Apr 4, 2008
Kelly Stewart - Olympic Marathon Trials Views- 322

RM: How has the weather been in your area the past few months? Has it affected your training at all and if so, what changes were needed?

KS: It hasn't exactly been ideal. Lots of snow and ice but thankfully the Stoney Creek metro park where I do most of my workouts does a pretty good job keeping things reasonably clear so it could have been a lot worse.

RM: Have you had training partners for most of your runs and workouts or have you been going solo? Why?

KS: I run with the girls from the Hanson's Brooks team a few days a week but my workouts and most of my long runs I do on my own.

RM: What workout has given you the most confidence as the trials are almost here?

KS: I'd have to say my 2x6miler.

RM: What would you say is your greatest strength/advantage going into the trials and why?

KS: I'm used to running on my own so it's easier to concentrate on what I'm doing and not get caught up in all the hubub around me. Hopefully I'll be able to put this to work in the marathon by not going out to fast and fading at the end.

RM: What do you think is your biggest weakness going into the trial and what are you doing to limit that weakness?

KS: I tend to get a little bored on such flat kind of boring courses. That and I have a tendency to doubt myself and my abilities. Sometimes I just need to remind myself of all the hard work I've done and think about all the positive aspects of my training leading up to the trials.

RM: What would it take for you to walk away from the trials happy/content? If you are willing to say, what is your goal for the trials?

KS: I really want to run a big PR. I have a time goal but I'm going to keep it quiet for now.


RM: What are your thoughts on racing in Boston? How big do you think the crowd will be and what do you think the overall atmosphere will be like?

KS: I'm sure the crowds will be huge. I can't wait to get out there on the course. It's amazing the difference a good crowd can make, and with all the people in Boston for the trials as well as for the marathon running fever is going to be rampant in bean town.

RM: What are some of the foods that you just cannot get enough of during this heavy training phase? Are there any foods that you try to avoid during such a heavy training phase?

KS: I craze just about anything sweet especially dark chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. I've recently found out that my digestive system seems to have a difficult time with nuts.

RM: Have you had any setbacks with your training leading up to the trials and if so, what were they and how did you deal with them?

KS: The weather has been the most difficult thing to deal with. However, this winter I have a treadmill so I've been able to do some of my shorter runs and a few of my longer runs on the treadmill to avoid the snow and ice. My work schedule also makes running difficult at times. A lot of days I don't do my 2nd runs until 7:30-8:15 at night or I have to start very early in the morning when it's still dark. So again the treadmill, a nice head lamp and a couple of sets of Yaktrax's have been invaluable this winter.

RM: When do you see your last hard workout heading into the trials being and what will it be?

KS: My last really hard workout was the 2x6miler and I did that last weekend. So it's shorter stuff from here on out.

RM: When will your last long run be heading into the trials and what will it be? How long has your long run been so far?

KS: My last really long run was actually this past Tuesday. Most of my long runs have been between 20-22miles.