RMDC: Did you think with someone as quick as 
Allison Klemmer in the race that you would
win this race with a kick?

LM: I did not know who was in front the whole race. 
It wasn't until afterward when she told Ed Kozloff her 
name that I realized who she was - I remember watching 
her run the state meet in cross country a few years back.  
Of course, I have heard of her accomplishments at Notre 
Dame as well, and was relieved to have the win! 

RMDC: A year ago at this time you had just given birth to twins. 
You weren't able to run for almost your entire pregnancy and 
then you were off for almost two months after their birth. 
Did you believe you could return this quickly to such a 
high level of fitness?

LM: At first I thought I could, but sometime around April/May 
this year it seemed like it was going to be an eternity before
I returned to my former fitness level.  Anyone who had the 
(mis)fortune to run with me during the Spring certainly grew 
weary of my whining about how long it was taking and how slow 
I felt.  They are all thankful now that my training and racing are
more what I expect!

RMDC: How has your training changed as the result of 
these new additions to your family?

LM: All summer the babies ran with me in the Jogger - at least four days/week. 
Although they were able to sit for a while, eight miles was about the limit
for all of us.  It may have hampered my mileage count, my upper body
strength is actually improved from pushing and lifting two growing babies. 
Fortunately this summer was mostly pleasant and I missed only a handful of
days that I would have otherwise run due to weather or other forces.  The
big change will be this winter. Now that Casey and Abby are active toddlers
I don't know how they will respond to being corralled while I run on the
treadmill.  If the weather we have now continues, I could be in tremendous
shape come Spring!


RMDC: Your husband, Mark Neal, is also an excellent distance runner who trains
at a high level.  How have the two of you shared both running and
parenting duties?

LM: Mark has been very accommodating, almost to a fault.  He has allowed me the
choice running times most of the summer and fall, and has been running a
reduced a mileage program for nearly a year.  He loves spending time with
the kids after work and often pushes them (yes, they sometimes do
two-a-days) for a few miles in the evening.  The weekends are less
productive than they used to be because we have the time for both of us run
unencumbered.  Many Saturdays we aren't finished with running and showers
before late afternoon, but we do enjoy our runs on our own.  We are both
more comfortable with having two toddlers around and find things to do while
the other parent runs.  We have just started a winter schedule that allows
Mark to go to Hanson's in Utica on Tuesdays for the group run there and I go
to the Royal Oak store on Thursdays for that weekly run.  It requires Mark
to meet me and the kids in Royal Oak just before 6:30 and we exchange cars. 
He takes the kids home and runs with them and gets them ready for bed -
hopefully I get home before they are sleeping, but I don't usually make it! 


RMDC: Do you have any advice to other parents who are trying to combine
running and parenting at the same time?

LM: We are still learning so much about how to do it all, so the best I can
offer is to let new parents know that trying to do it is better than
wondering if you can - just give it a shot and take your time and find what
works best for your family.  Every family's priorities are different, but if
both parents want to train or just exercise, it really does take the
cooperation of all involved - including the baby!

RMDC: In 1996, you qualified for the US Women's Olympic Marathon Trials. Do
you have plans to qualify again for the 2000 trials?

LM: I have plans to run another marathon in the spring to  attempt to qualify. 
It will be more difficult than in 1996, but the Free Press Marathon was
encouraging and I hope to do a little more racing this winter to keep tuned
up.  I won't have the luxury of speed work during the winter, which I like
to do in my marathon training, so I can only hope it works out.  If not, I
had the opportunity of a lifetime 1996.