An Interview with Camille Herron

Camille Herron was a high school state champion in Oklahoma before injuries cut her collegiate career short. She has remained healthy since returning to serious training, and recently qualified for the Olympic Trials at the St. Jude Memphis Marathon.

Boston Athletic Association: How did you first become involved in the sport?

Camille Herron: I grew up as a basketball player from the ages of 3 to 14. Both my dad and grandpa played at Oklahoma State under the famed Henry Iba, so they were huge athletic inspirations—pillars of toughness. In the 7th grade, everyone on our basketball team had to go out for track for off-season conditioning. From day 1, I could run non-stop and not get tired. I went out for cross country the following fall, and I just knew my first meet that I was meant to be a runner. It felt natural and liberating.

C.H.: Oh boy—one giant roller-coaster! I made All-State in Oklahoma three times in cross country and was a track state champion in the 4x800m, 1600m, and 3200m. However, I had four stress fractures in my last two years of high school. I made a small comeback my senior year of cross country by winning regionals and making All-State. Coach [Doug] Clark at Tulsa saw my performance at the All-Star meet (where I finished second), so he started recruiting me and I ultimately ended up at TU.

Coach Clark and Coach [Stanley] Redwine left for Kansas, so we got a new coach my freshman year of college. My freshman year was marred by three more stress fractures and a bout of pneumonia. I took six months completely off from running, red-shirted my sophomore year, and then didn’t run collegiately after that.

B.A.A.: What sort of impact your injuries have on your development as a runner?

C.H.: I attribute my injuries purely to overtraining and burning the candle at both ends. Just hammering it every day with no concept of rest and recovery. I needed a coach to hold me back, slowly develop me, and teach me to take it easy on my easy days. This is where Conor (my husband/coach) came into play—I am incredibly thankful for having met him at a time in my life when I needed someone to talk to.

In a way, I feel blessed for what I went through because it motivated me to learn how to train right and made me a student of the sport. I was determined to get it right, prove I could run, and not become another injury-riddled statistic. I am more keenly aware of how my body feels and knowing how to nip little things in the bud. Because I missed a critical time of development for most (16-22), I am definitely more raw and underexposed, so I believe my career will peak later.

B.A.A.: After taking some time away from competitive running you decided to begin training seriously again. Why did you make that decision, and how did you manage the transition back into racing?

C.H.: My husband finished 18th at the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials, so he was definitely an inspiration. In the summer of 2004, we went to Boulder for six weeks so Conor could train at higher altitude. I went along for the ride, and before I knew it I was running more than I ever had and felt awesome. We did nothing but eat, sleep and run, and it made me realize what it took to make it to the next level. It was at this time that I made the commitment to be the best runner I could be. Conor took over coaching me. I went into that fall (2004) and walloped my 5K best and ran my first 10K and 15K. I dropped another 30 seconds off my 5K time in the spring.

B.A.A.: How would you characterize your training philosophy, and how has it evolved over the years?

C.H.: Keep it simple: eat, sleep, and run. Easy days easy, hard days hard. Consistency is key. Lots of miles. Set short term and long term goals. In terms of how the training philosophy has evolved, it hasn’t changed much at all except a natural progression in terms of more miles, longer long run, and workouts geared towards the marathon. Everything about Conor’s training is well-planned and has a purpose.

B.A.A.: Your academic interests have stemmed from your own injury problems. Can you tell us a bit about this?

C.H.: Yes! When I had all my stress fractures, I sort of became infatuated with learning about bone, muscle, biomechanics, and the human body. I read everything I could get my hands on and emailed a lot of experts. I was pre-med and wanted to go to medical school, but I started doing research with my undergrad mentor and fell in love with the whole scientific process. It was also around this time that I started running well, so I decided grad school was a better option at this point in my life. I did my master’s at Oregon State on enhancing bone recovery with whole body vibration training. I now work as a Research Assistant at Purdue in Dr. Connie Weaver’s bone and nutrition lab.

B.A.A.: Did your studies help you in your return to competitive running?

C.H.: Absolutely! I was intrigued reading about the Africans growing up barefoot, training in worn out shoes, and the lower incidence of injuries. I was taking physics and biomechanics at the time, and it made perfect sense that our own ‘ideal state’ is what exists while barefoot. Four years ago, I decided to go back to the basics and work on strengthening my so-called flat, weak feet. I tossed out the orthotics and heavy trainers I had been wearing for four years and began training from scratch in flats and barefoot. It was experimental and I had no idea it would actually work. It required an incredible amount of patience and very easy running—I put the faith back in my own body. I have been healthy the past four years and FINALLY been able to achieve consistency in my training.

B.A.A.: When did you decide to tackle the marathon distance, and how did you adjust your training to prepare?

C.H.: During the fall of 2004, I was taking my 10K and 15K times and using [Jack] Daniels’s charts to predict what I’d run for the marathon, which to my surprise was around the qualifying standard for 2004. So we set a goal of qualifying for the 2008 Trials. We’ve spend the past three years developing aerobically and getting stronger. We’ve slowly progressed my mileage each year and my long run.

B.A.A.: You had a busy year in 2007—running the first three marathons of your career, including a DNF at Chicago, and your qualifying run at Memphis. Tell us a little about the three races, and what you learned about the marathon each time out.

C.H.: Eugene was experimental. Conor told me to stay as relaxed as possible and run with the women’s group going for the qualifier. I held on as long as I could and lost contact around 20 miles. I learned not to be afraid of the distance and to be more vigorous about an energy-replacement strategy to help me maintain my mental focus.

For Chicago, I went in ready to run low 2:40’s, but the heat was too much. I dropped out at 20 miles when I fell off pace. I took two days off and then got right back into training.

Memphis was awesome and hospitable. The course was more difficult than I anticipated, but it suited me well. I went in fit and took care of business.

B.A.A.: What was your reaction when you heard that the Trials were going to be held in Boston on the day before the 112th Boston Marathon?

C.H.: Thrilled! I’ve never been to the Northeast. What an opportunity of a lifetime—you can’t imagine how thankful I am to being going to Boston and racing the nation’s best. I will soak in every minute of it!

C.H.: My husband/coach, Conor, who is the men’s distance coach at Purdue University. He has shown me the way and taught me how to live and train like an elite athlete. I have complete trust in him and his long term plan for me.

C.H.: Conor. My dad and grandpa were inspirations growing up, and my mom as well (she was an excellent swimmer, golfer, and bowler). Since I’ve gotten into the marathon, I’m definitely inspired by all the great women marathoners from the 70’s/80’s, like Patti Dillon, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Heather Tolford, who paved the way for the current generation of female marathoners. I keep in touch with Patti and Heather and value their words of wisdom. I believe Joan qualified for the Trials, so I will be awestruck if I get to meet her!

C.H.: Sleeping and watching lots of movies and TV shows like The West Wing, the Soprano’s, and Entourage. I love and appreciate good beer, particularly bocks and hefeweizens. I would love to learn how to brew beer. I read A LOT.

B.A.A.: What is something interesting that the running community may not know about you?

C.H.: When I broke my foot my junior year of cross country, the month after, I practiced my heart out on the French horn and made the All-State band. It definitely made up for my broken foot! I’m also a pianist and stamp collector.