RunMichigan: How does it feel to be running in your  second Olympic Trials Marathon?  
 
Anne: I'm very excited to be heading down to St.  Louis.  It's been a tough year for me with injuries (after a  relatively injury-free running career so far), so I am thrilled to be  healthy and feeling strong again heading into the race.  I had some ankle  problems stemming from an old sprain, and I developed Plantar faciitis in the  treatment of it.  After some time off, physical therapy, and  strengthening exercises, (and ultimately a cortisone shot) those problems are  behind me and I am running pain-free.  I had such a great experience at  the Columbia 2000 Trials and I'm sure it will be another memorable  weekend.


RunMichigan: How did you feel setting a new PR at  the 2002 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and also qualifying for your second  Olympic Trials?
 
Anne: That race (Chicago 2002) was probably the best race I  have ever run.  Everything really came together just right for that  day with my training and the weather and I ran smart right from the  start.  I remember feeling so strong and confident from miles  13-25, as I picked up the pace and ran about 1.5 minutes faster for the second  half.  It really was the best I have ever felt in a marathon.  It  was only in the last mile that I cramped up a little and coasted on in to the  finish.  I was so happy to qualify for the trials again and to  hit a PR at age 39 was very satisfying.  Sneaking in under 2:45 was an  added bonus!


RunMichigan: What is your goal for the  Olympic Trials Marathon race?
 
Anne: I would like to finish ahead of my seed (#71 right  now) and improve on the 88th place finish from the 2000 trials.   Considering where I was with my training and injuries only a few months  ago, I'll feel satisfied if I am under 2:50.  Another PR would be  great, especially now that I am 40 years old.


RunMichigan:  How many marathons have you run and how will you apply the knowledge from  the previous marathons for the trials race?
 
Anne: I've run 13 marathons.  Experience is really the  key in marathoning, as manipulating all the variables involved gets more  automatic as you repeat the process again and again.  I am  confident in my training system and know that I have the patience to run  a smart race.


RunMichigan: What made you decide to  transition to the Marathon distance?
 
Anne: After I had my second child in 1993, I wanted to get  back into shape but was a bit intimidated to begin racing again  at shorter distances.  I felt I was so far from the times that I ran  in college and didn't want to continually compare myself to what I had  done.  The marathon was a new distance and so provided uncharted  territory for me.


RunMichigan: After running the 2000  Olympic Trials Marathon, what made you decide to put the training in  required to qualify for the 2004 Olympics Marathon Trials?
 
Anne: As soon as the 2000 Trials were over, I began  thinking of how nice it would be to qualify for the 2004 Trials when I  would be a Master's runner.  It really was a goal right from that  point.  Our family moved to Michigan that summer of 2000, and  throughout the next year it was in the back of my mind as we got settled into  our new home.  I ran Chicago in 2001 off moderate training, finishing  in a little over 2:48.  That was when I knew that I would  be able to hit the 2:48 standard the following year when the qualifying window would open.


RunMichigan: What have you learned about the  Olympic Trials course and will
you have a chance to run part of the course  before race day?
 
Anne: My old college teammate, Jenny Spangler,  recently went down to St. Louis to check out the course and was nice  enough to send a tape of it to me.  From talking with Jenny and  others and viewing the tape, I think it's going to be a great course.   It's not nearly as challenging as Columbia was in 2000 and should be very  interesting for the spectators and athletes alike.  Since it is a  criterium course, it's nice to only have about a 6 mile segment to learn, in  addition to the start and finish portions.  I'll get into town on the  Thursday before, so hopefully I will be able to get over there and  check it out.


RunMichigan: How will you use your  experience from the 2000 Olympic Trials Marathon to help with the 2004  Trials race?
 
Anne: In 2000, I was so emotional at the start of the  race.  Standing there with the top marathoners in the country with  the Olympic music playing, the crowds and excitement, it was almost  overwhelming.  I went out a bit too fast because of the adrenaline, and I  paid for it in the 80 degree heat.  I  think this year, I know to  run my own race, which is ideally an even or  negative-split pace.


RunMichigan: Who currently  coaches you and how has your current training environment helped you  prepare for the Olympic Trials?
 
Anne: I coach myself, and this year, have had  to do most of my training alone.  I have some guys that  have run with me on my long runs which has helped a lot.  It's tough  to find people that are getting ready for for a sub-2:50 April marathon,  especially in this part of the state.  Ideally, I'd love to have others  to train with, but I've had to make do with what I have.


RunMichigan: What races have your run this winter in your preparation  for the Marathon trials?
 
Anne: I have been focused on getting healthy and decided to  concentrate on training instead of racing.  I will run the Irish Jig  5K this weekend just to get the racing cobwebs out and try out  my gear and race morning routine.  I typically don't race a  lot as I lead up to a marathon.


RunMichigan: What  type of training will you do these last two weeks to prepare for the Trials?
 
Anne: I like to do one last marathon pace run of 12-13  miles two weeks before, so I will do that on Sunday.  I do it on the  track to keep the pace even, alternating directions every three miles.  I  will do a shortened track session next Tuesday, probably 4 x 1 mile at LT  pace with 1 min rest.   Thursday, I'll do alternating 1 min  hard/1 min easy for about 4 miles of a 7 mile run just to get my legs moving.   Next Friday, I'll run 11-12 miles and then gradually back it down  into the next week.  I usually really back off that last week with  easy running, going out at about race time to get my body acclimated to  the 7 am start.


RunMichigan: How do you juggle being a  physics teacher, raising two kids and your Marathon training, especially  this winter as you trained for the Trials?
 
Anne: I took a voluntary lay-off from teaching, so I  haven't been working this year.  It really has been an ideal situation,  since I've had to deal with physical therapy appointments in addition to my  training.  It's been wonderful to be able to run in daylight through the  winter and not having to be on my feet all day before heading out for a  run.  My kids (ages 13 and 11) are very busy, so I spend a lot of time  driving them to all of their activities, so it's been great to be able to get  my workouts done while they are in school.

 
RunMichigan: What is your favorite workout and why?
 
Anne: I must be a true marathoner, because I love  doing long runs of 20-22 miles.  I usually try to get in 7-8 of these in  my build up to a marathon, but have only been able to do 5 of them  this time around.  I can tell I am getting fit when during the course of  these runs, I gradually pick up the pace and end up feeling better in the  last 5 miles, running 6:40's than I did in the first few miles, running  7:30's.  Usually, the rest of my training begins to feel better once  I get my long runs up to 20 miles.  Something seems to click in me  physiologically at that point.


RunMichigan: What do you do  to relax from running?
 
Anne: Watching my kids in soccer, basketball, volleyball,  etc. is so much fun and takes up a lot of my non-running time.  I'm a big  sports nut, so when I'm not cheering on my kids, I am cheering for the Iowa  Hawkeyes or the Buffalo Bills.  I took an Astronomy class at WMU last  fall and now I am volunteering at my kids' schools and coaching at Gull Lake  High School.


RunMichigan: Where is your favorite place to run in Michigan? And  what is your favorite race to run in Michigan?
 
Anne: I'm lucky to have some beautiful country roads all  around the area where I live, so I get to run on them all of the time.   It is quite hilly, so while some of my runs are rather slow, I feel it  has helped my strength so much just training on them all of the  time.
My favorite race in Michigan is the Great Lakes Relay, which I  have done the last three years.  Three days of trails, sand, scenery and  smelly vans.  What a great time!  

 
RunMichigan: When did you run your first Marathon and how  did the race go?
 
Anne: I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC  in 1993, seven months after having my second child.  I did it as part of  the Team in Training, and ran a 3:17.  I only did one long  run and did no speed work leading up to it.  At the time, I thought it  was just a one-time thing to get me back in shape.  Ten years and 13  marathons later, I guess I was wrong.

RunMichigan: What is  different about running in Iowa and Michigan?
 
Anne: The weather is a little different, with more sub-zero  days in Iowa and more snow here in Michigan.  Growing up in Buffalo,  though, prepared me for the big snows!  Summers in Iowa can get  unbearably hot, so it's nice to have it a little more moderate climate around  here.  The depth of quality runners is much greater in races here in  Michigan, due to the larger population.

 
RunMichigan: Where is a great place to run in Iowa?
 
Anne: As far as races go, the Bix 7 in Davenport is  the big one, but the Dam to Dam 20K in Des Moines was my favorite.   Also, if you ever get a chance to run the Living History Farms  Cross Country race in Des Moines, do it.  It is absolutely  crazy!  Just don't wear anything you'd like to wear  again.
The dedicated cross country course at Iowa State University is  fabulous to train on, and I try to get over there when we go visit my in-laws  in Ames.  In Iowa City, where we used to live, running along the Iowa  River is really nice, especially in the winter when the bald eagles are  hanging around...