Tulsa senior Alex Becker is a multi-All American distance runner. She's got a wide range, stemming from championship-level 10,000-meter races all the way down to the 4x400 relays she used to run in the beginning of college. Look out for Becker to continuing to rip apart the Canadian distance scene in the future!

Can you sum up your weekend at the Meyo Invite?

It was a good weekend. It was my first 3K of the season. I wasn't sure what to expect. I don't think the time reflected my fitness. I've been training through cross country when I had a huge base. I haven't really done much track work. I couldn't really expect more, but I was kind of hoping for that automatic. The race went out kind of slow, I thought. As I watched the race, I was thinking that maybe not, maybe it was the end that got me. No one was really going for it in the beginning. I know I wasn't. I was in the back of the pack. I'm satisfied...but not overly satisfied.

What's your schedule look like for the rest of indoor?

Next weekend I'm going to Washington. I'm actually going to try to the double and try the 5K and the 3K. I might try that at Nationals. I want to see what the feels like. Then we've got Conferences the next week after that. Then Nationals is right after that.

You're in the airport right now, but did you get your long run in this morning?

I did. Yeah. We didn't leave the hotel until about 11:45 a.m. So, we got up at 8 and went for a run with some of the Notre Dame people.

What's your typical long run?

It all depends. When I was doing really high volume, during cross country, it would get up to an hour and 50 minutes. Typically I'll go about 90 minutes. Or I'll go for a timed 12-miler. Into track season outdoors, I'll just do 12 miles and I'll go pretty hard.

What's your range of times you'll hit for that 12-miler?

I really don't run slow very often. I need to learn to start doing that because I don't give my body much recovery time. I'll start out at like 6:40 and drop down to sub-6 for the end of it...the last couple of miles. That's pretty intense, but it's when I'm in season.

Add it all up and what's your weekly mileage? In cross and now?

In cross, I didn't have any racing, so my mileage was quite high...like 90-95. Now it's about 80-85.

What are your goals for indoor?

I'd really like to be a medal-contender in the 5K. That would be a good goal to have. It's my last indoor season. I feel really strong, so hopefully that's a possibility. I'd like to try the double and, again, the 3K would just be a bonus on whatever happens because it's after the 5K. I'll focus on the five and take the three as it comes.

And outdoor will be your last NCAA season. What are your goals there? Are you going to try to double again?

I think I'll try to double again. It's going to be harder this year because Regionals have changed. They're going to have the 10,000 at Regionals now. I'm assuming they're going to have to do a prelim and final in the five with all those people. I'm going to be running about 20K like 11 days before the National Meet...so I'm not sure how that will work. Last year, I ran Canadian Nationals like less than two weeks after Nationals and I felt fine and got a little faster. Hopefully the same thing happens.

What about time goals?

I never really set time goals, but people have been asking me that a lot. I started to think about it and I think that I'd really like to get into the 32s for the 10K and in the 5K, I'd like to think right now that I could indoors go like 15:50s or so and outdoors speed that up a little more.

You doubled last year in outdoor track. Is it that difficult for you?

It always makes me a bit nervous, but at the same time it takes off a little bit of the pressure off of one of the races. I find that I always come back in the second one a little bit angry and more motivated to do better because I don't want to feel that way again. If I run well, then there's not pressure whatsoever because I've already had a good race. It's kind of a psychological thing for me I think. I like it and always beg my coach to let me do it. He's very, very skeptical of it and then I convince him that it's a good idea and he lets me.

When I interviewed your teammate, John Beattie, he called you a really hard worker. Is that the kind of runner you consider yourself to be?

He's the same though. He gets on my case though. I run with him on my easy days—although I don't really have easy days and go pretty hard all the time. I started running with him and he's like, “slow down, Becker!” He brings me back and makes sure I don't run like 5:30 pace...like a tempo run on a recovery run.

Well, what is an “easy day” for you?

An easy day is when I'll run anywhere from 55-60 minutes in the morning. The pace varies, I go with how my body feels. But if I hit a 7-minute mile, I'll freak out and I'll want to run faster. Then, in the afternoon, I'll run maybe 25-30 minutes. Then sometimes I'll do strides, but I've been slacking off in that department because it's been so cold out.

You're from north of the border! You're used to the cold!

I don't really go home! I went to New Zealand for Christmas to avoid the cold. And last year I didn't really go home—well, I went home for Christmas—but only for a little bit because I can't handle the cold. That's why I came to Tulsa. There's no way I can go back there in the winter! (Laughs)

As a senior, you must be looking at post-collegiate stuff. What are your plans for after college?

You would think...(laughs). I really have no idea what I'm going to do after this. I could be anywhere. I'm looking at traveling for a while, but I'd like to keep training. Maybe I can work it out so I can travel through places at high altitude and train at camps or meet up with people and train as I go. I'm really not sure. I'm thinking more Australia...but altitude isn't an option there.

You're listed as an education major. That usually includes going to grad school to become a teacher. Is that in the options?

I don't really want to go in the workforce yet. Going into school is always another good option to avoid that. I'd like to take a break for a year and kind of focus on myself for a little bit. That sounds really selfish, but I want to go traveling and do the stuff I want to do before I go back to school and stuff. I don't know if I'm actually going to be a teacher anymore.

It was just a direction for you to follow while in school?

It was a direction. If I go to grad school, I'd really like to change my direction.

What about the post-collegiate running scene? Have you looked into signing with someone?

I've been contacted by a couple of people. A few Canadian programs have been really trying to get me to transfer over to the marathon and stuff like that. I'm not ready for that, so I've ruled that one out. I'd rather just see how the season goes. Things always seem to work out for me at the last minute. If I try to focus on running times or sign something like that...it just puts too much pressure on me and I end up not doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

Last-minute stuff always works out for you?

Everything last minute works out for me. I didn't sign until June, my senior year of high school.

Where else were you looking?

I was honestly looking at a lot of Canadian schools. I looked at Boston College and I was kind of looking at...schools that weren't very good at running. There were a few schools that contacted me, but I wasn't serious until I made my visit to Tulsa.

What sold you into going to Tulsa ultimately?

Really it was the team. I got there and they made me feel so comfortable and so welcome. The coach is so good and he's really similar to my high school coach. That was something that scared me. A lot of people I knew that went to the States, from Canada, ended up running a lot worse than they did in high school. It's like their bodies couldn't handle it and the coaching was too intense and they never ended up going anywhere post-high school...let alone post-college. I knew Andrew Maloney who was from Toronto. He was going to start his GA position there. I kind of knew him and he was telling me about the program and the coaching. It sounded like something I might be able to handle. Something not too intense. The coach was really willing to work with athletes and give individual attention. That was good. Luckily it did end up working for me.

What about upcoming international races outside of the NCAA season? Anything on your radar?

John Beattie was just telling me about the Pan-Am Games. They're this year and I think they're in India or something like that. The standards aren't too far out of reach and hopefully I can do that this summer if I keep training. I think they're in October. That would be something to look forward to doing. And maybe, yeah, doing some kind of World Cross Country team next year.

How difficult is it for you to make those Canadian World teams?

You know what? There's a lot of talent...but a lot of time the talent doesn't show up to the meet. Our Canadian Cross Country Nationals this year, the senior women's race was so weak because no one really entered the race. The race was so tiny. I didn't enter the race either...because, I don't know why actually (Laughs). A lot of people just end up not running. I think it's a little bit easier to make those teams than it is to make it to NCAAs.

Even just looking within the NCAA system and all the great Canadian runners, it seems like it should be highly competitive.

Yeah! There's a lot of good talent from Canada. Anita Campbell, Kendra Schaaf...even girls from BC who don't train in the States, but train at BC. Rebecca Johnstone, Julia Howard, Meredith MacGregor: I met them at Serbia this year. They are a talented group of distance runners and have great 800-meter-and-up runners over there. I don't know why. The Ontario girls from Guelph are really coming around as well. For some reason, a lot of people don't show up to the National Meets.

You should change that and be at the next. You should be at the next 10 in a row!

I will (laughs). I will try to change that!

I know you're a student athlete and you've got a big mileage workload, but when you get free time, what do you do for fun?

Well, I like to sleep. That's a good one. I have a pretty good social life. I like to go out and have fun. I volunteer, teaching at schools. I had to student-teach, but I really fell in love with the classroom and the kids and the teachers a lot. I go there and volunteer. I do have a lot of free time now...now that I only have three or four hours of class. I'm trying to figure out my future and should probably be doing a little more of that. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself, but people—my parents especially—are starting to bug me about what I'm going to be doing and where I'm going to be living and things I need to start applying for. Small details. It's just my life...it's not a big deal.

Did you run a lot of 400s in high school?

(Laughs) Yeah! I thought I was a 400/800 runner when I was in high school. Reality set in after year one at Tulsa.

What are we talking about for splits and stuff?

My best split in a four by four was 57.8. I could not come close to that today. Guaranteed, I could not break 60 seconds.

Come on.

I really don't think so. I'd be very, very excited to run a 59.9.

That means you've got some pretty solid range if you can split 57.8 and people are looking at you for the marathon!

I don't claim the 400 speed anymore.

So, what's your event?

I really like the 3K/5K. I think the 5K is probably more in my...I don't know, though, I really like the 3K. I like it better and I run it faster than I would run the 10K. I probably have not reached my potential in the 10K. I just don't enjoy that race at all.

Really? It seems like with you pounding out 12 milers, that should be your bread and butter?

I get really bored running around a track for that long. I can run 12 milers because I can change the scenery or I can put on music and I get into it and playing little mind games with myself. 10K track running...running 25 laps in circles...I don't know. It's not that interesting. It's rough.

You just went into the psychologically of running a little bit. What kind of mind games do you play with yourself and what music do you listen to?

Well, I mostly listen to hit list stuff when I'm trying to pump out a hard, long run. I'll play little games—and this sounds really OCD—but, if there's a stoplight ahead of me, by the time my watch hits THIS, I'll be THERE. I have to run across the street before the light turns yellow or something like that. I have to make it to a certain point. I actually got to a point where it got pretty bad because I'd run a certain loop and every day I'd have to at least get a second faster. By the end, I was running it way too hard and tempo-ing on my recovery days.

What about taking weeks off throughout the year? Do you do that?

I won't take a whole week off, but I try to take at least one down day a week, where I'll just cross-train, take it completely off or just run 30-35 minute run really easy and that's when I go with John Beattie. Since I take one of those a week, I don't run into huge recovery issues.

Those kind of runs keep you sane?

Yeah, I can't just sit around and do nothing. I don't feel complete if I haven't done a run or something in the day. I'll go crazy.

What are the chances that those people will succeed in getting you to move up to the marathon in the future?

The marathon is different than a 10K. Right now I'm not ready for that and I don't think my body is ready for that. I need to be into my late 20s/early 30s for that type of thing. It will be a last resort if I can't make it in the 5K/10K.

If you could have one meal, prepared by anyone, what would you have and who make it?

I don't have a specific person, but I really like Japanese food. Like sushi and edimame and some kind of stir fry or something. Or, my pre-race meal is that I always have some kind of fish, like salmon or tilapia or something fresh like that with rice and veggies. That's the day of my race. The day before, I'm not crazy about what I eat. I make sure that I have a good breakfast. Sometimes if my race is really late, I can't eat much and I just have granola bars.

Can you give me a crazy running-related story?

I don't think I've really had a run where something crazy hasn't happened. I do a lot of dumb things. One time I got up early to run. It was 5:30 a.m. and I had to be somewhere at 7. I got up and there was the first ice storm that Tulsa's had since I'd been there and I decide to run outside and be a big tough Canadian. Obviously I'm not. I was running around this building and it was still dark out. I wasn't really paying attention because it was 5:30 a.m., obviously. I ran around this corner and there was a homeless guy who was just sitting there. I wasn't paying attention and ran right into him and bounced off his stomach and slid across the ice and slid across the parking lot. He came to help me up...but I really didn't want to touch his hands. I was like, “no, no, that's OK.” And just ran away. I ended up turning the corner and was just screaming. I had to get stitches on my hip because there was such a deep gash.

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