Two-time Olympian Amy Rudolph, 34, will utilize her experience for the 2008 Olympic Track and Field Trials. After competing in the 5000 at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, she will move up to the 10000-meter distance this year. First, she plans to attain the “A” standard of 32:45.00 this outdoor track season. Rudolph has a personal-best time of 31:18.96 in the event, which she ran in 2005. In 2006, she was the 10000-meter USA outdoor champion. Rudolph has been building her base mileage since she returned from a stress fracture last year. In her first major race since the injury, Rudolph placed 4th at the New York Road Runners Women’s Invitational 8K, March 15, behind 23-year-old teammate Molly Huddle. She said she will likely run a 5000 on the track sometime soon in preparation for the trials. “Each week I feel like I’m getting faster and stronger,” she said. Rudolph’s team is based in Providence, R.I., and is coached by Ray Treacy. She describes the team as very diverse. Teammate Kim Smith plans to run the 10000 at the Olympics for New Zealand. Although they could be competitors in Beijing, Rudolph said they are supportive of each other. She considers it an advantage to not be vying for the same spot at the U.S. trials. The team runs together on easy days, but each member’s training is individualized based on their event and level of experience. Rudolph runs about 75-85 miles per week. “I’ve never been a huge mileage person,” she explained. “I’ve been pretty good on my body. I’ve learned where my limits are.” By allowing her body to recover and eating a healthy diet, Rudolph has had a long running career and she sets an example for her younger teammates. “Having the younger girls is good,” Rudolph explained. “As the years go by in your career, you become more knowledgeable.” In 1996, Rudolph competed in her first Olympics at the age of 22, ran a 5000-meter personal-record time of 14:56.04, and was ranked #1 in the 3000 and #2 in the 5000 by Track and Field News. “Things went really smoothly that year,” she recalled. “I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.” In 2000, Rudolph returned to the Olympics in the 5000 and ran a personal-best 1500 time of 4:06.02. She made it to the trials in the 1500 and 5000 in 2004, but missed out on the Olympics that year, which she said “added more fuel to the fire.” Rudolph started running for fun at an early age. At Kane Area High School, in Kane, Pa., she excelled at the mile/1500 and 2-mile races. “I accidentally happened to find the sport,” she said. Rudolph then went on to run for Providence College, where she was a four-time Big East and two-time NCAA champion. She graduated from Providence in 1995 with a degree in health policy and management. Rudolph said her family has always been involved with her running. Her mother used to run cross country and her brother and sister also ran in high school. Rudolph’s sister still attends many of her races. Her family has been very supportive. For example, she said they planned vacations around her training to allow enough time for her workouts. “My parents saw there was a lot of potential. As long as I wanted to do it, they would support me,” Rudolph said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for them.” Rudolph said she hopes to start her own family in the near future with her husband and fellow professional runner, Mark Carroll. She wants to stay involved with the sport as much as she can and plans to run a marathon within the next year. “I’d love to keep running. I feel like I have more in me,” she said. “I want to stay in the sport, [but] there’s going to be life after running.” *Photo by Victah Sailor, photorun.net