The last time University of Arkansas senior Dominique Scott ran at the Stanford Invitational, the native South African ran one minute faster than her previous 10,000m best: a stunning 32:11. That's well under the Olympic standard, but unfortunately, she ran it before the qualifying window opened. Even more remarkable, it was her first hard 6.2-mile effort. The time surprised Scott, who went on to finish runner-up in the NCAA Championships' 10,000m and 5000m.

This year, she's more determined than ever to run fast at Stanford to kickstart her final season at Arkansas. With no indoor eligibility remaining, Scott took time off after finishing third in the NCAA Cross Country Championships to get married, test herself in professional waters at the NYRR Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile and enjoy a long training block before the Olympic season. We caught up with Scott before she jetted off to California to open her final season as a Razorback.

This interview has been condensed.

FloTrack: You ran pretty darn well over the weekend! We haven't seen you on the track in awhile -- could you tell us about that 1500m race?

Dominique Scott: On Saturday, I actually was just using the race as a rust-buster. Normally, I don’t run the Arkansas Spring Invite because I would be just coming off an indoor season. But obviously this year, indoor was a little bit different not having eligibility. I ran at Millrose, was just kind of getting my feet wet with the professional running. Definitely wasn’t in peak shape or anything, just kind of trained through it. I definitely gained a lot of experience through that race. It was incredible to be included in Dave Monti’s Millrose Wanamaker mile. 

But then, I came back and continued training, and decided to use this past Saturday’s race as a workout. So actually, in the morning I did 5x1000m with 60 seconds rest, and then came back in the evening and ran the 1500m kind of more like a training day. I’ll fully be opening up my outdoor season at Stanford.

4:15 is not a slouch time!

No, it definitely isn't. I was really happy with it after the race. I wasn’t trying to run anything fast, but after 200m, the girls had kind of already pushed me to the front of the pack and I think I said something to the girls like, 'C’mon, let’s go!’ and no one wanted to go. I think they wanted me to lead, and in my head I thought, 'If I'm going to be in the front, then I'm going to run a decent pace and get a qualifier for regionals.' I just ran it relaxed. I wasn't bent over at the finish line or anything. So I was really happy to look up at the scoreboard and see a 4:15. 

​​You didn't have eligibility this indoor season. Who were you training with and what were your workouts like?

I was actually doing a lot of work by myself. About once a week, I would do a workout on the roads with my coach, Coach [Lance] Harter. He would cycle next to me. He definitely realized that I needed to start pushing myself in the tempo, longer workouts. We don’t really have any other 10K girls at the moment who can run my speed, so he’s been cycling next to me about once a week during indoor season. And the other day, I would be on the track and we would try and incorporate my workout with maybe Nikki Hiltz, or Therese Haiss or Jessica Kamilos, where they were maybe not doing a workout as long as mine, like three quarters or half of my workout.

We're trying to play around and make the most of what we’ve got available. I definitely realized that I need to be pushing myself, getting out of my comfort zone in practice. Definitely last cross country season, I was running with the team a lot, and I just realized that I need to step it up to the next level.

In her first competitive 10,000m race, Dominique Scott ran 32:11 at the 2015 Stanford Invite

Was this the first time you were able to focus on 10K-specific training?

Definitely. You know, the past two indoor seasons I was focusing on the mile and 3K. So this indoor season allowed me to do a lot longer work, so I’m excited to see what I can run in the 10K. 

Is getting an Olympic standard something that you’re trying to accomplish this weekend?

Yes definitely. So at the moment, the South African track season is kind of at its peak right now. They have their junior championships and senior championships the month of April. So they’re all running pretty fast, so I definitely need to run some qualifying times to put my name out there. Hopefully they’ll include me in their team.

Could you explain how it works? You have to get a time and get invited?

Yes, so they want me to come home. Their South African championship is the weekend of Mt. SAC this year. And I've been trying to explain to them that it would be detrimental to my season if I was to fly all the way home to South Africa to race. It’s more if you run the standard and they think you’re good enough and have a chance of making a final then they’ll take you. So I’ve been trying to explain to the South African federation that it’s a long trip, that I’m in school I need to be in my classrooms to remain eligible. My season and NCAAs are very important and I don’t want to mess that up to fly across the world to race. I'm definitely trying to run a qualifying standard as soon as I can! 

If you had to pick, would you try for the 5k, 10k or 1500?

I would say the 10K, just because it’s a straight final [laughing]. But I mean, any event that they would want to take me in would be amazing. My 1500m speed has come a long way. Last year I ran a 4:08 and I was kind of surprised by that. And now running 4:15 on tired legs, I was surprised once again so we’ll see what I can do in the 1500m. It may take a perfect race to run the standard but we’ll see what I can do.

Watch Dominique Scott's 4:08 1500m from Lignano, Italy this summer!

You didn't just not run indoor but you got married. You're a different person! How is being married?

It’s great. I feel really lucky to have someone [Former Arkansas runner Cameron Efurd] who understands my running and is kind of a partner in my running career. 

#RelationshipGoals

This is what happens when the whole squad is tapering but YOU!! Thanks Cameron for helping me with that last mile. pic.twitter.com/a9dIW6PFzE

— DOM SCOTT-EFURD (@domscottrunSA) March 9, 2016

This indoor season has been refreshing. It was frustrating not helping my teammates win a national title again; seeing them three points from the win. But yeah, it was a great opportunity to be able to take down time after the cross country season. Cross country is such a long season and you kind of have to springboard right into indoor. So it was nice to take a proper breather and enjoy the wedding festivities and not have to worry about mileage every single day. And then this indoor season just start looking at options for when I go professional, so it’s been great. 

Do you think you'll 5K - 10K again at nationals?

I’m not sure about nationals. One of the reasons Coach Harter had me do the five 1Ks in the morning [before my 1500m race] was because this would be one of the few times that I would have the feeling of a double in my legs in one day. We’re playing around with options. Maybe the 1500m and 5k this year instead of the 10k and 5k. Running for a school as big as Arkansas, I think that I have to double to try and score as many points as I can for my team and that I’m fine with. We get a lot of opportunities to run for ourselves so I think at Nationals it’s about helping my team out.

You were at indoor NCAAs. What did you think?

It’s weird to say we were sad to be in second but you never want to lose by such a close margin. We're motivated for outdoor season.

There was a big poster at indoors that said 'national runner-up.' Taylor Ellis-Watson [who finished runner-up in both 400m and 4x400m] and myself got the team to write our goals on the poster and we put it on the floor of the locker room. So when we walk into the locker room, not only do we stamp on the runner-up, we also look at our goals and are reminded of what we’re coming to practice for and working towards.