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Elva Dryer competes at the 2006 Falmouth Road Race.

Interview with Elva Dryer

Posted on January 22, 2007, Interview conducted January 18, 2007

By Alison Wade

As is often the story of her career, Elva Dryer was overlooked a bit in the pre- and post-race hype surrounding last weekend's USA Half Marathon Championships held in Houston. Dryer, 35, kicked away from Kate O'Neill to win her fourth USA title on the roads (at all distances), and set a 1:11:42 personal best in her debut at the distance. A two-time Olympian (5,000m in 2000 and 10,000m in 2004), Dryer has somehow managed to stay out of the spotlight more than many of the women who she regularly races and beats. However, she is one of the U.S.'s toughest and fastest competitors in her events, with personal bests of 15:03.56 for 5,000m and 31:21.92 for 10,000m, which makes her the sixth-fastest U.S. 10,000m woman of all time. In the fall of 2006, Dryer made her marathon debut in Chicago and finished 12th—and first among the U.S. finishers—in 2:31:48 on a windy day in the Windy City. The Aramco Houston Half Marathon was Dryer's first race back since the marathon.

Dryer's path to success wasn't the most common one. While most of her U.S. competitors came up through the NCAA Division I ranks, Dryer—whose maiden name is Elva Martinez—chose Western State College, an NCAA Division II school in Gunnison, Colorado. Despite only modest success in her brief high school running career, Dryer improved significantly during her collegiate career and won seven NCAA Division II titles—four in the outdoor 3,000m, one in the outdoor 1,500m, and two in cross country. Dryer signed with Nike right out of college, and has been running professionally for them ever since.

Dryer resides in Gunnison, Colorado, with her husband/coach, Russ, who was an All-American distance runner for Western State.

Congratulations on your recent victory USA Half Marathon Championships. What was your goal going into the race, and did you meet or surpass your expectations?
I was happy with my race. It was my first race coming back from the marathon, so I wanted to get a race in and see how I recovered in terms of getting back into training and feeling good again. I needed something to give me some feedback as to where my fitness is right now. Leading up to the race, many of my workouts were on the treadmill. I don't have much experience gauging my fitness off of the treadmill, but that's the only feedback I was getting [laughs]. So I was really looking forward to the race to give me more of a sense of where I am, and what I need to do to get to where I want to be [in order to] achieve my goals for the year.

Is the weather what's forcing you onto the treadmill? Do you not have access to an indoor track, or do you prefer the treadmill?
No [laughs], I do not like the treadmill, but [Gunnison, Colorado] is considered one of the coldest places in the nation, although this winter hasn't been as bad as some other winters for high-intensity training, it's just not always perfectly conducive to it, I guess. The temperatures are colder. For instance, a couple nights ago it was -19 degrees, and the high was about 10 degrees yesterday. I'm actually in Albuquerque right now, but I'll be headed back to Gunnison probably later today.

Rather than risk slipping on ice and getting injured, I'll go ahead and do my workouts on the treadmill and try to simulate my normal training. [I do] all of my easy and long runs outside. If it's nice and the sun is shining, it really does feel like it's 20 degrees warmer, so it's not so bad.

What are you focusing on in 2007?
Well I really want to get back on the track and get back to running the 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m. I want to get back to being competitive there and improve my speed. I skipped last year's track season, so that's why I say, 'get back to it.' And I want to run a faster marathon. I hope to run a fall marathon and run a PB.

Will you run any indoor races this winter, or will you run the USA Cross Country Championships in Boulder next month?
I'm planning to do USA Cross Country. It's literally like three-and-a-half hours from home...

And being altitude-trained will help.
Exactly. I figure of all years, I've gotta do it this year [laughs]. I'm actually really looking forward to it.

But you won't be on the indoor track at all?
No, I won't be racing indoors at all. We don't have an indoor facility in Gunnison, so it doesn't make sense for me. I just don't get that type of quality speed for the indoor track this time of year.

At this point, are you thinking [U.S. Olympic] Marathon Trials, Track Trials, or both?
Well since the marathon trials are first, I'm completely focusing on them first. Then, I'm certainly not ruling out the Track Trials. That will mean getting some more marathon experience this year, being ready for the Marathon Trials, and then taking it from there.

The fact that you're talking about running more marathons indicates that you had a positive experience overall in your first marathon. Can you give us an overview of what you thought of your race in Chicago, and your thoughts on the distance in general?
I really liked the marathon distance and through my experience, I found what worked for me and what I need to work on. Literally, as soon as I finished, I was like, 'I can do better next time.' The first marathon, I think, [involves] taking a leap of faith. You've never run the distance in training—or at least I never did [laughs]—and you just have to trust in your preparation.

My training was all at altitude, and 2006 for me was a bit of a rollercoaster; we relocated, and my training and racing were kind of up and down throughout the year. I had hopes of running faster. My greatest fear was that something would happen and I [wouldn't be able to] finish. So in the end, I [know that] things could have been much worse, so I consider it a positive experience. It left me really excited for this year. [I'm] working on some things that I think can help me be a better runner and a better marathoner.

What are some of the things you think you need to work on to become a better marathoner?
Cardiovascularly, I felt like I was strong, but I felt like my weaknesses all came to the forefront in the last 10k. [For example], battling the wind—I can certainly work on improving my strength and power to fight through it. I can definitely use more power in general. You don't think power when you think of the marathon, but you're utilizing everything, every muscle group, so more power will help me get through that last 10k and feel strong [enough that] I can push through and not just get through it.

Are you a full-time runner?
Yes, I've pretty much been a full-time runner for about 10 years now. I graduated in 1996 and I was fortunate enough that Nike got on board and has helped me to be able to do it full time. Hopefully I can continue on and finish my career with them.

Are you still coached by your husband?
Yes. He has a number of roles: coach, advisor, massage therapist, cook, whatever [laughs]. Coach is a primary role for him, but I'm fortunate that the management group I'm with, KIMbia, has Dieter Hogen, who coaches a number of marathoners in the group. I get advice from him; I can pick his brain and he provides some guidance.

So have you been working more with Dieter Hogen more since you started training for marathons?
I have. Last year, at this time of year, I actually went to Kenya with the group. There were a number of Kenyan athletes who were preparing for a spring marathon and even though I wasn't, I used it as a chance to learn about the marathon training process. So I did that last year, and then I had little stints where I went to Boulder and visited with them and did [small] blocks of training, just a few days here and there.

So if you qualify for the World Cross Country Championships next month, will you go to the World Cross Country Championships [which will be held in Mombasa, Kenya on March 24]?
If I run well and make the team, I will most likely go.

Do you have any running partners at the moment?
Well today I worked out with Lauren Fleshman here in Albuquerque. If I'm in Albuquerque—which is where I was based for the last few years—and there were people who would come and train here, in and out, I would get together with them for some training. Right now, in Gunnison, it's pretty much myself, or my husband will run with me. During my marathon training, I actually would jump in and run with some of the athletes from [Western State College]. Nicole Aish also lives in Gunnison, so when she's in town we'll get together for a run. But she actually left town for the winter; I tried to convince her to stay [laughs]...

Which is hard to do when you're running on the treadmill...
Yeah, exactly. So sometimes it's just me and the treadmill, and whichever CD I pop in [laughs].

What prompted you to move back to Gunnison?
With my move to the marathon, it seemed like the ideal location for training. It is at 7,700 feet of altitude. I had been at the lower altitude of Albuquerque for some time, and felt like Gunnison offered the stimulus I needed to boost my training. We really like the community and the training is really good. It is a beautiful place; the summers and fall are the best. For fall marathon preparation, the temperatures are perfect for running. You can run flats, you can run hills, you can run trails, you can run roads. The options and variety for running are numerous.

You mentioned getting back to the track this year. Do you have any type of list of things that you want to accomplish before you're done in the sport?
Most of my goals are self-improvement type goals. As long as I feel like I'm progressing and I feel like there is room for improvement and enjoy it, I will continue. I still feel like I can improve at the 5k and the 10k, and I feel like there's a lot of room for improvement in the marathon also. When the day comes that I don't feel like I can improve or be competitive, then perhaps it will be time to change things up. For now, I feel like I still have a few years to run faster and be a better runner.

Have you spent much time thinking about what you want to do when your professional running career is over? Do you have ideas in the back of your mind already?
I do think about it, and I don't know that I have one specific thing that I know for sure that I will do. I think that I would be okay doing any of a number of different things, I think it'll [depend upon] the opportunities that come my way. It'll depend on where we're at in our lives when that time comes. Right now, I hope it's not any time soon [laughs], but I do think about it.

How old were you when you started running?
Well, my junior year of high school was my first track season, and my senior year was my first cross country season. Then I earned a scholarship to Western State, which is a small college in Colorado. [After that], running kind of took on a life of its own for me. I don't know that I had any idea what was in store for me.

Do you remember any of your high school PRs?
I remember I was excited when I broke 5:30 [for the mile], and I think it was like 5:29 or something [laughs]. I remember when that was a really big deal.

Did you not train hard during high school? You only had two high school track seasons, but how do you go from [being a 5:29 high school miler] to being an Olympian?
I think consistent training [laughs]. Consistency goes a long way in this sport. To be honest, in high school, I ran when we were in season, and then I didn't when we were not. Before my freshman year of college, I didn't really train all summer, so it was a rude awakening to go from that to college athletics [laughs], which are at a different level. But I learned quickly that not training was not a smart thing to do, so I learned my lesson. After that, I trained through the summers. I always had my breaks and I enjoyed my breaks—I still do—but I always sort of stayed on board as far as consistency and I really think that through the years, that's really [been the key].

I can't say that I'm gifted or talented, in fact, I believe that there are a number of runners out there who have far more talent than I, but they don't choose to do it, or they don't put the length of time in. I believe that in this sport you learn so much from experience, year after year after year. I've been in this sport [professionally] for a decade, and I feel like I am still learning, and will keep learning. I don't think it's a sport that you ever completely figure out or know everything. I think that it's just a continuously evolving process for each individual. What works for some doesn't work for others. It's finding what works best for you, and that in itself can change along the way.

You improved so much from high school to college. Was the quality or volume of your training just much better/higher? Were you running much in college?
You know, in college, I didn't run a lot of miles. In fact, I maxed out at 55 miles a week my senior year. Each year was [a progression]: 40 miles, 45, then 50 miles, then 55. My high school coach used to be an assistant coach at Western State before he coached in Durango, so the principles of training were pretty much the same. I did low mileage but high quality; that worked for me. I progressed and it kept me healthy. We didn't have that many athletes, so I think that also helped. Things were maybe more individualized, where you could pay special attention to certain things, or maybe be a little bit more flexible in training. But to be honest, I think it was that I was just actually training year-round, building on each season. A lot of college athletes now, Division I or Division II, they're just doing significantly more mileage, probably double what I did [laughs]. Maybe I could have run faster earlier in my career if I had done more, but maybe not. I might have had more injuries or burnt out.

Did you ever have any sort of 'ah ha' moment when you realized that you could be a really good runner?
I think probably my freshman year of college, when we won cross country nationals as a team, and it was the first national championship team for the school. I came in barely making the team, and then progressed until I was the second girl on the team by the national meet. I guess the experience of winning, of success, kind of hooked me. I can remember just how excited I was and how excited the team was...and then I had my first injury, but later returned to run even better and win individual titles. I learned the importance of setting goals. I think that gave me the patience, and the successes have kind of kept me in the sport. I set goals each season and as I achieve each one, I set new ones. Once you achieve something, you're like, 'Well I can do better.' I think that's what has kept me in the sport, just my own personal goals. As long as I get excited, I want to do these things, and I think I can.

It's impressive that you've been able to keep running at such a high level for so long. Do you ever go through phases in which it's hard for you to get out the door, or you're not as excited about your running?
Not so much that it's hard to get out the door, because I think it's become really routine for me. It's like just getting up and brushing my teeth [laughs]. So as far as getting out the door, I don't have a problem; it's just part of my daily living, unless I'm really tired, then I don't even want to get out of bed, much less out the door. I think the hard times are, perhaps, when I'm nursing an injury. Rehab is a full-time job of its own. It's harder to be injured than it is to be healthy [laughs]. I have less free time in my day when I am nursing an injury. You're trying to sort out what got you there and how to fix it, and then the comeback... I think those are the times when I've questioned, 'How much more can I give?' or 'Can I come back from this?' But I know, still, that even when I retire from competitive running, the benefits of running are too great to give it up. I will continue on and maybe just be a social butterfly with my running [laughs].

It sounds like you have struggled with various ailments and injuries over the years, like most runners. Is there anything you do now as a preventative measure, or anything you do that keeps your body healthier?
Most of my career, I have managed to stay injury-free. I've had most my injuries in the last couple years. Now I know that I have to stretch and pay more attention to recovery. When I was in my 20s, I literally did not stretch much, and I could hammer every session. Perhaps, had I done more of the stretching then, I would be more limber now. I need to get the stretching in, and pay attention to my recovery better, and that's a priority now. Sure, I got aches and pains in my 20s, but I'd bounce back a lot faster. I've added Pilates to my weekly training routine, and a little bit of yoga. Most of the stuff is just to maintain and gain a degree of strength, flexibility, and balance. In running, when you go to your reserves and use every little muscle you have, and you get fatigued, you still have something there that's maybe holding you up.

I've [also] had some iron deficiency issues in the past, but I think I have a better hold on that now, through better nutrition and supplements.

There are a lot of post-collegiate training groups popping up now, and there wasn't as much of that when you came out of college. Do you ever regret not having that type of experience or opportunity to train with a group?
Through the years, I've had groups that I would train with. My husband coached other athletes, who also became some of my training partners. Some weren't official groups, but a few of us would gather to train together for shorter periods of time, [though] we wouldn't necessarily be part of 'a group.' I did some periodic training with [Team Running USA] in Mammoth and San Diego a couple times.

As long as I've been running, I've been married to my husband, so I've always had that support system wherever I go. He's always been a training partner for me, so even when I didn't have women athletes to train with, I had him. I like the flexibility in that I can come down to Albuquerque and Lauren Fleshman's here, and whoever else might come into town. We can get together for a workout or a run, and then when I'm ready to go back home, I can, and I have that flexibility. I think different things work for different people. I think the group thing is really valuable, especially that first year out of college. The transition from college to professional running can be overwhelming. I'm a bit of a homebody, so if I can get it done at home, I like that and it works for me, yet others might thrive [on being] in a group full time.

Can you tell us a little about your training system? Is it derived from the training you've done all along, both in high school and at Western State?
A lot of it is just pretty basic principles of training, stuff that we did in college and yet we've sort of just built on. It has evolved as I have moved from the 1,500m/3,000m to the 5,000m and 10,000m, and now the marathon. I am a goal-oriented runner. I've run with [Team Running USA] under Coach [Joe] Vigil, and then I did have the experience of working with Dieter [Hogen], and just all of the years of talking to different coaches and athletes have given me some insight into different running philosophies and principles of training.

I think we've taken little things from here and there and we've applied what works for me, or what I feel works for me. I'm quite comfortable doing a lot of the same stuff over and over again [laughs], so I can't say that my training has constantly changed because of this or that. The principles have basically remained the same: the typical tempo run or steady-state run, the long run, a long interval day, and a shorter interval day. There are weeks when I have three hard sessions in one week, plus a long run, and then there are weeks when I only have two hard sessions and then the long run. Some weeks we change it up and maybe the long run is at a higher intensity. We change things up as far as effort applied here and there as I need, and as the goals change, but pretty much a lot of the training doesn't waver too much from what I've done since day one.

What's the biggest change, regarding your training, since you started training for marathons?
Well certainly the long run and the mileage, but I think for me it was more of like a mental switch I had to make. Personally, I would do intervals before I would do a long run; I just like intervals [laughs]. So [it was a change] not having those intervals be the priority of my training, where the goal was to run fast. To make that switch to doing more miles and changing my mental approach was the biggest change. We still mostly did my 10,000m training, but we did slightly longer tempo runs or steady runs, and long runs. We really did the same amount of mile or 1,500m repeats, with some added 2k repeats. I still did some shorter stuff, like fartleks or quarters, even, but maybe not where the goal is 10,000m race-specific. The goal was more to increase my turnover and still keep it steady. I think I still have a lot to learn and try with regards to marathon training.

Did your mileage change significantly when you were training for Chicago?
It did. It was the first time I had ever gone over 100 miles a week [consistently], and I had only done 100 miles once before. I think I maxed out at 120, but it pretty much wavered between 80 and 110, depending on the week. During the marathon training, I was pretty much running twice a day every day, except the day of my long runs. With the 5k/10k training, I usually don't do that many doubles.

When some people think about professional runners, they wonder how you fill your day, because you obviously can't run all day long. But it sounds like most professional runners stay quite busy preparing for workouts, recovering from workouts, and taking care of their bodies. Do you find that that's the case for you?
That's so true; we somehow stay really busy [laughs], between work and recovery, and all of the supplemental stuff. Seeing the massage therapist, the chiropractor, planning your weeks and your training, and getting the rest—that's time itself there. I couldn't fit in a job [laughs] if I expected to do it and stay on top of things, and feel like I'm prepared to go out there and race at the highest level.

What would you say is the hardest part of being a professional runner?
I would say [the fact] that there are no guarantees. When you have a 9-5 job, you go in at 9:00, you're out at 5:00, and you know the next day you're pretty much going to do the same thing. With running, I think, each year is different. You can have a great year, and then something happens—you're injured or whatever—and the next year might not be so good. There's a bit of uncertainty, I suppose, in that, and with that comes financial uncertainty, because the paycheck changes.

And, finally, what's the best part of being a professional runner?
I would say probably that we can be. With me, I didn't know I was very good, and then things just sort of took a life of their own. All of the sudden, there's a world of opportunities that come with it. I've met some of my best friends through running, I've traveled all over the world, and I've felt what it is to be on top of the world and yet what it is like at the bottom [laughs]. You get to experience so much and carry that with you; that's priceless, really.