University of Florida's Rebecca Lowe, a Sydney, Australia native, was part of a team that turned a lot of heads at the NCAA Pre-National Meet by taking second in the White Race. Lowe was the second Gator when she finished ninth overall in 20 minutes, 51.1 seconds over the 6,000-meter course. At the NCAA Championships, she grabbed an All-American finish with a 15th-place result, running 20:18.8. Lowe provided her answers via e-mail and is looking for a 3,000 time in the low nines this indoor season. Let's see how she does!

Florida was ranked pretty high throughout the season and a seventh-place finish is probably not what your team was looking for. Can you talk about what happened on the team side of things at NCAAs?

Realistically we didn’t have a certain goal or expectation, but, yeah, we were all pretty disappointed with seventh. We finished in the top 10—which was a first for Florida—but I think we are definitely a top-five team. As we all know it was a day of upsets and I think on any given day there were about 10 teams that could have finished on the podium. Basically, we had an average day and we have no excuses—we just felt that most of us didn’t happen to have our best day out there and these things happen. Unfortunately for us it was at NCAAs. The exciting thing is that we have great depth and only lose one girl from our roster. So, we are looking for bigger and better things to come next year. We’ll regroup for track season and be raring to go next fall.

Can you talk about your individual race?

I was happy to be All-American, but I would have liked to finish higher. Leading up to this race at SECs and Regionals, I had felt very comfortable. Those races were really relaxed and controlled so I was ready for a big one with some tough competition, however it wasn’t meant to be. At about the 3K mark, I could see the pack that I wanted to be running with but I wasn’t feeling my usual jumpy self and basically felt like the race was a struggle. So, I just tried to maintain my composure and not stress too much so I would still finish high enough for the team. I also think that not competing for an entire year was a factor as it’s been a long time that I have been in a very competitive environment like that. Maybe I just didn’t have that extra race experience that I needed for a big meet like that.

What was it like when you saw the strong favorite, Olympian and American Record Holder Jenny Barringer, falling back through the crowd of runners?

Yeah that was so weird. It just shows that anything can happen! Even with the experience and race competition that Jenny has, it showed that she is human and that pressure can get to anyone. At that moment I was running next to the Colorado freshman, and I heard people say, “just don’t worry and focus on yourself”, so I took that into mind too and just tried to focus on myself because at that moment I was trying to just maintain my composure too. Jenny is an amazing athlete and for her to get back up after collapsing is very impressive. To even make it to the finish line for her team shows the courage and strength she has. It takes a lot of pride to finish a race like that after so much hype, so I’ve got to commend her on that.

Can you explain your nerves, training and expectations leading up to NCAAs?

My week has been just like any other as I tried to not get worked up too much. I don’t want to waste too much energy on nerves. As a team, we just try to keep the same routine all week but we back off our mileage a little and ease off our runs. Myself, I was pretty excited as it's been two years since I was in a big race like this. I was excited to run with the best in the nation! But yes, definitely nervous too!

Can you explain your training?

This semester I was getting up to about 60 miles a week with a little less on race weeks. My basic week is usually:

Monday—Workout on golf course, which is usually some type of fartlek session. Then we come back in the afternoon for an easy jog and simple body strength exercises.

Tuesday—50 minutes.

Wednesday—70 minutes.

Thursday—Workout that is some type of interval session or tempo.

Friday—50 minutes.

Saturday—85 minutes.

Sunday—off or easy jog.

This year coach and I made sure I took it easy over summer and slowly built up my mileage throughout this semester as we didn’t want to take any risks with getting injured. I’ve also made sure to focus on things like stretching, icing and nutrition.

What brought you to Florida from Australia?

In Australia we don’t have a college sports system like the U.S., so if I was at home, I’d just be running with an outside running coach and would go to university with no financial support. So, the opportunity to come to the U.S. was something I couldn’t pass on. Also coming to the U.S. has been a big eye-opener in terms of the competition as we’re a small country back home. There's a limited amount of competitive races. I chose Florida because it has everything—perfect weather, awesome coaches, great facilities and really supportive teammates. It’s also the best academic school in Florida, so that was an added bonus too. I’m so happy to be here and wouldn’t have chosen anywhere else.

What are your hobbies when you get free time?

In my free time I’m usually just chilling at home or trying to keep in contact with people back home through Facebook. Also the girls and the guys on the team are all really good friends so we always hang out together. We’re a pretty close team. We usually do team dinners and stuff like that but I’m a hopeless cook and pretty lazy when it comes to cooking (my roommates will confirm that). I'm generally the kitchen supervisor.

What are your goals come the indoor and outdoor seasons?

This track season I’d like to go low nine minutes in the 3K and 15:40s in the 5K. It’s been so long since I’ve raced on a track, so I’ll see what happens indoors and then Coach Morgan and I will plan some goals for outdoor track. But I’d love to be on the podium.

If you could have one meal, prepared by anyone, what would you have and who would make it?

I think there’s nothing better than having an Aussie Barbie (barbecue) and a lamb on the spit, cooked by my dad. Oh, and kangaroo (yum—no, just kidding!). Anyway, it’s pretty cool, he’ll buy a massive whole lamb and cook it for like five hours out in the backyard—combined with some barbeque chicken and steak—it’s awesome!

Can you give me a crazy, wild running-related story?

Well, I think the reason for me being injured last year is pretty crazy. I now consider myself an awesome motorcycle driver. Not! I am now known by most of my teammates as a klutz. I think if any activity has a slight risk involved, I am bound to do something stupid.

It was the start of the cross country season and I was raring to go after a really good freshman track season. Anyways I don’t think Coach Morgan could of asked for a better start to the season—it's the beginning of September 2008 and we are sitting in the emergency section of the hospital (I fell off a scooter)—with my legs wrapped in bandages and waiting to get stitches in my elbow where I cut open my bursa. Let me say it was a very painful next few months of a long and slow rehab process. Very frustrating!

About the Running Warehouse:

My KWIK-Es are sponsored by runningwarehouse.com, located on the California coast in the small community of San Luis Obispo. The folks over there include one of the owners, Joe Rubio, a two hour, 18 minute marathoner and current head coach of the Asics Aggie RC. Jonathan Spiros oversees footwear buying and served many years as assistant coach at College Park High School helping Lindsay Allen. Erik Dube is in charge of accessories and helps with footwear buying. Erik has finished the Western States 100-Mile Race several times and was assistant coach at San Ramon Valley High School helping Scott Bauhs through high school. Erik’s wife, Tera, is in charge of customer service and is an ultra marathoner and former track star at Campolindo High School, where her brother Chuck Woolridge is currently head coach. Kara June handles web content. Kara was 6th at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in the steeplechase. Kara was also third overall at Last Fall’s USATF Club Cross Country Championships. The entire online and phone customer service representative staff at the Running Warehouse, including the staff listed above, have spent considerable time working the retail floor. This, along with the coaching and personal athletic experience, enables the company to have a unique perspective of understanding the needs of every level of runner from beginner to All-American. Check them out when you get a chance!