RunMichigan: How does it feel to be running in your first Olympic Trials Marathon?

Seana: It is very exciting to be running in my first Olympic Trials Marathon, but it is also a little intimidating. The slowest person in the field has run a 2:48 and just 6 months ago I was a 2:53 marathoner!

RunMichigan: How did you feel when you finished second at the 2003 Quad Cities Marathon and qualified for the Olympic Trials?

Seana: Qualifying for the Olympic Trials was a great feeling. I was thrilled when I crossed the finish line. It was also a little bit of a relief b/c I had tried to qualify in 2000 and I did not make it. I also felt like I had entered a pretty elite group. When I think of the other women from Michigan that have qualified in the past, they are all women that I have a lot of respect for as runners.


RunMichigan: What is your goal for the Olympic Trials Marathon race?

Seana: I don't have a specific time goal since I haven't seen the course and I don't know what the weather will be like on that day. I would love to run a PR, but I don't want to get caught up in worrying about my splits. I just want to go and run a competitive smart race. Obviously I am not going to make the team, but I would like to run a race that I can be proud of. Just to be running in the race where the Olympic Marathon Team is chosen is a huge honor.

RunMichigan: How will you use your success from 2003, 58:53 PR at the Crim 10 Mile and Olympic Marathon trials qualification, to help with the Olympic trials race?

Seana: Both of those races gave me some much needed confidence. At Crim we had ideal conditions so is was just a case of having a plan and sticking to it. At Quad Cities it was very windy and I ran at least 75% of the race by myself. It was a small field that really spread out quickly. Being able to qualify for the trials after running the last five miles into a pretty strong head wind gave me quite a bit of confidence.

RunMichigan: What made you transition to the Marathon? and put the training in required to qualify for the Olympics Marathon Trials?

Seana: After I had my son in April of 2002. I decided to run Columbus in the fall just to have a goal out there and get back into running. I ran a 3:09 on about 40 miles a week and it felt so easy. So, I started thinking about what I could do if I really focused and trained hard. So, I gradually increased my mileage, started racing more and stopped taking 2-3 days off a week. My training partner (Ann Boyd-Stewart) kept telling me I could qualify. I just needed to get out there and do it !

RunMichigan: How many marathons have you run and how will you apply the knowledge from the previous marathons for the trials race?

Seana: I have run 9 marathons 2 of those were just training runs leading up to other marathons, one I ran with a friend that was trying to break 3:20 and one I dropped out. The main thing I have learned is that the marathon is like no other race! The marathon is it's own Monster. You never know what is going to happen in those last 6 miles. It's not like a 5k, where if you have a bad mile your whole race is over. You have time to adjust and work through tough sections and you will have some very tough patches. Every time I run a marathon I learn something new. Another thing I have learned is that you have to be patient and stay positive.

RunMichigan: Who currently coaches you and how has your current training environment helped you prepare for the Olympic Trials?

Seana: I work with Bill Stewart. He coaches a group of about 20 runners. It is a great training group. My main training partner is Ann Boyd-Stewart (Bill's wife), she and Bill have gone out of their way to help me train. During Jan. and Feb. Ann and I met on Monday afternoons to get a workout in, in the day light and then we met with the entire group on Wednesday nights to do some faster stuff on the indoor track. In addition, a few of the guys have been helping me with my longs run on Saturday mornings. They are faster than me so I really have to push to keep up.


RunMichigan: Will you be running any races in your preparation for the Marathon trials?

Seana: I ran a 1/2 marathon in February in Austin. I ran a 1:15:48 which was over a 4 minute PR. I also set PR's at 10k and 10 mile in route to the 1:15:48. So, I was very happy with that race and I am running the Spectrum Health Irish Jig 5k this weekend. I am not that excited to run a 5k off of marathon training. But, It will be good to get in a race. Then, there will only be 2 weeks until the trials and it will be time to taper!

RunMichigan: What have you learned about the Olympic Trials course and how will you use this knowledge to help on race day?

Seana: It is a loop course and I have heard there is one big hill. During January when is was so cold and we had so much snow, the only place I had to do my longs runs was on a 2.7 mile paved loop at a Metro park near my house. So, I am used to running loops and I love hills. I am really looking forward to the course. I think there will a lot of spectator support since we don't have to run out in the middle of no where. Hopefully I will get to see my Husband and Bill several times during the race, which will be helpful.

RunMichigan: What type of training will you do these last couple of weeks to prepare for the Trials?

Seana: Well, I did my last longer run on Saturday and I am still recovering from that. So, now it is time to taper. I don't know what I will do the next 2 Wednesdays. I leave that up to Bill. But, I am sure there will be a few more runs at a good effort. I am running a 5k this Saturday and next Saturday I plan to run an easy 10 miles with Sarah Plaxton (another Michigan qualifier).

RunMichigan: How have you juggled working and your training this winter?

Seana: Juggling work and training has been a little crazy, but fortunately it has all worked out. When the weather was so horrendous in January, it was hard to stay focused. I put quite a few more miles on my treadmill than I had originally planned. We have a fitness center at Domino's so a few days a weeks I can get a run in at lunch. I do a lot of my runs at 5:00am before I go to work and before anyone else in the house is awake. On the days that I can't manage to get out of bed in morning I run on my treadmill after my son is in bed.

RunMichigan: What is your favorite workout and why?

Seana: My favorite work out is 4 x 4 mile with 4 minutes rest at a little faster than marathon pace. I don't like it b/c it is fun. It is not fun at all! I like it b/c when we are finished I feel like I have really accomplished something. We did it last Saturday and it went great. Also, after we finish we get to talk about it for weeks and tell everyone who didn't show up how great it was!

RunMichigan: What do you do to relax from running?

Seana: My husband and I have a 2 year old son. He is just a blast. Anytime I am with him is fun and a great break from running.

RunMichigan: Where is your favorite place to run in Michigan? And what is your favorite race to run in Michigan?

Seana: I really like to run on the dirt roads just north of Dexter(where I live). It is very peaceful out there and full of rolling hills. I think my favorite race is the Dexter Ann Arbor 1/2 marathon. It starts in Dexter just a few miles from our house and finishes in Ann Arbor where I grew up. It is a great course and it so much fun to see so many people I know running the race.

RunMichigan: You had a very successful career at Ann Arbor Pioneer and you were an All-American in Cross Country at Wake Forest, how have you use that success in your post collegiate career?

Seana: Running at Pioneer taught me so much and I have so many great memories of the team there. The success I had at Pioneer was so team oriented. It has helped me to seek out a very positive training environment and motivated people to train with. Being a successful runner at Pioneer was so much fun I could go on forever about what an amazing person Bryan Westfield is.

I certainly had my ups and downs during the short time I was at Wake. Jon Goodridge did a great job of always trying to get to me to the next level. He was always telling me I was a much better than I thought I was. I think what I learned from my success at Wake is that you have to believe in yourself and your training.

Sometimes past success can be more of burden b/c expectations are often based on what was accomplished in the past. One very important thing I learned is to live in the present and train for the near future. I am very fortunate to have experienced success in high school and college, but it doesn't mean a thing when I step to the line on April 3rd.