The queen of U.S. distance running, Shalane Flanagan has a résumé like no other: Four American Records, a half-dozen National Championship titles, one amazing Olympic Bronze Medal performance, and, as of three years ago, a love for Melaleuca products. She’s known for dominating performances on the U.S. circuit and on tracks the world over.
What is it like being the fastest American woman over three miles? What’s it like being a professional runner? In the interview that follows, Leadership in Action finds out what Shalane thinks about running, winning, eating, Melaleuca products and coping with success and failure.
In Brief:
Favorite Books?
“Bridge to Teribithia, The Secret Garden, Lord of the Flies.”
Favorite Color?
“Green—I’m Irish, it’s the color of my uniform, and it’s Melaleuca’s main color.
Favorite Dessert?
“Pastries, cookies, scones, chocolate, and anything that goes with coffee.”
Favorite Movie?
“’Meet Joe Black’—I love the story of the father-daughter relationship.”
Favorite Melaleuca product?
“I use the Access™ Bars religiously, the Karamel Kruncher in particular. It satisfies my chocolate craving.”
Favorite way to spend your spare time?
“I’ve been really into cooking lately. I try to make healthy versions of my favorite foods.”
LiA: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Shalane.
Shalane: It’s my pleasure.
LiA: My first question is, how did you get started running?
Shalane: Well, both of my parents are runners, so it seemed like running was just normal. It was a daily routine, like brushing your teeth. Being active was a major part of our lifestyle. Later I was really in grade school when I got specifically into competing. We’d have to run a mile for a physical fitness test, and the girls would get lumped in with the boys. I just remember beating every boy. That was highly motivating. The boys thought I was cool because I beat them, so I got some positive attention that way.
LiA: So do you think that was a result of your genetics—you have the running gene—or were you good at it because you were so active with your parents?
Shalane: I’m definitely genetically predisposed to being a runner. Both of my parents ran professionally; my mom was one of the first women to earn an athletic scholarship to Indiana State. The genes were definitely helping. I had some natural, raw talent, but now I’ve had to really work to become a top-tier runner.
LiA: Tell me a little bit about that work. What do you do every day?
Shalane: I switched coaches in the last year because I have aspirations of running a marathon. I needed to change my training situation to do that. I’ve been morphing into another athlete, and it’s been slightly painful because I’m running a lot more. It’s very hard on my body. Getting mentally and physically adapted to it has been challenging. We’re laying the foundation for a marathon this fall (I can’t say which one yet). A lot of preparation has been going toward that. The training is a really long, hard effort to get my body adapted to that marathon pace. Before, my long run was 13 miles, and now my long run is 21 miles. I’m more tired than I’ve ever been this past year just getting used to it.
LiA: So why the marathon? Why make the jump?
Shalane: The marathon, to me, is the ultimate test in terms of distance running. It’s so tough. No one’s really meant to run 26.2 miles. So to achieve that, regardless of how fast you run, is unbelievable. In terms of just looking at the rest of my career goals, I have an Olympic medal, I have a few national records, so the only thing left for me is to win a major marathon on U.S. soil—specifically Boston or New York. It’s extremely tough to do.
It’s cool because in the marathon, my dad can run the same race I’m running. Thousands of people get to experience the same thing on the same day.
LiA: Your mom held the marathon world record at one point, if I recall correctly. There’s a goal for you: You’ve got to beat out mom’s record, right?
Shalane: I hope to!
LiA: A statistic came out recently that said more women are competing in running events than men. What do you think about what’s happening with running in the United States right now?
Shalane: I read that statistic as well. I think our society in general is becoming more health conscious and valuing wellness more. Because running is a sport you can do solo or with a group, it’s natural that women are attracted to it. In my experience, women like to work out in groups. Also, it’s a really simple sport—all you need is time and shoes. It’s a simple way to get in your daily exercise and lead a healthier lifestyle.
And it’s getting bigger on the competitive scene as well. My teammate, Chris Solinsky, just took the American record to 27 minutes in the 10,000-meter event. He’s also the heaviest person ever to do that, so we tease him about that. It’s cool to see him out there pummeling the skinny guys on the track. In the U.S., everyone’s striving to break down barriers. People are, to borrow a term from my coach, they’re “ponying up” and putting in the work. There’s a certain degree of, we want to be respected and feared on the international track. We want to be legitimate threats. It’s kind of cool that world champions now know who I am and recognize me. To me, that’s a great compliment.
LiA: Surely you have friends who aren’t world-class runners. So what do you say to people who say, “I hate running—I’m so sick of hitting the pavement”?
Shalane: Running can be a painful sport, particularly when you’re starting out. And I’ve experienced that because I’ve had to come back from injuries. Once you get to a certain level of fitness, it becomes more enjoyable. The best places to run are obviously not on the roads. A trail system would be more ideal. I find that if I run with someone else, and we chat through the run, it goes by much quicker.
Also, running is a good bang for your buck as far as working out is concerned. My husband, Steve, he runs with me so he can eat whatever he wants. [Laughing] No, seriously, Steve is a huge help. And I also train with the men on our team out here. It’s always nice to run in a group.
LiA: Was this your childhood dream? Did you start out saying, “I want to be a professional runner”?
Shalane: I thought more, “I want to go to college and compete in college, and if I don’t find another passion besides running, I want to keep pursuing that.” My primary goal was always to graduate from college. But yeah, in my high school yearbook, they have these prophecies of what everyone would become, and a lot of students would write, “I want to go to college and have a family.” All I wrote was “Olympics.” From a young age, that was a big dream of mine was to go to the Olympics.
LiA: So you didn’t set out to get a medal from the start?
Shalane: It’s so hard to medal at the Olympics—everything has to come together perfectly. It’s one day and one race. Even if you are the best, sometimes you might not receive a medal. Making it to the Olympics seemed much more attainable for me at the time.
LiA: But then when you did medal in the Olympics, you really didn’t have your perfect race at all, did you? There you were a few days before the race, suffering from food poisoning and unable to sleep at the U.S. training camp. That’s not exactly the ideal way to spend your race week.
Shalane: That was a lesson to me that there’s really no perfect preparation—you just have to rely on your years of work. Even on the final days leading up, you really have to rely on your mental state. You have to fall back on the work you’ve done. I was just happy to actually be on the starting line. I wasn’t expecting to have the perfect race.
LiA: Tell me about the race—what was it like?
Shalane: It was kind of surreal just because I was so sick. I wasn’t very nervous, because I was sort of in a daze. I was just happy to be there and trying to just live in the moment and enjoy the experience. I felt like I had nothing to lose. I listened to my body and ran exactly what I was capable of running. I think that’s what allowed me to run my best. Not until the last few laps did I realize what I was about to accomplish, and that’s when I started to get nervous.
LiA: So you crossed the line, and all the cameras started flashing. What did you think at that point?
Shalane: I just couldn’t believe that it came together. Anyone in sports visualizes that great moment, that great shot. Every athlete visualizes that unbelievable moment. You think about it and you daydream about it, and you think, “I don’t know if I’ll ever attain that.” Then when it actually happens, you try to savor every minute of it, but it’s just such a blur. Having that euphoric moment, though, is highly addicting. You just want to achieve that success again.
LiA: What motivates you when things aren’t going well?
Shalane: I think about those moments when things have gone well. Everyone goes through moments when things aren’t perfect, but just persevering through it helps you realize there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. When you have success again, you know it’s all worth the pain.
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