byLarry Eder
Smith has run 2:25 for the marathon. She is a fierce racer, with world times from 5,000 meters to the half marathon. She is one of the small group of women who can go from 2:25 to 2:22 in one race. Will this year’s ING New York City marathon be the race for Kim Smith? Many think the Kiwi from Providence, Rhode Island can win New York. Here is what she said in her interview on November 1:
November 1, 2011
An interview with: KIM SMITH
Q. What is your favorite part of the New York City Marathon in terms of the course?
KIM SMITH: I don’t know. I can’t really even remember too much. I never really remember courses that well. I try to focus the racing rather than the course.
Q. Before a race, do you check the courses? Do you drive over the course in order to get to know some difficult areas, bridges?
KIM SMITH: Yeah, I feel like I know the course okay just because I have done it before, but not usually. I don’t usually look at the race too much before.
Q. You’ve run this two times or three
times?
KIM SMITH: Three. Yeah, I’ve done the mini a few times.
Q. So you’re familiar with that hill section?
KIM SMITH: Yeah, yeah. It’s tough. It’s definitely a tough one.
Q. Have you done the New York City half yet?
KIM SMITH: No, I haven’t.
Q. In your 2008 debut, do you remember what your circumstances were?
KIM SMITH: I just had a cold.
Q. Did you run through it?
KIM SMITH: I tried to run. I was determined to start, but I probably shouldn’t have.
Q. Courses that are very specific to the marathon, and do training on courses that are very specific to the course they’re going to run on. Do you run on routes that are similar the last few miles of the New York City Marathon?
KIM SMITH: Providence is a pretty hilly place, so I think it works out well to incorporate hills into most of what I do, so, yeah.
Q. Are you satisfied that in the past you’ve gotten through all 26 miles of the marathon in good form in the past? And, if not, have you done some things this time to make sure that that won’t happen?
KIM SMITH: Yeah, I think I haven’t had as much success in the marathon as I have at the other distances, and I hope to get there this time. Yeah, I think it’s a tough distance, and it’s a lot of learning involved. Now that I have a few under my belt, I think it’s going to be a little easier.
Q. With the couple of half marathon successes, do you feel like the trouble that you had in Boston is just far behind you?
KIM SMITH: Yeah, I hope so. It’s still scary to run a marathon. Anything can happen. But, yeah, hopefully that’s all behind me.
Q. Some runners in New York don’t have pacers. Do you enjoy that type of race, or do you enjoy when someone brings you out at a certain pace?
KIM SMITH: No, I think I’m happy enough to not have pacers for a marathon.
Q. Were you convinced that the calf was as severe as it seemed? I know we did talk about this once, but that was pretty much, when it was over, it was over. There’s always a possibility that something unforeseen can happen in a marathon, but there was not going to be any continuing problem with the calf muscle?
KIM SMITH: No, it seemed to be fine, yes.
Q. As far as what New Zealand wants from you to show that you’re ready to go to London and all that, do you think you’ve pretty much already done that? Have you been selected or anything yet?
KIM SMITH: I don’t actually think I have to qualify this time.
Q. You don’t have to qualify. Do they go by the regular international standard?
KIM SMITH: No, a little harder. I think it might be 2:30.
Q. 2:30 what?
KIM SMITH: 2:30 or 2:31.
Q. Is there anyone else from there that’s in that ballpark at this point?
KIM SMITH: Yeah, there is another woman who ran — I think she ran 2:32 last year.
Q. Is that Nina?
KIM SMITH: No, Fiona Docherty.
Q. Are you training or are you just running in Rhode Island?
KIM SMITH: I’ve just been in Rhode Island.
Q. So like I know Matthew is coming like Thursday night or something like that. Do you see that as an advantage, or you simply don’t care about the altitude?
KIM SMITH: I’ve been altitude training before, but I don’t think it did that much, so I don’t know. I just like being in Rhode Island and training.
Q.Do you have a–did you have any kind of regular training partners for this marathon cycle?
KIM SMITH: There was another girl, actually, that I was training with from Ireland who was a running mate, training for a marathon.
Q. What was her name?
KIM SMITH: Her name is Ava.
Q. Do you know her last name?
KIM SMITH: Hutchinson.
Q. Is it Eva or Ava?
KIM SMITH: Ava.
Q. What marathon was she going to do?
KIM SMITH: She did Dublin, but she actually hurt her calf as well, so scares me a little bit.
Q. How are the preparations different preparing for New York as preparing for Boston?
KIM SMITH: They haven’t been too, too different. They’re similar, similar preparation.
Q. What is the peak mileage?
KIM SMITH: 115.
Q. Were you affected by that storm at all? Did you run through it?
KIM SMITH: Oh, no, we didn’t run.
Q. Talking about mileage, you have been like trying to check out how much you can go like 115, and that was the highest that you ever did, or have you done more before?
KIM SMITH: I think the highest I got before was 120. But I get quite tired when I do too high and my workout suffers, so I prefer to keep it around 115.
Q. After Philly, did you take time off?
KIM SMITH: No, I just continued.
Q. Do you wish the half marathon was an Olympic sport?
KIM SMITH: Yeah.
Q. I mean, do you think that’s almost like the race that you’ve mastered in the past?
KIM SMITH: Yeah, I feel like I can go out any day of the week and leave high training and running for 69 minutes or 70 minutes. It’s been very easy, but, yeah, I just feel pretty confident and comfortable there.
Q. So for the Philadelphia Half Marathon, you have been training before?
KIM SMITH: No.
Q. You just run straight?
KIM SMITH: I had like two easier days.
Q. So are you pretty convinced at this point that you know which event you’re going to run?
KIM SMITH: Yeah, I want to do the marathon.
Q. How much time will you be getting back in New Zealand?
KIM SMITH: I want to go home for the winter. It’s summer there, so I’d like to spend a little time.
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