Exactly 1-month out from the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials (Houston, January 14th), Runners Feed caught up with Magdalena Lewy-Boulet of the Bay Area Track Club. Magda, who was born and raised in Poland, became a U.S. Citizen on the same day America experienced one of its most horrifying events—9/11/01. Since becoming a citizen Magda has made her country proud, having donned the red, white, and blue on numerous occasions including this past March at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships where she contributed to team USA’s Bronze medal finish. In this interview, Magda takes us through a day in the life of an Olympic marathoner and mom, and shares her thoughts on staying healthy to run fast through the ages.
1) Take us through a typical training day in your life leading up to the trials.
I get up around 7 AM and make breakfast for my son, who’s in 1st grade. Once he is off to school, I’ll do my morning run, typically in the 10-12 mile range. Then it’s off to the gym for some core strength work and stretching. I get back home around 12:30 or 1, have lunch, and try to take a nap for an hour or so. After that comes an afternoon run, usually a bit shorter than the morning run, and most of the time followed by some quick strides. I pick up my son after school, and the rest of the day is homework, reading, playing and cooking dinner. After my son goes to bed, my husband does massage work on my feet while I eat dessert on the couch. By 10, I’m pooped and off to bed. There are some days where I have a specific workout in the morning, which is much harder and usually longer, and in that case I usually don’t run a second time that day.
2) A lot has been said about Meb’s age leading into the Olympic Trials. At 38, do you feel that your age is an advantage or disadvantage?
I do notice that I get a bit more tired these days than I did a few years ago, but I think what I may have lost physically I have more than made up for mentally. I’m a lot more flexible in my training now, and I realize that it’s OK to go easy sometimes or back off of workouts that I may not have backed off from 10 years ago. And for me, I spent so much time in my 20′s and early 30′s being hurt, giving birth, or working a full-time job, that I don’t feel like my body is as run down as it would be physically had I been a full time professional marathon runner this whole time.
Lewy-Boulet Wins the New Balance Falmouth Road Race this past August. Photo Credit: Spiked Up Psyched Up
3) What would you tell your 25-year old self?
Quit your job and focus 100% on being the best athlete you can be. Start training for the marathon now. Get in touch with Phil Wharton and learn how to stretch. Get in touch with Jack Daniels and learn how to train for the long stuff. Still, I’m very happy with my current life, and I wouldn’t say I really have any true regrets, but it would be nice to know how fast I could have been if I’d started this whole thing at a younger age.
4) We recently reviewed Wharton’s Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) method and have been told you are a fan. How big of a role does AIS play in your training regiment?
AIS is a huge part of my everyday routine. I feel like it’s one of the main things that keeps me healthy and able to handle running 120 mile weeks for months at a time. Meeting Phil has been one of the best things that’s happened to me as far as extending my running career. He’s also one of my favorite people in the world.
5) If you could speak to all the ‘weekend warriors’ out there about their running development, what one topic would you focus on and why?
The one thing I would say most people neglect is their flexibility. Most people know that if they run more, they will gain fitness, and if they lift more, they will gain strength. But working on your flexibility will help you avoid the injuries that take you away from those other two things. Ultimately, the biggest gains in fitness come from time spent training without interruption.
6) What word would you use to describe the rise in success of American marathoners, in particular your female competitors.
The word that first comes to mind when I think of my fellow American female marathoners is “Determination.” While I wouldn’t say that I know most of them as well as I’d like to, they all seem to be on a mission. After spending time with Shalane [Flanagan] on the last two World Cross Country trips, she probably embodies that attitude as well as anyone I’ve met. In the marathon, that’s probably the most important personality trait to have, since the training takes so much time and energy out of you.
Rapid Fire Questions:
How many nights a week do you prepare dinner at home? 6-7
A vacation isn’t a vacation without a good glass of wine and a good trail.
What is your LEAST favorite part of running? Racing in hot and humid conditions
Who is funnier…Phil or Jim Wharton (of Wharton Performance)? Love them both, but Phil is funnier.
The best part about being a mom is hearing “Mommy, I love you so much that I can’t even explain…plus one.”
My favorite part of Runnersfeed.com is the injury prevention section, there’s some good stuff on there for everyone.
About the Author: Brandon Laan is a runner, coach, and entrepreneur. He spent his undergraduate days at The University of Western Ontario where he captained the Cross Country Team before fleeing to Hawaii Pacific University for graduate school. He is a Level II Certified USATF coach and holds personal bests of 1:06 and 2:21 in the Half Marathon and Marathon respectively. He also enjoys running to eat, not eating to run…and always will.
