Interview with Blake Russell

By Mackenzie Lobby

After a disappointing fourth-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Marathon in 2004, Blake Russell, 32, inspired many with her comeback at the 2008 Trials. A third-place finish clinched her spot on the U.S. Olympic team heading to Beijing and proved that redemption is possible in distance running.

The NYRR New York Mini 10K will be her first race since the Trials in April. She sees this race as a “nice kick-off” to her preparation for the Olympic Games. An Olympic Trials qualifier in the 10K on the track, she’s sure to give her competitors a run for their money through Central Park.

We contacted Russell at her home in Pacific Grove, California, to get the scoop on the Trials, the Mini 10K, and her preparations for Beijing.

New York Road Runners: Congratulations on making the Olympic team. It was an exciting race to watch. How do you describe the entire experience of the Olympic Trials from preparation to execution to recovery?
Blake Russell: It was solid from the start. I came into training for the Olympic Trials marathon off of a year-and-a-half of injuries. It wasn’t the way I planned to start training for the marathon. When I first started the training, things were still hurting here and there but everything started falling into place and I was pretty confident with the training.

I went in with a more conservative plan with the goal as top three. Last time I got a little caught up in wanting to be top three and run a fast time. I’d say I executed the plan a little better than I did four years ago. I was really happy with it.

NYRR: Are your life circumstances different now than they were in 2004? What changes, if any, do you think made the difference and helped you to make the Olympic team this time around?
BR: After 2000, we reevaluated and moved to Boston to work with [coach] Bob Sevene. After 2004, we reevaluated again. I couldn’t handle the winters in Boston. I was running on the treadmill a lot and constantly running in the dark. So I talked to my husband and Sev was out here [California]. It was a great option to come out here for a four-year stint or so and see how we liked it. I stopped working as a physical therapist and was also able to put running first for once in my life.

NYRR: When will you be leaving for Beijing? How do you plan on getting acclimated to the pollution, heat, and humidity?
BR: I’m not too concerned about the pollution because there’s really not much I can do about it. Right now we’re planning on leaving at the beginning of August and that would give us about two weeks to acclimate.

NYRR: You’re planning on running the NYRR New York Mini 10K. How does this race fit into the big picture in terms of your training?
BR: A road 10K is strength-based, so hopefully I’ll run pretty well. I think I’ve rebounded well from the marathon. The Mini 10K is the first race I will have to get my head back into the game. Since the Olympic Trials, I’ve taken a little bit of mental down time and now I’m trying to start gearing up and getting excited about training for the Olympic Games. The Mini 10K should be a nice kick-off.

NYRR: What is your plan of attack for the race?
BR: From what I hear, it’s a challenging course. I’ve only run training runs in Central Park but never raced there. I’m really looking forward to racing through there and getting a different feel for it.

NYRR: What about your plans for the Olympic Team Trails - Track & Field coming up in June? You’ve qualified for the 10K. What happens if you make the team in two events?
BR: I’ve already committed to the marathon. Since I spent so much time injured and was unable to compete on the track much, I’m just looking at the Track & Field Trials as a fun way to hopefully run a good time. It’ll be a no-pressure situation. I promised my coach I’d run it; he wishes I had more time on the track. It’ll be good to do some more track workouts and get away from the marathon training a little bit. If something crazy happened and I was top three, that would be frustrating because running for 30 something minutes is a lot more fun than running for more than two hours. Plus a lot of my relatives have already bought tickets for Beijing, so if I were to switch events that wouldn’t go over so well.

NYRR: What makes you believe in your coach?
BR: His success rate alone. He’s been coaching for almost 37 years. He’s probably one of the most successful marathon, cross country, and track coaches of all time. He’s had two of the most successful American women marathoners in history—Joan Benoit was an Olympic gold medalist and Cathy O’Brien finished 10th in the 1992 Olympic Games. His training works well for me. It’s been a good fit.

NYRR: What have you personally learned over the years as a runner? What wisdom might you pass on to young runners just getting started in the sport?
BR: Especially with women, just to stick with it. I was by no means a stellar collegiate athlete, but just kept improving each year. When I graduated I never saw myself making an Olympic team. Things just started clicking with more time and strength. It takes women a little longer to progress. If you’re willing to put in the time, you can do it.

NYRR: What would you do if you weren’t a professional runner? Would you be a full-time physical therapist?
BR: Probably. I fell into physical therapy because I went to a physical therapist in high school and thought it looked like a fun job. I definitely see myself going back to that eventually and maybe getting more involved on the running side of things. I know how frustrating it can be not to run [because of injury or other setbacks]. I think it’s just as important for the average Joe runner to stay healthy and enjoy running as the more competitive runners.

NYRR: Any big plans after the Olympics?
BR: I haven’t thought much past the Olympic Games. It’ll be a good time in my life to reevaluate and see what I want to do. I know I have a fast marathon in me and I just haven’t had the right conditions because of injuries or bad weather to do it yet.

NYRR: So no weird hobbies you plan on pursuing?
BR: I have a closet full of ex-hobbies. I go on little knitting spurts, but I’ve been banned from buying any more yarn. I could open my own store.

NYRR: One last question: When you were young, did you ever think you’d be an Olympian someday?
BR: I can honestly say I never once thought about being in the Olympics when I was little. In high school I started to think maybe I could run in college and that was the first time I really set a running goal. I didn’t even think I could do it until the 2000 Trials when I finished seventh in the 10K and was coaching myself. I thought ‘if I can be seventh, I know I can be top three.’ So that’s when it first got into my head that it was a realistic goal.

Interview conducted May 22, 2008, and posted May 28, 2008.