Interview: Kara Goucher

Kara Goucher won the 10,000 meter Bronze medal in 2007, in Osaka, Japan. Her runs in Eugene, OR at the Olympic Trials resulted in a second place in the 10,000 meters and a last stretch run over 5000 meters. In Beijing, Goucher took tenth in the 10,000 meters. Her debut marathon, at the ING New York City Marathon, garnered a phenomenal third place with the illustrious Paula Radcliffe winning.

CA: What was your first experience in cross country?

KG: I first ran cross country in the seventh grade. I only joined, because I needed to be on a sports team to win an award, and I went to volleyball tryouts and hurt my wrist bumping the volleyball. Cross country had no cuts. My career was born.

CA: What was training like in high school?

KG: I only ran 25-30 miles a week in high school. I didn’t run on the weekends unless we had a race. But, my workouts were quality. I was on a very good team, and we pushed each other during workouts.

CA: When did you make a commitment to running?

KG: I was always committed to being the best runner I could be, but it wasn’t until college that I turned all of my focus to running. Before that, I was a multi-sport athlete and involved in a lot of stuff at school. But, in college, I really gave my running 100% commitment. That’s why I had such a jump in my performances from high school.

CA: What was college training like?

KG: College training was very hard. It was a big transition for me. In high school, I never ran more than seven miles at once. In college, our program was built around our long runs. That was the most important run of the week. I suffered through the first year, running 10 miles felt like an eternity! I got injured a lot, but by the end of my sophomore year, I started to get stronger, started to adjust to the longer runs, and started to enjoy working so hard.

CA: What is difference between running in high school and running in college?

KG: There were lots of differences. For one, I was just running a lot more…more miles, going to lift weights; it was a bigger commitment than it had been in high school. Running in high school was a very social thing for me. All of my best friends ran. We talked about everything on runs. We laughed and cried. It was my favorite part of the day, go[ing] to practice with my friends. I was friends with the girls on my college team, but we were much more serious. We were training to train, not to hang out. In college, running was the only sport I did. In high school, I also skiied, played soccer, and danced. So, in college, running was it! It took more focus and dedication. It was different, but I still loved it. Aside from a few years of injury right after college, I have always loved my running.

CA: Tell us about your experience in the Olympic Trials.

KG: The Olympic Trials are the highlight of my track career. I enjoyed that experience more than I did the Olympics. Running in Eugene, in front of thousands of people who know running was a thrill! I was never super nervous, just enjoying the crowds and races. It was awesome. Winning the 5k there is my favorite track moment I have ever had. It was simply amazing, and I still get emotional when I think about it!

CA: Tell us about your high school experiences in cross country. How were your experiences in college and then open competition?

KG: High school cross country still stands as my favorite cross country racing I have ever done. The friendships I made during those years have stood the test of time. Those girls are still my best friends to this day. We loved being together, training together, and racing together. All performances were judged on how the team did. It didn’t matter if I won the individual title at a meet; all I cared was if my team won. It was a sisterhood that we have carried on to our lives now. In college, things became more individualized. This was, at times, difficult for me. I had to adjust to “me first, team second.” I loved college, but it was the beginning of a shift to caring more about myself than my teammates. As a professional, it’s all about yourself. Running at World Cross [Country], you get a taste of that team aspect, but at USA’s [Cross Country], it is entirely about you. It’s still fun, still a rush, but that team sharing experience is gone.

CA: What keeps you sane during training? Favorite music? Favorite books?

KG: I watch a lot of TV shows when I run on my Alter-G treadmill or work out on my elliptical machine. In fact, I often measure how long I am going to go by episodes. For instance, I might go for a run that is two episodes of “The Office,” or maybe I’ll do an elliptical workout of one episode of “Sex and the City.”

I also always have new lists on my iPod. I go to the top 100 songs on iTunes and I allow myself 10 songs. I have so many playlists! And they are all titled for what I am training for. For example, I have Olympic Trials ‘08, Beijing Bound and NYC on my iPod right now.

CA: Do you train with a group or individually?

KG: I do a lot of running by myself or with one other person. I just came off a training block where I was training for the marathon. For all hard runs, I had a pacer, usually my husband, Adam, and my coach would bike with me as well. When I train for track, I usually have a male pacer. I do train with Amy Yoder Begley and Ari Lambie when our schedules work out together.

CA: Do you have a favorite quote or a favorite song that gives you inspiration?

KG: One of my all time favorite quotes is by Henry David Thoreau:

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

I love that quote. Be confident in what you want. Anything you imagine can come true.

Most important performances:
2008: 9th in 5000m (15:49.39) and 10th in 10,000m (30:55.16) at Olympic Games...Olympic Trials champion in 5000m (15:01.02) and 2nd in 10,000m (31:31.72) ... 3rd in 5,000m at Nike Prefontaine Classic (14:58.10)…4th at adidas Track Classic (9:00.53)...3rd at NYC Marathon (2:25:53). 2007: USA Outdoor 10,000m runner-up (32:33.80)…3rd in 10,000m at World Outdoors (32:02.05)…8th in 1,500m at Pre Classic (4:10.29)…3rd in 3000m at Rieti (8:34.99)…3rd in 5000m at Berlin (14:55.02)…ranked #3 in the world (#1 U.S.) at 10,000m, #2 in the U.S. at 3000m and #4 in the U.S. at 5,000m by Track & Field News...bests of 32:02.05, 8:34.99 and 14:55.02. 2006: USA Outdoor 5,000m runner-up (15:14.13)…11th in 1500m at Rieti (4:05.14PR)…1st in 1,500m at Eugene (4:14.23)…3rd in 3,000m at World Cup (8:41.42PR)…2nd in 3,000m at adidas Track Classic (8:55.05)…5th in 5,000m at Naimette-Xhovemont (15:08.13PR)…3rd in 10,000m at Helsinki (31:17.12PR)…ranked #1 in the U.S. at 10,000m and #2 in the U.S. at 3000m and 5000m by T&FN…bests of 4:05.14, 8:41.42, 15:08.13 and 31:17.12. 2005: bests of 4:12.31 and 15:17.55. 2004: bests of 4:16.48, 9:14.77 and 16:30.35. 2003: bests of 4:11.17 and 15:42.97. 2002: did not compete 2001: 7th in 5,000m at USA Outdoors…7th in 5,000m at NCAA Outdoors…bests of 4:27.54 and 15:41.77. 2000: Won Big 12 Cross Country Championships (19:38)... Won 3000m (9:02.15) and 5000m (15:54.30) at NCAA Outdoor Championships... 8th at Olympic Trials 5000m (15:34.47)... won NCAA Cross Country... ranked #8 in U.S. in 5000m by T&FN... bests of 4:12.15, 8:54.82 and 15:28.78. 1999: Won Big 12 XC Championships (16:48)... 9th at NCAA XC Championships (16:58.40)... runner-up at NCAA Outdoor 3000m (9:29.89)... 4th at Big 12 Outdoor 5000 (16:57.31)... 3rd at Big 12 Outdoor 3000 (9:41.38)...7th at Mt. SAC Relays (4:28.37)... bests of 9:16.53 and 16:57.31. 1998: Won Big 12 3000m (9:32.55)... 7th at NCAA 3000m (9:23.45)... best of 9:23.45. 1997: 3rd at Big 12 XC Championships (17:40)... 9th at Big 12 3000m... bests of 4:59.42 (mile) and 9:55.89.
1996: 11th at Big 12 XC Champs... best of 18.25 (cross country).