Train with Life Time Run, Learn from Carrie Tollefson
Life Time Run - August 14, 2012
At Life Time Run, we partner with world-class athletes to provide the best programming and educational opportunities for all of our members. Working with Life Time since 2001, Carrie Tollefson hosts running camps* at Life Time locations across the U.S. that include fun workouts, educational seminars and information on how to optimize your performance.
We spoke with Tollefson about her partnership with Life Time and asked her some questions to help you gear up for that next big race.
When did you begin your partnership with Life Time Run? I have worked with Life Time since 2001 when the company helped support my running career and Olympic dreams while I trained with the team in Minnesota . After my daughter was born in 2010, I really began to see the potential with Life Time Run to help others’ dreams come true and provide further education of the sport. I have learned so many life lessons through running. Being able to share my knowledge along with the information a local Life Time Run Coordinator or Coach can offer is a great fit.
Share with us a bit of your running story. What or who inspired you to run? My family first inspired me to run. It was something we did together long before we ever knew I would do this for a living. My dad was a college football player and my mom was very into being fit and healthy. We had fun doing sports together as a family. I then started running and playing basketball so I could be like my two older sisters. It wasn't until the 10th grade when I realized my calling was in distance running.
At Villanova University, the best distance runners in the country and Olympians were working out next to me and racing with me. It was then that I decided chasing an Olympic dream was a reality. It has been such a fun ride since and I love the whole running community. It doesn't matter if you are the fastest runner or not – we all can set new personal records (PR’s), have our individual goals and still be united. It is an amazing group to be a part of!
What advice do you offer novice runners or runners looking to PR? Continue to learn about the sport, stick with it, continue to race and, most importantly, find a running partner, group or, even better, a coach. I find that my running career was best when I surrounded myself with a great coach and positive training partners who had similar goals, if not harder goals. I will forever find myself with like-minded individuals that strive to be the best on and off the track. For me, that is when I see great things happen in my life and my running.
For someone who is starting to run, what kind of workout would you suggest for them? I am a big fan of interval training and hill repeats. You can do them anywhere. Once you have your mileage to a point where you body is strong enough to push the pace a bit, then you can crank it up on the roads, track or treadmill. Usually I start with 800 meter-1 mile repeats and run at my 5k-10k paces. If it’s early in the season, I might start at a 10k pace but take fewer breaks. As I get closer to my race, I will try the intervals closer to a 5k pace but with 2-3 minutes rest in between each one. Hills you can do at any point in your training. I love doing 100-meter hill repeats and lots of them. It feels like a strength session inside of a run, and it leaves you so much stronger over the season. Be careful on the down hills! I suggest jogging or walking down hills to save your body.
After putting in mile upon mile on the pavement, our leg muscles get pretty tight. What suggestions do you have for cross training? Why? Cross training can play a vital role in one's training. You can mimic your running so well with the machines and pools we have today. For me, a simple way to add cross training to my overall training is on my easy running days. I do the same amount of work as I would on land but, instead, on the machines, like an elliptical, stair climber and arc trainer, or in the pool by aqua jogging. If you need to be mindful when performing intense workouts on hard surfaces like the track or roads, I recommend wearing a heart rate monitor during interval sessions and simply doing the same workout on a softer surface, like a treadmill. If you can handle a few more repetitions or another set of your workout without getting too fatigued, that is okay. This is where you and your coach must communicate or when you must stay true to your limits. It sometimes is easier to just run and run, but don't get down about cross training! It really can enhance your performance and your mental preparation for your race as well.
You’re a beyond accomplished runner. If you had to pick one favorite moment from your running career, what would it be and why? I have lots of great memories, but I think coming back from such disappointment in 2004 at the USATF Olympic Trials where I missed making the 5k team and then won the 1500-meter. It is amazing how tough we can be when we need to be and having the opportunity to represent the US in Athens for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games was amazing! I feel very honored to have been able to wear the red, white and blue.
If members leave with one word of wisdom from you or your camp, what would it be? Believe! It is something I have displayed everywhere in my house – in my spike bag, in my training log and anywhere else I can write it. I am a mom and wife; a professional athlete; a motivational speaker; I have my own running show called C Tolle Run; and I do broadcast work for all sorts of endurance events, along with hosting my youth and adult camps.
My life is busy just like everyone else’s, but I believe I can do something great. I want others to have that kind of excitement and drive as well! We all have so much going on and running is very important to a lot of us. It is our passion, release, love, therapy, rival, etc. and yet, we spend so much time training and not getting the most out of it. I want to help people believe in their dreams, hard work and ability. We have a ton of fun at camp and you will learn from the best, so come and join us!
*Running camps are being held at Life Time locations in Berkeley Heights, NJ; Cary, NC; and Eagan, Minn.