never be Without: | Spikes! |
| Favorite Meal, Night Before the Race: | Salad and a light pasta dish |
| Favorite Pre-Race Meal: | I’ve been known to eat sushi for my pre-race meal, but if I can help it I have my favorite lunch: an assortment of fruit (berries, pineapple, grapes, apples), almond/peanut butter & organic blueberry preserves on whole wheat bread, mozzarella cheese & whole wheat crackers. And I have learned to bring dried fruit or an energy bar to every race – you never know when the meet will fall behind schedule. |
| Favorite Post-Race Meal: | Pizza! |
| Why Do You Run? | Before Joan would agree to coach me, she asked that I write an essay about why I run. Here is an excerpt: “Simply put, I am not ready to stop competing. There is no one reason why I run other than barbaric instinct. Running hasn’t just shaped who I am, it is who I am.” – September 2006 To read the rest of my essay, visit http://www.runningland.com/2006/10/02/why-do-you-run/. |
| Tips for New Runners: | Remember that you are always making progress. Even if you have a bad workout, week, month, or year, you are moving closer to your running dreams, not farther away. At times we all face injury, doubt, fatigue, scheduling conflicts, but progress is still being made. You must maintain hope that your efforts will be rewarded. To quote the Irish poet, Seamus Heaney, "The next move is always the test. Even if the past move did not succeed, the inner command says move again. Even if the hopes you started out with are dashed, hope has to be maintained." |
