by RBR Admin
Molly Huddle, photo by PhotoRun.net
Posted originally on November 3, 2017
Reposted December 13, 2017.
Molly Huddle will run her second marathon at the 2018 Boston Marathon. We thought that this piece from November 2018 by Caroly Mather, the long time writer for Running Journal and Racing South, on the focus on Molly Huddle.
Molly Huddle is one of the finest American distance runners of her era. Totally focused, Molly Huddle has developed her racing skill set from 5000 meters to the marathon. Her future, obviously, is with the marathon. Molly told me yesterday that this next year is about learning more about the 42.195 meter distance.
Carolyn Mather caught up with Molly Huddle on November 1, 2017. We thank Carolyn for her writing and Molly for her candor.
MOLLY HUDDLE RETURNS TO THE BIG APPLE
American record holder and Olympian Molly Huddle is in New York City this week to honor Gabe Grunewald as she received the Special Inspiration Award at the 3rd Annual Activ against cancer luncheon, to support her sponsor Saucony and to race the USATF Championship Dash to the Finish 5K on Saturday before the main event, the TCS New York City in Marathon on Sunday which she ran in her debut marathon in 2016 with a third place podium finish in 2:28:13. Molly had decided to forgo a fall marathon thinking she would not have time to get ready after concentrating on her summer track season. She realized a bit too late that she probably could have raced a fall marathon but she will now put all of her focus on a spring marathon(to be announced in December).
Molly decided at the last minute to race the 5K and get back to racing following a break from her outdoor track season. After this she plans to race the Manchester Road Race (4.738 miles) on Thanksgiving Day then move to the Houston Half Marathon in January as she gets into serious marathon training. Having lost her marathon training partners of Olympians Amy Cragg and Kim Smith, she has been training with Emily Sisson and several other up and coming “youngsters” who she figures she is “mom” to them. At age 33 Molly is hardly that old and well suited to have continued success on the roads and to providing insightful guidance to “her children”.
Molly learned valuable lessons from her debut marathon in NYC.She is looking forward to tackling the distance again and getting through the training cycle injury free. She knows that the distance is daunting and she has great respect for the marathon. She hopes to be able to compete at that distance in the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials and race the marathon in in the Tokyo Olympics. As a two time Olympian she knows the importance of staying healthy and getting everything right. And she has learned the the little things that can cause a detour. Her longtime coach, Ray Treacy knows all the tricks to coaching a marathoner and he knows Molly well.
The Elmira,NY native has had incredible success on the roads holding the 5K and 10K American records.But she feels the pressure that comes with the expectation that she do well. Certainly she feels the necessity to get everything right.She realizes how much work, dedication and effort it takes to get it right when so much can not go according to plan. Yet having watched Molly over the years I am confident that she is equal to the task at hand and she will continue to be a bright American distance running star.
As I wrote after ten mile championship in the Twin Cities in 2015, Molly’s competitors conceded the victory to her before she even started and she ran the entire race alone not sure if she was even on course. Her American record performance time was discounted as the race is basically point to point and not record eligible. But as Molly quipped after the race, that was not an aided course, there were a lot of hills.Molly often makes it look easy but believe me she puts in the work for the rewards. I am confident her spring marathon will be as stellar as she is.
