June 21, 2022
This week’s guest on Run Your Mouth is Karissa Schweizer of Bowerman Track Club. She is an Olympian, the American record holder in the 3,000m, the No. 2 all-time 5,000-meter runner with a 14:26 personal best, and as of a few weeks ago, the national champion in the 10,000m who’s headed back to Eugene this week to chase at least one more national title.
We had an awesome conversation right after the Portland Track Festival last week (which is why during the episode we talk about entries for USAs with a little less clarity than we have now), and we covered everything from coming back from surgery last fall; growing up in a big running family; and how the culture at BTC has changed over the years. I also really enjoyed our conversation about the running culture in Portland Oregon and how that factors into the life of a professional runner.
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NOTABLE QUOTES AND NOTES
On bouncing back after surgery:
“Last year there were so many times when I felt like I was limited by my body and my mind, and being pain-free allows you to dig into deeper levels. There was just no way the race could go poorly.”
On training with her top rivals:
“Even though it’s an individual sport in some ways, you can make it a team sport. Elise and I have worked together in races, especially in trials races where top three matters most. Especially on the world level, it’s really nice to have someone you train with day in and day out when you’re navigating the biggest stage.”
On navigating the negative press:
“We have almost a stronger team culture now because we’ve been through a lot. Everyone who stayed has had to get through a hard year together, and the group is closer as a result.”
On goals moving forward:
“At the end of the day, getting a medal on the world stage is my biggest goal. Records get broken, times get broken. But getting a medal – you can never take that away.”
JOIN US IN EUGENE
This episode was brought to you by CITIUS Mag’s Summer of Hayward. The competition is only heating up as we move into the championship part of the season and the CITIUS team is going to be there every step of the way. Learn more at citiusmag.com/summerofhayward.
Visit https://citiusmag.com/summerofhayward/ for all the information on dates and tickets.
This month, I would also encourage you to consider picking up a CITIUS MAG Pride T-shirt in our merch store to show your LGBTQ track and field pride. All proceeds from this campaign go toward PFLAG, a great organization that supports education, outreach, and support for families of queer youth. Pick yours up at https://www.bonfire.com/store/citius-mag/
David Melly
David began contributing to CITIUS in 2018, and quickly cemented himself as an integral part of the team thanks to his quick wit, hot takes, undying love for the sport and willingness to get yelled at online.