Interview With Iowa State’s LISA KOLL

In the October 2008 issue of Running Times magazine, Eric Willis simply headlined his article, “Koll on a Roll.” At the time, Iowa State standout Lisa Koll had just broken Alicia Shay’s (formerly Craig) American collegiate record in the 10,000-meter run.  Koll slashed more than three minutes off of her personal best to run 32:11.13 (previous record was 32:19:97) at the Stanford Invitational, stunning the track and field world.  En route to her victory, she lapped all but five runners in the field, including three All-Americans. Whispers of “who is Lisa Koll?” rippled through the running community.

Koll capped her 2008 season by finishing 8th in the Olympic Trials 10K.  She redshirted her 2008 cross-country season and struggled with injuries during her 2009 track season, but “Koll is on a roll” again in 2010. She kicked off her indoor season by becoming the second fastest American collegiate indoors in the 5,000-meter, clocking 15:29.65 (Jenny Barringer holds the American collegiate record, 15:01.70 set in 2009). Just as impressive, Koll came back from winning the Big 12 5,000-meter to run the third fastest collegiate time indoors in the 3,000-meter: 8:56:09.

With her 2008 NCAA 10K title, Koll became the first Iowa State Cyclone female athlete since 1991 to win an NCAA title. Her list of accolades runs long: three straight individual titles in the Big 12 10,000-meter run, eight total individual Big 12 titles, seven All-American honors, American collegiate record holder in the 10K, and Iowa State record holder in the 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000. Off the track, Koll remains just as impressive. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a major in Biology in just three years. She was named First Team Academic Big 12 honoree for three straight years, and she is currently enrolled in  Iowa State’s veterinary medicine program.

Photos Courtesy of Iowa State’s Athletic Department

Eliterunning: You’ve collected more Big 12 titles this season, and you had two major breakthroughs. You recently ran 15:29 indoors in the 5000 and 8:56 in the 3000.  After struggling with injuries in 2009, what do you attribute these breakthroughs to?

Lisa Koll: I think these performances have been in the works for some time. I really feel that if I hadn’t gotten hurt last year, some great things would have happened in 2009, but it didn’t work out the way I planned (like most things in life). I guess I attribute most of the recent successes to a combination of consistently intensified training, race experience, and confidence that I have built over the past four or five years, but also some luck in staying healthy since late this summer.

Coach Ihmels and I were pretty conservative during cross country season, which allowed me to rebuild my mileage, regain some strength, and get back some aerobic fitness. I wasn’t very excited about how cross country went for me individually, so once it was over we met and sort of reopened the gates and took some chances with mileage and workouts. With that said, I think the strength and consistency I gained during cross country is one of the main reasons indoors is going so well; once January rolled around, I really just needed some fine tuning.

ER: You’ve qualified for both the 3000 and the 5000 at the NCAA Indoor Champs March 12.  Do you plan to double, and how competitive do you think the fields will be?

LK: I am planning on running the 5000 for sure. No definite plans have been made for the 3000, but as long as I still feel ready to go on Saturday, I think Coach will have a hard time keeping me out of it.

NCAAs is always extremely competitive. Everyone starts on the same line and you never know who could show up and have a great day or a bad one. I’m planning on going into it the same as any other race, focused on competing with the front pack and performing to my best ability.

ER: In 2008, after struggling with injuries your freshman year, you slashed over 3 minutes off of your 10K PR and ran 32:11.13 in only your second race at that distance, breaking Alicia Shay’s collegiate record and making quite a splash in the track and field world. You credited that leap to a turning point in your running, consistent high mileage and a renewed commitment to the sport. How would you describe that commitment?  What were some of the things that you did to transition from being a strong college runner to an elite runner?

LK: I think, most importantly, I began actively making my decisions based on what would be best for my running.  I made sure I was taking care of the little things like ice baths, getting enough sleep, etc., but I also took some time to educate myself about the sport. I started paying attention to who great runners were, how they became successful, and began visualizing myself in their shoes.

I also took some chances with training and, like you mentioned, increased mileage. It could have gone two ways: I could have ended up hurt or improved. By being methodical and patient with the training plan, and having a little bit of luck, I ended up with the latter. Once I started reaping the benefits, it became easy: run, study, eat, sleep. I think it was then that I really fell in love with distance running, the simplicity of the lifestyle, and I finalized my commitment to the sport.

ER: You’ve always been a pretty high mileage runner, hitting consistent 90-mile weeks in the summer.  What is your mileage like now, and can you give us a sample week or two of training?

My mileage right now is consistently between 90-95 miles a week. In my log I start my weeks on Mondays so a typical week would be something like:

Monday, Thursday: 45 min easy AM run; 75 min easy PM run followed by 8 100 meter strides
Tuesday, Friday: Workout with total time about 80 min: one faster workout (i.e. 20×200 with 55 sec recovery or 300 meter hill repeats) and one longer workout (tempo run, fartlek, etc.)
Wednesday: 45 min easy AM run; 75 min easy PM run
Saturday: 120 min long run easy
Sunday: 45-60 min easy

ER: Do you do any kind of cross-training to supplement your running?

LK: No. I can’t stand cross-training. I guess I just find it boring. When I was hurt last year I would have rather had my teeth pulled than get on the elliptical or bike. Swimming was the least agonizing.

ER: With the outdoor season approaching, and with the gains you have made in increasing your speed (see recent 5000 and 3000 m times!), do you plan to focus primarily on the 10,000?  Do you and coach Ihmels have a specific time goal in mind (31:45?)?

LK: Yes. I am so excited to run the 10K this outdoor season. As successful as the 3K and 5K have been indoors, I think my greatest potential lies in the longer distances. I have always had good aerobic capacity, and I think combining that talent with the recent developments I have had in speed and turnover will make for some great outdoor 10Ks.

31:45 is definitely a bench mark I would love to hit before I’m done with my collegiate career, but I am still trying to think in small steps and will be happy with a PR and progression throughout the season.

ER: How would you describe your relationship with Coach Ihmels? How much of a factor has he been in your explosive running career?

Coach and I have built a strong relationship over the past few years. He is very knowledgeable and I have a huge amount of respect for his training ideas and philosophy. He is also great about letting me have a lot of influence in my training. He listens to what I have to say about what works for me and what doesn’t and has helped me overcome some of the mental aspects of running. Especially after going through last year injury-plagued, he has seen me at my best and worst.

He has been a huge factor in guiding me to reach my potential as a runner. The fact that he listens to what I have to say and is willing to make adjustments as needed allows us to work as a team and results in the best outcome for both of us.

ER: In 2008, you finished 8th in the Olympic Trials in the 10,000m.  You were running your fifth race ever at the distance and when Shalane Flanagan made a move in the 10th lap, you went with her.  What was going through your mind at that moment?

LK: Honestly, I was thinking, “What do I have to lose?” It didn’t matter to me if I was 4th or last, either position resulted in the same outcome in my eyes. I went into the race with the goal of making the Olympic team. Even though it was a long shot, I went for it, and I have no regrets. If you never test the limit, you’ll never know how far you can go, right?

ER: You earned your bachelor degree in three years and are currently enrolled in Iowa State’s School of Veterinary Medicine.  Being a student-athlete is difficult, but you have excelled at it. What has it been like to juggle the demands of your training and of your academics?

A lot of the qualities it takes to be great at distance running apply to being a great student as well: dedication, hard work, time management, etc. As I mentioned before, I love the lifestyle: running and learning. I am enjoying being in college and that makes it much easier to manage the situation. I have also been fortunate in that since I entered veterinary school, the faculty has been very willing to work with me and my schedule to make school and running coincide.

ER: Do you plan to move immediately into a veterinary career when you graduate from the program or do you see yourself giving professional running a shot for a few years?

LK: I am definitely interested in pursuing professional running after this year. I feel like I haven’t reached my potential and I’m not ready to be done competing. However, it’s complicated because I’m currently right in the middle of getting my veterinary degree. If running post-collegiately means delaying school for awhile, I am prepared for that.  I have worked just as hard to get to where I am in running as I have to get to where I am in school, and the running window of opportunity is much narrower.

ER: The 2012 Olympics are just two years away.  In 2008, the “A” standard in the 5000 was 15:28, and you obviously met the “A” standard in the 10000 (32:45).  Do you see yourself attempting to double in the 5 and the 10 in 2012?

I think my main focus will still be the 10K in 2012. If training is going well enough to the point that I feel I could be a presence in both events, I might consider the double, but I’m sure a lot will depend on the situation at the time.

ER:  With Kara Goucher running the marathon and Shalane Flanagan making her debut soon, do you see yourself moving in that direction – perhaps in 2016?

LK: Yes. The marathon is where I eventually see myself. I strongly feel that internationally, it would be the event where I would be most competitive. However, I don’t want to make that move until I am ready to do so and have completed what I want to on the track.

ER: While a lot of runners value sleep as a vital component to recovery, some runners overlook nutrition. Do you pay a lot of attention to your own nutrition?

LK: Not really. I’m all about eating what my body’s craving and getting a good variety of foods. My diet is pretty simple. My main staples are cereal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I’m a big snacker throughout the day between breakfast, lunch, and a big dinner. I’m also a big sucker for desserts, the sweeter and more rich the better. I guess the only thing I really try to pay attention to with nutrition is making sure I have red meat 2-3 times a week for a good source of iron.

ER: How would you describe your training philosophy?  Who or what has helped you shape that philosophy?

LK: I think the best way to sum up my training philosophy is the way to get better at running is to run. I seem to thrive off high mileage and consistency, with a few workouts sprinkled here and there. Coach Ihmels has probably been the biggest influence in the way I think about training, but it has also come from a lot of trial and error over the years.

ER: How did you get into running?  Were you always a good athlete growing up?  Did anyone inspire you to give it a shot?

LK: I don’t really remember this, but my dad says I used to race my older brother around the block all the time when I was little. Apparently, I would always get beat but I kept racing him every day until finally, one day, I won. But I don’t think it was the running I was interested in, it was being able to beat my big brother in something.

In middle school my dad did a lot of road races and really started getting into running, so I ran here and there with him but wasn’t real excited about the whole thing. I was more into other sports like softball, basketball, soccer, pretty much anything besides running, even though I wasn’t very good at any of them; I just had a competitive nature.

The cross country coach at the middle school kept trying to get me to come out, but I wasn’t very interested. My friends finally convinced me to try it out and I agreed, mostly to get them off my back. I was terrible at first, but by the end of the year I was in the top 5 on our team and the better I got, the more driven I was to keep with it. Long story short, I quit all the other sports I was in and decided to focus on running.

ER: Looking back over the past few years, have you been surprised by your success, or did you always feel that kind of potential brewing inside of you?

LK: There have been some instances where I did completely blow my expectations out of the water. The best example is Stanford two years ago when I ran 32:11. With that race, I went in feeling fit enough to run under 32:45, but the fact that it felt so comfortable to run that fast surprised me. It was a great experience though, teaching me never to underestimate myself.

However, if you would have asked me my freshman year of college where I thought I would be by the time I was done with collegiate running, I would have had no idea. Looking back I realize how completely oblivious I was to what being a great runner really meant and what it took to get there. However, I think that worked to my advantage. I just focused on the day in, day out training and took pride and enjoyment in seeing myself improve. I think taking those small steps and finding little victories throughout the process kept me honest, focused, and open-minded to what I could eventually accomplish.

Quick-fire Questions with Koll:

My favorite book is: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My favorite song is: “Everything” by Michael Buble
My favorite meal is: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
I indulge in: chocolate chip cookie dough, brownies, frosting… pretty much anything sweet
The word that best describes me is: determined
My favorite workout is: 14 x400 with 75 seconds recovery and numbers 8 and 12 all out
The one thing that people would be surprised to find out about me is: that I hold the limbo record at my hometown roller skating rink: under 8 inches at the tender age of 6
My life philosophy is: give nothing less than your best
When I was a kid, I wanted to be: an Olympic figure skater
The most miles I have ever run in a week is: 103
My worst injury was: a tie between IT band syndrome and piriformis syndrome
My worst running moment was: missing All-American by one spot in 2007 indoors
My greatest running moment was: running 32:11 at Stanford in 2008
My number one running goal is: continued improvement

Tags: Alicia Shay, American collegiate 10K record, Iowa State, Jenny Barringer, Lisa Koll, olympic trials

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 10:49 am and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.