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Emily Field competes in the 3,000 at the 2007 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston, Massachusetts.

Interview with Emily Field

Posted on April 8, 2007, Interview conducted April 5, 2007

By Madeleine Marecki

Perhaps one of the greatest surprise finishes at the 2007 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, held on February 24, was the performance of Emily Field in the 3,000 meter run. The Texas native and current student at Southern Methodist University seemingly came out of nowhere to snag third place in a field which included the likes of eventual winner Shalane Flanagan and runner-up Lisa Galaviz. Field's time of 9:11.32 was a personal best. It was also a 13-second improvement from her 9:24.65 effort at the University of Houston All-Comers Meet on February 10, 2007.

Field's rise from anonymity to the national stage comes after a long hiatus from the sport. An accomplished runner in high school, Field won two state cross country crowns and state titles in the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters. She went on to compete briefly for the University of Texas, but soon left school. Along with the departure from college came the decision to stop running. After a few years, however, Field found herself training again in 2006. On July 16, 2006, she romped to victory in the 5,000 meter run at the USATF National Club Track & Field Championships, clocking in at 16:11.07 and shattering the meet record by 30 seconds. Yet, the race that drew national attention was her showing at the USA Indoor Championships.

Following the USA Indoor Championships, Field competed in the Gate River Run, which served as the USA 15k Championships, on March 10, 2007. She placed 12th among the women with a time of 52:03, despite suffering from a stress fracture in her femur. Although she is currently allowing her injury to heal, her thoughts focus on her future goals, which will hopefully include an appearance at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 10,000 meters.

I think it can be said that your finish in the 3k at the USA Indoor Championships was a surprise. Can you talk about your thoughts entering into the race?
Well, going in I was ranked last and had a stress fracture in my femur. So, it wasn't like a real positive outlook but I just went in and I [thought], 'I'm going to have fun. I'm going to lead the first mile just so I can be on TV.' So that's why I led the first mile, because I knew I was ranked last and I might as well be on TV for the first mile. Then after the first mile, Shalane [Flanagan] took over, and I of course fell to the back after leading for a mile. Then you probably saw the rest on ESPN: Shalane out by herself and the rest of us kind of all in the back, back there.

Did you surprise yourself with your third place finish? What was your reaction?
Oh yeah, I surprised myself [laughs] because I was ranked last, and the week before my family and everyone [were saying], 'You know, you're awesome no matter if you place last,' and those kind of comments about coming in last.

It was neat because I hadn't even planned to run indoor. My boyfriend [Jacob Phillips of Dallas Baptist University] coaches a college team and I just asked if I could go to a meet with him and he [said], 'Why don't you jump in the 3k?' I jumped in, and after I finished, he [said], 'That's a qualifying time.' I was like, 'Are you serious?' I had only been running on the treadmill.

So you had only been running on a treadmill and you popped that qualifying time?
Yeah. He started laughing and said, 'You should run on the treadmill more often.'

Why were you doing your running on a treadmill?
Because I went for a run with my boyfriend like in December, and I was running an eight-minute 8:00 pace and he was like 'Emily, you are running slower than the slowest girls on my team' and I got kind of mad. So I just ran on the treadmill so I could set it at a 7:00 pace.

Let's backtrack a little bit. Up until that point when you ran the 9:24 at the University of Houston All-Comers Meet, how much were you running? What were your workouts like leading up to that first 3k?
I would run for like an hour on the treadmill every day, and twice a week I would do a tempo to get my legs moving and stuff. It was funny, because my first time on the track was when I went to that indoor meet.

Did you change your training at all to prepare for the USA Championships?
I went and did 200s one day on the track because it feels different being on the ground and being on the treadmill, so I got that in. Then when I got to Boston, I still stayed on the treadmill because it was too cold to run outside, so it was just pretty much treadmill [training].

You also ran the Gate River Run 15k. Can you talk about that experience?
It was difficult because the femur stress fracture had been there for so long. It's hard to do hills with a femur stress fracture, so I definitely didn't place how I wanted to. But it was a good experience. There were a lot of people there that I got to meet that I wouldn't have if I hadn't gone. I'm glad I did it. It was a good experience.

When did you get the stress fracture?
I got it in January, but I wanted to get indoor and the 15k under my belt before I took a recovery. Right now, I'm in the recovery.

You didn't hurt it more by racing, did you? Was it OK while you were competing?
What I did was, I felt it in January and I just didn't tell anyone. I waited to get the bone scan after the 15k. I was right, it was a stress fracture but sometimes if you don't get the results in, you can trick yourself when you're racing.

Can you take us through your running as a high schooler and as a collegiate athlete?
My sophomore and junior year, I was pretty serious about it. I was winning state cross country and stuff. My senior year, I ran some good times in cross country but after that, I took a break before I went to college. In college, I went to [the University of Texas] for a few years and then transferred with my coach to SMU. I was just kind of there. I didn't run phenomenal times. I ran low 16s for the 5k and 4:25 for the 1,500, but nothing that would put me on the map. Then I left college for a few years and stopped running. I just picked it back up last year.

How many years were you out of running?
Let's see…it was three or four years.

Did you just need a break?
Yeah, it was just time for a break. I worked; it was nice. Now I'm back in college. I'll end up getting my degree sometime.

How many more years until you get your degree?
I have two more years.

What area of study are you pursuing?
History.

So you've only been a running a year now. How did that year begin?
Last year, I trained and ran USATF Club Nationals and then took a break. I picked it back up in December.

What spurred you to start running again?
I just missed it. I missed the routine of it. I don't know; it's just a part of you, I guess. So after a few years, I decided I wanted to do it. My competitive edge, I guess, came back.

When you took it up again, did you have in your mind that you wanted to get back to the competitive level? Was it a goal for you to get back on the national scene?
You always want to, but at first it was just to start running again. Then everything kind of fell into place, like last year I started running again, and for some reason, I am running faster than I did in college. I guess my body matured or something. I ran a 16:11 last year and I thought, 'Ah, I might still have it in my legs!' And that 9:11. So it's coming back.

Can you give some races which really told you 'maybe I can do this'?
Yeah, it was last year and I was going to school and just running before school. I just randomly decided to sign up for a 5k in Dallas. I crossed the line and it said 16 minutes. I was like, 'Are you serious?' The man [said], 'Yes, this is a USATF certified course.' I was like, 'OK.' After I ran that, I [thought], 'I still have it.' I just kept that fitness until August. I did Club Nationals and I ran a 16:11 and I think second place was 17:20. [Note: Katy Masselam was second in 17:28.26.] So after I ran a 16:11 on my own, [I thought] maybe I could be in the 15s, but I took a break after that. My goal was to be in the 15s this season, but having to rest this leg, my next race will be 20k Nationals [on September 3, 2007].

Can you talk about your training, and maybe map out a training week?
On Sunday, I'll run like 15 to 18 miles. Then throughout the week, I'll just run easy three days of the week. The other three days, I will do fartleks for an hour.

What would you estimate your weekly mileage is?
For a time there, I was training for ultramarathons last year, so my mileage was really high then. This season, for the 20k, I'll try to keep it around 100.

How many days do you double?
When I was training for the ultramarathon, I would do two-a-days, every day. This upcoming season, I'll probably do three two-a-days a week.

Can you talk about your ultramarathon training a bit more?
I read about Gerry Lindgren—he recruited me in high school—so I read his book and it said he ran 300 miles a week. I almost got there, I got to 280 miles one week, but it was all at 8:00 pace. It was an OK experience but after a few months, I decided I did not want to be an ultramarathoner.

How were your runs broken up?
One day a week I would run 45 miles. I would eat doughnuts during my run. I would keep them in the trunk of my car. My brother would buy them for me in the mornings and I would take the box and stick it in my car. When you're running an 8:00 or 9:00 pace, you can eat on the run. Yeah, so I would do that, and that would take six or seven or more hours. And then during the week, I would do a 20 miler in the morning and a 15 miler in the evening. And no fast work, just run. I wanted to do Badwater and stuff, but after a few months, I was like, 'This is crazy. I can't do this.' [Laughs]

What spurred you to do such intense training? You were out of running so long and then you come back and do close to 300-mile weeks.
Well, what happened was I worked at a running store for a while and Dean Karnazes came out with his running book. Everyone there at work, we were around the book, reading it. Someone was like, 'Oh but he's not human.' That comment really bothered me because I was like, 'Of course he is. He's made out of the same thing I'm made out of.' So I did it, that 50 marathons in 50 days. You can do it. You just do it, and I did it. It's funny because I didn't tell anyone. My boyfriend [said], 'Gosh, you're out there for so long every day.' After I finished it all, I later told him, 'Well actually, what I was doing was…'

I don't have a job right now; I'm in school. When you're in school, you have extra time. I mean, if I had a full-time job, there is no way that I could do that.

How long has your boyfriend been coaching you for?
He started coaching me in December.

So he creates all your workouts?
It's more like we work together because I enjoy having input, but it's really good to have him there helping me because he'll say things like, 'Emily, no you can't run that far. You're not training for the ultramarathon anymore.'

Are you part of a track club?
No, I just run by myself.

What race distances do you like the best, or do you think you're best at?
Definitely the 10k. That 3k…if you watch the video, you can tell I'm a 10k runner. I'm like at top speed [laughs]. We cross the line, and Lisa [Galaviz] and Shalane [Flanagan] are talking and laughing and giving each other high-fives, and the camera doesn't show it, but I'm sprawled on the ground [laughs].

You said you're going to do the 20k. Do you have aspirations for the marathon?
You know, I might, but next year is the Olympic Trials. A marathon wouldn't fit into that schedule because I would like to go in the 10k. [The marathon] would take too much speed out of my legs. Some girls can do it and they do a great job, but I can't do both.

When will you be able to start training for the 20k?
I have to lay off for eight weeks and I'll be back training the end of May. That gives me more time than I had for indoor to prepare, so it should be OK.

What are your plans for after the 20k?
After the 20k, I'll take a month off before I start my base training for Olympic Trials.

What are your outlook and thoughts on the Olympic Trials?
I think I can do it because I've only been running on the treadmill for two months and I ran a 9:11 3k. So I think…I think I will be able to run a fast 10k once this stress fracture gets healed up. I mean, my coach thinks so. My coach thinks I can run a really fast 10k. I never really expect very much, I just surprise myself.

What is your experience with injuries? I read that you've had stress fractures before.
Oh, I have, but I think any distance runner that trains at the top level is going to get them. [Dathan] Ritzenhein has [had them], Deena [Kastor] had one in her foot, Sara Slattery has one in her foot. You just have to expect that's what comes with our sport. I think a lot of people get down when they hear the words 'stress fracture.' I just see it as a war wound. I'm like 'Yes, I trained hard!' [Laughs]

But I assume you are proactive about preventing them.
Oh, for sure. Jacob and I think I might have gotten it because I was doing all my miles on the treadmill, the treadmill doesn't have much give that I run on and it's a slight downhill because I didn't use any incline. So that's just a tons of pressure on your quad. It was probably too much pressure on my quad and that's just how it happened in my femur. Now that I am serious and I see that I can run near the top, I will not be on the treadmill anymore. That was just recreational. This time around, I'll be on the track and get some good track workouts in.

What are your PRs in different events?
My 10k is 34:06, which is a lot slower than Olympic Trials qualifying so I'm going to need to work on that. 5k is 16 flat, 3k is that 9:11, 1,500 was 4:25, and then everything above that, I need to work on.

Would you ever go the professional route, maybe try to get a sponsorship?
I'd love to—no one's contacted me [laughs]!

Do you have a lot of support from your family?
100 percent. I couldn't do it without them. Actually, they're the ones where a lot of times I'm like, 'You know, I guess I'm really not that good,' and they're like, 'Yes you are, get out there, you're good.' My family is 100 percent my support. They're nice enough to buy all of my shoes I go through, so that really helps out. I just hear a lot of people that have unsupportive families because it's such a strange sport. You're out there running by yourself all day. But my family loves it, they keep up with it, and they're my biggest cheerleaders…I think I do horrible in a race, and I come home and they're ecstatic.

Any final thoughts?
[In the 3k at the USA Championships], I was kind of an unknown I think, so it was kind of fun. Hopefully I can do something at 20k. Just one good race won't be [enough]. People will say 'Oh, it's a fluke,' so I have to get a second good one under my belt.