Marie-Louise Asselin, an Ontario native, now rips up the distances in the NCAA for the West Virigina Mountaineers. She's placed fourth at the Canadian Cross Country Championships, second at the Big Easts and 17th at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Watch her continue her successful run this season. She'll be opening up at the Paul Short Invitational.

The Olympics were this summer, were you glued to your TV or what did you do?

I watched a lot of the Olympics. They were really exciting. I didn't just watch track and field. I watched a lot of other sports too. I was really impressed with all the races and Michael Phelps, and his eight gold medals. Bolt running the 100 meters and the 200 meters. With all the races, I thought it was really amazing.

Is that something you look to do? Represent Canada in the Olympics?

Yeah, that's something I've always wanted to do. The Olympics are one of my big dreams. If it's not running or track and field, I'd want to go with something else like the triathlons or something like that. That's a goal of mine. I think it'd be amazing to go and compete for my country.

What is your relationship with triathlons right now?

Right now I'm just running. During the summer, I usually do a couple of triathlons to see where I'm at. My family is really into it and have really been into triathlons when I was younger. I feel like it's helped my running and it's helped me get a good base for the year. The cross training, it helps work different muscles in my body. I've always done them. But I'm not doing them right now. Just in the summer.

What triathlons distances do you train at?

Well, this summer I did a couple Olympic trials. I did one longer than the Olympic distance. It was a 2K swim, 55K bike, and 15K run. It wasn't exactly half ironman, but it was close to it. I usually do Olympic or sprint triathlons, which are half Olympic triathlons distances.

How is your training going right now?

Summer training went really well. I increased my mileage, so I've run 80 miles (a week) all summer. I ran in Quebec, which is in Canada, but it's really hilly. So, I did a lot of hills. I just ran. I didn't do any workouts, I just got used to running 80 miles, feeling good and eating well. All the good things.

How does your body respond to running 80 miles a week?

(Laughs) At first it was harder. My legs were tired more. I was more tired and had to take naps during the day. Now I feel fine. It's been...two months that I've been doing that mileage. I feel completely fine.

You took second at Big Easts last year and finished 17th in the NCAAs. What are your goals for this NCAA season?

For the NCAA Championships, I think I would be really pleased with top-10. At Big Easts, well, coming from last year...being top-three or even winning...I would really be happy with that. But you never know they're always really good runners coming up. Winning Big Easts would be an awesome experience for me.

You've raced already this season. How did that go? I see you caught a course record.

Yeah, it was our team running on our home course. It was great, but it wasn't really serious. We did a relay kind of thing. We ran twice. We ran the course twice, with teams of two. So, 4K two times. I wasn't really supposed to race it...but I missed my workout the day before.

What kind of schedule are you looking at this fall?

I think I'm going to start racing at Paul Short then Penn State National Open then Big Easts then regionals.

What are some of the differences between a race like NCAAs and the Canadian Championships?

Well the NCAA is a lot bigger. There's a lot of competition. The Canadian system is really great. There's great competition, just not as many people. There might only be one or two good runners, compared to like 50 on the NCAA level. It's always fun to go home and race those girls. Like Megan (Metcalfe) and Carmen Douma(-Hussar) and all the girls like that.

As a Canadian athlete, how did you find the University of West Virgina in the first place?

I got contacted by Sean Clary, the coach. He's such a great coach and he cares for all his runners. I really wanted to run for him. He had a plan for me and he had done really great things for this team. I fell in love with the school and all the girls on the team. We're really good friends and everything is working out. I'm really happy.

How's your team looking this season?

Everyone looks fit and ready to go. I think we're going to be, we should better than last year because we didn't lose any of our runners. We're bringing back our top-seven. We have a couple of recruits who are looking good too, so it's going to be exciting and I'm really looking forward to the season. I think we're going to do great things together, I just think we're going to have to pull it off at the right time. Everything should be fine if everyone is healthy and motivated, which shouldn't be a problem.

What is some essential running gear for you?

I like to run with my Ipod, but I like to run with someone. I like to have someone running with me whenever I run. I just like to run with people. I like the music and feel like it helps me. I get in my zone and just enjoy and run without thinking about anything. I don't really have a favorite pair of running shoes. I have to wear my watch...if that counts.

Well, what kind of shoes are you running in right now?

Nike. I run with the Nike Zoom Elites. I really like them. I wasn't really a big Nike fan before I came here, but then they gave us those shoes and I started running with them and really like them. I haven't had any foot problems or injuries.

How's the food on campus or do you avoid the dining halls?

I cook my own food. I don't have a dining plan. I really like to cook for myself. My first year of college, I had been eating at the dining hall. The food here is pretty good. We have a good food service. There's healthy food available for the runners. But I like to cook for myself.

What kind of stuff do you whip up?

I like anything. I like to make: pasta, fish, chicken and potatoes, vegetables. Normal things that people eat. Protein and carbs...like rice. I like tofu and pretty much anything. I like to eat healthy. It's really important for me. When I was at home, in Canada, my mom would make me a lot of recipes and I also like to make them for the team.

Can you give me a crazy story from your running past?

I feel like I always run into animals when I'm running. Like, maybe I attract them or something. One time I was running at my cottage and I was attacked by a turkey, who was trying to protect her babies or something. I've been attacked by a skunk before. Deer and snakes. A bunch of crazy animals. It's kind of ridiculous. Dogs too, of course. I always find myself running away from dogs. It's kind of crazy.

That's sort of what I expect from runners in Canada, a lot of crazy animals all over the place.

(Laughs) It's not just in Canada! They're in West Virgina too.