Interview with Alice Schmidt

By Mackenzie Lobby

Alice Schmidt, 26, is bound for the Olympic Games. After winning her heats in both the quarterfinals and semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track and Field 800 meters, Schmidt went on to finish second in the finals with a time of 2:00.46. She joins previous Olympians Hazel Clark and Nicole Teter on the 800-meter squad.

Born in Omaha, NE, Schmidt dominated the record books in high school, winning multiple state championships in the 800, 1600, and 3200. She continued her progress at the University of North Carolina, where she became an 800-meter specialist and won multiple championships in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.

Since graduating in 2004, Schmidt has pursued a professional running career and has stayed in the Chapel Hill, NC, area. This past winter, she began training at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA, where she will continue preparing for Beijing with her coach, Joaquim Cruz.

We talked with Schmidt several days after she clinched her spot on the U.S. Olympic team. She tells us about the drama of the qualifying rounds at the Olympic Trials, her secrets to staying healthy, and her passion for running the 800.

New York Road Runners: Congratulations on making the Olympic team in the 800 meters and for finishing with the second-best American time in the distance this year. Could you tell us a little about how the final race unfolded at the Olympic Trials and if you had a specific strategy?
Alice Schmidt: After what had happened in the semifinal, where all the women fell and there was a pile-up, I think everyone’s race strategy was to get out hard and stay out of trouble. That’s exactly what my coach and I talked about. I just thought I needed to get out and take care of myself.

NYRR: Since you’re usually pretty good at going out hard, do you think that gave you an advantage?
AS: Generally the 56 [seconds] high we ran [for the first lap] wouldn’t really faze me, but this year I haven’t really raced that many 800s and I haven’t gone out that fast. This race took its toll on my system. The last 100 meters was pretty darn painful. Going fast and staying out of trouble ended up being an okay strategy, though. Of course I would have loved to have won and finished a little stronger than I did, but I took second place and that’s not too bad.

NYRR: Did the spill during your heat in the prelims psych you out at all?
AS: Because I didn’t fall, it wasn’t too much of a problem for me. Two years ago at Prefontaine there was a really nasty fall and I have been in enough races where there have been close calls. It didn’t mess with my head but I took it into account for my race strategy in the finals.

NYRR: Did you hear the scuffle behind you and know that some of the other women had gone down?
AS: I can remember seeing a shadow of an arm and I heard them shuffle their feet and then hit the track. Mostly I could just hear the reaction of the crowd. With the Jumbotrons at each turn, I could see that all of a sudden there was a big gap behind me and I could run comfortably. I knew at that point that there was some kind of pile-up.

NYRR: It was a good thing you were out front in that semifinal race.
AS: In the quarterfinal I went out slow and ended up getting stuck on the rail and my stride kept getting clipped. I decided I didn’t want that to happen again. My coach said in the second round I needed to get out of trouble and stay away from the pack. That helped me a lot.

NYRR: How did you deal with the pressure at the Olympic Trials as one of the favorites to earn a trip to Beijing in the 800-meters?
AS: I avoided reading any of the polls and the pre-race rankings. Even though they’re really great and can be flattering, they don’t really mean anything. They can mess with your head. The day of my race I just stayed focused on what I wanted to achieve. I remember leaving my hotel room on the way to the track. I closed my door and walked down the stairs and thought, “if I have to come back to this hotel room and I’m sad, that’s a really bad feeling. I want to come back to this room and be really happy.”

NYRR: Describe the experience of being in Eugene for the Trials.
AS: I feel like there was a little bit of criticism that Eugene was hosting the Trials and people were worried that the stadium was too small. I think when everybody came into Eugene, they all realized that the organizing committee had done a really great job.

The people of Eugene are big track fans, so it was nice that everyone around was really positive and into the track meet. I think that the city of Eugene plays favorites [laughs], but there’s always going to be a certain amount of home-court advantage. I happened to be on the infield during the men’s 800, because we were doing the awards ceremony, and I have never heard a stadium erupt like that. When the three Oregon/Eugene guys [Nick Symmonds, Andrew Wheating, and Christian Smith – who placed first, second, and third respectively] were finishing the 800, the noise from the crowd was indescribable.

NYRR: How does the feeling of making the Olympic team differ from that of making a world championship team?
AS: From a competitive standpoint, it was the same thing we do every year at USAs. But from a media perspective and a consequences perspective, this is obviously a much bigger deal. I am so excited. I can’t wait to run at my first Olympic Games.

NYRR: You’ve had problems with plantar fasciitis in the past. How are you keeping yourself healthy nowadays?
AS: I started this season much later than I normally would. I did a little less base training in the fall because I wasn’t really able to run. Because of that, I’m looking forward to this next four weeks. My PR was at Prefontaine in early June so this year hopefully I’ll be able to push my peak back to the Olympic Games. I’ve had some great physical therapists and athletic trainers at the Olympic Training Center. I’m in a place this year that I never would have envisioned. I am healthy and on the team. I’m looking to continue improving and go to the Olympics and hopefully really make a statement.

NYRR: I read somewhere that you’ve been working on your mental game. What have you done?
AS: That has come with practice. It’s been tougher since I’ve been training alone. I definitely have to be more deliberate in visualizing through long intervals and workouts. Sometimes it’s really tough for me to stay focused. That’s something that I’ve just acquired over time. During the race I’m usually like “the hay is in the barn and the work has been done and today you will compete fiercely.” If you’re thinking during a race, you’re doing something wrong.

NYRR: Now that you’ve made the Olympic team and you’ve reached the highest level, how do you plan on keeping up your motivation to train?
AS: I think it’s the motivation to always improve your time. You can always find a way to get better. It’s not perfect until you retire and you can look back and say, “That was my perfect race.” But until then, I feel like every athlete just wants to continue improving.

NYRR: Do you see yourself being around and competing at the next Olympic Trials?
AS: That’s part of my goal for my five-year plan. I would really like to see my times get faster and progress. I’m looking forward to the future.

Interview conducted July 4, 2008, and posted on July 9, 2008.