Living in Boulder and training with the On Athletic Club is better than pro runner Josette Andrews ever anticipated. These days, she lives and breathes life as an elite, and in today's conversation she talks about the hurdles she's conquered (including an awful dog bite, bone injury, and transferring schools) and powerful decisions she's made to make it to the top of her game. Plus: Her excitement over making her first U.S. Outdoors team for World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, and how she's preparing for the big competition.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah. We all have big goals and we want to
see how far we can go. And I want to
see how far I can go and what I can do.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hey, hey, Emily.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Here, you are listening to episode three hundred and seventy
one of Hurdle, a wellness focused podcast where we talk
to inspirational people about everything from their highest ties and
toughest moments to essential tips on how to live a healthier, happier,
more motivated life. We all go through our fair share
of hurdles. My goal through these discussions is to empower
(00:43):
you to better navigate yours and move with intention so
that you can stride towards your own big potential and
of course have some fun along the way. Happy World
Athletics Championships Week to all of those who celebrate talking
about this for a minute now, it's the World Championships
of Track and Field this week. I'm heading out to
(01:04):
Tokyo tomorrow if you're listening to this episode when it
went live on Monday, September eighth, and I could not
be more amped on this journey. I am going to
have the privilege to see today's guest compete, and that
is Josette Andrews. She is a pro runner with On
Athletics Club. She's going to be running at the five
(01:27):
k AT Worlds, and today we get into the nitty gritty.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Josette and I talk about just.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
How excited she is to make her first national outdoor
team and of course the journey that it took to
get here. We talk about the struggles that she navigated
in college and a frightening incident that led to a bone.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Injury and down a rough road to recovery.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Josette also talks about what it was like to find
love in running and how she runs a company with
her now husband, plus the highs and lows of navigating
that aspect of their relationship. Josette's got such a great
perspective on how to navigate life's hurdles as they come,
and again I cannot wait to cheer her on in Tokyo.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Now, if you two will be in Tokyo for the.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
World Athletics Championships, so be sure to stop by the
on Labs pop up in Shibuyah that's open September thirteenth
to twenty first to see their famous light spray robot
in action. I saw this for the first time last
year and Wow, never have I ever seen a sneaker
come to life like this. Make sure you are following
(02:41):
along over on social with the show. It's not Hurdle podcast.
I am over at Emily a Body and you know
the drill. If you have not yet rated and reviewed
the podcast, I would love for you to do that
wherever you might be listening right now. All of your
kind words and your five star reviews, they make a
(03:02):
world of difference. Last thing to plug the week we
heard all it's the newsletter that keeps on giving in
your inbox, absolutely free every single Friday, bringing so much
of the same motivation inspiration you love from the show.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
So get in on that.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
The link to subscribe is waiting for you in the
show notes.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
With that, let's get to it. Let's get to hurd
line today.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I am sitting down with Josette Andrews. She is representing
at Team USA at the upcoming Tokyo World Athletics Championships
in the five kt.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Josette, how are we doing today? Welcome to hurdle.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Thank you so much for having me doing really great.
He had just did a workout this morning, heading off
to Europe tomorrow for another race before Tokyo, so in
a good spot right now.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
So what I'm hearing you say is you have some
nice travel on deck.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah. Always, it's always fun to run in the Diamond
League races. So I'm running the Brussels five k on Friday,
so flying out tomorrow for that, which is exciting and
honestly a perfect race in between this build up right
now for Tokyo, so it should set me up. Well.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
It's so funny because for someone that doesn't know much
about track and field, they might hear like, Okay, you
have this big race next month. Are you really going
to go and keep racing right now? Give us the lowdown.
How does that work for someone that might not quite understand.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah, it can be a tricky situation because you want
to prioritize. Of course you're training and gearing up for
the World Championships, but also it is important to race
and expose yourself to different competition and the people that
you will be facing at Worlds. So really it comes
down to your event. In the fifteen hundred, it's a
lot easier to race more often. In the eight hundred,
(04:54):
you can go back to back, but you need to
be a little more calculated on your bigger efforts like
a five k, because you can only do so many
hard five k's in a season. So at first, after
the US champs we weren't going to race. We were
just going to train for six weeks. And I think
after the relief of making that team and getting there,
I was like, I want another race, so I put
(05:17):
one on the calendar, and Brussels was a great opportunity.
And it's kind of funny too. After the US Championships
there's like a scramble of what races can I get
into And a lot of the late summer races are
in Europe, so you do have to fly across the country,
but it's always fun to go to Europe and explore
a little bit, so I don't mind it. I'm I
would say I'm a pretty good traveler, so getting on
(05:39):
the time zone and adjusting. So I'm excited to have
another chance to race, and almost like there's no pressure
to this race because you made the team and now
it's like anything you do is just to prep for Worlds,
so you're just viewing it as preparation for the big show.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
What are some of the other things that you take
really diligently and really seriously leading into a big race
moment like this. Aside from making sure that you're getting
this confidence boosting race over with this Diamond League opportunity,
what else do you really take into account before a
big moment?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Just making sure one going in like your preparation recovery
like recovery is huge, and also like the training going in,
like you're spending a lot of time visualizing in the
workouts and visualizing what you want to happen. And even
with Brussels, I'm seeing it as almost like a dress
rehearsal of the first round in Tokyo, So it's like, hey,
(06:35):
if six people from your heat are going to make
the final, you want to be in the top six
and Brussels and be competing and kind of have it
like a dress rehearsal for that. But definitely just enjoy
the moments and make the most of the moments because
a lot of this sport is about timing and like
making the most of every opportunity, and there's only so
few races you can do in a season in the
(06:56):
longer distances, so I want to make them all count.
And I'm definitely very focused on getting the most out
of myself in those races.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
You know, I'm surprised there were no words like rest
or sleep or nutrition.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yes, that is actually important too, but that's also something
that I'm doing all year long. Like, nothing changes from
races to my daily life. Like in this sport, everything
I do outside of training is about recovery and sleep
and eating, So that routine honestly doesn't change much going
into a race. Yes, your workouts are a little more
(07:35):
tapered and you're more rested, but I feel like with
this sport, it's my lifestyle of doing those things, so
those things come naturally, so then when you're at the race,
you're already prepared in those aspects.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
How does it feel for you to live every day
just so dialed into this sport? Obviously it is your career,
it's your full time job, but everything you do really
does revolve around running.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Does it ever get hiring for you?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Definitely? It's hard, and it's really easy when it's going
well and things are clicking. It's more in those moments
when you're going through injuries or having setbacks that it
gets really hard because you are dedicating your whole life
to this and there are a lot of sacrifices that
come with it, and I do see my job as
more of it's my lifestyle. So everything I'm doing outside
(08:25):
of practice is about getting ready for the next workout.
I finish one season, it's like, what's the goal for
the next season. You're thinking months ahead, years ahead. So
it can be daunting in some senses, but it's also
so exciting that I get to live out my dream
as my profession, and I'm so grateful for that. And
the highs can be so highs and the lows can
(08:45):
be low, but I really love being able to do
this as my job and like seeing how far I
can go in this sport. So I think I just
you have to be grateful and make the most of
the moments when you are healthy and things are going well,
for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And things are going well for you right now, for sure.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
But you did mention the injury buzzwords, something that you're
also quite familiar with. I know that you started the
twenty twenty four season off with a foot injury. Talk
to me about where your headspace goes when something like
that pops up, something that really does feel like it
was beyond your control.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
How do you speak to yourself, what's that mental dialogue
look like.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Yeah, the twenty twenty four season was really hard because
I ran the World Championships in the indoor season in
twenty twenty four and checked off all the boxes to
prep to get ready for the Olympic Trials of getting
the world standard running indoor Worlds, and then after that
my planner I had a big foot injury in my
planner and in my metatarsals, and it, honestly just it
(09:46):
was heartbreaking because you're building your whole season and years
around the Olympic Trials, like that's the biggest thing in
our sport, that in the World Championships, and to then
find out in April you're going to stop running when
that's one of the biggest months that you're getting ready
to potentially start racing again and get ready for June,
and it was really scary. And in that moment I
(10:10):
kind of just had to with Daithan two just be like, Okay,
let's just focus on the recovery, let's grind in the
cross training. I just went into like tunnel vision of
still training because we wanted the intention to still be, Hey,
You're going to still go out and try to make
this team, even though it's going to be a lot
harder right now with the setup and the build up.
(10:30):
I didn't even process the injury right away because I
kind of just had to start working out already even
harder with the swimming, the biking, the aqua jogging, the elliptical.
It was. I was doing everything I can to try
to keep the fitness that I had from the fall
in the winter, but it was it was really tough.
I was running for six weeks and then had to
(10:52):
open up my season at the Olympic Trials, when normally
that's the race that you're most fit for to try
to qualify to make the team, which is so hard
to do. But I kind of just had to focus
on the week to week and not think about the
long term because I was like, am I better today
than I was yesterday? And am I seeing improvements? So
I had to really break it down in that sense.
(11:13):
But it was very hard.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
So much of your self worth comes into question in
these moments, which obviously you are so much more as
a woman than just an athlete, right although that's such
a big part of your identity. When you are in
these difficult times, how do you find confidence when you
can't do the thing that otherwise brings you so much peace.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Sometimes it's easier to almost look in the past to
see what you've done and what you've done in the
last few years. And in this sport especially, things build
upon each other. Like I knew I had the race
experience and the maturity even though I wasn't there physically.
I knew I had a lot of strengths mentally, and
I kind of hoden in on that during the injury
(11:57):
time and focused on that. But it was hard, and
I think I was just taking the progress that I
was seeing and really holding on to that and holding
on to that anything can happen. And at the start line,
everyone's coming from a different point. Everyone's going through something,
and it's like this is my something right now, but
(12:18):
someone else is going through something too, And all that
matters is you need to show up on the day
and I need to give myself a shot, because I
would have regretted just shutting down the season and not
going to the Olympic Trials to try. I knew I
had a chance to try, and I would have regretted
not trying, even though I wasn't as prepared as I
would have liked and knew it was going to be
(12:40):
really hard.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
To be in a place where you can have such
a relentless amount of self belief. It's like I can
be a realist and also I can say I am
here to give this everything that I have, and so
letting go of the things that you can't change, like
you couldn't change what your approach had to be to
go in to that moment. So getting to a place
(13:01):
where you let that go to be present then and there,
it's challenging, but it's a masterclass and self compassion.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Definitely, That's totally how it was. Like I had to
let go of what happened and accept it and just
give it what I could on the day and believe
that I was capable. And I feel like I've always
had a lot of self belief in myself no matter
what I was going through, and I think that's something
that's also just been that's helped me throughout my entire
(13:31):
career of like always believing in myself and being a dreamer.
And I feel like you need to do that in
this sport, because yeah, we all have big goals and
we want to see how far we can go. And
I want to see how far I can go and
what I can do.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
You mentioned Dathan and your coach at ON Athletics Club.
You yourself debuted with ON Athletics Club at the beginning
of twenty twenty three. And a sport that otherwise can
be so individual, right, something that is really based on
your performance and yours alone. How does feel to have
that team and community aspect and what does it do
for you?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
It's incredible to be part of the On Athletics Club.
What ON has built here in Boulder, Colorado is one
of a kind, honestly, and to be training with such
an elite group and having people from different countries come together,
and the men and the women, just the training environment
is so elite that it just levels you, just level
(14:26):
up being part of this club and the amount of
resources that ON provides for you is really incredible. Like
we are set up to be able to train and
recover and chase fast times and medals like it's They've
really built a great culture around this team, and I'm
so grateful to be a part of it. And I'm
(14:48):
getting better every day by training with this group, and
I hope that my teammates feel the same way being
able to train with me, Like I think, we just
bring each other up. And yes, the sport is in individualized,
but we meet six days a week, which I think
is a lot for a ProTeam. Some teams only meet
on workout days. But we're together a lot of the time,
(15:08):
and that also is important because we all need to
We're seeing each other every day, running and working out
and lifting and racing together, and I just think it
allows us to really elevate each other, which is really special.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
And you said you're given all the tools that are
needed to go after things like metals, So what are
some of the tools get Let's get specific here on
the toolbox.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
So honestly, it's really exciting right now actually because On
just we had a new gym in this last year
and On actually now is going to rent out the
spot right next door which used to be a brewery
and they're totally renovating it. I think they're going to
start September first, So they were hoping that when everyone
was racing in Tokyo they could start the renovations. But
(15:58):
they're building out a whole separate side of the gym,
so then we can have a locker room, we can
have an underwater treadmill, we can have a massage setup,
we can have a smoothie bar in the front, and
really make it like an on headquarters in the US
for athletes and also allow other athletes from on to
come in and use the facilities. Maybe that aren't on
(16:21):
the team, but like have space for them too. And
it's just the amount of equipment we have too. It's
just a lot of woodway treadmills and alter g's and
recovery tools and just having full time medical. It's just
a lot of things are We're very on top of it,
and it's going to be really exciting when we have
(16:41):
this new space in the gym too to use. But
we're all very excited. I think it should be done
sometime in December for us to use for next year.
But yeah, those are some of just the little things
that we have access to that even in the winter months.
It's like we get access to using an indoor track
that ON provides for us, so then we can do
our training inside during the cold weather. Little things like that,
(17:03):
or going on training camps to sea level just if
we need it. They're here to help us and support
us and that's something that Dathan and On has really
set up for us to have the most success.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
So many perks training with the team.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Clearly, you just outlined so many of them, but that
doesn't mean that there aren't setbacks along the way. We
talked about that difficult season you had with your planter,
but beyond that, if you had to articulate what was
perhaps the most challenging part of your career up until
this point, perhaps the biggest hurdle, what comes to mind
for you is that.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Yeah, I would say the biggest hurdle was honestly my
senior year of college. I was out on winter break
and I was hoping at this point my college career
had been very up and down. Like in high school,
I was like heavily recruited, one of the top runners
in the country, and in my first four years of
college things were just very bumpy, and I transferred schools.
(17:59):
I went from UNC to Georgetown and took these risks
and to really go after because I believed in myself
that I could be better and better with running, and
your life in college as a college athlete is about
your sport, and I want to see how good I
could be, and I remember on winter break senior year,
I actually was out for a run and I got
(18:21):
attacked by a dog and in the end it was
pretty bad because I didn't know how bad it was
at the time. But then within the next month, like
in that spot that I got attacked by the dog,
I ended up getting a femoral stress fracture, my first
bone injury actually, and it was like, Okay, senior season
now is over, Like that was the end of that
(18:43):
was the start of the spring season, and it was like,
oh my gosh, like I just lost my senior year
of college. I have not done anything I want to
do in my college career that I thought and dreamed
about when I was in high school and getting recruited,
and it just felt like I couldn't catch a break.
And that was kind of like the trend in college,
like I just little things would pop up, and this
(19:04):
was a big one, getting attacked by a dog. But
it was like, man, like I just need I just
need a chance, Like I just need to be able
to run, like let me, let me run. And I
decided to take my fifth year, which I had in
just the indoor season and the outdoor season, and I
was like it was definitely a pivotal moment of like, hey,
(19:24):
you don't have the fall cross country, you need to
really like spend this time one I was healing my
injury from the femur injury, but really spend the fall,
like juste, you need to build a base, like you
need to we need to start something and like get
you going. And I think that was my fifth year
ended up being my best season, and that outdoor season.
(19:45):
I qualified for my first NCAA outdoors and I chased
a pro contract that summer, ran in like usas for
the first time in my Georgetown uniform, and I ran
that whole summer and like finally had eight months of
consistent training and I actually it was the year the
season went so late too, all the way till September.
How this season's kind of lined up and so I
(20:07):
was able to keep running as I chased a contract.
And I think just that senior year of it would
have been really easy to quit in that moment of like, hey,
you might not be able to have the chance to
do what you thought you were going to do in
college and chase after that running professional career. But I
(20:27):
was not gonna, honestly like let that define who I was,
and also the people that I was with at the time,
like really knew what I wanted to do in this sport,
and I think I really surrounded myself with like such
a good group of people and coaches, and just like
I was way more open about my goals and what
I wanted and we're like, Okay, let's try to do this, Like,
(20:49):
let's see what you can do with this fifth year
a little less classes also on the schedule, so a
little more time to act like a professional, and let's
see how good you can be in this time. And
I would say that was a huge moment because if
that didn't happen, then I wouldn't have be in my
fifth year as a professional right now and all the
steps that I've taken and grown. So yeah, that was
(21:11):
definitely a big hurdle. I would say so.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Many things to double click on here.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
The first thing is that concept of like we are
some of the people that we surround ourselves with, right,
and so for you to consciously make smart choices that
helped lift you up during a time that felt so
much bigger than you, such a valuable lesson for you
to learn then and then continue I'm sure to bring
with you now in the moments when you really did
(21:37):
just feel so frustrated, So like why is this happening
to me? How are you able to flip that victim mindset?
How are you speaking to yourself?
Speaker 1 (21:46):
I think I almost shut down when I wasn't really
speaking to myself. And I think that was the biggest
thing that surrounding in myself around people that were really
lifting me up, because I wanted to shut down and
like crawl away, and I wasn't open about what I
wanted to do and like expressing my goals. And it
really took the people around me to almost like help
(22:09):
me bring that out and show me that, like, hey,
so you do want to do this, like you do
want to try to chase his skull, Like I'm going
to help you do that. Or even my boyfriend at
the time who's now my husband. He's an olympian and
he ran professionally for a das for ten years, and
I remember like when he would just ask me, like
how are your runs? And I just didn't want to
(22:30):
tell him because I was like, these runs are terrible.
I'm going on a four mile run. I feel terrible.
I'm coming back from this massive injury. I'm like, why
does he care how my four mile run was? And
I think I just needed to be around people that
were also really like, hey, we want to help you
and we want to see you progress and surround yourself.
And that made me open up more about what I
(22:52):
wanted because I knew deep down I did want that,
but it was hard to share it in that moment.
So they really helped me bring that out and be
able to thrive under that situation. It's like, hey, we're
going to try to get you here as a team,
So yeah, that's really special too.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah, sometimes you have to have I always believe that
unless you're willing to vocalize what it is then you want,
then you don't get to get it. Like, yes, it
could happen by chance if you're like one of the
quote unquote lucky ones, but I would even argue that
I don't want to be one of the lucky ones,
because so much more is learned in the adversity, in
going through the motions, in putting myself through the paces,
(23:31):
whether we're talking about running or we're not talking about running,
to get what it is that excites me, and that
like really lights me on fire. And so for you
to then be able to get to a place where
not only you could vocalize what was important to you,
but then also open yourself up to the support.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
And that is something that I think is so challenging.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Right because I don't know about you, but I'm someone
who's like, well, I just want to do it myself.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Definitely. I'm definitely that type too, and I still am.
I hate asking for help, and it's it's like, you
really can't do it alone in this sport. And that's
something I've learned being on multiple teams and just even
in college, like it really you do need that support
system around you. But as stubborn as you can be
and as determined as you can be, it it's not
(24:17):
It's not an easy sport. And timing is a lot
of things in this sport. So it's really like you
need to capitalize on everything that you can take. And
I learned to take in more and let that help me.
And that was a big key.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Someone hears that I learned to take in more and
allow them to help me, and they're like, Okay, this
sounds really good, right, Like, oh, well it worked for her,
then maybe it could work for me, but still like
I'm facing some internal resistance to allowing myself to accept
the help. Do you have any like practical takeaways or
anything that really worked for you that made you feel
as though you were more open to allowing that help in.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
I think, honestly, it was building my confidence through the running,
like especially because it was being able to put each
piece together and have that consistency of the pieces and
seeing it like come to life slowly and surely, like
each like the indoor season had a few steps forward
(25:18):
and it was like okay, and it was like okay,
like let's write down some more goals for the outdoor season.
It was like I was taking all those little pieces
that I was seeing progress with and then using it
to then build confidence because I was taking a lot
of confidence from each workout. And I remember, actually I
would get so high from like a good workout and
(25:41):
then so low from a bad one, and it was like,
oh wow, because I was craving that, like I wanted
to have that high of a good workout. And then
suddenly later in the season it was like it was
just mellow, like it didn't matter if it was high
or low. I just like kind of calmed down with
the workouts because I didn't let it like get high
or low. It was just like steady and consistent. And
(26:03):
when I was studying consistent, it made me feel calmer,
it made me feel confident, and that was also then
what allowed me to talk more about the running and
be expressive about the running. But it did take me
being more consistent with it in my journey. But I
think some of the hardest parts is like, oh, when
am I going to when am I going to have
that breakthrough? Or like the comparison game is really hard too,
(26:27):
and I just really had to focus on my journey
and that was like a major key too. It's like,
this is my running, my journey. It's not going to
look like anyone else's. I don't know if anyone else
got attacked by a dog six months ago and is
doing this. It's just like no one really knows your
journey like you do, and you just got to focus
on that and then let other people help support that.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
Taking a break from today's episode to give some love
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slash hurdle. Let's get back to it. So you say
that you were to find confidence during your running when
you were executing the workouts, even though if some of
the help to get there along the way came from others,
(29:08):
it was building that confidence within yourself to say, hey,
I can combine all of this to get to where
I want to be, which is so so powerful for sure.
What would you say that you learned about yourself in
this process of if I just keep putting in the work,
and I also don't let the highs get too higher
(29:30):
the lows get too low, better about staying neutral? What
did you learn through being better about staying neutral.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I learned a lot about myself and how determined I was,
Like I was determined to not let my like I
wanted to change what my story was from high school
to college, Like I was very determined to give myself
a shot. And I think I just learned that I
had a lot of self belief, always in myself, and
(29:58):
I just needed the right opportunity to really show and thrive.
And I think it was always easy for me to
be able to believe that I could do something, like
but it was sometimes you just need the opportunity to
show it. And that's why I was so hard in college.
I was like, man, I just can't catch a break.
But I really still wanted to see what I could
(30:22):
do when I was healthy, when I was confident, and
when things were clicking. And I've always believed in that,
and I think I just learned that I was. I'm
very determined, and I am a big dreamer, Like I
run with a lot of heart when I'm racing and training,
and yeah, I have I'm a big dreamer.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
I'm a big dreamer, and that's a good thing to be,
especially when you've got big dreams to chase after now
I know that you also met your husband shortly before
you went to do that fifth year of eligibility. Talk
to me a little bit about how you were able
to make the time to chase your dreams and give
breath to your personal life. I think that's a big
(31:02):
challenge for a lot of people, whether we're talking about
athletic goals, personal goals, or anything in between.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
Yeah, it was really funny also when we started dating,
because it was right honestly, as I was getting that injury,
and like we started dating right after that. And I
remember a month later, like after we started dating, I
was like, oh, by the way, I'm going to spend
another year in college, Like I'm not graduating this year,
so you're going to have to come visit me more
because you're the one that's making the time to come
(31:32):
down to visit me in Georgetown from New Jersey. But yeah,
we made it work and honestly having the time for
each other, Like he had to come see me a lot,
and he did have more time like as a professional runner.
But also I didn't want to inhibit his training too.
It's like, oh, getting on a train every weekend is
not the right thing for your training. So we really
(31:53):
made it work of It was distance for the first
year and even a little bit into COVID, But yeah,
I think we just made time for each other in
the right time. But also we're both making sure that
we were supporting each other on each other's journeys. And
his was as a professional runner and mine was to
try to qualify for NCAA's at the time, but they
(32:14):
were very different goals but also very important to both
of us. And so just making time for each other,
in space for each other and just supporting each other
was like the biggest thing. And yeah, DC was a
fun place to go on dates at the time and
get away from the running, and yeah, it was an
easy We were both on the East Coast, which made
(32:35):
it easier and we were both from New Jersey so
than anytime we had winter breaks or anything like me
coming up to him. So yeah, the biggest thing was
just making sure that each of us felt supported in
what we were doing as a couple.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
You highlighted that he also is a professional athlete. When
you think now about what life looks like for you
as a professional runner, is it what you expected that
it would both look like and maybe even more that
I'm interested in what it would feel like.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Honestly, from dating Robbie, I was able to get a
glimpse of what it could look like, and that really
opened my eyes to what it was like. And even
when he was traveling to Europe in the summer and
doing the summer races and prepping for US Championships to
qualify for Worlds, that was my first like eye opening
experience to what it could look like. And honestly, it
(33:24):
looked pretty fun to me because you're getting to do
what you love, which is running, and you're getting to
chase your goals and travel the world. And I think
being able to see it through his eyes first actually
then made it way less surprising than when I turned professional.
But it was a big adjustment turning professional during COVID
because then I signed in the fall of twenty nineteen,
(33:48):
and then COVID happened in twenty twenty, so my first
year as a professional looked very different than a normal
person's first year. So it honestly gave me the space
to actually just train and adjust to my coach at
the time and get adjusted to the professional life. So
in a way, it actually I think COVID year helped
me just get get my bearings of a new situation,
(34:11):
and it ended up having a breakthrough in twenty twenty one,
which was like my big breakout year. And I would
say this year, similar to twenty twenty one, is the
most healthy I've ever been. And in the years between,
there's always just been some setbacks or timing issues of things,
and it's like this year's very much reminding me of
what like twenty twenty one felt like. And that's kind
(34:34):
of special because I was my first year's professional and
now I've gone through some hurdles over the last three years,
and it's like this year things have been just like
clicking really well, and I've been healthy, the most healthy
I've ever been as a professional, and I'm stronger and
just a lot of things are coming together at the
right time. And I think that's what also attributed to
(34:55):
making my first outdoor team in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
What do you attribute that to?
Speaker 3 (34:59):
What do you attribute the being your most healthy self
to At this moment.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Listening to my body and focusing on the timing of
the season too was really important. After the big injury
in twenty twenty four, I really we wanted to take
things slow, and I think we didn't really put a
timeline on what twenty twenty five would look like. I
remember we were like, let's not do indoors if it
doesn't make sense. And I had run indoors a lot
in the past and run it hard, and I'm from
(35:27):
the East Coast and I love racing on the East
Coast a lot, and a lot of the races are
up there. But this year we're like, yeah, let's not
put any pressure on it. And I think taking the
pressure off and just really building and being in tune
with my body, things were just starting to click faster
than we even thought. And then when I did run
a couple of races indoors, it was like, oh cool,
this is like a perk, but it didn't need to happen.
(35:49):
And I was very much this season like for every
race I did, I wanted to one be excited about
and that was a big thing. It's like, Hey, I'm
really excited to run this race. Let's do it. And
we're really focused on that. And I did a bunch
of different events. I did a road five k, I
was running a fifteen hundred, I did the Grand Slam
three K, and just making the most out of the opportunities,
(36:10):
but also being really smart and calculated in like the
timing and the recovery of things, and just also being
now on the on Athletics club for two and a
half years, I'm physically a lot stronger adjusted to altitude.
I've been lifting consistently for years, and I think just
I'm a lot more. I'm just a lot stronger too,
(36:32):
And that was showing and things were just clicking, and yeah,
I just felt I kept saying to Dathan, like I
feel very in control. Like after a workout, I'm like, yeah,
I didn't like take as much ad as me as
it used to do. And that's kind of been the
trend this season. And yeah, we got to see some
really big breakthroughs this season, which is just really exciting.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Yeah, super exciting.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Now, I'd be remiss if I continued as on without
going back to the part where we didn't talk about
how you feel being.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
A pro athlete right now.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
I know we don't like to talk about our feelings,
but does it feel how you hope that it would feel?
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Is it different? Is it what you expected?
Speaker 1 (37:05):
I feel like it feels like what I expected it
to feel like. I think I never realized how hard
it could be, and it took some hard moments of like, man,
like you are dedicating so much time for this, but
I honestly wouldn't have it any other way because it's
such a unique chapter in my life and it's really
special that I get to do this and so cool
(37:26):
like to tell people too, like when you're explaining what
you do, it's like I get to work out and
exercise and chase my dreams and travel the world. It's
honestly not as surprising as I thought it would be,
but it's really special. And I think it's really special
too that my partner did it too, and he understands
it and he's not a professional anymore. But it's a
(37:48):
lot easier being with someone who understands what that lifestyle
is like and we're always on the same page with that.
So I think that also is just like a nice
perk on top of that.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Back to when you said that when you were getting together,
it was challenging for you because you didn't want to
be like I just did this silly little run today
and so much different than yours, Like how did you
get out of that comparison trap mentality? And open yourself
up to sharing this with him, something I'm sure you
hadn't had previously in a relationship.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Yeah, I started to get excited about it. So then
I was like starting to brag and be like, oh,
well I did this workout and then this. So I
started to see it as a positive of like, oh,
like look at my progress. So I saw it as
more of a like, oh, we can actually like really
connect on this right now, and it's okay, and I'm
not like embarrassed by it, even though we're at different
(38:40):
points right now, Like it's not no, he he actually
just cares and like let him care. So yeah, seeing
it as something positive and now I'm still years later
bragging about the workouts I'm doing to himself.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
I want to bring us back to Nationals this year. Obviously,
such a mer moment for you coming in third in
that five k. I rewatched that race earlier today and
I saw the joy on your face. Talk to me
about where your head and your heart were in that moment.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Yeah, it was. I felt so calm in that race.
And in years past, I remember like being in the
middle of the five k and there was like a
stress to it and it was like, oh, this is
harder than it should be. And this was the first
US Champs that I've run where at halfway I was
like I feel good, Like this is so nice, and
(39:34):
I just wanted to I put myself like in the middle,
back of the pack, and I just wanted to just
like accept like the race is going to be what
it is, and you're just going to run what the
race is. It's like, it's just a race, and you're
gonna you're capable to be in the top three in
this race, and let it play out how it's going
to play out. So I really accepted in the first
half of like, hey, you're just going to hang out,
(39:56):
be in the back, and with a k to go,
I did make a big move to the front because
it got kind of to the point where there was
a lot of us still in the race and it
was scary going into the front. But I also trusted
in my training of like progressing the pace down. We
practiced that a lot, and so I took the lead
and kind of broke open the race where then it
was a smaller pack because at first it was still
(40:18):
a lot of people and it's a scary thing to
go to the front and be in that spot because
everyone's just chasing you down. And in the last lap,
I actually do get passed by three people, and I
remember with one p fifty to go, I made sure
that I had something more gears in the end because
I really wanted to save a really great last hundred.
And I remember in that moment of people passing me,
(40:40):
like it could have been really easy for me to
like get tense and be like, oh no, like that's
the team I lost it, But all I did was
just like no, trust. I really trusted myself in that
moment of like, no, you still got this, You're still
feeling good, Like let's just keep going. There's still one
hundred and fifty meters to the finish line, and I
had a great last hundred and got in the third spot,
(41:00):
and crossing the line was just it felt like such
a like a relief moment because this season has been
going so well, and yes, I was a heavy favorite
to make the team this season, but it's one thing
to be a favorite, but another thing to also like
get it done. And it was just such a great
feeling of like yes, like you made it, Like you're
(41:22):
going to outdoor worlds like you've run on indoor teams before,
but you haven't made an outdoor team, and that was
like kind of like hanging over my head the last
few years. And it was a great feeling of you
did it. Yeah. I was just really proud and a
lot of relief honestly from it, and just like calmness.
I guess yeah, I guess I felt a lot of
calmness to it because it was like, yeah, you did it,
(41:43):
and you could do it, so yes?
Speaker 2 (41:46):
So yes?
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Were you always good at staying calm under pressure? Is
this a learned behavior? Where does that come from?
Speaker 1 (41:53):
It's been hard in the past at US Championships, especially
because you're thinking about maybe oh I'm not as prepared
I should as I should be, or like in a
situation where you're coming back from injury. Those situations have
been hard. But I think it just takes a lot
of practice, and in the races, like you get to
really practice that, and that was something I did practice
a lot this season of being calmon. There is something
(42:16):
about having calmness in a race. It's like your body's relaxed,
your stride is less tense, the shoulders like you're just
moving more fluidly. And it's always I always feel faster
when I'm in that like flow state, and I wanted
to really be in that state. So it's something that
you can practice, I guess a lot in practice, but
(42:36):
it's another thing to practice it in a race. And
it's definitely something that I think people get better at,
of course, Like when you see the best runners in
the world, like they know how to run well under pressure,
and that's something that I want to be able to
do too.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
Well, you're obviously already doing it, but I do think
that it takes a certain amount of practice, a certain
amount of reps, right, Like, you don't just show up
one day and you're entirely confident in all of your abilities.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
It takes showing up day in and day out and dealing.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
With those junkie days to remember that, hey, like I
can do this when it feels hard, and that then
instills your confidence in your strength for the next go around. Now,
when you think about the next go around, and I'm
not talking about the Diamond League, of course, I'm talking
about the main event here, when you think about showing
up on that starting line, what do you anticipate that
(43:27):
inner dialogue to look like.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
I'm going to have this sense of calmness and belonging
because I've always wanted it and I've always felt like
I could be there, and now it's like, hey, you
are there, and now you get to show it. So
I do feel like always when I'm running on like
the biggest stage, it's like I do get this sense
of calmness because I feel I'm so happy to be
(43:50):
there and I want to be there, and it's like
you're doing exactly what you want to do. And I'm
going to go into that prelim and do everything to
put myself in a position to be in that final
because in that final anything can happen, and you got
to get through step one to get to the final.
But I'm going to put myself in it and know
that I belong because when you make the team for
(44:11):
Team USA, it's one of the hardest teams to make,
it's like you know that you belong in that world
stage and you belong with the top competition. So I'm
really gonna honestly embrace the moment and yeah, run my
heart out.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Run my heart out, as you should.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
We hear this all the time, and for someone that
may not be well versed, why do we hear that
Team USA is one of the hardest teams to make.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
The amount of depth there is in the US is
really amazing. So that means like, getting top three, you
are one of the best in the world. And that's
why the system is so tough. It's like you need
to be top three on that day. There's no discretionary spots,
there's no selection process, and it's just that the US
is so deep in its running and yeah, it's really
(44:54):
hard to get on Team USA, and once you're there,
it's like, oh, you're one of the best in the world. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:59):
I have chills when you say that out loud, and
I can't help but wonder if you were to tell
your younger self that you would be here in this
moment now, being able to represent not only the US
but really pursuing one of your biggest dreams, what would
she think about this?
Speaker 1 (45:14):
I think she'd be very excited and also like so proud,
so proud that through it all, like you just kept
working at it, like I just have honestly worked really
hard to get here, and it's really exciting to see
it come together at this time and also gets me
excited for the future of it, because I do feel
like I'm going to be doing this for a long time,
(45:36):
and it feels like almost step one. It's like, hey,
you got to the outdoor chance, and now let's see
how far you can go after this.
Speaker 3 (45:43):
Now, I know that when you really care about something
so passionately like you do about your sport, that the
choices that you have to make aren't always labeled as sacrifices.
But you do have to make some sacrifices or some
difficult choices in pursuit of your profession. What would you
say the most difficult choice that you've had to make
(46:06):
over the last five years has been.
Speaker 1 (46:08):
You're very much in your bubble when you're running, and
it's hard to turn down, like taking trips home to
see family, and you feel like it's you feel guilty,
like there's like some guilt involved of like, hey, I'm
not coming home for this, I'm actually going to go
train at altitude during winter break and Christmas break. So
I think it's just like the constant cycle of like
(46:30):
in the running cycle, it's like hey, the season ends,
and it's like you get two weeks off and then
you start to build up again for the next year,
and it's the constant training where then the breaks are
very limited and sometimes they can it feels hard to
like get home and visit family sometimes because of that.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Yeah, do you feel like you have like more grace
with yourself now over situations like that than maybe you
did when it started?
Speaker 1 (46:57):
I think so, especially because I think our family and
friends also understand it at this point so much, and
like they understand what it takes and like it's the
they want to support me in what I'm doing and
being able to chase my dreams and knowing that it's like, hey,
this is a very like critical time in my life
to do this. It's gotten easier because of more people
(47:20):
understanding it and understanding the situation.
Speaker 3 (47:23):
For sure, someone comes to your Instagram page, they see
a woman, a professional for on Athletics club and obviously
a runner on her way to world championships. But when
you look in the mirror, Josette, what is it that
you see looking back at you?
Speaker 1 (47:38):
I see someone that has never given up even when
things have been hard. I see someone that's very determined
and goes after what they want even if people don't
think she can do it.
Speaker 3 (47:51):
Do you feel like there's been moments where you've really
faced doubt from others.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
In the professional career, it's like, hey, you've been I
think people used to put a limit on, like, oh,
you can only do this for so long, and I
think that's definitely changed in the culture, especially for female runners.
It's like you're seeing women run later than they are
in their careers. And I'm twenty nine and I've made
my first outdoor team as a twenty nine year old,
(48:18):
but you're seeing more and more often women making teams
in their thirties, having babies and also coming back from that,
and so it's really exciting to see that shift in
honestly the story and timeline of female runners, and it's
really exciting and I want to be part of that
conversation too, like, yes, I'm twenty nine, but also I
(48:39):
feel like my best running years are still ahead of me,
so I think, yeah, there can be some conversation of like, oh,
is this the end or is this no? It's like,
I feel like it's just the start.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
Just the start. What are you excited about right now?
What goals do you have both on and off the track.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
I'm very excited to one go to the world champion
chifs and I want a big goal make that final
and see what I can do in that final and
compete with the best in the world. That's like very
immediate and happening right now, and I think got to
have tunnel vision with that. But in the future, like
goals with running, I just want to see how far
I can go in this sport. For sure, I want
(49:18):
to see how much I can improve. Even though I'm
running the five k, I love running the mile. I
want to see how fast I can still run in
the mile, and just like keep improving my five k
and keep making teams and competing, keep progressing and seeing
how far I can go. And off the track, I
have a online running business with my husband called Miles
(49:38):
to Go, and I would love to keep coaching athletes
and growing that side of it. And because I do,
I am very passionate about the sport and coaching, and yeah,
I want to keep growing that business side of things
because that's also in the future.
Speaker 3 (49:54):
Tell me a little bit about what it's been like
working on that while also dialing in on your own training.
How is working with your significant other.
Speaker 1 (50:03):
We make a really good team. It's really exciting and
I would say right now, I'm taking a backseat in
our miles to go business, but and he's the main
guy holding it down with the runners. But I also
have a few athletes and want to be setting myself
up and like getting better at coaching and working with
(50:24):
different people. So we're building something together that we're both
passionate about and we're helping people, which is a big thing.
Speaker 3 (50:30):
There's a very big rise right now within running track
and field in female coaching.
Speaker 2 (50:38):
Is that something that you do see for yourself down
the line.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
I definitely am very interested in coaching, and I think
a lot of that also came from my college coach,
Julie Cully. She was an Olympian from New Jersey and
seeing what she was able to do as a profession
and then transition to coaching like she was a great
mentor for me to see that, and I was like,
I want to be just like her when I was
(51:03):
in college. So it's it's definitely hard, and you see
that there is so few women in coaching, and I
don't know exactly what it would look like, but it
is definitely an avenue I want to explore in the
future after my running career. But I don't know which
way it would look, whether like that was college professional,
(51:23):
making your own running group like, but I think there's
a lot of possibilities and it's something that I definitely
see myself exploring in the future.
Speaker 2 (51:31):
Open to the possibilities.
Speaker 3 (51:33):
As we wind down here right now, you have an
opportunity to offer yourself a piece of advice looking back
when you got that frightening dog bite and so much
just felt instantly beyond your control when you dealt with
that bone injury. Right now, knowing what you know now,
what advice would you give yourself in that hurdle moment.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
I would definitely give myself some grace and understand that
some things are out of your control. But when you
also surround yourself with the people that believe in you
and want to support your goals, like, really special things
can happen. So I would say, really hone in on
those people and use their support because it's really special
(52:18):
to have and it can really help you grow as
an athlete and a person.
Speaker 3 (52:23):
Josette, so happy that we were able to chat today,
and I'm going to be rooting for you in Tokyo
for those that aren't following along with you, just yet
give us the details. Where can they keep up with
you online?
Speaker 1 (52:36):
They can keep up with me on my Instagram. It's
at Josette Norris, but you can follow along on there.
I'll hopefully be posting a lot of fun stuff going
into Tokyo, especially.
Speaker 3 (52:46):
Oh my Gosh, I'm Over at Emily Body and at
Hurdle Podcast Another Hurdle Conquered.
Speaker 2 (52:52):
Catch you guys next time.
Yeah. We all have big goals and we want to
see how far we can go. And I want to
see how far I can go and what I can do.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hey, hey, Emily.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Here, you are listening to episode three hundred and seventy
one of Hurdle, a wellness focused podcast where we talk
to inspirational people about everything from their highest ties and
toughest moments to essential tips on how to live a healthier, happier,
more motivated life. We all go through our fair share
of hurdles. My goal through these discussions is to empower
(00:43):
you to better navigate yours and move with intention so
that you can stride towards your own big potential and
of course have some fun along the way. Happy World
Athletics Championships Week to all of those who celebrate talking
about this for a minute now, it's the World Championships
of Track and Field this week. I'm heading out to
(01:04):
Tokyo tomorrow if you're listening to this episode when it
went live on Monday, September eighth, and I could not
be more amped on this journey. I am going to
have the privilege to see today's guest compete, and that
is Josette Andrews. She is a pro runner with On
Athletics Club. She's going to be running at the five
(01:27):
k AT Worlds, and today we get into the nitty gritty.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Josette and I talk about just.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
How excited she is to make her first national outdoor
team and of course the journey that it took to
get here. We talk about the struggles that she navigated
in college and a frightening incident that led to a bone.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Injury and down a rough road to recovery.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Josette also talks about what it was like to find
love in running and how she runs a company with
her now husband, plus the highs and lows of navigating
that aspect of their relationship. Josette's got such a great
perspective on how to navigate life's hurdles as they come,
and again I cannot wait to cheer her on in Tokyo.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Now, if you two will be in Tokyo for the.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
World Athletics Championships, so be sure to stop by the
on Labs pop up in Shibuyah that's open September thirteenth
to twenty first to see their famous light spray robot
in action. I saw this for the first time last
year and Wow, never have I ever seen a sneaker
come to life like this. Make sure you are following
(02:41):
along over on social with the show. It's not Hurdle podcast.
I am over at Emily a Body and you know
the drill. If you have not yet rated and reviewed
the podcast, I would love for you to do that
wherever you might be listening right now. All of your
kind words and your five star reviews, they make a
(03:02):
world of difference. Last thing to plug the week we
heard all it's the newsletter that keeps on giving in
your inbox, absolutely free every single Friday, bringing so much
of the same motivation inspiration you love from the show.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
So get in on that.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
The link to subscribe is waiting for you in the
show notes.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
With that, let's get to it. Let's get to hurd
line today.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I am sitting down with Josette Andrews. She is representing
at Team USA at the upcoming Tokyo World Athletics Championships
in the five kt.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Josette, how are we doing today? Welcome to hurdle.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Thank you so much for having me doing really great.
He had just did a workout this morning, heading off
to Europe tomorrow for another race before Tokyo, so in
a good spot right now.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
So what I'm hearing you say is you have some
nice travel on deck.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah. Always, it's always fun to run in the Diamond
League races. So I'm running the Brussels five k on Friday,
so flying out tomorrow for that, which is exciting and
honestly a perfect race in between this build up right
now for Tokyo, so it should set me up. Well.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
It's so funny because for someone that doesn't know much
about track and field, they might hear like, Okay, you
have this big race next month. Are you really going
to go and keep racing right now? Give us the lowdown.
How does that work for someone that might not quite understand.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah, it can be a tricky situation because you want
to prioritize. Of course you're training and gearing up for
the World Championships, but also it is important to race
and expose yourself to different competition and the people that
you will be facing at Worlds. So really it comes
down to your event. In the fifteen hundred, it's a
lot easier to race more often. In the eight hundred,
(04:54):
you can go back to back, but you need to
be a little more calculated on your bigger efforts like
a five k, because you can only do so many
hard five k's in a season. So at first, after
the US champs we weren't going to race. We were
just going to train for six weeks. And I think
after the relief of making that team and getting there,
I was like, I want another race, so I put
(05:17):
one on the calendar, and Brussels was a great opportunity.
And it's kind of funny too. After the US Championships
there's like a scramble of what races can I get
into And a lot of the late summer races are
in Europe, so you do have to fly across the country,
but it's always fun to go to Europe and explore
a little bit, so I don't mind it. I'm I
would say I'm a pretty good traveler, so getting on
(05:39):
the time zone and adjusting. So I'm excited to have
another chance to race, and almost like there's no pressure
to this race because you made the team and now
it's like anything you do is just to prep for Worlds,
so you're just viewing it as preparation for the big show.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
What are some of the other things that you take
really diligently and really seriously leading into a big race
moment like this. Aside from making sure that you're getting
this confidence boosting race over with this Diamond League opportunity,
what else do you really take into account before a
big moment?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Just making sure one going in like your preparation recovery
like recovery is huge, and also like the training going in,
like you're spending a lot of time visualizing in the
workouts and visualizing what you want to happen. And even
with Brussels, I'm seeing it as almost like a dress
rehearsal of the first round in Tokyo, So it's like, hey,
(06:35):
if six people from your heat are going to make
the final, you want to be in the top six
and Brussels and be competing and kind of have it
like a dress rehearsal for that. But definitely just enjoy
the moments and make the most of the moments because
a lot of this sport is about timing and like
making the most of every opportunity, and there's only so
few races you can do in a season in the
(06:56):
longer distances, so I want to make them all count.
And I'm definitely very focused on getting the most out
of myself in those races.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
You know, I'm surprised there were no words like rest
or sleep or nutrition.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yes, that is actually important too, but that's also something
that I'm doing all year long. Like, nothing changes from
races to my daily life. Like in this sport, everything
I do outside of training is about recovery and sleep
and eating, So that routine honestly doesn't change much going
into a race. Yes, your workouts are a little more
(07:35):
tapered and you're more rested, but I feel like with
this sport, it's my lifestyle of doing those things, so
those things come naturally, so then when you're at the race,
you're already prepared in those aspects.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
How does it feel for you to live every day
just so dialed into this sport? Obviously it is your career,
it's your full time job, but everything you do really
does revolve around running.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Does it ever get hiring for you?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Definitely? It's hard, and it's really easy when it's going
well and things are clicking. It's more in those moments
when you're going through injuries or having setbacks that it
gets really hard because you are dedicating your whole life
to this and there are a lot of sacrifices that
come with it, and I do see my job as
more of it's my lifestyle. So everything I'm doing outside
(08:25):
of practice is about getting ready for the next workout.
I finish one season, it's like, what's the goal for
the next season. You're thinking months ahead, years ahead. So
it can be daunting in some senses, but it's also
so exciting that I get to live out my dream
as my profession, and I'm so grateful for that. And
the highs can be so highs and the lows can
(08:45):
be low, but I really love being able to do
this as my job and like seeing how far I
can go in this sport. So I think I just
you have to be grateful and make the most of
the moments when you are healthy and things are going well,
for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And things are going well for you right now, for sure.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
But you did mention the injury buzzwords, something that you're
also quite familiar with. I know that you started the
twenty twenty four season off with a foot injury. Talk
to me about where your headspace goes when something like
that pops up, something that really does feel like it
was beyond your control.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
How do you speak to yourself, what's that mental dialogue
look like.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Yeah, the twenty twenty four season was really hard because
I ran the World Championships in the indoor season in
twenty twenty four and checked off all the boxes to
prep to get ready for the Olympic Trials of getting
the world standard running indoor Worlds, and then after that
my planner I had a big foot injury in my
planner and in my metatarsals, and it, honestly just it
(09:46):
was heartbreaking because you're building your whole season and years
around the Olympic Trials, like that's the biggest thing in
our sport, that in the World Championships, and to then
find out in April you're going to stop running when
that's one of the biggest months that you're getting ready
to potentially start racing again and get ready for June,
and it was really scary. And in that moment I
(10:10):
kind of just had to with Daithan two just be like, Okay,
let's just focus on the recovery, let's grind in the
cross training. I just went into like tunnel vision of
still training because we wanted the intention to still be, Hey,
You're going to still go out and try to make
this team, even though it's going to be a lot
harder right now with the setup and the build up.
(10:30):
I didn't even process the injury right away because I
kind of just had to start working out already even
harder with the swimming, the biking, the aqua jogging, the elliptical.
It was. I was doing everything I can to try
to keep the fitness that I had from the fall
in the winter, but it was it was really tough.
I was running for six weeks and then had to
(10:52):
open up my season at the Olympic Trials, when normally
that's the race that you're most fit for to try
to qualify to make the team, which is so hard
to do. But I kind of just had to focus
on the week to week and not think about the
long term because I was like, am I better today
than I was yesterday? And am I seeing improvements? So
I had to really break it down in that sense.
(11:13):
But it was very hard.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
So much of your self worth comes into question in
these moments, which obviously you are so much more as
a woman than just an athlete, right although that's such
a big part of your identity. When you are in
these difficult times, how do you find confidence when you
can't do the thing that otherwise brings you so much peace.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Sometimes it's easier to almost look in the past to
see what you've done and what you've done in the
last few years. And in this sport especially, things build
upon each other. Like I knew I had the race
experience and the maturity even though I wasn't there physically.
I knew I had a lot of strengths mentally, and
I kind of hoden in on that during the injury
(11:57):
time and focused on that. But it was hard, and
I think I was just taking the progress that I
was seeing and really holding on to that and holding
on to that anything can happen. And at the start line,
everyone's coming from a different point. Everyone's going through something,
and it's like this is my something right now, but
(12:18):
someone else is going through something too, And all that
matters is you need to show up on the day
and I need to give myself a shot, because I
would have regretted just shutting down the season and not
going to the Olympic Trials to try. I knew I
had a chance to try, and I would have regretted
not trying, even though I wasn't as prepared as I
would have liked and knew it was going to be
(12:40):
really hard.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
To be in a place where you can have such
a relentless amount of self belief. It's like I can
be a realist and also I can say I am
here to give this everything that I have, and so
letting go of the things that you can't change, like
you couldn't change what your approach had to be to
go in to that moment. So getting to a place
(13:01):
where you let that go to be present then and there,
it's challenging, but it's a masterclass and self compassion.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Definitely, That's totally how it was. Like I had to
let go of what happened and accept it and just
give it what I could on the day and believe
that I was capable. And I feel like I've always
had a lot of self belief in myself no matter
what I was going through, and I think that's something
that's also just been that's helped me throughout my entire
(13:31):
career of like always believing in myself and being a dreamer.
And I feel like you need to do that in
this sport, because yeah, we all have big goals and
we want to see how far we can go. And
I want to see how far I can go and
what I can do.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
You mentioned Dathan and your coach at ON Athletics Club.
You yourself debuted with ON Athletics Club at the beginning
of twenty twenty three. And a sport that otherwise can
be so individual, right, something that is really based on
your performance and yours alone. How does feel to have
that team and community aspect and what does it do
for you?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
It's incredible to be part of the On Athletics Club.
What ON has built here in Boulder, Colorado is one
of a kind, honestly, and to be training with such
an elite group and having people from different countries come together,
and the men and the women, just the training environment
is so elite that it just levels you, just level
(14:26):
up being part of this club and the amount of
resources that ON provides for you is really incredible. Like
we are set up to be able to train and
recover and chase fast times and medals like it's They've
really built a great culture around this team, and I'm
so grateful to be a part of it. And I'm
(14:48):
getting better every day by training with this group, and
I hope that my teammates feel the same way being
able to train with me, Like I think, we just
bring each other up. And yes, the sport is in individualized,
but we meet six days a week, which I think
is a lot for a ProTeam. Some teams only meet
on workout days. But we're together a lot of the time,
(15:08):
and that also is important because we all need to
We're seeing each other every day, running and working out
and lifting and racing together, and I just think it
allows us to really elevate each other, which is really special.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
And you said you're given all the tools that are
needed to go after things like metals, So what are
some of the tools get Let's get specific here on
the toolbox.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
So honestly, it's really exciting right now actually because On
just we had a new gym in this last year
and On actually now is going to rent out the
spot right next door which used to be a brewery
and they're totally renovating it. I think they're going to
start September first, So they were hoping that when everyone
was racing in Tokyo they could start the renovations. But
(15:58):
they're building out a whole separate side of the gym,
so then we can have a locker room, we can
have an underwater treadmill, we can have a massage setup,
we can have a smoothie bar in the front, and
really make it like an on headquarters in the US
for athletes and also allow other athletes from on to
come in and use the facilities. Maybe that aren't on
(16:21):
the team, but like have space for them too. And
it's just the amount of equipment we have too. It's
just a lot of woodway treadmills and alter g's and
recovery tools and just having full time medical. It's just
a lot of things are We're very on top of it,
and it's going to be really exciting when we have
(16:41):
this new space in the gym too to use. But
we're all very excited. I think it should be done
sometime in December for us to use for next year.
But yeah, those are some of just the little things
that we have access to that even in the winter months.
It's like we get access to using an indoor track
that ON provides for us, so then we can do
our training inside during the cold weather. Little things like that,
(17:03):
or going on training camps to sea level just if
we need it. They're here to help us and support
us and that's something that Dathan and On has really
set up for us to have the most success.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
So many perks training with the team.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Clearly, you just outlined so many of them, but that
doesn't mean that there aren't setbacks along the way. We
talked about that difficult season you had with your planter,
but beyond that, if you had to articulate what was
perhaps the most challenging part of your career up until
this point, perhaps the biggest hurdle, what comes to mind
for you is that.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Yeah, I would say the biggest hurdle was honestly my
senior year of college. I was out on winter break
and I was hoping at this point my college career
had been very up and down. Like in high school,
I was like heavily recruited, one of the top runners
in the country, and in my first four years of
college things were just very bumpy, and I transferred schools.
(17:59):
I went from UNC to Georgetown and took these risks
and to really go after because I believed in myself
that I could be better and better with running, and
your life in college as a college athlete is about
your sport, and I want to see how good I
could be, and I remember on winter break senior year,
I actually was out for a run and I got
(18:21):
attacked by a dog and in the end it was
pretty bad because I didn't know how bad it was
at the time. But then within the next month, like
in that spot that I got attacked by the dog,
I ended up getting a femoral stress fracture, my first
bone injury actually, and it was like, Okay, senior season
now is over, Like that was the end of that
(18:43):
was the start of the spring season, and it was like,
oh my gosh, like I just lost my senior year
of college. I have not done anything I want to
do in my college career that I thought and dreamed
about when I was in high school and getting recruited,
and it just felt like I couldn't catch a break.
And that was kind of like the trend in college,
like I just little things would pop up, and this
(19:04):
was a big one, getting attacked by a dog. But
it was like, man, like I just need I just
need a chance, Like I just need to be able
to run, like let me, let me run. And I
decided to take my fifth year, which I had in
just the indoor season and the outdoor season, and I
was like it was definitely a pivotal moment of like, hey,
(19:24):
you don't have the fall cross country, you need to
really like spend this time one I was healing my
injury from the femur injury, but really spend the fall,
like juste, you need to build a base, like you
need to we need to start something and like get
you going. And I think that was my fifth year
ended up being my best season, and that outdoor season.
(19:45):
I qualified for my first NCAA outdoors and I chased
a pro contract that summer, ran in like usas for
the first time in my Georgetown uniform, and I ran
that whole summer and like finally had eight months of
consistent training and I actually it was the year the
season went so late too, all the way till September.
How this season's kind of lined up and so I
(20:07):
was able to keep running as I chased a contract.
And I think just that senior year of it would
have been really easy to quit in that moment of like, hey,
you might not be able to have the chance to
do what you thought you were going to do in
college and chase after that running professional career. But I
(20:27):
was not gonna, honestly like let that define who I was,
and also the people that I was with at the time,
like really knew what I wanted to do in this sport,
and I think I really surrounded myself with like such
a good group of people and coaches, and just like
I was way more open about my goals and what
I wanted and we're like, Okay, let's try to do this, Like,
(20:49):
let's see what you can do with this fifth year
a little less classes also on the schedule, so a
little more time to act like a professional, and let's
see how good you can be in this time. And
I would say that was a huge moment because if
that didn't happen, then I wouldn't have be in my
fifth year as a professional right now and all the
steps that I've taken and grown. So yeah, that was
(21:11):
definitely a big hurdle. I would say so.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Many things to double click on here.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
The first thing is that concept of like we are
some of the people that we surround ourselves with, right,
and so for you to consciously make smart choices that
helped lift you up during a time that felt so
much bigger than you, such a valuable lesson for you
to learn then and then continue I'm sure to bring
with you now in the moments when you really did
(21:37):
just feel so frustrated, So like why is this happening
to me? How are you able to flip that victim mindset?
How are you speaking to yourself?
Speaker 1 (21:46):
I think I almost shut down when I wasn't really
speaking to myself. And I think that was the biggest
thing that surrounding in myself around people that were really
lifting me up, because I wanted to shut down and
like crawl away, and I wasn't open about what I
wanted to do and like expressing my goals. And it
really took the people around me to almost like help
(22:09):
me bring that out and show me that, like, hey,
so you do want to do this, like you do
want to try to chase his skull, Like I'm going
to help you do that. Or even my boyfriend at
the time who's now my husband. He's an olympian and
he ran professionally for a das for ten years, and
I remember like when he would just ask me, like
how are your runs? And I just didn't want to
(22:30):
tell him because I was like, these runs are terrible.
I'm going on a four mile run. I feel terrible.
I'm coming back from this massive injury. I'm like, why
does he care how my four mile run was? And
I think I just needed to be around people that
were also really like, hey, we want to help you
and we want to see you progress and surround yourself.
And that made me open up more about what I
(22:52):
wanted because I knew deep down I did want that,
but it was hard to share it in that moment.
So they really helped me bring that out and be
able to thrive under that situation. It's like, hey, we're
going to try to get you here as a team,
So yeah, that's really special too.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah, sometimes you have to have I always believe that
unless you're willing to vocalize what it is then you want,
then you don't get to get it. Like, yes, it
could happen by chance if you're like one of the
quote unquote lucky ones, but I would even argue that
I don't want to be one of the lucky ones,
because so much more is learned in the adversity, in
going through the motions, in putting myself through the paces,
(23:31):
whether we're talking about running or we're not talking about running,
to get what it is that excites me, and that
like really lights me on fire. And so for you
to then be able to get to a place where
not only you could vocalize what was important to you,
but then also open yourself up to the support.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
And that is something that I think is so challenging.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Right because I don't know about you, but I'm someone
who's like, well, I just want to do it myself.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Definitely. I'm definitely that type too, and I still am.
I hate asking for help, and it's it's like, you
really can't do it alone in this sport. And that's
something I've learned being on multiple teams and just even
in college, like it really you do need that support
system around you. But as stubborn as you can be
and as determined as you can be, it it's not
(24:17):
It's not an easy sport. And timing is a lot
of things in this sport. So it's really like you
need to capitalize on everything that you can take. And
I learned to take in more and let that help me.
And that was a big key.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Someone hears that I learned to take in more and
allow them to help me, and they're like, Okay, this
sounds really good, right, Like, oh, well it worked for her,
then maybe it could work for me, but still like
I'm facing some internal resistance to allowing myself to accept
the help. Do you have any like practical takeaways or
anything that really worked for you that made you feel
as though you were more open to allowing that help in.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
I think, honestly, it was building my confidence through the running,
like especially because it was being able to put each
piece together and have that consistency of the pieces and
seeing it like come to life slowly and surely, like
each like the indoor season had a few steps forward
(25:18):
and it was like okay, and it was like okay,
like let's write down some more goals for the outdoor season.
It was like I was taking all those little pieces
that I was seeing progress with and then using it
to then build confidence because I was taking a lot
of confidence from each workout. And I remember, actually I
would get so high from like a good workout and
(25:41):
then so low from a bad one, and it was like,
oh wow, because I was craving that, like I wanted
to have that high of a good workout. And then
suddenly later in the season it was like it was
just mellow, like it didn't matter if it was high
or low. I just like kind of calmed down with
the workouts because I didn't let it like get high
or low. It was just like steady and consistent. And
(26:03):
when I was studying consistent, it made me feel calmer,
it made me feel confident, and that was also then
what allowed me to talk more about the running and
be expressive about the running. But it did take me
being more consistent with it in my journey. But I
think some of the hardest parts is like, oh, when
am I going to when am I going to have
that breakthrough? Or like the comparison game is really hard too,
(26:27):
and I just really had to focus on my journey
and that was like a major key too. It's like,
this is my running, my journey. It's not going to
look like anyone else's. I don't know if anyone else
got attacked by a dog six months ago and is
doing this. It's just like no one really knows your
journey like you do, and you just got to focus
on that and then let other people help support that.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
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(28:46):
slash hurdle. Let's get back to it. So you say
that you were to find confidence during your running when
you were executing the workouts, even though if some of
the help to get there along the way came from others,
(29:08):
it was building that confidence within yourself to say, hey,
I can combine all of this to get to where
I want to be, which is so so powerful for sure.
What would you say that you learned about yourself in
this process of if I just keep putting in the work,
and I also don't let the highs get too higher
(29:30):
the lows get too low, better about staying neutral? What
did you learn through being better about staying neutral.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I learned a lot about myself and how determined I was,
Like I was determined to not let my like I
wanted to change what my story was from high school
to college, Like I was very determined to give myself
a shot. And I think I just learned that I
had a lot of self belief, always in myself, and
(29:58):
I just needed the right opportunity to really show and thrive.
And I think it was always easy for me to
be able to believe that I could do something, like
but it was sometimes you just need the opportunity to
show it. And that's why I was so hard in college.
I was like, man, I just can't catch a break.
But I really still wanted to see what I could
(30:22):
do when I was healthy, when I was confident, and
when things were clicking. And I've always believed in that,
and I think I just learned that I was. I'm
very determined, and I am a big dreamer, Like I
run with a lot of heart when I'm racing and training,
and yeah, I have I'm a big dreamer.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
I'm a big dreamer, and that's a good thing to be,
especially when you've got big dreams to chase after now
I know that you also met your husband shortly before
you went to do that fifth year of eligibility. Talk
to me a little bit about how you were able
to make the time to chase your dreams and give
breath to your personal life. I think that's a big
(31:02):
challenge for a lot of people, whether we're talking about
athletic goals, personal goals, or anything in between.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
Yeah, it was really funny also when we started dating,
because it was right honestly, as I was getting that injury,
and like we started dating right after that. And I
remember a month later, like after we started dating, I
was like, oh, by the way, I'm going to spend
another year in college, Like I'm not graduating this year,
so you're going to have to come visit me more
because you're the one that's making the time to come
(31:32):
down to visit me in Georgetown from New Jersey. But yeah,
we made it work and honestly having the time for
each other, Like he had to come see me a lot,
and he did have more time like as a professional runner.
But also I didn't want to inhibit his training too.
It's like, oh, getting on a train every weekend is
not the right thing for your training. So we really
(31:53):
made it work of It was distance for the first
year and even a little bit into COVID, But yeah,
I think we just made time for each other in
the right time. But also we're both making sure that
we were supporting each other on each other's journeys. And
his was as a professional runner and mine was to
try to qualify for NCAA's at the time, but they
(32:14):
were very different goals but also very important to both
of us. And so just making time for each other,
in space for each other and just supporting each other
was like the biggest thing. And yeah, DC was a
fun place to go on dates at the time and
get away from the running, and yeah, it was an
easy We were both on the East Coast, which made
(32:35):
it easier and we were both from New Jersey so
than anytime we had winter breaks or anything like me
coming up to him. So yeah, the biggest thing was
just making sure that each of us felt supported in
what we were doing as a couple.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
You highlighted that he also is a professional athlete. When
you think now about what life looks like for you
as a professional runner, is it what you expected that
it would both look like and maybe even more that
I'm interested in what it would feel like.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Honestly, from dating Robbie, I was able to get a
glimpse of what it could look like, and that really
opened my eyes to what it was like. And even
when he was traveling to Europe in the summer and
doing the summer races and prepping for US Championships to
qualify for Worlds, that was my first like eye opening
experience to what it could look like. And honestly, it
(33:24):
looked pretty fun to me because you're getting to do
what you love, which is running, and you're getting to
chase your goals and travel the world. And I think
being able to see it through his eyes first actually
then made it way less surprising than when I turned professional.
But it was a big adjustment turning professional during COVID
because then I signed in the fall of twenty nineteen,
(33:48):
and then COVID happened in twenty twenty, so my first
year as a professional looked very different than a normal
person's first year. So it honestly gave me the space
to actually just train and adjust to my coach at
the time and get adjusted to the professional life. So
in a way, it actually I think COVID year helped
me just get get my bearings of a new situation,
(34:11):
and it ended up having a breakthrough in twenty twenty one,
which was like my big breakout year. And I would
say this year, similar to twenty twenty one, is the
most healthy I've ever been. And in the years between,
there's always just been some setbacks or timing issues of things,
and it's like this year's very much reminding me of
what like twenty twenty one felt like. And that's kind
(34:34):
of special because I was my first year's professional and
now I've gone through some hurdles over the last three years,
and it's like this year things have been just like
clicking really well, and I've been healthy, the most healthy
I've ever been as a professional, and I'm stronger and
just a lot of things are coming together at the
right time. And I think that's what also attributed to
(34:55):
making my first outdoor team in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
What do you attribute that to?
Speaker 3 (34:59):
What do you attribute the being your most healthy self
to At this moment.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Listening to my body and focusing on the timing of
the season too was really important. After the big injury
in twenty twenty four, I really we wanted to take
things slow, and I think we didn't really put a
timeline on what twenty twenty five would look like. I
remember we were like, let's not do indoors if it
doesn't make sense. And I had run indoors a lot
in the past and run it hard, and I'm from
(35:27):
the East Coast and I love racing on the East
Coast a lot, and a lot of the races are
up there. But this year we're like, yeah, let's not
put any pressure on it. And I think taking the
pressure off and just really building and being in tune
with my body, things were just starting to click faster
than we even thought. And then when I did run
a couple of races indoors, it was like, oh cool,
this is like a perk, but it didn't need to happen.
(35:49):
And I was very much this season like for every
race I did, I wanted to one be excited about
and that was a big thing. It's like, Hey, I'm
really excited to run this race. Let's do it. And
we're really focused on that. And I did a bunch
of different events. I did a road five k, I
was running a fifteen hundred, I did the Grand Slam
three K, and just making the most out of the opportunities,
(36:10):
but also being really smart and calculated in like the
timing and the recovery of things, and just also being
now on the on Athletics club for two and a
half years, I'm physically a lot stronger adjusted to altitude.
I've been lifting consistently for years, and I think just
I'm a lot more. I'm just a lot stronger too,
(36:32):
And that was showing and things were just clicking, and yeah,
I just felt I kept saying to Dathan, like I
feel very in control. Like after a workout, I'm like, yeah,
I didn't like take as much ad as me as
it used to do. And that's kind of been the
trend this season. And yeah, we got to see some
really big breakthroughs this season, which is just really exciting.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Yeah, super exciting.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Now, I'd be remiss if I continued as on without
going back to the part where we didn't talk about
how you feel being.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
A pro athlete right now.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
I know we don't like to talk about our feelings,
but does it feel how you hope that it would feel?
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Is it different? Is it what you expected?
Speaker 1 (37:05):
I feel like it feels like what I expected it
to feel like. I think I never realized how hard
it could be, and it took some hard moments of like, man,
like you are dedicating so much time for this, but
I honestly wouldn't have it any other way because it's
such a unique chapter in my life and it's really
special that I get to do this and so cool
(37:26):
like to tell people too, like when you're explaining what
you do, it's like I get to work out and
exercise and chase my dreams and travel the world. It's
honestly not as surprising as I thought it would be,
but it's really special. And I think it's really special
too that my partner did it too, and he understands
it and he's not a professional anymore. But it's a
(37:48):
lot easier being with someone who understands what that lifestyle
is like and we're always on the same page with that.
So I think that also is just like a nice
perk on top of that.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Back to when you said that when you were getting together,
it was challenging for you because you didn't want to
be like I just did this silly little run today
and so much different than yours, Like how did you
get out of that comparison trap mentality? And open yourself
up to sharing this with him, something I'm sure you
hadn't had previously in a relationship.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Yeah, I started to get excited about it. So then
I was like starting to brag and be like, oh,
well I did this workout and then this. So I
started to see it as a positive of like, oh,
like look at my progress. So I saw it as
more of a like, oh, we can actually like really
connect on this right now, and it's okay, and I'm
not like embarrassed by it, even though we're at different
(38:40):
points right now, Like it's not no, he he actually
just cares and like let him care. So yeah, seeing
it as something positive and now I'm still years later
bragging about the workouts I'm doing to himself.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
I want to bring us back to Nationals this year. Obviously,
such a mer moment for you coming in third in
that five k. I rewatched that race earlier today and
I saw the joy on your face. Talk to me
about where your head and your heart were in that moment.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Yeah, it was. I felt so calm in that race.
And in years past, I remember like being in the
middle of the five k and there was like a
stress to it and it was like, oh, this is
harder than it should be. And this was the first
US Champs that I've run where at halfway I was
like I feel good, Like this is so nice, and
(39:34):
I just wanted to I put myself like in the middle,
back of the pack, and I just wanted to just
like accept like the race is going to be what
it is, and you're just going to run what the
race is. It's like, it's just a race, and you're
gonna you're capable to be in the top three in
this race, and let it play out how it's going
to play out. So I really accepted in the first
half of like, hey, you're just going to hang out,
(39:56):
be in the back, and with a k to go,
I did make a big move to the front because
it got kind of to the point where there was
a lot of us still in the race and it
was scary going into the front. But I also trusted
in my training of like progressing the pace down. We
practiced that a lot, and so I took the lead
and kind of broke open the race where then it
was a smaller pack because at first it was still
(40:18):
a lot of people and it's a scary thing to
go to the front and be in that spot because
everyone's just chasing you down. And in the last lap,
I actually do get passed by three people, and I
remember with one p fifty to go, I made sure
that I had something more gears in the end because
I really wanted to save a really great last hundred.
And I remember in that moment of people passing me,
(40:40):
like it could have been really easy for me to
like get tense and be like, oh no, like that's
the team I lost it, But all I did was
just like no, trust. I really trusted myself in that
moment of like, no, you still got this, You're still
feeling good, Like let's just keep going. There's still one
hundred and fifty meters to the finish line, and I
had a great last hundred and got in the third spot,
(41:00):
and crossing the line was just it felt like such
a like a relief moment because this season has been
going so well, and yes, I was a heavy favorite
to make the team this season, but it's one thing
to be a favorite, but another thing to also like
get it done. And it was just such a great
feeling of like yes, like you made it, Like you're
(41:22):
going to outdoor worlds like you've run on indoor teams before,
but you haven't made an outdoor team, and that was
like kind of like hanging over my head the last
few years. And it was a great feeling of you
did it. Yeah. I was just really proud and a
lot of relief honestly from it, and just like calmness.
I guess yeah, I guess I felt a lot of
calmness to it because it was like, yeah, you did it,
(41:43):
and you could do it, so yes?
Speaker 2 (41:46):
So yes?
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Were you always good at staying calm under pressure? Is
this a learned behavior? Where does that come from?
Speaker 1 (41:53):
It's been hard in the past at US Championships, especially
because you're thinking about maybe oh I'm not as prepared
I should as I should be, or like in a
situation where you're coming back from injury. Those situations have
been hard. But I think it just takes a lot
of practice, and in the races, like you get to
really practice that, and that was something I did practice
a lot this season of being calmon. There is something
(42:16):
about having calmness in a race. It's like your body's relaxed,
your stride is less tense, the shoulders like you're just
moving more fluidly. And it's always I always feel faster
when I'm in that like flow state, and I wanted
to really be in that state. So it's something that
you can practice, I guess a lot in practice, but
(42:36):
it's another thing to practice it in a race. And
it's definitely something that I think people get better at,
of course, Like when you see the best runners in
the world, like they know how to run well under pressure,
and that's something that I want to be able to
do too.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
Well, you're obviously already doing it, but I do think
that it takes a certain amount of practice, a certain
amount of reps, right, Like, you don't just show up
one day and you're entirely confident in all of your abilities.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
It takes showing up day in and day out and dealing.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
With those junkie days to remember that, hey, like I
can do this when it feels hard, and that then
instills your confidence in your strength for the next go around. Now,
when you think about the next go around, and I'm
not talking about the Diamond League, of course, I'm talking
about the main event here, when you think about showing
up on that starting line, what do you anticipate that
(43:27):
inner dialogue to look like.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
I'm going to have this sense of calmness and belonging
because I've always wanted it and I've always felt like
I could be there, and now it's like, hey, you
are there, and now you get to show it. So
I do feel like always when I'm running on like
the biggest stage, it's like I do get this sense
of calmness because I feel I'm so happy to be
(43:50):
there and I want to be there, and it's like
you're doing exactly what you want to do. And I'm
going to go into that prelim and do everything to
put myself in a position to be in that final
because in that final anything can happen, and you got
to get through step one to get to the final.
But I'm going to put myself in it and know
that I belong because when you make the team for
(44:11):
Team USA, it's one of the hardest teams to make,
it's like you know that you belong in that world
stage and you belong with the top competition. So I'm
really gonna honestly embrace the moment and yeah, run my
heart out.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Run my heart out, as you should.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
We hear this all the time, and for someone that
may not be well versed, why do we hear that
Team USA is one of the hardest teams to make.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
The amount of depth there is in the US is
really amazing. So that means like, getting top three, you
are one of the best in the world. And that's
why the system is so tough. It's like you need
to be top three on that day. There's no discretionary spots,
there's no selection process, and it's just that the US
is so deep in its running and yeah, it's really
(44:54):
hard to get on Team USA, and once you're there,
it's like, oh, you're one of the best in the world. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:59):
I have chills when you say that out loud, and
I can't help but wonder if you were to tell
your younger self that you would be here in this
moment now, being able to represent not only the US
but really pursuing one of your biggest dreams, what would
she think about this?
Speaker 1 (45:14):
I think she'd be very excited and also like so proud,
so proud that through it all, like you just kept
working at it, like I just have honestly worked really
hard to get here, and it's really exciting to see
it come together at this time and also gets me
excited for the future of it, because I do feel
like I'm going to be doing this for a long time,
(45:36):
and it feels like almost step one. It's like, hey,
you got to the outdoor chance, and now let's see
how far you can go after this.
Speaker 3 (45:43):
Now, I know that when you really care about something
so passionately like you do about your sport, that the
choices that you have to make aren't always labeled as sacrifices.
But you do have to make some sacrifices or some
difficult choices in pursuit of your profession. What would you
say the most difficult choice that you've had to make
(46:06):
over the last five years has been.
Speaker 1 (46:08):
You're very much in your bubble when you're running, and
it's hard to turn down, like taking trips home to
see family, and you feel like it's you feel guilty,
like there's like some guilt involved of like, hey, I'm
not coming home for this, I'm actually going to go
train at altitude during winter break and Christmas break. So
I think it's just like the constant cycle of like
(46:30):
in the running cycle, it's like hey, the season ends,
and it's like you get two weeks off and then
you start to build up again for the next year,
and it's the constant training where then the breaks are
very limited and sometimes they can it feels hard to
like get home and visit family sometimes because of that.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Yeah, do you feel like you have like more grace
with yourself now over situations like that than maybe you
did when it started?
Speaker 1 (46:57):
I think so, especially because I think our family and
friends also understand it at this point so much, and
like they understand what it takes and like it's the
they want to support me in what I'm doing and
being able to chase my dreams and knowing that it's like, hey,
this is a very like critical time in my life
to do this. It's gotten easier because of more people
(47:20):
understanding it and understanding the situation.
Speaker 3 (47:23):
For sure, someone comes to your Instagram page, they see
a woman, a professional for on Athletics club and obviously
a runner on her way to world championships. But when
you look in the mirror, Josette, what is it that
you see looking back at you?
Speaker 1 (47:38):
I see someone that has never given up even when
things have been hard. I see someone that's very determined
and goes after what they want even if people don't
think she can do it.
Speaker 3 (47:51):
Do you feel like there's been moments where you've really
faced doubt from others.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
In the professional career, it's like, hey, you've been I
think people used to put a limit on, like, oh,
you can only do this for so long, and I
think that's definitely changed in the culture, especially for female runners.
It's like you're seeing women run later than they are
in their careers. And I'm twenty nine and I've made
my first outdoor team as a twenty nine year old,
(48:18):
but you're seeing more and more often women making teams
in their thirties, having babies and also coming back from that,
and so it's really exciting to see that shift in
honestly the story and timeline of female runners, and it's
really exciting and I want to be part of that
conversation too, like, yes, I'm twenty nine, but also I
(48:39):
feel like my best running years are still ahead of me,
so I think, yeah, there can be some conversation of like, oh,
is this the end or is this no? It's like,
I feel like it's just the start.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
Just the start. What are you excited about right now?
What goals do you have both on and off the track.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
I'm very excited to one go to the world champion
chifs and I want a big goal make that final
and see what I can do in that final and
compete with the best in the world. That's like very
immediate and happening right now, and I think got to
have tunnel vision with that. But in the future, like
goals with running, I just want to see how far
I can go in this sport. For sure, I want
(49:18):
to see how much I can improve. Even though I'm
running the five k, I love running the mile. I
want to see how fast I can still run in
the mile, and just like keep improving my five k
and keep making teams and competing, keep progressing and seeing
how far I can go. And off the track, I
have a online running business with my husband called Miles
(49:38):
to Go, and I would love to keep coaching athletes
and growing that side of it. And because I do,
I am very passionate about the sport and coaching, and yeah,
I want to keep growing that business side of things
because that's also in the future.
Speaker 3 (49:54):
Tell me a little bit about what it's been like
working on that while also dialing in on your own training.
How is working with your significant other.
Speaker 1 (50:03):
We make a really good team. It's really exciting and
I would say right now, I'm taking a backseat in
our miles to go business, but and he's the main
guy holding it down with the runners. But I also
have a few athletes and want to be setting myself
up and like getting better at coaching and working with
(50:24):
different people. So we're building something together that we're both
passionate about and we're helping people, which is a big thing.
Speaker 3 (50:30):
There's a very big rise right now within running track
and field in female coaching.
Speaker 2 (50:38):
Is that something that you do see for yourself down
the line.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
I definitely am very interested in coaching, and I think
a lot of that also came from my college coach,
Julie Cully. She was an Olympian from New Jersey and
seeing what she was able to do as a profession
and then transition to coaching like she was a great
mentor for me to see that, and I was like,
I want to be just like her when I was
(51:03):
in college. So it's it's definitely hard, and you see
that there is so few women in coaching, and I
don't know exactly what it would look like, but it
is definitely an avenue I want to explore in the
future after my running career. But I don't know which
way it would look, whether like that was college professional,
(51:23):
making your own running group like, but I think there's
a lot of possibilities and it's something that I definitely
see myself exploring in the future.
Speaker 2 (51:31):
Open to the possibilities.
Speaker 3 (51:33):
As we wind down here right now, you have an
opportunity to offer yourself a piece of advice looking back
when you got that frightening dog bite and so much
just felt instantly beyond your control when you dealt with
that bone injury. Right now, knowing what you know now,
what advice would you give yourself in that hurdle moment.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
I would definitely give myself some grace and understand that
some things are out of your control. But when you
also surround yourself with the people that believe in you
and want to support your goals, like, really special things
can happen. So I would say, really hone in on
those people and use their support because it's really special
(52:18):
to have and it can really help you grow as
an athlete and a person.
Speaker 3 (52:23):
Josette, so happy that we were able to chat today,
and I'm going to be rooting for you in Tokyo
for those that aren't following along with you, just yet
give us the details. Where can they keep up with
you online?
Speaker 1 (52:36):
They can keep up with me on my Instagram. It's
at Josette Norris, but you can follow along on there.
I'll hopefully be posting a lot of fun stuff going
into Tokyo, especially.
Speaker 3 (52:46):
Oh my Gosh, I'm Over at Emily Body and at
Hurdle Podcast Another Hurdle Conquered.
Speaker 2 (52:52):
Catch you guys next time.
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