Athlete
Spotlight on Erica Larson Baron
An interview with a member of the 2004 Women's Team,
the first U.S. Team to win a team medal at the WMRT.
Boasting some of the country’s best climate and terrain for tough
off-road sports, New Mexico has delivered some of the best mountain runners
across the board. Stand-outs such as Simon Gutierrez (Albuquerque) and
Rachael Dobbs (Albuquerque) have come out of New Mexico to lead successful
mountain running careers but there’s another name that rings a bell
in the running community. That name is Erica Larson.
Larson, a member of the 2004 Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team (which won bronze), has led a storied career herself out of Los Alamos, NM and she has done it both with her mountain shoes and her light road racers.
On the trail, Larson has been successful,
no dominant, in nearly every competition she has entered. The Pikes Peak
Marathon has been her baby, winning the prestigious Colorado climb an
amazing 5 times. Larson has also won the grueling Leadville Marathon twice,
where she also holds the course record.
Erica (right) with teammate Laura Haefeli on the podium at the 2004
WMRT in Sauze d’Oulx, Italy.
On the road Larson has won the prestigious Rock ‘n Roll Half-Marathon, was the first American finisher at Mount Washington and has even qualified for an Olympic Trials Marathon, in 2004.
It seems as if everywhere Larson goes, a victory is in store but when you talk to her, you would hardly notice. Modest is one way to explain the fleet footed New Mexico phenomenon but fast is an equally accurate verb. Smart is also a word you can throw in the mix (which doesn’t apply to all us runners!).
Don’t let Larson’s slim 5 foot 2, 107 lb. frame fool you into thinking that she was custom built just for running. Larson’s so-called ‘double-life’ is as a chemist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where many of the nation’s nuclear weapons are built.
Larson has an extensive background in bio-chemistry and computer programming. She received her Ph. D at age 27 and studied at both Marquette University (where she also earned a 3.98 GPA) and the University of Kansas.
USMRT was able to catch up to Larson at her home in New Mexico - here’s
what she had to say about her endeavors on and off the road:
How did it feel to run in the Olympic Trials
in 2004?
It was really exciting at first. I came in right at the place
I was seeded (she finished 34th in 2:45). Outside of that it was really
a nice day out. The course was perfect for me, with rolling hills and
loops so I could judge where I was and keep on pace. I’ve never
been in a race quite like that because it was so small but competitive
and of course, there were just women running.
What is it about the Pikes Peak Marathon that
has made you so dominant?
I have just really loved that race. Even if I hadn’t
run it as well as I have I would still love it because it’s just
so much fun and it has such a great atmosphere to it. I think it’s
helped me quite a bit to live at 500 feet of elevation (in New Mexico)
and when I go to the race I feel more prepared.
Pikes Peak takes a lot more out of you mentally than it does physically. It’s a different type of pain from a road marathon where your legs hurt over the course of the race but you’re still running fast. It doesn’t do any good looking at mile splits at Pikes Peak and you really can’t go too fast uphill.
What is your favorite racing distance?
I like racing at the marathon distance or even longer. I’ve always
tended to have more endurance than speed and a race like Pikes Peak
suits me well because you’re out there for longer than marathon
time.
What has drawn you to mountain racing?
I have always had a lot of exposure to the roads growing up but since
I enjoy running the trails more I was pretty happy when I moved to Los
Alamos and I was closer to all the races.
Erica running the
Pikes Peak Marathon
Previous
Athlete Spotlights |
|
| 12/07 | Eric Blake |
| 11/07 | Maria Dalzot |
| 10/07 | Laura Haefeli |
| 09/07 | Jay Johnson |
Walk us through your typical training regimen.
I spend a lot of time on the trails for my regular runs and I try to
get in at least one longer run per week. In times that I’m preparing
for a longer race, I’ll try and get in a really long run every
other week (4-5 hours). I try and combine this with some tough hill
efforts. There’s a ski hill that I run often and I do tempo runs
up it. I also try and alternate the hill workouts with real speed sessions
like track repeats. This helps when I’m preparing for a road race
or a downhill mountain race.
Favorite race?
I’ve got to say Pike’s Peak. It has a lot of tradition to
it and there aren’t many races like it. I guess it depends where
I am in the race (Larson says with a smile) but I’ve got to say
it’s my favorite!
Has your work (as a chemist) impacted your running at all?
Running is really good for my job, as it gets my mind off of it but
as far as being a chemist impacting my running; it is just a regular
job like anyone else has. I started off studying bio-chemistry in college
and switched to straight chemistry when a professor persuaded me to
and since then I’ve just continued on.
How did you get into running to begin with?
I remember joining the cross country team in middle school but I played
basketball too. While I was good at running up and down the court without
getting tired, I was short and wasn’t much of a point scorer (said
with a laugh). I continued on with the running through high school,
college and now, I guess I’m addicted.
Any future plans?
I haven’t quite figured it out yet. Since I had trouble with low
iron levels over the past year I haven’t had a chance to race
but I feel ready now. I’m sure I’ll know closer to the season
starting.