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NEW YORK (02-Nov) -- Over the past decade, Molly Huddle has shown nearly complete dominance of American distance running on the track and roads, racking up 27 national titles from 5000-meters to 20-kilometers. But as she plans to continue her transition to the marathon, questions remain. This Sunday's TCS New York City Marathon will provide the 34-year-old Notre Dame grad an opportunity to see if she can master the distance in the same way she's conquered other races.

Huddle, a two-time Olympian who lives in Providence, R.I,, made her marathon debut in New York in 2016, finishing in a promising 2:28:13 for third place. But her most recent attempt at 42.195 kilometers, in Boston this past April, was disastrous and a rare blow to Huddle's confidence. On a bitterly cold, rainy and windy day that wreaked havoc on most runners' plans, Huddle struggled with hypothermia and finished 13th in the professional division in a 2:50:28. A root canal that sprang up shortly before the race didn't help, and she later had to have her wisdom teeth removed.

It was during one of her subsequent dental visits a few weeks later that the disappointment really sunk in. "I know a lot of people had a similarly bad day because of the weather, but [I had] a really good build-up, I was so excited and motivated," Huddle told reporters here Friday of her preparations for Boston. "If things hadn't gone as well leading up to it maybe I would have been easier for me to rationalize."

She arrived in New York coming off another strong training block in both Flagstaff, Ariz., and Providence. Her weekly mileage was similar, topping out in the 120-130 mile range [193 to 209 kilometers], "but we structured altitude a little differently this time around," Huddle said. "We were up in Flagstaff for a little longer and a little later into the buildup this time around, just trying to mimic the best altitude window from the past and some of my track races. We were up there seven weeks and I've been down four weeks, whereas Boston we were up for a month about two months out from the marathon."

Her usual training partner, Emily Sisson, was recovering from an injury before focusing on shorter distances this fall, leaving Huddle to rely on her husband, Kurt Benninger, to help out in workouts. Could the former Notre Dame middle-distance runner keep up with his wife? "On the track, yeah," Huddle said with a laugh. "On the tempo stuff, he's not a fan of that. He was a miler, so he doesn't like marathon workouts."

Huddle holds the U.S. records in the 10,000 meters on the track (30:13.17) and the 5-K (14:50) and half marathon (1:07:25) on the roads. She marvels at her trophy case of national titles. "It's crazy, since I never won an NCAA title," she pointed out. "A lot of them are on the roads, so you get a lot of chances every year. I would show up and run hard every time, so I think that was part of it. Every one is special and you never know when they're going to start to taper off."

Her most recent title came in June when she won her fourth straight 10,000-meter crown on the track, covering the final 1600 meters in a blazing 4:38. "I was coming off the [Boston] marathon so I wasn't sure if I would have what I needed when I went to kick," she said. "It's good to know that's in there somewhere. I've been in the sport a long time and I can still find a little speed."

Much of Huddle's success has come in New York City, just a few hours drive from from her upstate hometown of Elmira. She won the United Airlines NYC Half three years in a row (2015-17), the NYRR New York Mini 10K in 2014 and last year took the U.S. 5-K title by winning the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line, which finishes along the same stretch as the marathon. "I'm a New Yorker, so [the fans] know my name," she says. "It's good vibes when I go to the starting line in New York City. There's a comfort level and an excitement when I'm here. I love racing through the city."

On Sunday Huddle hopes to get back on the podium and lower her personal best. She faces a stellar field that includes Shalane Flanagan, who last year became the first American woman to win in New York in 40 years, and Des Linden, who accomplished a similar feat in Boston this past April, ending a 33-year drought for U.S. women.

And, of course, there are the Africans. Mary Keitany, who won this race three years in a row from 2013 to 2015, continued her success in New York by setting an event record in the NYRR New York Mini 10K in June, clocking 30:59. Her fellow Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist at 5000 meters, won the London Marathon last April with a personal best 2:18:31. The Ethiopian contingent includes reigning IAAF World Half Marathon champion Netsanet Gudeta and Mamitu Daska, third last year behind Flanagan and Keitany.

"Winning two majors in one year with Des and Shalane I think just shows that it can happen not once every 20 years, not once every 10 years," she says of the chances of joining her countrywomen as an Abbott World Marathon Majors champion. "It could happen. It's definitely become more of a goal at the forefront of my mind. They've run a lot of marathons, so it takes learning every single time you go out there to mold that perfect race. So I'm hoping I can do that every time I complete a marathon and eventually get better."

That includes the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, where she'll aim to grab one of the three spots on the squad for Tokyo. "It's going to be a hard team to make and we're going to send a team that all three women can do something at the Olympics special," she said. "So you really need to get the marathon experience in now. I'm going to have to be really good on that day."