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Molly Huddle Looks to Cap Fantastic Season on Sunday

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Huddle Eyes Repeat at .US National 12K

By Scott Bush

"Off" years in the sport are often times fun ones for athletes. With no World or Olympic competitions to focus on, athletes can play around with distance, training and the types of races they run. Molly Huddle did plenty of that in 2014. While the Olympian lowered her 5,000m American record on the track to 14:42.64 and setting mile and 10,000m bests around the oval, she also tackled the roads, running two sub-70 minute half marathons and won the USA 5 km, 7 mile and 20 km titles. 

Heading into the .US National 12K Sunday, her last race of the season, Huddle sits second in the USA Running Circuit standings two points behind leader Sara Hall, 47-45. Huddle won the inaugural .US National 12K race last year, which propelled her to winning the overall USA Running Circuit. As Huddle wraps up her successful season in Alexandria, Virginia this weekend, we caught up with her, discussing her season, the race ahead and what's in store for her in 2015.

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Scott Bush (SB): You’ve had a tremendous 2014. You have to be feeling pretty great about your season heading into the .US National 12K, right?

Molly Huddle (MH): Thanks! I am really happy to have hit most of the track goals I was hoping for at the beginning of the year, and I'm glad I have also been able to hit some road races pretty well as a bonus-it's rare that any season goes smoothly so I'm always grateful to be uninjured and fully healthy at this point as well!

SB: As defending champion, what's your approach for this year's race?

MH: End of the season fatigue is looming at this point of the season so my goal is to do what it takes to win, which I realize may be pretty hard. I am not sure it will necessarily go as fast as last year but despite the unique point in the year of this race it sounds like some of the top seeds are fit right now and really gearing up for it.

SB: You’ve had a long season. Did you take any downtime after the track season to recover?

MH: I have not taken any downtime yet so I am looking forward to a break, and excited to plan next season.

SB: The roads became a strong focus for you after the heavy part of the track season. What's the draw for you to the roads?

MH: The roads have been a bigger part of the schedule this year, partly because it was an "off" year so I was trying to have some fun, which for me is road racing.  I also come out of the roads a little less physically beat up. But mostly I enjoy the atmosphere: the crowds and music and crazy things you see and hear on the side of the road (like the lady that photo-bombed the men's pack in New Haven-so awesome!). I also think I gain some strength by training for and racing some of the longer-than-5k distances. 

SB: 2015 is right around the corner. Looking ahead ever so slightly, what are your goals for the 2015 season? Any chance we'll see you take a crack at the U.S. 10k record?

MH: I hope to run the 10,000m at the World Championships next year and to improve on my past finishes at Worlds. I don't think I'll be going for a hard 10,000m before Worlds and the conditions in Beijing may not be great for time so I am more focusing on place next year. 

SB: It seems as though a bunch of fellow pros are preparing for USA XC in Boulder. Any chance we'll see you rock the cross country course in a couple months?

MH: I won't be running cross country as I am planning an altitude trip before the track season and I'm away in warm weather all winter so unfortunately it doesn't fit my schedule to be away that extra month or so to train for USA XC. The altitude component of the race pretty much throws a wrench in things for me - if my tempos at altitude are any indication of how a race would go, it may be a pretty ugly 8k! I hope to do cross country again in the future though!

SB: Okay, we all know your accomplishments on the track and roads, so...what do you like to do away from the sport? Any hobbies?

MH: Not many legitimate hobbies actually! Shopping, reading, watching bad TV, the occasional random art project.



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