Upload a Photo Upload a Video Add a News article Write a Blog Add a Comment
Blog Feed News Feed Video Feed All Feeds
Like USATF on Facebook Subscribe to the USARC RSS feed go to USATF.org

Folders

All (0)
 

 

Catching Up with Emma Bates - .US National 12K

Published by
DyeStatPRO.com   Nov 12th 2015, 4:20am
Comments

From Bronco to Unicorn

By Scott Bush

With the .US National 12K this coming Sunday, we caught up with new pro Emma Bates. The current BAA High Performance runner continues to transition from an incredible collegiate career at Boise State, where she won the NCAA 10,000m title in 2014.

We discuss Bates' transition from college to pro life, why she picked the BAA, what he expectations are heading into the weekend and much more.

Follow Emma: Twitter

Scott Bush (SB): The .US National 12K has arrived. You've had a relatively quiet season since the USATF Outdoor Championships. How's training been going and what are your expectations heading into the weekend? 

Emma Bates (EB): Training has been going exceptionally well. Team BAA and I have been living in Mammoth Lakes, California the past 4 weeks getting some altitude training in. It has been a rejuvenating experience for me in more ways than one. It's hard to say where I should expect to finish this weekend though. Everything has been so new and I have added a lot of different elements into my training.

That, along with the altitude, makes it difficult to say where I will finish. However, I am very interested to see how the altitude training has affected my fitness level and it will be a good indication of what we need to work on moving forward.

SB: You placed 16th in your debut as a pro at the USATF 10 km Championships last month. What did you take away from that experience?

EB: I went into the 10k Champs last month with very low expectations. I realized how burnt out I was from running at the end of the Outdoor track season and knew I would need a substantial break. I took a full month off from running this summer and had a purposefully slow buildup. I knew I wasn't in my best shape going into Tuft's, but I knew how important the experience would be for me.

I ran extremely conservative the first half of the race and ended up being in "no man's land" the last three miles. It was a mentally tough race in that respect, however, I am very pleased with my performance. I learned how unique road racing is from track or cross-country. There is no settling in a road race, you have to be willing to run hard the entire way. Hopefully I can do that the next time out.

SB:  Coming off your very successful collegiate career, you could have picked any group to join as you transitioned to being a professional. Why choose the B.A.A. High Performance team?

EB: There were a lot things about the BAA High Performance team that appealed to me, but the biggest deciding factor for me was the coach. I knew for me to be able to improve I would need somebody to not only coach me in running, but to coach me in life. Running is so much different than other sports in that it is largely mental. Any coach can tell you how far or how fast to run, it takes a good coach to be able to identify emotions that are holding you back and determine how you can overcome them. I knew the moment I met Terrence that he would open my eyes to my weaknesses and help me turn them into strengths.

SB:  Transitioning from Coach Ihmels to Coach Mahon, how is your training any different now compared to your time at BSU?

EB: The training I received at BSU created a really strong base for my post-collegiate career. I think everything I did at BSU got me really strong and I feel like I am now ready to train harder and faster than ever before. Coach Mahon has me doing a lot of race specific workouts that will get me fine-tuned for the 10,000 meters.

SB: You're experiencing your first fall as a pro. What's the transition been like for you and how close of tabs are you keeping on your Boise State team?

EB: The transition has been pretty seamless. I miss my Boise State team and the girls I used to train with, but the BAA women have made it easy to want to go to practice every day and work hard. I'm really excited to see how the Boise State team does this year. They have a set of fresh, talented faces on the team coupled with a few seasoned veterans. I expect them to make a great showing on the national stage in a few weeks. 

SB: As we head into an Olympic year, what do you feel you need to work on over the next six months to best prepare yourself as you head into the Olympic Trials?

EB: I have a lot to work on over the next six months. I feel like I'm only now starting to catch my stride. I don't expect to make an Olympic team this year but I'm going to do everything in my power to try. It will be my first Olympic Trials and the biggest thing I can gain from running it is experience.

I know that our sport is a process and I'm going to do my best to be patient and keep my head in the game. I hope to be one of the best some day, and to do that I need to wait until I can reap the benefits of training hard and staying motivated.



More news

History for USATFRunningCircuit.com - USATF Running Circuit Official Site
YearVideosNewsPhotosBlogs
2024 23 15    
2023 54 62    
2022 71 72    
Show 20 more