My dream of becoming an Olympian began in the summer of 1984 while watching the Los Angeles Olympics with my Dad. A few years later I went out for the junior high track and ran the 100m, but after finishing well back I quickly realized I was a distance runner! Once in high school and with a little training under my belt I made solid progress and won the NY State 1500m in my junior and senior years. These performances caught the eye of some top college coaches and I ended up with a full athletic scholarship to attend Villanova University. I had a rough start my freshman year but went on to win 5 NCAA titles and was part of 3 NCAA Championship Cross Country teams. My collegiate success set me up to run professionally, and I have been an adidas athlete for over 20 years now!
After years of hard work (and lots of learning curves along the way!) my dream came true when I made the 2000 US Olympic Team in the 10,000m. I went on to qualify at 2 other Olympic Games (Athens 2004 & Beijing 2008) and have competed at a different event on each of my 3 teams. Moving up and down in distance has kept training exciting for me over my lengthy career. Contrary to what’s considered to be “normal”, I ran all of my personal bests between the ages of 33 and 36. While aging is a reality for all of us I truly believe that with proper training and nutrition there’s no reason to put limits on yourself!
Since turning 40 I’ve set 2 US Masters records and was even able to make a US World Cross Country Team in 2015. I attribute this success not only to my good fortune with injuries and good genes, but also to the attention that I have paid to the details throughout my career. My interest and self education in nutrition has played a huge role in my success as an older athlete. In 2017 I became a certified Primal Health Coach and I continually educate myself in the ever changing world of nutrition.
My philosophy is that your overall fitness is the sum of your physical activity, nutrition and mindset. I love to share my knowledge and experience to help others lead happy and healthy lifestyles!
