A Q&A With Gabe Anderson, Brooks Running Beast Athlete

Gabriele placed 9th in the finals of the 1500m in the Olympic Trials.

The following is a post sponsored by Brooks Running. For our sponsored post policy, click here.

As part of our ongoing role as a Brooks Running blog ambassador, we get to talk to some super-cool people. Super-cool people like Brooks Beast Athlete Gabriele Anderson. (Is “beast athlete” not the best title ever? We think so.) And beast she is!

At the University of Minnesota, Gabe was a three-time NCAA Cross Country Championships competitor and was second team All Big Ten in cross country in both 2007 and 2008. On the track, she closed out her Gopher career with a second place finish in the 1500m at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships, and a second place finish in both the 800m and 1500m at the 2010 Big Ten Outdoor Championships. In 2009, she was second in the mile at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, as well as second in the 800m at the 2007 Big Ten Indoor Championships. She holds schools records of 4:13.45 in the 1500m, 8:27 in the 4×800, and 18:58 in the 4×1600. At the USA Outdoor Championships in June, Gabriele placed seventh in the 1500m. She placed ninth in the finals of the 1500m in the Olympic Trials. And all of this has happened as she’s battled and won two bouts with cancer: adenoid cystic carcinoma in 2009, and 18 months later, unrelated aggressive thyroid cancer.

We recently chatted with Gabe about her running career, how she stays motivated, how cancer has affected her training and her best advice for other runners of all levels!

One thing Gabe Anderson remembers before she runs? To have fun!

Interview with Runner Gabe Anderson

• FBG: How and when did you first get into running?
• GA: I first started running when I was in grade school. There was an elementary school cross country running program for a few weeks. Some of my friends were going, so I decided it might be fun, too! I tried a lot of different sports growing up but finally decided on running more seriously around 8th grade.
• FBG: What’s your favorite time of day to run?
• GA: I am definitely not a morning runner! I cherish my long hours of sleep (extra recovery!), so you’ll find me running later in the day. I love running in the evening usually, which is nice because that is typically the time of day we race on the track.
• FBG: How do you motivate yourself on days when you don’t feel like running or working out?
• GA: There are always going to be days when you don’t necessarily feel like getting out the door or grinding through a really tough workout. But I just try to commit to the plan—and if I’m lacking motivation—the goal is really just to get out the door! I might decrease my expectations of the run or workout and end up doing better than I thought I would. Sometimes less pressure is a good thing! Other times I’ll be sure to think of some kind of reward to incentivize myself—maybe a dinner afterwards at a favorite restaurant or getting my nails done! It’s always easier if you have something to look forward to afterwards.
• FBG: Do you have any pre-race rituals?
• GA: I don’t have too many rituals. I do have my standard pre-race/pre-workout nutrition (a powerbar and lemonade GenUCAN), and I try to stay consistent with that. Sometimes I’ll paint my nails just to pass the time before races, but sometimes I don’t. I usually listen to music or read a book or magazine—something relaxing.
• FBG: What do you think about just before the gun goes off?
• GA: In the few moments before the gun goes off, I try to focus on a few positive key words, or affirmations, and remind myself that I am prepared. Calling to mind all of the tough workouts and preparation should make anyone feel more confident and excited before a competition. And if I’m feeling too worked up, I just remind myself that I’m doing this for FUN!
• FBG: You’ve beaten two bouts of cancer. How has this affected your running?
• GA: I’m really not sure all of the ways it has affected my running. It definitely has made me realize how lucky and blessed I am do be able to do what I love every day, and I no longer take good health for granted. It has helped me to prioritize the important things in my life and therefore make the most out of my opportunities as an elite athlete!
• FBG: What does your usual workout schedule look like?
• GA: On any given week, my workouts will usually include a long run (up to 15 miles) with two or three additional hard sessions. In between those hard sessions, I’ll just run easy, and some days I’ll do a morning run and some weeks I’ll need a full day off for recovery. Since I’m a 1500m runner, one of my sessions will be more aerobic-oriented (like a 20-minute tempo or intervals with short rest) and one will be more speed-oriented (like hill sprints or 200s and 400s on the track). There is a lot of variation in my training, and I love that!
• FBG: What kinds of foods do you eat? Does this change when you’re close to competition?
• GA: I’m always trying to eat healthy and do the best I can to fuel my body, so I’ll usually eat a lot of whole grains and lean proteins throughout the week. But I also love pizza and Chipotle and beer, so it’s all about keeping that balance! I try to eat some kind of salad before every dinner, and I usually start my day with Greek yogurt, fruit and cereal. My diet doesn’t change too much around races.
• FBG: What’s playing on your iPod?
• GA: I just looked at my “recently played” list, and I’m seeing Katy Perry, Coldplay, The National and Brandi Carlile!
• FBG: What’s the best advice you can give a beginner runner? Intermediate runner? Advanced runner?
• GA: Giving advice is so hard! But I think one of the most important pieces of being a happy, successful runner is learning how to listen to your body. When you’re first starting out, it might be hard to know what kind of effort is “too hard” or “too easy,” but after a while you will know what your body needs—even if that means a day off! I would suggest trying to address injuries early (before they become serious) and also shifting and modifying workouts if you need to. And of course, run happy!

Super inspiring, motivational and interesting! And we love that she loves beer and Chipotle. A girl after our own hearts! Thanks to Brooks Running and Gabe for the fab interview! —Jenn