Pre-Foot Locker Amber Trotter Interview, 12/7/01

By Alison Wade

Trotter leading the way at the 2001 Foot Locker West Regional. (Photo by Brian J. Myers @PhotoRun)

Amber Trotter takes a course tour the day before the race at the 2001 Foot Locker Nationals. (Fast-Women.com Photo)

Amber Trotter Bio | Post-Race Interview

First of all, is it true that you milk a goat after your morning run every day?
Yeah, we have goats, chickens and a big garden. I live way out in the country and we drink goat milk.

Is it a farm?
Well we don't sell stuff or anything but we have five acres. Yeah, goats, chickens... my mom's a great cook and she's really into nutrition and health. She's actually a doctor and she's gotten way more into that stuff.

It must be beautiful out there. Is there good running?
Yeah, I feel very blessed to live where I live. There are lots of hills. This is so weird to come here (to Florida). You can see forever! But yes, it's gorgeous.

What about this weather (about 80 degrees and humid) compared to California?
It was about 45 degrees when I left home and pouring down rain (laughs) and not at all humid, so this is really different.

Does the heat bother you at all?
Right now it's really nice, during the race it'll be different. I hope I do okay, it's an adjustment. And the time difference (three hours earlier) is also an adjustment.

You've been so dominant all season, what's your plan heading into this race?
You know, I'm really nervous and just trying not to get psyched out. A lot of it is just kind of mental and luck and who knows when you get to this point in the season. Anything can happen. There's a lot of really talented runners - 32 talented runners. This course doesn't have any real uphills or downhills, which is where I tend to excel... I just want to enjoy my last race of high school cross country.

What's it like being back at Foot Locker Nationals for a second time?
It's nice because you're just prepared for what's coming your way. But it's still hard, I didn't want to be out late last night, I was exhausted. But Saturday night is really fun. (At this point Trotter pauses to point out a toad at our feet.)

You've been starting a lot of your races really quickly this season, in the 5:10 mile range, will you use the same strategy tomorrow?
I'm just going to take it as it comes. You don't want to start too fast, but I don't have hills to gain on after the first mile, so I'm going to see how other people take it out and how the race develops.

What did you learn about the course after running it last year?
I'm more prepared for what's coming my way. I learned it's difficult to get a rhythm going, so I'm more prepared for that. And you've got to try to use those little hills - milk them for all they're worth (laughs). It's a weird course, and different from what I've run all year. I haven't run on grass and I haven't run on such a flat course but I'm excited to race all these great athletes.

What kind of taper did you do in preparation for this race?
I ran about 60-65 miles all summer and then 60 during the season. The week before states I did about 52, before Regionals I did about 47, and this week I did about 40.

Is it hard having the West Regional just one week before Nationals?
Yes, and especially since the Regional is run at Mt. SAC. Running those hills at any kind of pace is difficult.

Is it true that you're going to Middlebury?
I applied early decision to Middlebury. December 15 they let me know whether or not I'm accepted. When you apply early decision it's binding, unless it doesn't work out financially which is definitely a possibility for me... In which case I think I'm going to go to the University of Oregon. I really like Tom Heinonen and I really like Eugene. But academically, Middlebury's exactly what I want. I pretty much have my heart set on it and I hope it works out financially.

What got you interested in Middlebury? It's a very unconventional choice for someone in your position.
I'm a very unconventional person (laughs). I'm not into the whole corporate sports thing. I don't want to go to a DI school, I want to go to a DIII school, that way I can take it to a level I want... The coach is awesome, they just won Nationals again this year, they won last season. The environmental science department and the spanish department are both just incredible. The student to teacher ratio is like 10:1. I just fell in love when I went there. I want the change, I want to go on the other side of the country, I want to try cross country skiing... I'm just so excited.

Where did you first hear about Middlebury?
I guess I read about it in the college books. My mom and I took a trip back east last January and I visited a whole bunch of colleges. I've always been drawn to the Northeast. I've visited a fair amount back there. My mom is originally from Maryland and my aunt used to live in New York. So we visited Middlebury and I was like "Wow."

I'm a Bowdoin grad myself so we ran against Middlebury. I really enjoyed the whole New England small college thing.
A small college is really what I want... I could break a leg. I'm not going to school for running, I'm going for the academics. And I want to run too. I like that at a small school you can take like African Dancing if you want... The coach at Middlebury, Terry Aldrich, is really awesome and supportive. He looks at you as a person and a four-year athlete, not as a piece of meat to put through the mill.

Can you tell me about your current coach, Jerry Drew?
Jerry is awesome. He's totally goofy and cool. He's crazy. He's a painter. He's never been to Florida before so he's totally stoked to be here. I'm so glad that he came. He didn't come last year and I was really lonely. Last year nobody came, neither my parents or Jerry. He's one of my best friends. We've been together for four years now. I had a pretty big eating disorder and he was so supportive all through it. He was the first one to say to me, "I don't think you should run this track season" last spring. He's been with me through thick and thin, he's just incredibly dedicated. I work out with him and I really credit him with a lot of things I've learned about the mental aspect of running.

You said that before the state meet you got to the race late and didn't have time to do your usual warmup and mental preparation. Can you tell me how you normally prepare mentally for a race?
I have to get in my zone. I have to have time to do my stride. I have five affirmations that I say over and over. I focus on how lucky I am to be alive and healthy and able to run. I want to bring my best to my competitors in the race. I focus on how strong, powerful and confident I am, and just the joy of it. You have to just really, really love it while you're out there. That, ultimately, is my big strategy for tomorrow. To be like, "Wow, I'm so lucky to be here." It's my last high school cross country race and I just want to enjoy it.

So you actually think you're going to be enjoying it while you're out there?
Well, it's not... Yes, yes. I mean you're in a lot of pain, you're pushing yourself a lot, but in the back of your mind you're just grateful to be able to... because I couldn't for so long. It's very exciting to have made it back here.

You've improved so much in the last year, did you make any major changes in your training?
Last year I was running around 50 miles a week and this year it was really more like 60-65, I did more plyometric drills and I ate three times as much (laughs).

Can you talk a little about that, because it seems to be a big issue for a lot of runners.
Yeah, it is, and it's scary that it is. I think it's a huge part of our culture - it only happens in first-world countries - and it's definitely something to investigate. It all happened quickly, before I knew exactly what was going on. It's such a strange force... definitely something I grapple with. I don't want to get into it too much, but it's been a real struggle for me. I mean, imagine me 20 pounds thinner, and struggling to find the will to live, to eat, and to be. Life can be really depressing and overwhelming and you have to keep it all in balance and perspective and just love yourself.

How do you go about getting your self-esteem back and learning to love yourself?
It's really hard, it's really up and down for me but it's a struggle to look in the mirror and think about yourself as being beautiful and vibrant... People have given me a lot of love and support, it's come more from other people than from me. I always feel like such a horrible person and a failure (laughs) - you know, you have these deep-rooted feelings. Where does it come from?

It's hard for an outsider to look at you and believe that someone as talented, intelligent, introspective and beautiful as you would struggle with that.
That's what my mom says (laughs). But seriously, my self esteem has always been very, very low. I don't know why. I think it's very traumatizing to have our cultural image... well, you look at models and they're all anorexic... We're not worshiping the goddess of fertility, you know? And you feel like you have to be that, subconsciously. It's never conscious. And when I began to lose weight, I got a lot of compliments, and it's not like I was heavy. I was never overweight, never in my life...