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Kim Conley's Year of Exploration

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Conley Sees Success From 1,500m to Half Marathon

By Scott Bush

On Sunday, Kim Conley joins a talented field at the .US National 12K. The 2012 Olympian starts what can only be called her winter racing season, as the race in Alexandria comes just before the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot and the USA Half Marathon Championships. Conley's 2014 saw her dominate the indoor circuit, run some very fast times around the oval outdoors, including a big-time victory in the 10,000m at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and even hit the roads, running a half marathon in late October. As she gets ready to challenge for the win Sunday, we caught up with Conley, chatting about her season, her training and a whole lot more.

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Scott Bush (SB): There is some serious talent lining up at the .US National 12K, including a couple fellow Olympians in the women's race. With that said, how's your recent training been and what are your expectations heading into race weekend?

Kim Conley (KC): I am very excited about the field that is coming together for .US. My training has been going really well this fall, and I am looking forward to testing fitness by racing again. It's always fun to be able to line up with the best in the country, and I am thrilled with the opportunity that awaits.

SB: Your track season was fairly long, considering you ran so much indoors and then completed a strong outdoor season. What was the rationale behind choosing to run the .US National 12K?

KC: I took a break in July after finishing my outdoor season and then began a gradual build back into full training during the month of August. .US is the first in a series of road races I am going to race this fall and winter. Last year after the inaugural 12k championship I knew I wanted to return in 2014, and this year the race fits much better into the training cycle. 

SB: You had a tremendous track season, ranking U.S. top five in four separate events, from the mile all the way up to the 10k, while PR’ing in quite a few events. Looking back, you have to be pretty happy with your 2014 track season, right?

KC: With 2014 being a year without an outdoor world championship it left a lot of freedom to play with different distances without worrying about chasing a standard in one event. The two biggest things I wanted to accomplish were to develop the bottom end of my range indoors and win my first national title. I really enjoyed running indoors last winter and was happy to set PR's in the middle distance events, but the highlight of the year was definitely winning the 10,000m US Championship at home in Sacramento.

SB: The USA Half Marathon Championships are officially on you calendar. Between the .US National 12K and then the half marathon, what's with the move up in distance?

KC: I am continuing to expand and develop my range. Ultimately the goal is to be at my best in the 5,000m and 10,000m in 2015 and 2016, but I believe that the work I will do this winter to prepare for the half marathon will make me a stronger runner over those distances.

SB: You’re part of the NorCal Distance Project. While you've trained with Coach Wartenburg and a few of the athletes for a while, what's it mean to you to be part of such a hard working and supportive team?

KC: I can already tell that I am reaping the benefits of being a part of this group. Being in an environment where you are surrounded by like-minded individuals fosters a great work ethic. We all have different individual goals, but we show up to practice every day ready to make each other better, and I find it very motivating to train alongside the other members of the group. 

SB: With such a long and successful season, what did you learn in 2014 you might be able to apply to your training over the next year or two?

KC: I love to compete, but when I toe the line I like to be fully prepared to execute a great race. Sometimes it can be hard to balance my desire to be at all the race opportunities distance runners have with the necessity to pull back and prepare for a new cycle. I've now had three track seasons competing on an international level, and with each one I feel like I refine the ability to work backwards from races of emphasis and prepare for the most important moments.

SB: We know your accomplishments on the track, but what do you love doing when you are away from the track and trails?

KC: I love spending time with family and friends, being in the outdoors and playing with my dog.



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