by Jeff Benjamin
Kate Grace and Jeff Benjamin, Rio 2016, photo by Jeff Benjamin
RunBlogRun notes: We have enjoyed watching Kate Grace compete since her tenure in high school at Marlborough High near LA. She won CIF division 4 XC as a senior, then went to Yale and continued to show her progression. Her time with Drew Wartenberg at NorCal Project was where she began to take off as a fine middle distance runner. As a member of the Bowerman TC, Kate Grace is under the watchful eyes of Jerry Schumacher, Pascal Dobert and Shalane Flanagan.
Her win at 2016 Olympic Trials 800m (1:59.10, 4 July 2016) got her a position on the 2016 US Olympic team. Now a member of the Bowerman TC, Kate has continued to up her game as a fine 800m and 1,500m. Last September 2019, I watched Kate win in Minsk, Belarus in 4:02.49 at Dinamo Stadium (an awesome stadium) in The MATCH, US vs Europe on 10 September.
Kate Grace has a tough finish, and her mental toughness plus that finish puts her in the battle for top positions in any race she enters.
Kate responded to Jeff Benjamin’s questions on training in the time of coronavirus.
Awaiting The Baton In The Relay Exchange Zone – Profiles Of Athletes, Coaches & Legends During The War Against Corona
Profile # 22
2016 Olympian & Top Miler Kate Grace
By Jeff Benjamin
Kate Grace, photo by Women’s Sports Foundation
How is your daily training/coaching regimen going and how challenging has it been for you in this environment?
“My training is much more solitary right now. And some of the stuff I’m used to doing in a gym I have to do at home. I am trying to use this as an opportunity to work on prehab exercises and improve any imbalances or weakness I have in my stride. Luckily since running is still allowed I’m able to get my runs in like normal.
This is a weird time, like nothing we have experienced. When so much has been cancelled, running is a great way to keep a routine. Getting out for a run can add structure to a day, and it can help with mood by getting some sun and fresh air. Since gyms are closed, I recommend using this time to get some extra core and prehab exercises. If like me, you can tend to push off the extra core or plyometrics, why not add that in now.”
What advice can you give to runners, -especially youth, high school, collegiate- who are challenged during this time as well?
“As it can be hard to get normal training locations, and a lot of tracks are closed or limiting access, why not try out some effort-based workouts…Things like tempos, fartleks, hilly runs or hill repeats. These are great for improving fitness, and sometimes when we get too sucked into track preparation we leave them off the schedule.”
“There’s no better time than now to experiment with training that usually doesn’t fit in our routine.”
Kate Grace, photo from Wikipedia
