by Jeff BenjaminAmanda Eccleston is an elite athlete for Brooks. Amanda has run 4:03.25 for the 1,500 meters and 4:25.64 for the mile. This interview was done by Jeff Benjamin, who, besides writing for all of our pubs for three decades, is a full time teacher, husband and father. Oh, and yes, Jeff Benjamin is a running geek.
Amanda is an example of the fine quality of American woman distance runners in 2018. We thank her for her honesty and wish her good racing in 2018.
Jeff Benjamin, Amanda Eccleston, photo by Jeff Benjamin
RBR, #1, how did you get started?
Amanda Eccleston, 1) I started running in 7th grade after watching my sister compete in track the year before. I chose distance solely because there were a lot fewer distance runners on the team.
RBR, # 2, how did you develop?
Amanda Eccleston, 2) I was definitely a late bloomer. My high school times were respectable (2:24, 5:13) but not indicative of where I’d go. I didn’t break 5:00 in the mile until my junior year of college, but things really started progressing after that.
RBR, # 3, what was the your favorite high school race?
Amanda Eccleston, 3) My favorite high school race was track regionals my freshman year. I needed to run under 5:26 to qualify for states in the 1600, and my previous best was 5:39. I went with the leaders and never looked back and ended up running 5:23 to qualify for my first state meet.
Tested the fitness a little today with a 3k time trial 💪🻠Ran hard, ran well, enjoyed the grind. Thanks to my perfect pacer @erinefinn and cheering squad @UMichTrack @brooksrunning @cocoaelite @rungum #runhappy #believe #workoutwednesday #tracktime #believe
PC: @ndsifuentes pic.twitter.com/SQv7dQhnNU— Amanda Eccleston (@AmandaEcc) November 29, 2018
RBR, # 4, What are best race memories from college?
Amanda Eccleston, 4) There are a lot of college races that are such good memories. I have to include a few: winning both the mile and 800 at the DII NCAA Indoor Championships in 2012 and then anchoring the University of Michigan to the DMR title the following year at the DI NCAA Indoor Championships.
RBR, # 5, what is difference between college/high school athlete and a pro athlete?
Amanda Eccleston, 5) Being a pro athlete requires me to be a lot more responsible with structuring my own training and being diligent about doing all the little things. It’s great having more flexibility to train when I want to and do exactly what works for me, but you don’t have the same team atmosphere that’s one of the best parts of being on a high school and collegiate team.
RBR, # 6, Can you provide an outline of your training philosophy?
Amanda Eccleston, 6) I don’t follow a specific training philosophy; we’ve just developed a system that works for me. I’m fairly low mileage (40-50 miles a week) with a lot of additional cross-training. I generally run 6 days a week, with two workouts and one long run of 10-13 miles.
RBR, # 7, please describe your cross training program?
Amanda Eccleston, 7) I add a significant amount of cross-training (3-6 hours a week), mostly through aqua jogging, spin biking, ElliptiGo, and swimming. I also lift in the weight room twice a week.
RBR, # 8, what is your best advice to young runners?
Amanda Eccleston, 8) My best advice to young runners is to be consistent. Be consistent with your training, be consistent with your confidence and belief in yourself, and be consistent with making good decisions every day to become a better runner. You don’t become world-class overnight; you train hard and smart day in and out, and over time this leads to more and more success.
