World-class athlete shares race advice for Virginia Ten Miler.

Publication: News & Advance (Lynchburg, VA)

Publication Date: 29-SEP-07


Byline: Chris Morris

Sep. 29--Dozens of runners in today's Virginia Ten Miler got some world-class advice Friday on how to be successful in the demanding race.

Alisa Harvey, who has set state, national and world records, offered a few tips to participants during a speech at E.C. Glass High School, where runners were registering for the event, picking up their race

packets and munching on a pasta dinner.

During her 45-minute address, the current world record holder of the indoor mile for women over 40 recounted the ups and downs of her racing career. The juggling required her to be a mother and professional runner. And how the sport has helped her grow old with grace.

"When I turned 40, it wasn't a tough decision to keep running," said the 42-year-old mother of two. "I don't feel any different than I did when I was 30. And somehow my feet have stayed intact through all of the pounding."

That pounding began in elementary school when one of her teachers saw a flash of her talents during the 600-yard run of the Presidential Physical Fitness Test. Like her idol, Wilma Rudolph, Harvey wanted to be a sprinter, but fate sent her on a different route.

"On our track team (Thomas Jefferson in Alexandria), there was a girl who smoked, surprisingly, who went out of town. Our coach needed somebody to run the 800 (meters), so he put me in," Harvey said. "And I won the race."

She went on to win a lot more. She still holds the Class AAA record for the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:50.

Her outstanding high school career landed her a scholarship at the University of Tennessee. But she had a shaky start. She gained 15 pounds her first three months, much to the chagrin of her coach, and the extra weight began to reflect on her times. She still blames herself for the team losing the 1983 NCAA Cross Country Championships. But she bounced back and became one of the premier distance runners in the country.

In 1996, she was one of the favorites in the 800 and 1,500 at the Olympic trials. But she started the 800 too fast and ran out of gas at the end, finishing sixth. The same thing happened in the 1,500.

"It was devastating," she said. "I went back to the hotel and contemplated jumping off the balcony. But then a journalist called, and that made me feel better. Then I started thinking about my daughter and the thought soon passed. I realized that things are never as bad as you think."

The high point of her career came in 1991 during the Pan-American Games in Cuba. With Cuban President Fidel Castro in the crowd, she motored from 10th place in the 800 meters to second, challenging country-favorite Anna Quirot.

"I passed her on the front stretch and the crowd yelled 'no,'" she said. "But (Quirot) put it in another gear and held me off for the win. I found out that day that sometimes confidence can get you a lot more than fame."

In today's race, she said, runners are going to need confidence, skill and a little luck on the grueling course. Having participated in two Ten Milers, Harvey knows firsthand about pitfalls and what runners can do to have a successful race. Most important, she said, is patience.

"Don't let the hill take you down too fast," she said. "Don't fly down it. That's what I did and by the fifth mile I was toast. Fight the decline."

With today's temperatures expected to be between the mid-60s and low-70s, Harvey said runners should take measure to avoid dehydration.

"Take water at every stop," she said. "The course is 10 miles, but it feels like 15. Stay in control. Think of it in parts, like two 5-mile courses."

Don't go crazy warming up, she said.

"Don't do a ferocious warm-up," she said. "A little jog is all you need. It's a long race and there's no need for a big warm-up."

She said runners should wear shorts and tank tops and avoid the fitness tights.

"There's no need for fitness tights," she said. "Think of your body as a car. If it begins to overheat, things go wrong. You want to be a little chilly at the start. Trust me, you'll warm up."

And finally, don't try to finish too strong.

"The last mile is uphill," she said. "If you pick up your pace there, you'll get passed. The goal is to maintain your pace up the hill."

Because Harvey is participating in a marathon next weekend, she won't be running in today's event. But she does intend on returning to the Ten Miler soon.

"I love running and I'm happy to be here," she said. "Good luck because it's going to be a tough one."

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Copyright (c) 2007, The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.