After Half Marathon Success, Huddle Jumps Back on the Track

By Scott Bush - Click Here for all TF360 Archives

In her debut half marathon at the NYC Half earlier this month, USA 5k record holder Molly Huddle showed why her best racing is still in front of her, as she finished third in an impressive 1:09:04, leaping into the top five fastest American women of all-time. Huddle has steadily progressed since graduating from Notre Dame, setting the American 5k record of 14:44 along the way and continues to eye national championships and world championship/Olympic medals. 

We caught up with Huddle recently, as she discussed her half marathon performance, the upcoming outdoor season, her training and so much more!

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Scott Bush (SB): First off, congratulations on your amazing half marathon debut at the NYC Half. Now that's been a few days, how are you feeling and how do you feel about your race?

Molly Huddle (MH): Thanks! I was a little sore the next day, in part from being a little underprepared for the last 2-3 miles and in part from the cold weather, but I feel great now so I'm hoping there is more in the tank for next time I try a half! I think it was a solid race and am happy enough with it but would like to have dipped into the 68's-Sally and Buzunesh ran great, I wish I could have held on to them to break 69 mins!

SB: The outdoor track season is here. You ran 15:13 indoors for 5,000m and now you have this terrific half marathon performance to your name. What are your goals for the 2014 outdoor track season?

MH: I'd love to break 31 minutes in the 10,000 at Payton Jordan and hope to run a few fast 5,000's, I will likely run the 5,000 at USA's as well.

SB: With 2014 being a non-championship year, will we see you tackle shorter races, or perhaps a few longer races than 5k?

MH: I would like to try some longer races if track season allows it. I am hoping to race some of the earlier track races in Europe and if I feel they go as well as they could've then I would like to spend the last part of the summer/early fall on the roads-I come at the 5000 from a strength perspective so the training jump shouldn't take too long.

SB: What type of training did you put in leading up to the NYC Half? 

MH: For the NYC Half I tried to prepare with some slightly longer than normal tempos, a focus on reps of a mile or longer done off the track if possible, and added a few miles to long runs.  I took a break in December and had a sore knee for a few weeks so that kept the mileage a bit lower and delayed some workouts along the way, but overall it was a solid winter of strength running.

SB: How do things shift for you in training now that it's outdoor track season?

MH: Looking to outdoor I am probably going to get on the track more for some 5k paced work, there will be 800 and k reps in my near future I think!

SB: You've continually improved, year after year, since graduating from Notre Dame. What's your secret?

MH: I've still had the odd injury (or 5) since college but there hasn't been a year where I didn't have at least one race I was really happy with and I felt I was always heading in the right direction. This is the sign of GREAT coaching and analyzing every season to see how I can improve and what mistakes to avoid for next time.

SB: You're right on the cusp of taking home a medal at a major championship. What's it going to take for you to get to that next level? 

MH: I get asked this a lot. I am honestly not sure how to take that next leap from 6th place to a medal position (and it's a big, many second, closing with a pr 1,500 effort, leap), as I already feel like I have done everything I can in training to run my best at a major championship .

The 5,000 is a very strong event where the three best female distance runners in the history of the world often line up and I'd need to get my PR at least close to the other medal contenders-so low 14:30's or better, to realistically have a shot. I have been trying my best despite any interruptions to run with a sense of urgency the last few years and always stay pretty intense in my approach to training, as I never know when I won't be making a world team or when one of the top seeds will have to scratch from a championship and that bit of advantage would be necessary for me to get a medal.

I have learned a lot from my three world championship/Olympic experiences and hope I can improve my place by any number of spots.

SB: The training group you belong to, with Amy Hastings and Kim Smith, is pretty darn strong. What's it like for you to have such strong and talented teammates?

MH: I like the size and strengths of our group, and I have really missed training with them this winter because we were all in different locations. It makes workouts a lot more productive to workout with Amy and Kim, because we can joke and keep the mood light and share the work load so it's less effort to get the workout done and Kim and Amy are good at the longer stuff and long runs so they help me there and I have not yet been bludgeoned by a marathon so I can sort of help them in shorter reps, so we all get a good workout in no matter what.

SB: Okay, we need to know, how did you first get involved with the sport of distance running?

MH: I started by running road races with my Dad when I was around 10 or 11, and I think that's why I've always liked the roads so much.

SB: There are some very talented high school girls right now running amazing times. For athletes like Sarah Baxter, Alexa Efraimson and Elise Cranny, what words of advice might you have for them as they start to wrap up their high school careers and shift gears to the collegiate level?

MH: The high school girls are running amazing times now a days and holding their own with professionals, it's crazy! I think the high school kids are thinking ahead more than they used to about the possibility of running professionally after school and what college choices and college sporting career accomplishments would best set them up for that, so I'd say look at a program's history and see what the coach's attitude is regarding big meets and USA championships, and maybe even allowing an International Championship race because these are all great learning experiences in addition to the competitive college schedule.

SB: Looking forward the next couple years...what are your hopes and dreams leading up to Rio and the 2016 Olympic Games?

MH: I hope to be competing for the USA in the 5,000 or 10,000 in the next World Champs and Olympic Games and keep up the streak of improving a spot or two each time!

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