Best Local Athlete

March 28, 2007

One look at Marissa Treece, and there’s no doubt why she’s a high school running star. With a narrow frame and not an apparent ounce of body fat, she is a biomechanical marvel. But that doesn’t mean it comes easy. She pounds out 55 miles every week.
Her most recent achievement was taking first place in a national race, running the 5K in 17:04:32. She also placed second in the two-mile with a time of 10:22:96. Both times broke Michigan records.
She took time away from her classes at Glen Lake Senior High School to talk.

NE: Your coach, Joe Shay, lives in Central Lake. How did he come to be your coach?
Treece: He came up to me last year after I lost a couple of races at the state meet, and said you’re going to have to do more than what you’re doing. At that time I was only running 20 miles a week. I’m up to 55 now.
We see each other once a month, every two weeks during the season. But we email or talk on the phone every day. He sends me a daily schedule; he wants to know my weight, my heart rate. I have to tell him everything.

NE: So your last race was in New York City where you ran in the National Scholastic Indoor Track Championships. How were you able to train for the race during the winter?
Treece: I ran outside about half the time. I started using the treadmill when it got SUPER cold. I was only able to speed-train once outside because the roads are too sloppy. Most of the time I run 50 miles a week on the treadmill. It’s pretty monotonous.

NE: Can’t you do speed workouts on the treadmill?
Treece: No, because it can’t change its speed fast enough.

NE: Do you listen to music while you run?
Treece: I have an iPod, but I don’t always wear it. I have to focus without it because you’re not allowed to listen to music when you run the races.

NE: I read that you’re going to Notre Dame on full scholarship.
Treece: I am—everything is paid for. But I look at running as my job. I put time into it, and I get paid. If I didn’t run, I’d be working to save up for college.

NE: Yeah, but how many high school jobs pay $45,000 a year?
Treece: I have put a LOT of time into running over the years.

NE: Do your parents ever have to bug you to run?
Treece: No, they don’t have to. It’s completely something that I want to do.

NE: You jiggle your foot around a lot as you talk. Do you have a lot of energy?
Treece: Yes, and it’s hard for me to focus, and running takes a lot of focus. You have to keep track of your time and what your body is doing. You have to focus on your pain and make up your mind to run through it. If you don’t, you’ll stop or slow down.

NE: How many days a week do you run?
Treece: Every day. Six or seven miles the first day, seven minutes a mile, then eight or nine, and then on Sunday, I’ll go 10 or more.

NE: Why do you run for so many miles when you only race for three miles?
Treece: You have to run about three times as long as you’re going to race. There’s a science to it. My coach does all the workout planning. He’s the pro.

NE: Is your body doing okay with so much running?
Treece: I watch that pretty well. I’ve been told my biomechanics are perfect for running. I don’t have a lot of weight on the bottom half of my body. My shoulders are kinda’ broad, but I don’t have a lot of bust. I go to a chiropractor in Elk Rapids, Gary Knoll, at least once a week during the competitive season.

NE: What do you think about when you’re running?
Treece: Sometimes I don’t think about anything, or I think of a song. I used to think about food all the time. Sometimes my thoughts are bizarre, like what if someone jumps out at me from behind the bushes. Then I speed up. I used to be afraid of dogs, but I’m not anymore. In all these years, I’ve only had to use pepper spray once.

NE: What do you say to yourself when you really want to pick up your speed?
Treece: If I move my arms faster, I move my legs faster. And I have to get up on my toes. Running involves your whole body. If you don’t have good core strength, you’ll tend to slouch as you run. Sit-ups are good.

NE: Any advice for wannabe runners?
Treece: Don’t get discouraged. It’s really easy to give up because some days you might have a really sucky run. And don’t take it too seriously, too young. There are eight-year-olds who burn out by the time they’re 18. Start at your own fitness level, and then build up to 20 miles a week, and then up to 30.

NE: Do you do well academically?
Treece: Yes, I’m graduating second in my class.
NE: So you’re one of the girls who other kids love to hate, except that you’re really nice.
Treece: I am nice, unless someone does something mean to me. Then I’m not so nice.... I’m just like any other kid. I am focused on my running but I always find time outside of my running to do things that the normal 17-year-old would do.