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Paige Higgins competes at the 2007 USA 20k Championships in New Haven, Connecticut.

Interview with Paige Higgins

Posted on October 10, 2007, Interview conducted October 10, 2007

By Alison Wade

While the record temperatures stole most of the headlines following October 7's LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, Colorado native Paige Higgins, 25, grabbed some of the post-race attention as well. Running her third marathon, the University of Kansas graduate finished seventh in 2:40:14. While most of the athletes in the field posted times significantly slower than their personal bests, Higgins shattered her PR by more than eight minutes and qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Women's Marathon.

Higgins ran her first marathon in January of 2006, winning the Walt Disney Marathon in 2:51:38. She followed that up with a 2:48:34 in the 2006 Chicago Marathon, despite suffering an injury mid-race. Earlier this year, Higgins also posted victories in the Citizens' Race at the Bolder Boulder 10k (with a 34:51) and the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon (in 1:14:47).

Higgins resides in Littleton, Colorado and teaches art at Mullen High School. We caught up with her three days after her race.

Was Chicago as bad as so many of the news sources are making it out to be? How did you alter your race plan once you realized the weather was going to be so hot?
I think the weather was definitely a factor. I remember at the 17 mile I was really thirsty, and I was thinking I was in trouble. I started thinking about the fountain at the park and how badly I wanted to jump in it! I was taking Gatorade at every stop from the get go, so I think that really helped. At around 18 miles I decided I'd take advantage of the water stations. I would drink the Gatorade, then take water at the beginning of each water stop and dump it on me. The water line was so long I’d also take the last cup available at the end of the stop and dump it on me again. That's what really got me through those last miles.

Another thing that really, really helped me out was my brother-in-law, Mike. We were sitting in the hotel room that morning, and while all the news people were like, 'It’s going to be bad,' Mike would come back with, 'What are they talking about? It’s fine out there, we’ll be fine.” I really trust Mike and so mentally I went into the race thinking it wasn’t that bad and I’d be fine, as long as I stuck with my plan. Mike paced me through 12 miles, and then when I was really hurting for positives around mile 18, he told me I was the second American. Without Mike, I think mentally I wouldn’t have been able to stay so strong. He’s like my big brother and he made more of a difference than anyone.

Did you consider holding off and running another marathon in a week or so?
You know it never even crossed my mind. I knew I was fit and ready to go. I was hoping it was going to be cooler, but there are just some things in a marathon, like the weather, you can’t control. [You just take] the card that is dealt and you deal with it the best you can. If my coach had told me to wait I would’ve, but independent of that I never even thought about pulling out of the race.

Can you describe how your race unfolded? Were you moving up through the field throughout?
The race started out really fast, much to my surprise. I stayed right on Mike’s shoulder and before the mile I was thinking we were going like 6:40 pace. We ended up running a 5:40 first mile, so we slowed it down through 5k. We wanted to stay even the entire time. I think it really worked to our advantage to go out even, because I think that’s what affected a lot of the people with the heat. I felt pretty good at halfway. Then right after that, there’s a five-mile stretch where there was no shade and it’s out of the city, so that was when it got mentally tough for me. I was starting to feel sluggish and was wondering if I would be able to finish. But once Mike told me my place, I was really proud to be the second American and it mentally got me back into it and [helped me] regain some form.

Last year I ran Chicago and bonked at 17 miles, but now, in retrospect, that worked to my advantage. I remember thinking, 'Last year I couldn’t even see straight, but this time I’m just really tired!' So I guess I was trying to just stay positive. The last three miles were really nice because you can see the Sears Tower, so I just focused on that and ran to it. The last hill was so hard to get up, but the final stretch was great.

Did you imagine leading up to the race that you could finish seventh?
Not at all. I was hoping to be among the top five Americans, but I had no idea where that would place me. The number one goal was to make the Trials time (2:47:00 or faster), especially the “A” standard (2:39:00 or faster). I guess I just missed it, but that’s OK. I was really happy with my race, and my coach was proud of me; it’s a good feeling.

What was your fuel/hydration plan for the race, and were you able to follow it?
I just used the Gatorade available at the aid stations and the water to dump on myself to keep from overheating. When the water at the aid station was hot, I actually dumped Gatorade on myself because it was still cold.

How has your recovery gone so far, and how does it compare to your other marathons?
Immediately after the race I was pretty spent. We hid underneath a tree for about an hour and a half, then we had to walk back to our hotel. That night my friend from Chicago took my family and me out to a really good pizza place. I ate an entire large pizza and still wasn’t full. It was great!

I’ve been a little sore, but my body is recovering well. My boyfriend just got me a really cool calf massager that I have been absolutely loving! I’m taking it easy right now, and enjoying not waking up at 4:00 a.m.! Last year at Chicago, my hamstring tore halfway through and I hobbled in. I had a bruise running from mid hamstring to my calf and was on crutches for a few days, so this recovery is going a lot smoother.

Am I correct in thinking that this was your third marathon?
Yes, I ran Disney World in 2006 to see if I was any good, and then Chicago last year which was an utter disaster. I’m glad to break that jinx this year, even though the weather in Chicago hasn’t been that nice to me!

Have you always known that the marathon might be a good event for you? Were there any indicators that this might be the case?
I’ve always known I was a long distance runner. I don’t have a very high knee lift, and my strength for workouts was always the tempo runs and the long runs. At KU a few times, to get my speed up, I’d run the mile at our home meet, and it was always kinda a joke to 'come watch Paige try to run fast.'

But yeah, I just love the longer stuff and it fits me. I’m pretty efficient and I love see how far I can run and how hard I can push.

What have you been up to work-wise since you graduated from KU? You mentioned that you teach—you’re at your old high school, correct? Have you been in this job since graduating, or did you do other things first?
When I graduated from KU I had to search around for jobs. I graduated with a degree in Printmaking. I initially wanted to get into animation, but Disney shut down their studios my senior year. That’s when the computer animation really started to get popular.

I worked at the Boulder Running Company for about a year. Then I got a call from my alma mater, Mullen High School, to see if I wanted to teach art. I jumped at the chance and absolutely love teaching. I love working with the kids, especially when they figure out that, 'Hey, I can draw!' It works great with my running schedule most the time, and I’m able to stay off my feet and get some breaks that other full-time jobs don’t have.

What has your training situation been since you graduated from KU? Are you coached by anyone? Do you belong to a team? And do you train with anyone on a regular basis?
Back in February I asked Art Siemers, the coach at Colorado School of Mines, if he would coach me. My brother-in-law used to be coached by him and he sung his praises. Art has really made a huge difference. He really knows when to push you and when to reel you in. I really found the diamond in the rough with him.

I train by myself because no one is really willing to wake up at 4:00 a.m. with me for mile repeats or a 14 mile tempo. I actually think it works to my advantage, because I can really focus on how I’m feeling and when to push and when to recover. I remember at KU if I was tired, I would still try to run with someone who was up front. Now I just go off of how I feel that day. Sometimes I have people to run with during workouts, and one time Art’s wife was nice enough to get on her bike and pace me on a really tough one. So I have a little team here and there, but mostly it’s Art and myself.

What kind of training were you doing leading up to Chicago, and was there anything in particular that helped you realize you were in such great shape?
My training before Chicago was a lot of miles, tempo runs, long repeats with short breaks, and hills. I averaged I think around 100 miles each week, give or take a few. Art told me to always feel strong during workouts, and to not push too much. I did things like a five-mile warm up, 5 x 3-mile loop continuous, or seven-mile warm up, 6 x 1 mile with a minute rest. I did a lot of hills and two longer runs a week. We focused on really building up my strengths, but making sure I wasn’t going over the top.

What is your plan between now and the Olympic Trials? Will you take a break before getting back into training? Do you have any other races on the horizon?
Yeah, I’m taking a break right now. I haven’t talked to Art yet, we’re brainstorming. Hopefully Colorado doesn’t have the winter it had last year!! I have the long-term goal of the Trials now, which is a great motivator. I’ll probably do a half marathon about five weeks out for a tune up. In the meantime, I’ll probably get in a few races, and try to maybe get a good 10k time in there. Whatever Art says, I’m the legs but he’s the brain!

What were your biggest running accomplishments in high school? What were your PRs? Did you do other sports before taking up running?
I actually joined the cross country team my freshman year to get in shape for basketball. The coach had the girls run four miles every day before practice, so I wanted to make sure I could do that. I ended up loving running so much I threw in the towel on basketball my junior year.

I was pretty average in high school. The training I did in high school makes me look like a slacker compared to what I see some kids doing these days. I think we averaged about 20 miles a week. My PRs were a 12:10 two-mile, 5:22 mile, and 19:38 5k. Looking back, though, I think it was good for me because we kept it fun, and I was able to mature and not burn out.

What were the highlights in your running career at KU, both in terms of running accomplishments and your overall experience as part of the program?
Well with my high school times, I was grateful Coach [Doug] Clark let me on the team to begin with! I won the Drake Relays 10k my sophomore year, and had some hip problems for a while. I was 16th at cross country regionals [in 2002], and I was third in the collegiate 10,000 at Penn Relays my senior year.

I loved the experience of being a Division I athlete. Going out and drinking or staying out late is just not me, so I don’t feel like I missed out at all on the 'college experience.'

Coach Clark was great. He would stay out in the cold with our beat up passenger vans because I would want to go farther on a run or what not. He would get my time down to the second for races. He’s a great coach and I was so happy for him last year when Colby [Wissel] won Big 12s and the men’s team was just rocking it. Lawrence is a great place to train and go to college. I was homesick a lot, but I wouldn’t trade my college experience for anything.

How hard is it to balance your work with your training? What is your schedule like? Do you have time for much else?
It’s something you just have to work out. I don’t mind my schedule because I get to do what I love. When I’m training, I wake up at 4:00 in the morning and get my major workout or run in. I live right by some dirt track and bike trails, so I can usually just head out the door and save time. I feel better in the mornings than I do when I get off of work.

I have to be at school at 7:30, and I’m there until about 3:30. After that I run again, a nice easy 4-8 miles depending on the day. Then I go get some chores done, clean, and play with my cat. I’m usually in bed by 9:00 p.m. Weekends are great because I’ll go up to the mountains with my boyfriend, Matt, or we’ll just chill and enjoy doing nothing. He’s my sanity sometimes when I’m a little overwhelmed. It gets hectic sometimes, but being a teacher, I’ll also get an extra day off here and there for holidays, homecomings, etc. It’s just time management. My family and friends all understand what little free time I have—I have a great support network.

When you do have time for things other than work and running, how do you like to spend it?
Well I bought my condo back in May, and I only have my TV room decorated. I have some plans to turn my loft into a studio, but whenever I have free time, I usually just sleep!

I really love the theater; I saw Wicked when it came to Denver this summer and I’m in love with it. I listen to 'Defying Gravity' for inspiration before races now. When I do have free time and I’m not sleeping, I love to just be outside, or go see a race my sister, dad, or my brother-in-law are competing in. My brother Patrick is in the Army, so when he comes home we end up watching movies and making fun of them. We have the same sense of humor. I really like to go outside too and just play in the mountains with Matt. He has a really cool jeep that can go over or under anything! So basically I guess with free time I try to hang out with my friends and family, 'cause I really don’t have much of it.

Do you still work at the Boulder Running Company at all?
Yeah, they were nice enough to give me a job when no one else would! They’re all my really good friends and they are always so supportive and positive. I work there over the summer now, and I keep in contact with them during the school year. Johnny and Mark really created a great place for runners to go and make sure they get the latest and best shoe 'know how' possible.

What are some of the things you would like to accomplish before you finish your competitive running career?
Well it’s a one step at a time thing. I would like to just progressively keep getting better and stay healthy. Chicago was the first step to competing with the big guns. I would like to make a good showing at the Trials this year, and hopefully progress to the point of making World teams or even the Olympic team. I feel like I’ve just started, so I have a lot of goals right now. I’m also a little superstitious, so I don’t want to say them quite yet! Chicago was a really nice stepping stone. There are a lot of good girls who have those same goals. I think so long as I stay focused and healthy, I’ll be in the running.

What inspires you to work hard day after day?
First and foremost, it’s what I love to do. I can’t put into words how it feels to run well and accomplish a goal. It’s that runner’s high; there’s nothing like it. I have some quotes I really like too. One is Lance Armstrong. He said, 'I’m not happy unless I exhaust myself a little each day.' The other one—and I can’t remember who said it—but it's, 'Sometimes it’s better to follow the dreams of your heart than the logic of your mind.' I guess those best describe why I run and what keeps me out there.