Annie Frisbie’s Marathon Debut: “Still Sinking”


MINNEAPOLIS – There’s a proverb among running coaches: Run your own race. Don’t focus on things you can’t control, including your opponents’ tactics.

Last month, Minnesota Distance Elite coach Chris Lundstrom watched one of his athletes, Annie Frisbie, do just that at the New York City Marathon.

Frisbie’s version of running her own race — her first marathon, that is — included her lead in the first half, ahead of Tokyo Olympics marathon gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and bronze medalist Molly Seidel. from the united states.

Lundstrom, a Minnesotan through and through, could have reacted by saying, “Oh my God.”

“On the one hand, you’re like, ‘Maybe not leading,'” he said cautiously, remembering the first time he had seen Frisbie on the Brooklyn marathon track. He had given her a fairly simple race plan. Be comfortable in the first half and give your best in the second half.

“It was great, but I also didn’t let me think too much about it,” said 24-year-old Frisbie of leading the stacked race. “For the most part, I was just focusing on controlling myself and how I was feeling.”

When Lundstrom saw his half marathon leave—1 hour 12 minutes 43 seconds, a 5 minute 32 second stride per mile—he said he reacted hesitantly again, thinking, “Well, okay, that’s aggressive, a little aggressive.”

Frisbie would finish in an impressive 2 hours 26 minutes 18 seconds – a time good enough for seventh place and making him third American overall. Results are still sinking. She ran the fourth-fastest marathon for an American woman and became the fourth-fastest American woman to run the New York City Marathon.

frisbee another female American distance runner someone who has made his own way in the sport and exceeded expectations, but has no interest in running and focusing on running alone. He is in good company: Sarah Sellers She famously placed second while working as a nurse anesthetist at the 2018 Boston Marathon. Keira D’Amato works as a real estate agent and finished fourth in this year’s Chicago Marathon.

Frisbie’s journey began at middle school in River Falls, Wis., when her mother told her to play volleyball or cross country. He joined the cross country team because he didn’t like volleyball very much. He hadn’t considered going to college until recruiters voiced their interest and realized that the opportunity could help him pay for a higher education. So he did jogging and cross country running in Iowa State.

Nor had he really considered running professionally. Frisbie wanted to be closer to home and had agreed to an internship at the Twin Cities when a current teammate told her about the situation. Minnesota Distance EliteA small group that meets three times a week to train athletes ranging from 1,500m runners to marathon runners.

A different type of team: a team where the runners – and the coach – are listed next to their careers’ personal best times. Lundstrom is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology. He coaches teachers, an accountant, a data scientist, and a software developer, among others.

Frisbie said it was an easy decision to join. He accepted a job as a graphic designer for a healthcare organization and began training with the group. His colleagues were shocked to see their “running colleagues” on ESPN leading a huge marathon.

“Having a more comprehensive life makes you a happier person and a faster runner,” he said, over a cider in Minneapolis, which he plans to keep as his home base. And he added, “If I just run and it doesn’t make me any money, it stresses me out.”

When asked about the reality of training as a professional runner in both Frisbie and Lundstrom, Minnesota – where temperatures can go for weeks before it rises above freezing and thin layers of ice and several feet of snow can cover the ground – both Frisbie and Lundstrom are a little more than “meh.” they said more. Most cities that attract professional runners and teams have milder climates: Think Eugene, Ore.; Boulder, Col.; or Flagstaff, Ariz.

Sure, Frisbie and Lundstrom say do some speed workouts indoors when it’s really icy. But long runs in the cold? No problem.

After the debut, Frisbie was flooded with messages from potential sponsors and agents. Suddenly the races want his name on their roster. It’s not unheard of for an athlete in his position to quit his job, move to a milder climate, and live and train on sponsorship money.

It’s also tempting to look at a runner like Frisbie and stick a tag next to her name. He could be one of the next great American distance runners, the next palace hall or Linden — the rising athlete who can continue to break expectations.

Frisbie and Lundstrom hold back from all of the above. Frisbie is happy, healthy and at home in her current environment. Lundstrom doesn’t want to name a floor or ceiling for what’s next for the young marathoner.

“When you have to do everything and the athlete needs to stay healthy and make progress, it’s not worth spending tons of energy imagining what’s possible,” Lundstrom said.

The “work hard and be kind” Minnesota mentality seeped into his every word: Don’t get a big ego. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Think of every workout as a stepping stone.

Frisbie talks to managers and former pro runners about their entry into the high-profile world of the sport, and is excited about what’s to come. But at 24 he has the maturity of an athlete who has seen what can go wrong in a great race, and the pressure that ensues comes to your head.

“If you don’t love it right now and you’re pushing yourself to go through training and getting through life, the chances of you getting burned are pretty high,” he said. “You probably won’t be able to do it for a 10 or 15 year career, which I hope to do. That’s why I think you need to take it step by step every day.”



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