Interview with Katie McGregor

By Mackenzie Lobby

Katie McGregor, 30, has her sights set on Beijing. After a near miss making the Olympic team in the 10,000 meters in 2004, McGregor has sified her ambitions. Proving her Olympic worthiness, she was the 10,000-meter national champion in 2005 and has obtained the Olympic “A” standard in the distance. only inten

As a member of Team USA Minnesota and sponsored by Reebok, McGregor has wholly devoted herself to training through bitterly cold winters and swelteringly humid summers. Tough doesn’t even begin to describe McGregor. Her passion for running and appetite for competition make her a front-runner in the race to seize a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

We met with McGregor at a coffee shop near her home in St. Louis Park, MN. She gave us a glimpse into the life of a Minnesota runner, the build-up to the Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field, and a look ahead at her promising future in the sport.

New York Road Runners: You’ve been a part of Team USA Minnesota for about eight years now. You could be with any coach in the country. What motivates you to entrust your career to Dennis [Barker]?
Katie McGregor: When I first came here I didn’t really know what I was getting into. I knew that Kristen [Nicolini Lehmkuhle] and Carrie [Tollefson] were coming and that Pat [Goodwin] was getting the funding for great coaches and medical staff. I needed a change at the time and it was something that worked out for me. Over the years, I have come to really trust Dennis as a coach. He doesn’t have one plan or one agenda for all of us; everyone has their own plan. Dennis is a student of the sport and is very passionate about running. He has been coaching for a long time, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about.

NYRR: How do you continue to get yourself fired up for race after race when you’ve been running professionally for so long?
KM: I have been happy with a lot of things that have happened to me, but at the same time I’m never really satisfied. I don’t think it’s hard for me to get motivated because I haven’t reached my goals yet. Until that happens, I’ll just keep plugging away. Also, it’s the one thing I’m really passionate about, so I can’t see myself doing anything else. It’s part of my life, getting up and running. It’s just what I do.

NYRR: What do you think about the lifestyle of a professional runner?
KM: In general, runners are pretty laid back. We’re a part of a larger community, not just the elite running community, but also Minnesota’s running community and the country’s running community. I think we’re very accessible to other runners. There is a business side to the sport, but we’re really not in it for the money.

NYRR: You’re a die-hard Michigan fan; how does it feel to be living in a rival Big Ten state?
KM: It’s been fun because there are athletes in our group and others that I train with that are from various schools in the Big Ten. Everyone who knows me knows that I’m an obnoxious Michigan fan. We’re constantly talking trash. It’s funny because they are people that you didn’t hate but you were competitive with and all of a sudden you find that you like them a lot. For the most part, though, nobody really cares about that stuff as much as I do [laughs].

NYRR: With the Trials approaching, I have to ask about your 10,000-meter race. This year you were second at the USA 15K Championships and fourth at the USA Cross Country Championships. How have these races given you momentum going into the Trials?
KM: I did a lot of racing in February and March and then decided to back off a little and focus on the 10K. I had a couple 5Ks that didn’t go the way would have liked them to, but my focus has been on the 10K the whole time and my training for that has been going really well. I definitely have a lot of motivation to make this team. I’m sure every other girl in my race is going to step to the line feeling the same way I do. You just have to go out there and fight for a spot and do the best you can. I’m definitely confident in my training and preparation; I just have to get to the line healthy and want it more that day.

NYRR: This is your third time qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track Field. You’ve accomplished many things since 2004. In particular, you became the 10,000-meter national champion in 2005.
KM: It’s hard because you can win every single race throughout the year but if you have one bad day, and it’s the day of the Trials, it doesn’t really matter. Sometimes the best runners don’t make the team. If a spot were guaranteed, I wouldn’t have to go run. That’s the point. I know that I have a chance, but I also know that every other girl who steps to the line has a chance. I just have to focus on my race and my plan and not worry about anything else.

NYRR: In response to that fourth-place finish and elusive time standard in 2004, have you changed anything about your training to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Trials?
KM: I definitely have more years in me and more experience. I also feel that I am more fit now than I was four years ago. I thought I was capable of getting the time standard back then, but it just didn’t work out. I feel like I had a shot then and I have a shot now. I don’t think anything has really changed in that regard. There are just different players in the race and it’s a different time and a different setting.

NYRR: You are one of only four women Trials qualifiers who have obtained the Olympic “A” standard in the 10,000 meters. How do you feel about being among the fastest of the women in the race?
KM: I haven’t run a 10K this year yet. I’ve just been waiting for the Trials. It’s easy to put on 20 seconds or take off 20 seconds depending on how you’re feeling. You just never know until race day.

NYRR: During the race, what do you envision telling yourself when the pack makes a decisive move?
KM: I’m preparing for anything. In the past I’ve gotten stuck leading the race for some reason and I think this year there will be some other girls that will take on the roles as leaders. The 10K is all tactical, so you never know if people are going to try to run fast or just run for place.

NYRR: Do you feed off of that unknown element that accompanies every 10K race?
KM: I think I’m prepared for it. That’s the number-one thing. You have to be confident in your training and ability and feel like you’re ready for anything. I definitely think I’m ready.

NYRR: Do you see yourself in the same spot at the 2012 Olympic Track & Field Trials competing in the 10,000 meters, or do you think you’ll move up to the marathon?
KM: I’ll have to run a couple more marathons and see where I’m at. It was hard this year to decide what I was going to do, but I had to go where my heart was, which was with the 10K. The good thing right now is that American distance running is definitely on the upswing and great things are happening. It’s nice to see other people have success. Success breeds success. You look at what some people are doing and you say, “I can do that, too.” Everyone is raising the bar. When somebody breaks through you then realize “It’s my time to do this, too.”

NYRR: Do you tend to set individual race goals or more ultimate goals?
KM: I set smaller goals along the way, but since the 2004 Trials, the goal has been the 2008 Trials. There have also been world championships that I’ve wanted to make and time standards I’ve wanted to reach. Each year there are goals I focus on to insure a successful year and in order to put me in a good place for the next year. I really like to race a lot, so it’s hard to get geared up for each and every race. Sometimes I look at races as part of the training and a way to break up the routine. It has worked well for me. I run because I like to compete.

NYRR: Last question: Whose future is brighter: Katie McGregor’s or the Michigan football team’s with their new head coach?
KM: [laughs] I hope they are both bright. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. You can only hope for the best. I think it’s going to be a good year for all of us.

Interview conducted June 17, 2008, and posted on June 20, 2008.