Interview with Sarah Bowman
by Ricky Quintana

Sarah Bowman. (Photo by Alison Wade/New York Road Runners)

Last year's edition of the girls' mile at the unofficial national high school track and field championships in Raleigh, North Carolina, featured 15 girls who had run under 4:50 in what was billed as the "best all-time" girls' field ever assembled. But a year later in Greensboro, North Carolina, Sarah Bowman, a senior at Fauquier High School in Warrenton, Virginia, erased nearly all memories of that great race by clocking a stunning 4:36.95 to outlast Brie Felnagle of Washington, who finished second in 4:39.71, last Saturday night.

Though Bowman's time just fell short of the marks run by Polly Plumer(4:35.24) and Kim Gallagher (4:36.94) in 1982, she registered the fastest time ever run in high school-only competition. Felnagle recorded the fifth best mark of all time and a whopping total of four girls broke into the top 21 mile times ever run.

An amazing performance by Bowman could have been predicted a year ago after this meet, but not for the mile. Bowman recorded a national-leading 2:04.94 to win the 800m in 2004, which was the fastest time for a U.S. high school girl since 1996.

This year though, Bowman "switched gears" to focus on her "baby," the mile. Bowman's senior season would have read like a fairy tale had it not been for a high school track and field season where she "dealt with a lot of these things that people would be amazed at."

Tuesday night, the University of Tennessee-bound Bowman spoke from her home as she prepared for this weekend's USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Carson, California. There she will run in both the 1,500m and the 800m in hopes of qualifying for the Junior Pan Am Games in Windsor, Ontario, July 28-31.

Fast-Women.com: You've had a couple of days to reflect. What do you think about your [4:36 mile] now?
Sarah Bowman: It's hard because I have to get ready to run again [this week at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships] so I can't really think too much about it. Overall, I'm really happy with it. I've been trying to break 4:40 for so long. To go and do that is pretty exciting.

FW: Did the race go as you planned?
SB: Pretty much. I wanted to go out and set a good solid pace from the beginning. That is what I prefer to do. I knew that if I wanted to hit a good time, someone was going to [have to] step up and lead the group. A lot of people like to hang back. Sometimes, the times are not as good as you would have wanted. If you want to hit a good time, you have to go and set the pace. So, I just went out like that and did what I like to do. I really did not know too much about Brie Felnagle. Basically, the day before I had heard that she really likes to hold back and kick at the end, which is different from me. I had a little bit of warning about who was going to do what and how people ran. It went pretty much how I would have wanted it to.

FW: Did you realize it was Brie when she caught you on the backstretch?
SB: Yes, I heard the announcer. I had started to slack off down on the back straightaway. When I saw her, I just opened it up again.

FW: After the race, you mentioned that you had a secret goal of breaking the high school mile record. What kind of workouts had you done before then that gave you the indication you could get the record?
SB: First off, I've been [running for] my high school track team, which has made it difficult to get in the workouts I would have liked. When I'm competing in so many races in a meet, it gets hard to actually get the training in. I would do a lot of supplemental training during that part of the season. I would run on a treadmill because I would get back late from practice. I had this back road I could run on. [I did] anything I could do to build my strength for what I was missing in my other practices.

Two weeks before Nike Outdoor Nationals, our track season ended so I was on my own. I was able to work with Mike Byrnes. The first day I worked with him, it was pretty rough. I wasn't prepared for it at all. I was pretty tired. I don't know what he thought after that. Two days later, I did a 400 workout with him and that was when he said that I was ready for Nike.

FW: I know you've worked with Mike Byrnes on and off this past year. What has he meant to your outlook on running and training?
SB: First off, I've learned so much from him. I think it's funny now because I don't think he's noticed how much I've learned from him. Because of him, I knew what I needed to do during my season to supplement my training. He's always been a great motivator. I think he talks highly about me to a lot of you guys and things like that. I think sometimes he believed more in me than I believed in myself.

I'd have some terrible races and he'd still be encouraging. It was just amazing how much someone could believe in me. That helped a great deal to have someone believe in you that much. More than you believe in yourself.

FW: In the photos of the race, you looked extremely focused. Do you recall being that focused?
SB: I went into it and knew the times and the [approximate] splits I wanted to hit. I knew I had to come in at 2:18 or better for the 800m. I knew I wanted to come in at 3:30 for the 1,200m... The more I hit [the correct splits], the more it kept me going. It wasn't like I couldn't do it. I was focused. There are always some times in a race where you wonder how you are doing, but they pass really quickly.

FW: On the last lap, how did you feel?
SB: Honestly, I don't remember much now. It's so weird. I actually remember other races better than this one. This one was such a whirlwind. I can't remember that well. I know I had what I call 'butt lock' at the end. That's when your whole butt is just tired. Some people don't know what that is, but that's what I call it anyway.

I don't look back with too much regret. I know I didn't run through the finish line. There are things in the race that I could have done better, but it was the first time that I was able to run that kind of a pace. The more you do it, the more you get comfortable doing it.

With my track team, I did so many events and so many things each meet to try to get points for my team. It was all about points, and I didn't get to focus on myself. Nike was the first time I was able to just go out and just run all out and leave it all on the line instead of having to save some because of another race. This race, I put everything into it. I wasn't really used to doing that, so this was a good race actually.

FW: In the fall you did not finish the year running for your high school cross country team. Then, in track, you made the decisions to run for your school. Can you talk about why you decided to run for your track team and what it meant to you?
SB: I ran for my team [because of] the girls on the team. I'm really close with the girls on my team. I know that state title meant a lot to them and to me too [Bowman set three state records and scored 36 points to lead her team to a 20-point victory and the Virginia AA state title. Her marks were 2:09.32 (1st, 800m), 4:41.81 (1st, 1,600m), 10:21.15 (1st, 3,200m), 5-3 (3rd, high jump)]. That's why.

To put it [simply] — I'm not in high school now — I put up with a lot of crap with that whole situation. It's not really anyone's business outside of my family and people close to me as to what exactly went on, but I dealt with a lot. I had to really be mature to be able to go out there and step on the track and be there for the girls. I went through some tough stuff. I can't even say. I dealt with a lot of these things that people would be amazed at. I was able to be mature through it all and let it all go.

That's how strong the bond was with our girl's team. I stuck it out for them and was willing to be the bigger person.

FW: Your performance didn't seem to suffer too much. How did you feel about running so spectacularly those last few meets?
SB: I wanted to hit some good times in those last few races because I knew I'd be racing at nationals. I needed to be ready for that type of race. [Racing that much] It gets you into condition. I can tell you that.

By the 800m at state, I was thinking, 'I'm only doing this for points.' I had been out in the sun all day. I had gotten burnt. I had high jumped. I had to go right from the mile straight to the high jump. Right when I finished high jump, I had to go check in for the 800m. I was literally sitting there right before the 800m. All the others girls were bouncing around and I was thinking that I was doing it for points. I still ran a decent time.

FW: In these triples that you did, you ran some really good 3,200m times [10:16 and 10:21].
SB: Yes, I ran it twice this year. I ran [the 3,200] my freshman year and I was told to go out and stay behind the first place girls, so I never actually ran a hard 3,200m until this year.

It was pretty exciting. I ran 10:16 at my district meet. I remember getting on the line and wishing that it was just four laps. My parents had made some goal times for me. I was just trying to break 10:30. To come across in 10:16 amazed even me because I didn't even feel it that much. I was just cruising along. I was giving my mom a thumbs-up sign because I went out really fast and I think people were worried about me. I gave them a thumbs-up to let them know I was doing okay. That was an exciting race. It was one of those where you just run. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. There are some that just kill and then there are ones that feel great. That was one that felt great.

FW: Does that give you more confidence in the longer races now?
SB: Yes. I know I need to perform better in cross country. I don't have an excuse. I'm still not the biggest fan of them. I would definitely rather stick to the mile and things like that. At least I'm not too scared.

FW: At the USA Junior championships, you are entered in the 1,500m and the 800m. Do you still plan to do both?
SB: Yes. It's all about fun though.

FW: Any goal times that you are thinking of?
SB: Just run the best I can.

FW: Have you really had a chance to run an all-out 800m this year?
SB: My opener, Taco Bell, I ran one. But, no, not really. Again, I'm little weird about trials and finals. I just want to go hard from the start, but I know that in the trials you just want to qualify.

FW: If you qualify will you compete in the Junior Pan Am Games?
SB: Yes.

FW: Last summer was your first world experience. What did you think of that?
SB: It was a good growing up experience. [Bowman represented the US in the 1,500m at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Grosseto, Italy.] I'm sure people could have some stories for you about me. As soon as I found out that it was two weeks after junior nationals, I started crying, 'I don't want to go!' in the uniform fitting area. Most people are so excited, but I was like 'I don't want to go!' [laughs].

I almost didn't get on the plane to go over there. That was a struggle and I grew up through it all. It was a learning experience. I was really nervous about the whole foreign country experience. It was good in the long run though. I didn't do well over there. I got spiked and I had to get stitches. Overall, you learn from it all. You get a taste of international competition and what some of that is like. It kind of opens your eyes a little bit.

FW: What was the reason you didn't want to go?
SB: It was more of a stress issue. I didn't know it was two weeks long. I had been going going, going and I just wanted to relax. This is going to sound like the stupidest thing, but I didn't know if I was going to have a telephone over there. And then when we got there, we didn't for a while.

When I got home, I was so happy to see US soil, I could have kissed the ground. It wasn't that bad. I would be more prepared now that I know what it is all about. I was scared.

FW: Whatever happened with [your soccer playing]?
SB: I stopped playing my 10th grade year.

FW: Was that a difficult decision?
SB: It really was, but by that time I wasn't able to make practice. Not that that was an issue. My coach knew that I was a really good runner. He would play me but he changed my position for fear of me tearing my ACL. That is the most common injury in soccer. A couple of girls on my team had torn their ACLs.

My coach was really worried about that so he moved my position and then if it got too rough, he would pull me out of the game. It was really hard for us. I wrote him an e-mail and he replied that he knew that there would come a time when I would have to do this and that it was for the best. It was a bittersweet thing. I knew it had to happen. It just got too dangerous for what I wanted to accomplish in running. It wasn't worth the risk.

FW: When I spoke to you before, in 10th grade, soccer was such a big part of your life.
SB: Yes, it was. When you do it for 10 years and you progress to the level I had gotten to... Every weekend you are traveling to a different tournament. Running kind of took over that part of my life. It's kind of ironic because I would go to places like the Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, North Carolina, and it's where I used to play soccer. It was kind of funny.

FW: You've run an awesome mile time and last year you ran the best 800m time in the nation. Which event do you think you'll be best in?
SB: It's kind of funny because this year, I was going to concentrate on the 800m. I just switched gears. I'm actually glad I did because the mile has been my baby. I would prefer the 1,500m. Actually, I don't really know. Honestly, this year I just concentrated on the mile and last year I was just a little more [focused] on the 800m. It's hard to say. I'm always having to run the mile before the 800m so I'm always a little tired for the 800m. I'd have to see after I've given more concentration to the 800m.

FW: Have you talked to Coach J.J. Clark at Tennessee about which event you'll be focusing on in college?
SB: He does some tests and things. He tests your speed and other things so that will give him a better idea. I haven't really gotten the chance to get to know him. We know each other, but he doesn't really know my running yet. That's all stuff he'll learn. Especially this summer, when I can actually call him my coach. I think that will come when I get down there and puts me through practices and stuff.

FW: How far into the summer will you race?
SB: If I make the team, on into the end of July.

FW: Do you have any races planned against faster woman in the nation?
SB: I don't know. It depends on if I go on. I guess I could look for some.

(Interview conducted June 21, 2005, and posted June 23, 2005.)