5 Minutes with Colleen De Reuck

She's been running at the top level for almost 20 years

November 11, 2009

The 45-year-old native of South Africa and U.S. citizen since 2000 is a four-time Olympian whose career highlights include a bronze medal at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships in Ireland, an eighth-place showing in the 10,000m at the 1997 track world championships in Athens, two U.S. cross country titles, a win at the 2004 U.S. Olympic trials marathon, world records on the roads at 10 miles (51:16) and 20K (1:05:11) and innumerable road racing wins. So far in 2009, she's collected a bevy of masters wins while placing third at the USA Half Marathon Championships (1:12:16) in Houston, eighth overall at the Boston Marathon (2:35:37), 12th at the Peachtree 10K (34:25) and fifth at the Falmouth 7-miler (37:40). Next up is the Oct. 4 Twin Cities Marathon, where she hopes to run under 2:35. She and her husband/coach/training partner DARREN DE REUCK, live in Boulder, Colo., with their daughters Tasmin, 14, and Tara, 2.

Q How have you been able to maintain your racing edge for so long?

"I think if you look at my racing against the masters, I'm still running well. But the way I look at it is that I used to line up with all of the other girls who are running fast. With regards to keeping on racing, I take some down time if I get tired and don't feel like running. And after a race, I take time to recharge emotionally. It gets quite busy when you're training for a marathon, so you need that time to rest and recharge, mentally and physically."

Q What kind of mental adjustments have you had to make?

"It took a little while to adjust to the idea that you're not racing up there with the fast girls any more. The girls you used to beat are beating you. Initially it was tough, but you've got to wrap your mind around it and say to yourself, 'OK, this is who I am now and you can't do what you did 20 years ago.' I must admit, I do prefer going to the races and I sometimes find training a bit of a schlep. And that's what keeps me training, because I love to go and race."

Q How has your training changed since your late 30s?

"The last six or seven years I've changed my program a bit. Now I only do two hard workouts a week and my easy runs are slower just because I am generally slower. I used to run 7-minute miles for my easy days and I was trying to do that, but I realized at some point I just needed to run on how I feel and how I recover. After a really hard workout, I have to run really slow just to recover."

Q Have you lowered your weekly mileage?

"I run a few fewer miles now, but mostly because I have two little ones to look after and that makes it harder. During my peak time in a marathon buildup, I might have a couple of weeks at 90 to 100 miles. But when I'm not in marathon training, I'm probably putting in about 70 miles."

Q Some women wait until after their running careers are over to start a family. How have you made it work?

"I've been very fortunate. I have been able to make a living from running, and I have been a stay-at-home mom. So that was like a perfect scenario. I have great support from Darren, and our oldest one is 14, so she has started to help out and babysit. There are challenges when you're busy training for a marathon, but it's great to have a balance. Not every runner has the same opportunities that I have had."

Q How many more years will you keep racing?

"I think this might be my last year of racing. I'm not too sure, but I think so. I want to do some different things next year. I'd like to go run the 90K Comrades Marathon in South Africa. My brothers have done it, and my dad has done it, and my sister-in-law has run it. In fact, most of our friends in South Africa have run it, so I'd like to go and participate in it."