Interview with Jen Rhines

By Cecil Harris

Jen Rhines, one of America’s finest distance runners, turned 34 on July 1. In August, she’ll attempt to give herself a priceless birthday present —an Olympic medal. Rhines will compete in Beijing, China, in the 5000 meters against a strong field that includes Ethiopian stars Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar, who have run the fastest and second-fastest times in history, respectively.

This is Rhines’ third U.S. Olympic team; she competed in the 10,000 meters in the 2000 Sydney Games and in the marathon in 2004 in Athens. She seems to have found her niche in the 5000 meters: In the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field in Eugene, OR, her time of 15:02.02 put her second only to Kara Goucher and ahead of the third qualifier, American 5000-meter record-holder Shalane Flanagan.

Since the Trials, Rhines has competed well in 3000-meter races as part of the World Athletics Tour series. On July 25, she won at the London Grand Prix in 8:53.26, and she finished third in Carson, CA, on May 18 to take the overall lead among 3000-meter runners with 22 points heading into the Herculis meet in Monaco on July 29, where she’ll run her final tune-up before the Olympics. [Editor’s Update: Rhines placed sixth in the Herculis meet, and she still holds the lead in World Athleteics Tour series for the women’s 3000 meters with 30 points].

Born in Syracuse, NY, Rhines started running as a sprinter in high school. An All-American at Villanova while earning a degree in civil engineering, she won NCAA championships in cross country and at 5000 meters indoors and outdoors. She also won the 2002 USA Championships at 10,000 meters. Having run everything from dashes to marathons, she has found great success lately on the track in middle distances.

Since 1998, Rhines has been married to acclaimed coach Terence Mahon, and she often trains with 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor as part of the Team USA California training group. Through cyberspace, we caught up with Rhines to find out, among other things, how she’s preparing for Beijing, what it’s like to be coached by her husband, and what Olympic sport is her favorite, besides her own.

New York Road Runners: Where are you in Europe and why are you there?
Jen Rhines: I have three races planned in Europe before heading to Beijing—a 5K in Paris and 3K’s in London and Monaco. I’ve been training in Leuven, Belgium, between the races.

NYRR: Readers love to know how much running elite runners like you do before a major race. If you don't mind my asking, how much running this week? And how much running will you do once the Olympics have begun and you're waiting for your event?
JR: At this point in the season, I’m running 75 to 80 miles a week on weeks that I’m not racing. On race weeks, I run about 65 miles. At the Olympic Trials, I ran 52 miles the week of the 5K, so I’ll probably run about the same the week of my races in Beijing. I taper a little bit more for championship events.

NYRR: Are you concerned at all about the air quality in Beijing?
JR: I’m not concerned about it since we all run in the same conditions—it’s something every athlete will have to deal with. Also, running in the smog in the Los Angeles area has never bothered me, so I figure why worry about it now?

NYRR: Congratulations on representing Team USA in the Olympic 5000 meters. As you know, Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia ran a world-record time of 14:11:15 on June 6. That's such an incredibly fast time. Is it also stunning to you as a fellow runner?
JR: It is an incredibly fast time, but I wasn’t shocked that she set a new world record in Oslo. However, I was surprised at the way she ran it. I was actually in that race and when I heard that her split for 3000 was 8:38, I was thinking that she wouldn’t get the record. Then I saw the clock stopped at 14:11 when I had about 250 meters to go! She ran the last 1500 meters in 4:06—a time that many runners would be pleased to have as their 1500-meter personal best, myself included. Given the way they ran their 5K races this year, I think that both Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar will run even faster in the future.

NYRR: Do you like your chances to medal in the 5000?
JR: I’m very pleased with where I am right now. I’m the most competitive I’ve ever been at the international level. I believe that I have the potential to win a medal, but I am by no means a medal favorite. If I run the best race that I possibly can on the day and step off the track knowing that I have nothing left, I will consider it a success whether I finish first, fourth, or tenth.

NYRR: The three women representing the U.S. in the Olympic 5000 meters are Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan, and yourself. Kara and Shalane also qualified for the Olympic 10,000 meters. If you were in Kara's or Shalane's shoes, would you try to run both the 5000 and the 10,000?
JR: Absolutely! Why not have two chances for an Olympic medal? I’m in a different position than Shalane and Kara because I continue to get sharper as I race. I’m tuning up with these races in Europe, so I’ll arrive in Beijing in peak form. It would be nearly impossible to double at the Trials, race in Europe, and then run two races in Beijing. But since Shalane and Kara are foregoing this part of the European season, I think they will be properly prepared to run two events in Beijing.

NYRR: Why did you decide to concentrate on shorter distances after the 2004 Olympic marathon?
JR: The 2004 Olympic marathon was hugely disappointing for me. After I made the team and broke 2:30, I thought I’d kind of gotten the hang of it and would make huge improvements at the Olympics and beyond. I finished 34th in Athens, and I didn’t even feel like I was competing; I was just struggling to get to the finish. [She finished in 2:43:52.] I continued to struggle with the marathon for the next couple of years. In 2006, I had a breakthrough at the end of the track season when I ran 14:55 for the 5000 in Brussels. That renewed my excitement for the sport, and after another sub-par marathon in Tokyo at the end of that year I reevaluated my goals. Since then, I’ve been making steady improvement in the 1,500, 3000, and 5000, and I’ve been having a lot more fun. I am physically and mentally better suited for the shorter distances!

NYRR: How often do you run with Deena Kastor, and do you two inspire each other?
JR: Deena and I do most of our recovery runs together, but we haven’t done a lot of hard training sessions together since last summer when we were both racing on the track. Deena has always inspired me since I met her way back in 1999. Although she is a free spirit, she has always been methodical in setting her goals and planning out how she will achieve them. Seeing her take this approach and accomplish what she set out for makes it less intimidating for me to strive for the same types of goals. And of course, it’s always inspiring to see a friend and teammate win an Olympic medal!

NYRR: What is it like being coached by your husband, Terence Mahon?
JR: It’s working out really well at this point in my career. I think it would have been more challenging when I was younger. Also, since we train as a group, it’s easier to slip into the coach/athlete role in a group situation. I don’t think it would work at all if it were just Terence and me going to the track and the gym by all by ourselves every day!

NYRR: Jackie Joyner-Kersee once told me jokingly that there were times when she wanted to fire her coach-husband Bob Kersee. Ever feel that way about Terence?
JR: I have never felt that I would like to fire him—at least not yet! The only aspect that is difficult is after a poor performance. An athlete would normally have a conversation with her coach and then leave it at the track. However, I’m going home with my coach. It’s easy to want to continue the discussion at a time when I’m thinking emotionally and not rationally. Nothing good usually comes out of these situations. We have made an effort this year to “leave it at the track,” and it’s working quite well.

NYRR: As you know, the preliminary heats in the Olympics 5000 will be run on August 19 and the final on August 22, a full two weeks after the opening ceremonies. Do you like that scheduling?
JR: I like this scheduling, but I don’t plan on walking in the opening ceremonies. Once I get to our USA Track & Field training camp in Dalian, I’ll be settled in there until I go back to the Olympic Village before I compete. Although for me the highlight of the 2000 Sydney Olympics was walking in the opening ceremonies, I am going to forgo it this time around.

NYRR: What is the one Olympic event that you would love to watch as a fan?
JR: I love watching gymnastics. I did gymnastics for a couple of years when I was young, and I’ve been a huge fan ever since! I went to watch some of the gymnastics in Sydney, but this time I will just catch it on TV.

NYRR: Will having competed in two previous Olympics help you keep your nerves and emotions in check in Beijing, or will you still be nervous on race day?
JR: I think that I’ll still be nervous on race day. I went through a time when I was focusing on the longer distances where I never felt nervous. I think that when I know I’m not physically prepared to accomplish my goals, I become a little apathetic. Getting back on the track and feeling the nerves has been a welcome experience for me! But having two Olympics behind me will help, because I’ll know what to expect.

NYRR: A belated happy birthday, Jen. Thank you for taking time to answer these questions. We wish you success in Beijing
JR: Thank you.

Interview conducted July 29, 2008, and posted on August 18, 2008.