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Nicole Bush finishes fifth at the 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championships on November 19 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Interview with Nicole Bush

Posted on December 5, 2007, Interview conducted December 5, 2007

By Alison Wade

Nicole Bush of Michigan State made a 95-place leap from 101st at the 2006 NCAA Cross Country Championships to fifth at the 2007 edition of the meet, held on November 19th in Terre Haute, Indiana. In the process, she led her team to fifth-place finish, Michigan State's highest since 1981. Bush's NCAA success was just the continuation of a great fall, during which she finished second to Iowa's Diane Nukuri at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships on October 28th, and second to Michigan's Nicole Edwards at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on November 10th.

Though this was Bush's first All-America honor in cross country, she was already a two-time All-American on the track after finishing fifth in the steeplechase at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and sixth in 2007. The 9:56.68 steeple she ran last spring has already qualified her for the Olympic Trials, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon in late June and early July.

A native of Wyoming, Michigan, Bush was a 10-time state champion for Kelloggsville High School. In 2002, as a high school junior, she finished ninth at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional and missed qualifying for the prestigious national meet by two seconds. She won three Division 3 state cross country titles, beginning her freshman year, before finishing 237th—second from last—at the state meet as a senior, due to an undetected case of anemia. She set high school PRs of 4:53 (1,600) and 10:51 (3,200).

Now a senior at Michigan State, Bush, age 21, has one indoor, one outdoor, and one cross country season remaining in her NCAA eligibility. We caught up with her via e-mail.

Congratulations on your fifth place finishes (both as an individual and team-wise) at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Can you tell us how your race played out?
I got out pretty fast, with the lead pack. I think I was in fifth going into the 1k. Somewhere between there and the 2k, the leaders made a break and I decided not to go. I considered my own level of experience in a race this big and this fast and thought better of it. So I decided to hang back a little longer, thinking possibly the 3k. The rest is pretty foggy. On the backstretch, I fell back a few places, and I think was running in ninth or tenth for a while. With 800-600 meters left, I moved back into fifth and maintained that position to the finish.

Was the result something you expected? You must have had a fair amount of confidence coming in after your Regional and Big Ten runner-up finishes.
I expected to put my heart into the race and commit to it. The result was just a product of that expectation. The Regional and Big Ten races gave me confidence to believe that I was ready for the nationals—in body and in mind.

Though you're a two-time All-American in track, this was a big step up in cross country for you, and a 95-place improvement over last year's NCAA finish. To what do you attribute your jump in performance this season?
The biggest difference this year, from my previous cross country seasons, was my level of excitement. First, I was prepared to string together two competitive seasons physically and mentally. And, I wanted to contribute my best to the team. All the girls worked hard over the summer and we were excited to have fun working hard together.

What would a typical week of training look like for you, and what was your mileage range throughout the season?
Typically, we do one threshold workout a week and one hard workout a week. On the weeks that we race, we do a threshold workout and a fartlek. My individual mileage ranges from 55-65 throughout the season, depending on when I take a day off.

Do you get more excited about cross country season or track season?
At one time, I would have said track, but now they're equal. They both have different elements that float my boat. Cross has the whole team aspect going on, but track is just simple and fast.

What event(s) do you plan to focus on indoors this season?
I'll probably do a few miles and 5ks, but I think my interests lie in the 3k. We'll see though.

 

How much of a break, if any, do you take between the cross country and indoor track seasons?
The upperclassmen usually take 3-5 days off, with some optional crosstraining towards the end. Then we take about three weeks to get back to normal mileage.

Looking at the highlights of you career, it would appear that you are a natural runner who has always been good, but it looks like you've also hit some bumps along the way. Ones that come to mind are the end of your cross country season your senior year of high school, and having to redshirt due to mono in 2006. Can you tell us a little about that, and how you've come back from the various setbacks you've faced?
My senior year I was anemic, but I didn't know it until after the state finals. I mean, I had a fairly normal senior season—I competed and PRed and all that jazz. The regional race felt a little funny, but I moved on. I ate really well the following week, hydrated, [and did] everything to get back on track. But it hit really hard at the state finals. My legs became lead just after the two mile and eventually I slowed to a walk because it was all I could manage. I did end up running last ¼ mile though. Redemption! It wasn't really a huge setback. It sucked a little but I took a lot from it and it taught me more nutritious eating habits. But looking back—and even at the time—it's kind of funny to think about. I never walked in a race in my life. And then—my senior year at state finals—I walked for about a mile.

Mono my sophomore year of college was kind of an opportunity too. The timing was the best it could have been. They figured out I had mono before we ran our first competition, so they just redshirted me right away. I was disappointed at first because I was pretty excited about the season, but being sidelined gave me a chance to watch and learn. I could go to big meets and see how the races unfolded. And at practice, I could learn from watching my teammates.

Am I correct in thinking that you didn't try the steeplechase until your sophomore year? What prompted you to try it, and how did your first one go?
Yes, my sophomore year was my first season doing steeple. My coach, Rita [Molis], actually suggested that I try it. She mentioned it my freshman year, and I thought she was crazy and practically refused. Later I reconsidered, and I'm glad I did. The first steeple I ever ran went pretty well. I had a teammate showing me the ropes and it was such an odd experience. I was really nervous but it was fun as hell.

How much steeplechase-specific work do you do throughout the year?
We do steeple-specific drills through the whole season. But for steeple-specific workouts, we wait until the later part of the season. The entire team does general hurdle drills all year round.

You have already qualified for the Olympic Trials in the steeplechase. Do you plan to run the Trials, and will you have to make adjustments to your training schedule in order to be ready to compete (again) in late June/early July?
Yeah, the plan is to run. As for making adjustments in training, I'm not sure if I'll deviate much from the things I'm doing now, except prepare for a longer season than I'm used to.

At this point, are you planning to use up your final season of cross country eligibility?
Yes, I plan to.

What's it been like to work with Rita Molis?
It's been a blast and one of the best things that's happened to my running. She's hilarious and encouraging at all the right times—and serious when she needs to be. She's helped me a lot in my years here at State. She gets me.

She was quoted as saying, 'Nicole has a really good perspective on her running and on things in general. She definitely walks to the beat of a different drum, but it's an entertaining drum.' Any idea what she's talking about, or any anecdotes you care to share?
Oh, she just thinks I'm weird. But I'm told that it's the good weird.

You probably could have gone just about anywhere for college. What made you choose Michigan State?
I just liked the team. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the people I met when I visited, and I wanted to be part of it.

How did you get started running? I know you were already winning state titles your freshman year. Had you competed much before then? Did you play other sports?
I started running in middle school. I ran the required mile in gym class and afterwards my teacher, Mr. Stevens, suggested that I join the track team. So I did, and proceeded to specialize in the 400—even after running a few cross races in the 8th grade. I tried volleyball in the 8th grade for a season. I hated it.

Because you were so successful in high school, did the pressure ever get to you? If so, how did you deal with it?
I don't think that it ever really did. The only pressure I felt was the pressure that I put on myself. So at the end of the day, I really only had to deal with my own expectations.

When you placed ninth at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional in 2002 and missed making Nationals by two seconds, was that something that was heartbreaking at the time, or not that big of a deal?
It was more of a big deal to actually get ninth. The previous years I placed somewhere in the 30s. I just thought it was sweet to get a few medals and a space blanket.

What kinds of activities does your team do for fun?
There are so many of us with the men's and women's teams being combined, so we all have a giant pool of friends to choose from on a regular basis. Some of the girls really got into tetherball at our team camp. My roommates, who are also teammates, and I sometimes play hockey in the road with fruits, vegetables, and other roundish things that go bad in our kitchen. We go out to eat after workouts sometimes. We like sushi. A lot of us play video games. The possibilities are quite possibly endless.

So are the men's and women's teams at Michigan State close?
Yeah, we're all pretty close. The teams are combined and coached collaboratively by Walt Drenth and Rita Molis.

What's your major?
Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities. My "inter-disciplines" are Italian, English, Geography and Religion.

Would you like to pursue a professional running career when you graduate?
Yeah, I think that would be a very fun opportunity.