5 Questions with Gabriele Anderson

Gabriele Anderson kicks for the win at Oxy
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Today we have 5 Questions with a former Minnesota Golden Gopher and now a member of Coach Dennis Barker's Team USA Minnesota. Most recently, the "Brooks Beast" was awarded Flotrack's "Kick of the Week."

Gabriele Anderson is off to a hot start in 2012. Her 4:06.46 PR (and heat win) at Oxy was just off the Olympic A Standard (of 4:06.00). She'll be targeting the A and racing the world's best next weekend at the Prefontaine Classic. Oh yeah, she's 25 and has beaten cancer twice. Follow her on Twitter @GabrieleAnde

5 Questions with Gabriele Anderson

1. Writing About Running: First off, congrats on your recent win at the Oxy 1500. You have to be happy to compete like that in a field that strong. Have you been working hard on your kick?

Gabriele Anderson: Thank you! It was a good way to start the season! Going into Oxy, I knew my training was going well, but it was my first 1500m this season, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I just wanted to be competitive and take a shot at the Olympic "A" standard, if the race went that fast. After our 800 meter split, I figured the "A" standard was probably a long shot, so from there it was just about racing and finishing strong!

2. Writing About Running: Next up, you'll face another excellent field at the Pre Classic 1500. How exciting is it to compete in a meet of this stature, against the world's best?

Gabriele Anderson: I'm so excited to race at Pre! It will be my first time competing at this meet, and I always enjoy the atmosphere of running at Hayward Field. It's special, I think. The 1500 will feature many of the top American women and I'm looking forward to testing myself again against a strong field. I think it will be a fast race and we'll probably see few more American women achieve the Olympic "A" standard there -- I'm hoping to be one of them!

3. Writing About Running: You mentioned in your post-race interview with Flotrack that the Adidas Grand Prix is a possibility. Do you and your coach have any other plans before the trials?

Gabriele Anderson: I'm still not sure if I will race in New York. Right now my coach and I are taking things one race at a time and still focusing on getting in good training, so I'm not sure how many more times I will race before the trials. If the right opportunity comes up, I'd like to race an 800m before the trials to keep working on my speed!

Anderson at USA's last year
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

4. Writing About Running: You seem to have a great relationship with your fellow Brooks team members. How important is it to have a good support system in this sport?

Gabriele Anderson: It's very important! And you are right, there is a special bond between us "Brooks Beasts"! We were fortunate to be able to get to know one another off the track right after we all finished our NCAA careers as we embarked on new journeys as professionals. Since we were all experiencing similar transitions, including both the excitement and anxiety that comes with it, we immediately hit it off as friends! We have enjoyed representing Brooks together and reuniting on the track circuit whenever we can. It's been great to watch each other progress and support each other along the way.

5. Writing About Running: You have become a poster child of sorts for many young athletes battling cancer. How much has your continued positive attitude that has carried you through two bouts affected the way you look at your running career?

Gabriele Anderson: Honestly, I've just been doing my best over these last few years to keep my head up and to not give up on my dreams. I'm not sure that I'm a poster child, but I do believe that young people facing similar situations can find some hope in my story. I hope that they don't give up on their dreams; I hope they keep smiling and loving life!

I think that running and racing as a cancer survivor has helped me to put the sport in perspective, which is really important, especially at this level. Life is all about doing your best and really appreciating the little things, and I think I'm able to do that much more now in my running career. Instead of putting pressure on myself, I try to look at the journey as a great gift -- and the outcomes are much less important to me than the journey itself.

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