Interview with Anne Kugler
by Maureen McMurray

Anne Kugler competes at the 2004 Circle of Friends New York Mini 10K. (Photo by Brian J. Myers/Photo Run)

Bring out the noisemakers and streamers, it's marathon time. The 2005 ING New York City Marathon features a deep field of professional runners, and there are bound to be some surprising finishes. New York's own, Anne Kugler will likely be among the head turners. In October alone, she won the Grete's Great Gallop Half-Marathon, completing the challenging Central Park course in 1:15:54. Just a week later, she ran a blazing 34:19 at the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women, which served as the USA 10K Championships. What makes these performances particularly remarkable is that Kugler is relatively new to road racing. She ran cross country in high school and college, but took more than 10 years off from competition. She joined Urban Athletics and broke into the New York road running scene three years ago, and has been steadily improving ever since. At 37, she'll be among the veterans this weekend, but the ING New York City Marathon will only be her fourth marathon. Her personal best stands at 2:59, from the days when she was running less seriously.

Fast-Women.com caught up with Kugler after her morning tempo run to talk about her return to the sport.

Fast-Women.com: What made you decide to return to competition after taking so much time off?
Anne Kugler: I used to run as a way to get exercise, but eventually I started doing pretty well in races and decided to try a marathon. I struggled along with marathon training for a couple years, getting a lot of injuries along the way. Out of frustration, I found a coach who not only worked with me on avoiding injuries but also improving my times. He's taught me a huge amount about how to optimize my miles and vary workouts, so it's not just going out and doing endless loops on the roads of Central Park. I'd say I've been running seriously for the past two or three years, although 'serious' is relative — my training is nothing compared to elite-level athletes.

FW: How did it feel to get back into competition after having taken so much time off? Did you have to adjust your mentality?
AK: It was fun to get back into competition. I did my first races with no expectations at all, just to try something new. But you know how runners' minds work. Last weekend's time sucks and next weekend's time is going to be a PR. I got hooked on doing races right away, which may also have something to do with the hot chocolate and bagels they serve after winter races here.

FW: Do you have goals in mind for the ING New York City Marathon?
AK: I definitely have some goals in mind. Based on my half-marathon times, it looks like I'll be able to run a sub 2:45. I've put a lot of time into my training and have been pretty careful about it, so I'm hoping it will go smoothly. But you can never tell with marathons. Weird things can happen.

FW: Your times from Grete's Gallop Half-Marathon and the Tufts 10K were both PRs. Did you expect to run so well in those races?
AK: They were certainly significant improvements for me. Grete's Gallop was in Central Park, so it was a pretty tough course and I raced a little faster than I expected. As far as the Tufts 10K, it was the first time I'd run that race and I was expecting a time in the 35 minute range. It was really rainy on that day and there are some hairpin turns on the course, so it was not the speediest. There was a great field, though, and it was a pleasure to run with so many talented women runners.

FW: How much time have you taken off your 10K and half-marathon times in the past three years?
AK: I've taken about six minutes off my 10K time and at least nine minutes off my half-marathon time, probably. I don't really keep tabs. As long as I keep getting faster, I'm happy.

FW: How do your high school and college times compare to your current times?
AK: Honestly, I can't even remember my times from high school and college. It's not something I've kept track of. My training is much more intense now than anything I did back then, so I imagine I am running faster — even 15 years later. It's been really nice to come back to running at this age, because I have a different perspective. I'm able to bring a little more maturity and thoughtfulness to my training and racing. I didn't have that kind of focus before.

FW: Do you think you would have been able to race this well 15 years ago?
AK: It's hard to judge. Certainly I have been able to progress quickly, and I think that's because I've been able to commit to the training in a way that couldn't then. When I was in college there were lots of distractions and new things to learn about and to get involved in. It seemed like a wide open time. I wanted pursue so many things and wasn't willing to devote myself to running 100%. Now it's easier for me to say with certainty, 'This is what I want to be doing.'

FW: Do you think you'll stick with competition for awhile?
AK: Yeah, for sure. Once you're in good shape, mentally and physically, it's hard to think about letting it go. As any runner will tell you, you get addicted to the routine of running. I am sure running will always be a part of my life. And certainly there are incredible female runners competing at all ages. It's not like, 'Uh oh I'm almost 40, I have to stop running." Just look at Joan Benoit Samuelson, Colleen De Reuck or Tatiana Pozdnyakova. I don't really see any limits or obstacles ahead, so why not?

FW: What do you think has allowed you to shave so much time off your races?
AK: Just a lot of hard work. Speed work and being consistent with my training.

FW: What kinds of workouts do you do now? Are there workouts that are most effective for the distances you're tackling?
AK: For me, it's just incorporating a variety of different workouts and not doing the same runs over and over. I run with a group on the East 6th Street track once a week. Having never run track before, it's been a new experience for me. It's been good for my leg turnover, of course, but also in terms of getting familiar with other people's running styles: the out-front runner versus the person who hangs back and blows past everybody at the end with a wicked kick. It's taught me how to use tactics in racing — which I knew nothing about before. For the marathon, my training has included loads of long tempo runs with specific pace work built in.

FW: It seems like you've competed well in a lot of different distances, is there one that you like most?
AK: I like 10Ks. Anything that's 5K or longer: 10 milers, 15K, and half-marathons are good distances for me. I don't think marathons are the end all be all. Your training has to be so specific to complete the 26 miles, and it can kill your speed for doing shorter races.

FW: What are your goals after the marathon? Are you looking to the spring?
AK: There are some 10Ks in the wintertime that I'm looking forward to… a 10K in Puerto Rico and in March there's a race in Mobile, Alabama, that I really like, the Azalea Trail Run.

FW: How do you deal with winter training in New York? Do you like it?
AK: It's mostly a matter of getting the clothing [piece] right, of having the layering technique down. We've definitely had some bad winters the past few years, but I don't mind going out and running in the winter. It's also a good time for the gym. I try to get in more core strengthening stuff and work out the twinges and tweaks in the legs.

FW: Breakthroughs can be tricky sometimes. When you made your major breakthroughs, was it strange to bump up a group and run with the top runners? Was it an adjustment for you?
AK: No, because one of the good and bad things about my running style is that I am very aggressive at the start of races. In the past, I was only able to hang with the elite runners for a mile before getting completely dusted, but I am able to cling on for a little while longer now. Or I try, anyway! One of the amazing things about doing races in New York is that you get to line up with the best of the best. Doing a race like the [Circle of Friends New York] Mini 10K and standing on the line near Lornah Kiplagat or Deena Kastor, it's a thrill. It's not like I'm anywhere close to running on that level, but it's motivating. You know, you can always dream.

FW: Let's talk about that. You're times are really fast and you're making big leaps in competition. What do you see for the next five years?
AK: Last year I had all of these ambitions and goals, and all of the sudden, I got a stress fracture and couldn't run a step for six months. I had been running pretty well up to that point, but I had to start over and build all my speed back up. That was a very humbling experience for me. It's sort of like the body refused to take any more instructions from the mind, and no matter what I tried to do, the stress fracture wouldn't heal any faster. I have a more guarded approach to setting up big long-term goals for myself now. I just go out and try to enjoy my runs everyday and do my best with the races.

That said, I certainly have some target times for races in the coming months.

FW: Was that one of the only serious injuries that you've had to deal with?
AK: I have always been prone to stress fractures. When I was running cross country in high school and college, no one ever mentioned calcium or bone density to me. I wish they had! I've had to learn the hard way. I hope more young women — teenagers and women in their 20s — know now that you need loads of calcium to support a heavy duty running habit.

FW: When you were sidelined, how did you physically and mentally deal with it?
AK: It was very tough because I had big plans for my racing last year, and I kept thinking 'next week it will be gone' — and of course, it wasn't. I just got myself to the gym and did what I could, and tried to think, 'This isn't going to last forever.' But I feel sorry for my family and friends. I was probably a grumpy jerk the whole time.

FW: In terms of living New York and training for the marathon, have you found it difficult to find a balance? Did you need to [shift around your priorities]?
AK: I look at my life now, and it's way, way different than five years ago. But the changes happened gradually: it's not like you wake up one morning and go, 'Now I'm going to start running 70 miles a week and spend all my weekends traveling to races and going to the gym.' But once there's a little momentum, those things do fall into place. I still have a full life outside of running, with work and school and seeing family and friends. Some days it can be tough to keep your energy level up, but that's why they invented coffee.

FW: Do you have any advice for people who are just getting back into competitive running?
AK: In New York, we're lucky because New York Road Runners really does everything to facilitate the process, with the races and lectures and gym classes. You just have to go for it. And remembering that there are no miracles with running; it's all about persistence and hard work.

Editor's Note: Anne Kulger finished the ING NYC 2005 marathon with a time of 2:43:14. She was the 21st woman to cross the finish line and 14th in her age group.

(Interview posted November 2, 2005)