RunMichigan: How does it feel to be running in your first Olympic Trials Marathon?

Carly: I'm excited to have the opportunity to compete in such a big race.   This will only be my third marathon, so I'm still new to the event, but I'm looking forward to getting the experience of racing another one and using that experience for future marathons, especially for the trials in 2008.

RunMichigan: How did you feel when you knew you had qualified for the Olympic Trials Marathon at the 2003 Grandma's Marathon?

Carly: I was very happy to have qualified.   Actually, I was happy to have had such a good experience in that marathon because I had an awful experience when I ran my first one.   I really worked on doing things right for Grandma's and so it was great to have the hard work I had put in since my first marathon pay off the second time around.

RunMichigan: What is your goal for the Olympic Trials Marathon race?

Carly: I definitely want to run a PR, but I'd also like to compete well and finish in a respectable position.    

RunMichigan: How will you use your successful 2003 Dallas White Rock Half Marathon 2nd place finish with a 1:16:47 PR to help with the Olympic trials race?

Carly: When I ran the Dallas White Rock half marathon, I didn't feel great in terms of race-sharpness, but I felt strong from the training I had done.   I used that strength to help me lock into a pace and carry me through.   I was able to run a PR despite not feeling awesome.   Having had that experience, I won't worry in the marathon if I'm not feeling 100% early on.   I'll try to concentrate on running my pace and having the confidence that my strength will get me through. The marathon is a long race and you may not always feel good for the entire distance of it.   If I feel flat or sluggish at the beginning I won't get too worried, because I may feel great a few miles later.

RunMichigan: What made you leave Boston to come and run for the Hansons-Brooks Olympic Development Program and when did you arrive in Michigan?

Carly: While I was in Boston I ran for the B.A.A. (Boston Athletic Association), which was a great club to run for.   They provided a good deal of support to club members, especially those who wanted to compete at bigger events and go after Olympic Trials qualifiers.   However, I was working full-time at a pharmaceutical company and while I was able to manage balancing running and working full-time, I knew that if I wanted to continue to improve my running and get to the highest possible level, I'd need to change my situation.  

I was interested in joining a developmental program, but had a hard time finding something that fitted exactly what I wanted and needed.   This was late last spring/early summer.   At the time, Hansons' didn't have a women's program yet, but it was a group that I had always had great respect for because of what they had accomplished with the men in their program.   As soon as I read that Brooks was signing on to sponsor Hanson's and in turn enable the start of the women's program, I got in contact with Keith and Kevin immediately and moved out here shortly after that.   It wasn't a hard sell.   Seeing what they had done with the men over the past several years and knowing their training philosophy, I knew it was a place I wanted to be.

RunMichigan: How has the Hansons-Brooks Olympic Development Program training environment helped you prepare for the Olympic Trials?

Carly: When I was living in Boston, I did more than half of the training for each of my marathons on my own.   While I had a group to do weekly track workouts with and the occasional long run, there were many days when I was on my own and trying to keep myself motivated to log the miles.   Now that I am here with the group, I have people to run with every day.   Having people that are better than I with allows for me to push myself day in and day out.   It has been great to have Monica to prepare for the trials with.   It just makes it more enjoyable when you have someone to go through the process with you.

I think another thing that has been beneficial from the program is having seen the guys go through their buildup and preparation for the trials.    They did similar training to what we are doing now and many of them were successful in Birmingham.   It's nice to be able to talk with some of them and compare how I'm feeling now, during the hardest part of our training, to how they felt when they were at the same point of their training.  

RunMichigan: What is the goal for the Gate River 15K Run this Saturday and how will you use this race in your preparation for the trials race?

Carly: We wanted to see where we were at with our fitness.   We came into the race after having two consecutive weeks over 100 miles, so we knew we'd be tired.   The goal was to run 5:50 pace and finish in the top 15-20.   I ran 5:50 pace for the first 3 miles, but ended up averaging 6:01 pace.   I had some stomach issues that started midway through the race and got progressively worse over the last two miles.   I really slowed down over those last two miles and struggled in to the finish.   I finished 20th , so I just made it inside the goal of where we wanted to place.   It was tough to have a bad race there because it was the only one we did prior to the trials.   However, if I was going to have a bad race, I'd rather it be there than at the trials.

RunMichigan: What have you learned about the Olympic Trials course and how will you use this knowledge to help on race day?

Carly: I haven't seen the course myself, but I know that it is a loop course, similar to what the men had for their trials course, and we run in 3 ½ times.   I've heard that there is a pretty substantial hill that we end up running four times.   I think Monica and I will be well prepared for that type of course since we've done a majority of our workouts on the 6 mile hilly loop around Stony Creek Park.  

RunMichigan: What type of training will you do these last three and half weeks to prepare for the Trials?

Carly: We have two more hard workouts this week, which will be our last high week before we start to cut the mileage some and back off on intensity.    The last two weeks will be easier workouts aimed at getting the legs to turn over.

RunMichigan: Since you had a chance to see the exciting 2004 Men's Olympic Marathon Trials race in Birmingham, what did you learn from watching that race?

Carly: One thing that stood out is that patience is definitely a key in the marathon.   I think it's important to be patient with the distance because any number of things can happen over the course of the race.  

It was also inspiring to watch our guys do so well.   Seeing some of their performances reinforced what I believe is important in being in this program - that if you stick with the training and do it year after year, the results will eventually show.   And you don't have to come into the program being the fastest person out there to do so.   If you are willing to bust your butt every day and put faith in the system, you will succeed.

Finally, it was great to witness the incredible support given by the Brook's company in Birmingham.   They have been an amazing collaborator so far, and their presence at the Trials was felt throughout the course.   It was very much evident that they are behind the Distance Project 100%.

RunMichigan: How have you juggled working and your training this winter?

Carly: I was very fortunate to find a job working part-time for someone who is familiar with the Hansons-Brooks program (Steve Sumner at MNP Corporation).   He has allowed me to set up a work schedule that is accommodating to my training and racing schedule.   It has been great because I'm still working in a lab, which I really enjoy.   And Steve has been extremely understanding of my racing schedule, which I greatly appreciate.

RunMichigan: What do you do to relax from running?

Carly: I'm pretty boring.   I spend a lot of my free time watching movies with my boyfriend or the latest reality show craze with my roommates.  

RunMichigan: What is your favorite workout and why?

Carly: I think my favorite workout is any sort of tempo at a sustained pace.   I've just always liked running tempo runs.   Maybe it's because the pace is one where I'm not hanging on for dear life.   I don't have much leg speed, so I'm not a huge fan of shorter intervals at something like 3K or 5K pace.

RunMichigan: How many Marathons have you run and what made you transition to the Marathon after college?

Carly: I've done two marathons, the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 2002 and Grandma's Marathon in 2003.   I decided I wanted to do marathons before I even graduated from college.   I've always favored the longer distance races because of my lack in leg speed. So, being a 10K runner in college, I knew the marathon was in my future.   My college coach had advised me to wait at least a year before trying a marathon.   He suggested working on half marathons first before moving up to a full one.   I pretty much followed that advice, except I waited an extra year because I had dealt with some minor injuries.

RunMichigan: Where is your favorite place to run in Rochester? Where is the coldest place in Oakland County to run? What do you like about Michigan?

Carly: My favorite place to run in Rochester is probably Bloomer Park because I like running trails.   But I also like running on the dirt roads out by Bald Mountain.   I like the challenge of the hilly course out there.

The coldest place to run in Oakland County is definitely Stony Creek Park.

What I like about Michigan is that it's a more friendly and laid-back atmosphere than the east coast.   I like that strangers aren't openly rude to you for no reason.   Another thing I like is how supportive the running community is here.

RunMichigan: Where is a great place to run at Bucknell? And what do you miss most about Pennsylvania? And where is a great place visit in Pennsylvania?

Carly: A great place to run at Bucknell is probably any of the longer runs that go out on Pheasant Ridge Road.   But unless you are familiar with Lewisburg, PA, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about.

What I miss most about Pennsylvania are the mountains.   There aren't quite as many hills here in this part of Michigan.

If you are a runner, a great place to visit in PA is my hometown, Forest City.   There are lots of great runs to do there - tons of hills, very scenic routes, and some great trails.   I think another great place to visit is Altoona.   Not only can you see the Altoona Curve, but you can visit the hometowns of not one, but two Hanson's-Brooks runners, Terry Shea and Brian Sell. And you can run up some extremely steep hills there as well.