An Interview with Krissy Gear the National 3000mSC Champion

The State of Florida has produced some of the Nations and the World's elite Track and field Athletes. Most recently, Montverde Academy graduate Issam Asinga, who in April claimed the high school 200m national record with a time of 19.97, set a new World U20 record time of 9.89 in the 100m at the South American Outdoor Championships for Suriname. On the women's side, Oviedo High School's Jenny Barringer Simpson, is undeniably the best women's distance athlete to come from the State. Joining the likes of Asinga and Barringer Simpson in the Florida Elite ranks is Ft. Myer's Krissy Gear. Gear won the US National Championship 3000m Steeplechase in July and we caught up with her after she returned from her Diamond League debut in the 3000mSC in London.

Krissy Gear Winning National 3000mSc Title | NBC Sports

Fl Runners/Milesplit: In the finals at Nationals, all eyes were on the 10-time National Steeplechase champion Emma Coburn. In addition to being the 10-time National Champion, she holds the distinction of being a world champion, world silver medalist, Olympic bronze medalist and a three-time Olympian.  What were your thoughts about the finals and going into the race?  Do you visualize your races? How did you envision this race? What were your thoughts as you stepped to the starting line? How do you control your nerves?

 Krissy:  I just kept reminding myself how grateful I was to be on that line and how grateful I was for all the things that led to me getting to that line this past year. My focus was just finding joy in the journey and appreciating where I was at, rather than being so fixated on a certain outcome.

 Sure, I do practice visualization and for this race, that included different scenarios, with a couple of them being making my first U.S. team and ultimately winning the race. I'm not going to say I didn't have those ideas or hopes in the back of my mind. I definitely did. But, I wasn't attached to them and knew I would have walked off the track happy if I gave what I had that day and finished anywhere from fourth to thirteenth (last lol), too. My coach told me to slot myself back in 4th or 5^th, so that's what I tried to do.

The goal was to put myself in a good position to where I could contend for a spot on the team or for the win itself by the end of the race.

I think I helped manage my nerves with what my thoughts were as I stood on the starting line. And those thoughts were exactly what filled my head in the weeks and days leading up to that moment. Just constant reminders to myself of the beliefs that my friends/family/teammates/etc. instilled in me. I found myself constantly reinforcing what they knew I was capable of. I found a lot of peace knowing it was in God's hands, too. Like, "His will be done, not mine." I found a lot of peace in knowing that if I went out there and ran to the best of my abilities, then He would handle the rest. And if my A game saw me in fourth to thirteenth, then that was okay, He still had a plan for me and for the people who did get those glamorous three spots. And if my A game ultimately landed me on the team, then that was okay too, and I would have to figure out how to step into that role and thrive in the expectations it would ultimately bring and not shy away from His calling for me.

Fl Runners/Milesplit: Coburn was leading with 800m to go with Courtney Wayment a couple of meters back of her. You were 10-12m back. It looked as though you had run a comfortable, smart, controlled race to that point. With 800m to go, how comfortable were you? Coburn looked to be in control with 400m to go and with 300 to go she started to open up a little lead on Wayment. You were about 10m back at that point. What were your thoughts at that time? You caught and passed Wayment with 200m to go. At what point did you realize that you could catch Coburn and start to think "I can win this?" When you passed her over the last barrier, what were your thoughts. At the finish, what was your first thought as you crossed the finish line?

Krissy: Honestly with three, two, even almost a lap and a half to go I found myself having thoughts like, "do you really want this? You don't have to do this. The people that don't know you aren't expecting a lot from you anyways and the ones that do are going to love and support you no matter what." I mean, I think all athletes have thoughts like that. It's these "make or break" moments in races where you have to decide if you're going to commit and go for it or if you're going to take the easier way out. I spend a lot of time in my head thinking and thinking and thinking. Anyone with OCD can understand how exhausting it is just going down these rabbit holes or ruminating thought(s) so hard into the ground. But I use that proclivity of mine in a good way. I was (am) constantly trying to redirect and reframe my obsessive thoughts into good ones if that makes sense? So, when I started to have these thoughts mid-race, it was a little easier to be like, "yes, you want it. Yes, go for it," because I'd been practicing telling myself that sooooooo many times over. HaHa. With 500 to go, I knew I'd made the team, because I knew I could get Marissa down that home stretch. So again, I was like, "okay, you can stay here. You've already got your spot to Budapest." But I think something in me was like, "okay, but how far could you go? What would it look like if you didn't just accept the 'minimum' and let yourself run to your full potential?" So, I went after Courtney and my confidence grew a little when I went around her. And then, it was thwarted when I messed up over that last water jump. I was like, "oh nooooo you lost it now," but then was like, "no, no, never count yourself out. Just keep stepping."

 I am very aware of how strong of a closer Emma is as well. I've seen it year after year on this stage. So, I still wasn't 100% sure if I was going to get her? I knew it would be close. But approaching the last barrier, I suddenly felt really calm and at peace and knew I had it. I think when I first crossed the line, I was proud of myself for finally running to my potential and not sliding back behind the mental limits I tend to set for myself. But then, it was like, "oh shit, what did I just do? I shouldn't have done that. This isn't what I want. I can't do this." I knew that a performance like that would bring a lot of attention and subsequent expectations for me going forward- both from outsiders and from myself. And that isn't something I'm comfortable with or want. I just want to run and have fun and be silly and immature for a little while more. But it's something I need to learn to embrace and rise to the challenge now, I suppose. 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: Your entire career, you have been known to have a "2^nd gear," so to speak. You have good speed and a strong, determined, closing kick. In the middle-distance races (800-3200), pace is emphasized a lot, especially in training. At the HS level, its important to know pace, as in XC and on the track, many elite athletes lead the entire race, setting the pace. At the next levels, while pace is important, one must "race the race," as the pace can be slow or fast depending on the race, the competition, positioning during the race, etc. Many runners who do not have the type of finish kick that you have understand that they must push the pace during the race to take that kick away. During a race and assuming you know your competition, how do you react to a slow pace? How do you adjust to a fast pace? Do you think there is any advantage in a runner coming from behind and relying on their closing speed and finish sprint to win?

Krissy: During a slow race, I just try to keep the race in front of me and make sure I'm in a good position to cover a move when a move is made. Because ultimately, there will be one made. I hope that I am the move-maker in the future, but this season, my coaches have just advised me to follow along and respond to moves instead.

I guess the 1500 at USATF Indoor Championships is a good example of how I like to handle slower races. Like, we definitely went out a lot slower than I hoped. I mean, I love running fast. I don't devote all this time to training just to get to a race and then just do the bare minimum to win/advance, you know? But as each lap would go by and we were still moving at a "pedestrian pace", I would keep being like, "okay, this is just a 1300m race now", and "okay, this is just an 1100m race now," or like with four laps to go it was, "guess this is just going to be an 800m race now." I think the move was made going into the last 400m? So, it was like, "okay, this is a 400m race", and obviously the shorter the race the better for me. I feel like the short, fast stuff, plays more into my strengths. I'm definitely not the best in that regard. Hence, why I was beaten by two individuals better than I am. But yeah, I just try to react to what's happening in front of me or anticipate any move and make sure I'm in the right space-physically and mentally-to be ready and able to respond accordingly.

When it's fast from the gun, like it was in the steeple final, I just keep repeating positive, enforcing thoughts to myself. Like, "hey, you're strong, you're capable, you feel sooooo smooth right now," or even "fake it til ya make it" type thoughts, like, "oh man this pace? Easy. I feel way too good right now. I'm even getting bored. Can't wait until we can crank this thing up," even when I feel the entire opposite way. Haha.

Yeah, I definitely do think that there's an advantage to a runner coming from behind. I think they have the chance to build momentum and as they approach/go past, they're in full force. Whereas the runner being overtaken, has to respond and that requires even more building momentum/switching gears, etc. and that's way easier said than done. I've been in both positions- being the one kicking someone down and being the one kicked down. I think what people forget though sometimes is the runner with the better kick did the same work the one being outkicked did, too. I think of Woody Kincaid and Joe Klecker and their races specifically. Sometimes people give Woody flack for "not doing the work" but it's like, he ran the same race and had to do the exact same things to get to that point. He still had to be a darn good runner in his own regard, you know?

(Woody Kincaid won the men's 10,000 meter race at the USATF Outdoor Championships in 28:23.01. He was a second and a half in front of Joe Klecker. Kincaid and Klecker both have the standard for the World Athletics Championships and will represent the U.S. in Budapest in August.)

Fl Runners/Milesplit: Let's switch to your MS and HS career now. When did you first start running? At what point did you realize that you may be good at running and could run at the next level? Is there a specific race that you can point to?

Krissy: I started running my sophomore year of high school? I pole vaulted mostly my freshman year and they'd let me run the 4x4 too. I think once or twice the 4x8 (except that was against my will lol, I only wanted to run the 4x4). So, if anyone wants to count that, then they can count that.

Actually, it's funny, there is a specific race I can point to. I don't know why I think that's funny. Probably because that's usually not how life works; like there's no simple, defined moment for things, you know? But, I think my initial thoughts about having the potential to run after college surfaced after a Husky Invite in February 2020 where I ran the 3000m for the first time with a respectable (but not particularly "good") time and followed up with a then-PR of 4:36 in the mile. Those results and just being in the mix of women who were always talking about their dreams and goals of going pro- not to mention being part of a program that had produced so many successful professional athletes- made me start to consider what it would look like if those were my goals too. It didn't seem too lofty of an idea, considering I felt I still had so much to progress, I was working with women who were after the same thing, and I was following in the footsteps of so many women who had done the same thing. I think my last year there (fall '22-spring '23) there were a lot of things I struggled with that caused me to lose sight of that dream or made me feel like it wasn't the right one for me. Or maybe, that I wasn't the right one for it. I doubted myself a lot and was really willing to hang up the spikes after my collegiate career was over. Fortunately, some things changed. Haha!

Fl Runners/Milesplit: You have always run XC and have always been good at it. What do you believe you gain from running Cross, even though you are much better in the mid-distance races on the track?

Krissy: Probably just all the things that everyone already says! I love the team aspect and the notion of running for something greater than yourself. Personally, I feel like that's always brought the best out in me and has subsequently led to me realizing I'm stronger/capable of more than I realized. Physiologically, it has its benefits too. I am not well versed enough on the topic to really explain, but I know training for cross always helped me develop aerobically which benefitted my track performances. 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: Looking at your HS career, in 2017, you were ranked Fl #2 and US #49 in the 1600 with a 4:52.09. In the 800, you were ranked Fl #5 and US #60. In the 3200, you were Fl #8 and US #125 with a 10:40.50. Based on times only, you were a very good HS runner, especially in Fl, but not what one would call a US elite. How would you describe yourself as a runner in HS?

Krissy: I definitely took the sport seriously. I wanted to be good at it. I would find myself constantly reading about these crazy, nation leading times and wondering what I had to do to do that. I wasn't crushed when I couldn't though, you know? Like I think I recognized there was more to life than running and that I had my own path I needed to follow. But at the same time, I think I did want a lot for myself and somewhere deep down, I had these "delusions of grandeur" where I wanted to be one of the best. I just didn't want it bad enough to start going down silly routes like finding a private coach, starving myself, going too ham in training as if I was a professional when I was just a high school kid, etc. I guess I took the sport seriously without taking myself too seriously. I loved the sport and what I got out of it and let myself dream a little, but didn't grow too obsessed with it and pour too much time and energy as if it was the only thing I had. So, I think that left me with a lot of room to learn and grow, mentally and physically and really every other aspect. 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: You had an outstanding Collegiate career at Furman and Arkansas, including some very impressive races on the National scene. One that stands out, is your anchor 1500 in the 2022 Penn relays, where you out sprinted Katlyn Tuohy of NC State to set a new National record in the 6000m Relay in a time of 16:53.87. What would you attribute your drop in times and the change from a very good HS runner to an All American at the collegiate level? How would you describe yourself as a runner now and the differences between you as a HS runner and a collegiate, pro runner?

                                                                                                                                                            Photo by Kevin Morris

Gear's Anchor 1500 at the 2022 Penn Relays

Krissy: Like I said, I think you can take the sport seriously without taking yourself too seriously. Ben Rosario (Head Coach of the HOKA-Northern Arizona Elite) and I had a chat about that pretty recently actually. I think that's been a huge reason why I've been able to progress and maintain longevity in the sport. I wasn't dropping times consistently and I had seasons and periods where I would perform worse than previous seasons. And I think allowing myself to have those seasons and embrace them and let myself move forward was huge. People say it all the time. Consistency is key. You have to consistently stack good weeks/ stay healthy/ etc.

I think something that's also been so monumental for me is I've very rarely had any injuries that required me to take time off and I've never had a season-ending injury. I think part of that is my tendency to not take running that seriously. So, I'm never really pushing my body farther than it can go. I know some people would argue that that means I'm never really getting the best out of myself if I'm not pushing my training to the highest intensity I can maintain. But I think it saves me a lot of mental and physical energy by not having to go through these seemingly exhausting injury cycles. And for the times I have had an injury and had to take off, I never went crazy with cross training. Like, an hour a day max was all I could manage. And when I'd come back to running, I allowed myself patience and grace and let my body take its time getting to where it needed to go and not pushing it too soon.

As a pro now, I think I align a little more with my high school self. In college I found myself, more often than not, not really caring about the sport too much and just doing my due diligence in some aspects. I liked to party. I didn't always have the patience to do the little things. I struggled with consistency- usually a mental thing for me. As a pro now, I'm definitely dialed into the little things more like I was when I was in high school. I'm obsessive over my sleep. I try to be more mindful of how I fuel my body. I am learning to love the "little things" (like band work, core, rolling out, etc.) again. I am reallyyyyyy working on my mental game so that my body and mind are aligned and can work together. I think I'm taking it more seriously now- because it's something I care about and obviously want to get out what I put in-but still trying not to get too hung up on the outcome and not take myself too seriously. 

Watch Krissy's 4:09 1500 in the dark!

Fl Runners/Milesplit: You first ran the 3000mSC as a freshman at Furman. Why was the decision made to move or "try" the Steeplechase?

Krissy: Hahahahaha. It was not my decision. I was very adamantly against it. But the coaches kept entering me in it because of my pole vault background in high school and they saw potential in me. It makes me laugh now. I don't know if it makes them laugh. Maybe they think I'm still a little sh*t. But it's funny because for as much as I didn't like it, it's opened so many doors for me that after I made NCAAs and a World U20 team in the event, I felt like I couldn't complain about it anymore. I definitely still did for a while though. But Coach Gary (Robert Gary is the Furman head coach. He is a two-time Olympian in the Steeplechase (Atlanta, 1996 and Athens, 2004) sent me a congratulatory text after USAs and I was like, "yeah thanks for not listening to my whining because I wouldn't have been here without you seeing potential in me and pushing me." Haha.

 Fl Runners/Milesplit: You progressed quickly as a freshman in the Steeplechase running a school record at Furman of 9:52.71 and qualified for Nationals and qualified to represent the US in the International Association of Athletics Federations World U20 Championships in Finland where you finished 10th. You finished 15th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a time of 10:15.07 as a sophomore. You transferred to Arkansas for your junior year, and helped the Razorbacks win the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track title by taking fifth in the 1500 and ran a leg on the Arkansas' champion women's distance medley relay team. You won the 2021 SEC steeplechase title with a meet record of 9:38.62. You qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and placed 16th in the prelim with a 9:47.59. What do you like about the Steeplechase?

                                                                                        Photo by Robert Black, via Arkansas Athletics

Krissy: I love the jumps! Especially the water jumps! They're just so fun to me and my little ADHD pea brain. I just really struggle with the distance. Like after three minutes, I just want to be done. I don't understand why I'm still running. And I'm not even a third of the way done. It seems like a lot. 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: What are your strengths and weaknesses? How do they (did they) translate into running the steeplechase?

Krissy: Haha. So, as I just stated, I feel like my weakness is getting my mind to focus and be engaged for the duration of the race. But I think what really helps, is the barriers. You can't really zone out or detach unless you want to run into one of those things. Plus, Coach Gary always gave the advice of "three hard steps in, three hard steps out," when clearing barriers, so I think about that a lot and I honestly find the barriers help me gain momentum. I think that's a strength of mine- using the barriers as an opportunity to build momentum instead of seeing them as a hindrance to it. 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: When and why did you decide to go back to the steeplechase?

Krissy: So this is kind of funny to me. The idea of trying it again was actually inspired by an instagram post/race recap by Emma Coburn. Right after she ran on the World XC relay team over in Australia, she ran a quick 1500m over there, where I guess she was with the lead pack at the bell but didn't have the same close as they did and ended up getting fifth. Anyways, she said something along the lines of, "luckily the steeple doesn't require a 58 second close". And it was right after I'd just taken third at USA's in the 1500m and closed in a 59 (yes, I did run significantly slower than she and the other women in that field did) and it made me think, "hey I can close about that fast. What if I could bring that speed/closing ability to the steeplechase? What could it add to that event?" No, I can't and most likely will never be able to close that fast in a steeple, but I felt like I could close in the steeple equivalent of a 59 second last lap of a 1500. All that was required was for me to be able to be in a good enough position with a lap to go, you know? And I felt like I've grown soooooo much stronger aerobically that that might be a possibility. That I wouldn't feel so run out of gas 1200 meters in or so. So, I talked to my coaches and we agreed I could try a steeple (Sound Running) once. For closure, if anything. If I still hated it as much as I did in the past then we'd can it for good. But if I didn't, then we would have the discussion of maybe keeping that option open. 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: Once the decision to concentrate on the Steeplechase was made, did your workouts change much from training for 1500-3000m races? What is a typical week of training for you. Monday - Sunday.

Krissy: I don't actually know if they changed. I don't think they did. I mean, around that point I didn't feel I was doing any 1500 training anyways. At least, not race specific. I think we were still in a base building phase, so we just kept up that aerobic work. 

I can give you a sample week of one of my last weeks rolling into USAs. They don't all look like this, though; I'm not sure we have a "typical" week, which is something that irks me sometimes, but I'm trying to roll with. This one is June 12-18. But everything is up on my Strava for anyone to go look at.

MONDAY:  easy 7 + drills/strides/hurdle stuff. I keep my watch running for strides/jumps so total [8.3]

TUESDAY: AM workout (6 sets of 400/200 then 4x200) [9] / PM 35 min. gentle progression run [5.6]

WEDNESDAY: easy 7

THURSDAY: easy 8 + strides (made a really cool trail loop this day but accidentally went too long so more like [8.7]

FRIDAY: 25 min tempo (just over 4 miles) + 6x30 sec. hills [10.5]

SATURDAY: off - i usually take my dog for a hike or something

SUNDAY: long run [14]

weekly total: 63.1

 Easy runs, I'll drop lower to 5 miles if I need. Sometimes I double once a week, sometimes twice. Doubles aren't always that progressive 5-mile workout either, sometimes it's just an easy 25-30 min. shakeout. Mondays are usually wickets/drills and hill strides instead of hurdle stuff. Workout days vary in distance often, so mileage varies. I try to keep it in the 60's if I feel like my body isn't straining too much. I also overestimate my mileage sometimes, like counting strides or adding up the extra .1, .2, .3's that I amass throughout the week. Work is work and your body keeps score of it all! 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: The leading world time for the 3000mSC is 8:57.35 by Kenya's Jackline Chepkoech on July 23^rd in London. What will be your goal for Worlds? Can you go sub-9, or is a 9:05-09 more realistic?

 Krissy: Ooh, 9:05-9:09 is definitely more realistic. I honestly think it would be disrespectful to think I have a shot at going sub 9 right now, considering only one American has done it to date and Emma Coburn still hasn't officially done it. She definitely has the ability to, I just don't think the race or day has ever set itself up for her that way. But anyways, yeah, I think sub 9:10 or any PR at all is a very lofty goal, but I'm going to keep my mind open. I did have a dream the other night that  I ran 9:06 to take third. Honestly, I don't think that's realistic/think it'll take faster, but hey, you never know. My biggest goal will be to make it to the final. And if I make the final then just put myself in a good position to be competitive and not give up and get DFL and I'd be really happy with that. If something crazy happened to where I could get a medal, I'd definitely go for it, but I'm not counting on it at all. I kind of don't want to at this point, you know? I want to have a long career so I hope I have plenty of time to get a medal once or maybe twice over the next several years. I'm in no rush. I think if something like that happened for me now, it would be too much for me to handle mentally. Like, where do you go from there? Only up (hopefully) and I think it would be really, really hard to sustain that level (physically and mentally but I think mentally mostly for me). Not even constantly improving. Just maintaining there. I don't think I'd sabotage myself or anything just because of that fear though. Yeah, I'd say goal is to make the final. Anything after that will be a blessing. 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: What will be your concentration, work out wise, over the next few weeks to get ready for Budapest? Strength and speed, or more of a concentration of one over the other? Why?

Krissy: We've been tempoing a lot lately. Not really my favorite, but I trust my coach. She thinks it's important to maintain that aerobic work and keep my volume up. The last several weeks, I'm down about 20 mpw, from my "normal" weekly volume. Just happens when you're trying to give your body the rest it needs at this point and not getting too hung up on the number at the end of the day, I guess. That's what I've been telling myself at least. Haha. But I think she agrees and wants to make sure that out of the little bit of mileage I'm getting that we're getting good quality work in there and not letting the system/body forget how to efficiently use oxygen. I have a mile race this upcoming weekend, so I'll do a couple 400's on Tuesday to try and get my body to feel that pace out and then a short tempo after to flush the lactic. I think next week it's another long tempo one day and then a race simulator type workout, like 3xK over hurdles at race pace. And then off to Budapest! Not sure what I'll be doing out there yet the days heading into the meet, we hadn't discussed that far. 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: Other than medaling in Budapest, and with the Olympics on the horizon next year, what is your motivation as a runner? What makes Krissy tick?

Krissy: So, for me, running is a relational thing. There were times in my life I hated running and wanted to quit. I think lots of people have moments like that, so it's totally normal. That's why Sinclaire Johnson (Sinclaire Johnson was raised in Altamonte Springs, Florida and competed for the Oklahoma State University indoor track, outdoor track, and XC teams. She competed in the 1500 meters at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she qualified for the final. She also won the same event at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She runs for the Nike Union Athletics Club.) says she always advises younger children to find their "why" in the sport and stresses how important that is. But even when I didn't like running itself, I loved the relationships I got to make through it. With my teammates, with my competitors, even with my family. It's just opened a lot of doors for me and I've got to meet really wonderful people who I've learned a lot from and been inspired by. I think I've always wanted to reciprocate that and make sure the people I meet and interact with I leave with a positive impact. Running at the pro level is really cool too because if you run fast, you're rewarded with prize money, right? And I love running fast. So, it helps me do something else I love that makes me realize there's so much more to life than just myself or just running, which is give back. So, I feel really fulfilled being able to "give back" and use a lot of my prize earnings to donate to things that are important to me. I think I determine my self-worth mostly based on what I can do for others. Which maybe may not be the best, because you're supposed to know that you have value intrinsically or whatever, but I guess it's better than finding your value in a number on a board. That's what I tell myself anyways. Haha. So, I guess that's where I find my motivation as a runner. Trying to maximize my gifts to hopefully leave the people that I meet and the spaces that I go better than I found them and feel like I've gotten to be a part of something bigger than myself. Making teams, medaling, etc. serve as means to that end. So sure, I'd be over the moon if I could make an Olympic team one day and end my career with one or several global medals! But, if not and I still feel like I've left a positive impact on the world all the same while simultaneously getting the best out of myself and the others around me. I'd call that a win. 

Fl Runners/Milesplit: What would you attribute your success to from your senior year in HS too now? What advice would you give to a freshman HS middle distance, distance runner about running XC and track?

Krissy:  I think having the ability to see the bigger picture and also letting myself go through my life phases has been monumental to me. Even if in the short term they weren't conducive to running. I'm going to copy Sinclaire here and say the same thing: figure out your why and why you're in this sport. Also know that it can change (and very likely will)! I kept running when I was in high school because I won a lot and I loved winning. When I got to college it wasn't that way so much. And sure, yeah, I struggled a little bit with how to navigate that. I mean, I was okay not winning, I knew it wasn't realistic. But I didn't know what running meant to me anymore if I wasn't winning, because at the time I didn't take delight in running itself, just saw it as a means to an end (the thrill of winning). At some point, I realized if I wanted fulfillment and wanted to continue in the sport, I'd have to re-shift. And for others like me who love to win, it's figuring out what you need to do to keep improving towards the level of being the best. And for others (like this version of me) who realize winning isn't everything but don't think they want to give the sport up yet. It's leaning into the little things that you love in the sport and redefining your "why". But yeah, make sure you're having fun. Stop obsessing over every little thing. It's okay to obsess over some things! It means you care! And boundaries are important! But maybe limit yourself on how many things you're too anal or restrictive about. Mentally it takes a lot out of you. It's okay to not get 8 hours of sleep one night if you're having a blast with your friends. As long as you do get good sleep/let your body rest for the most part. If you don't hit a certain split in a workout or if the whole workout is off, that's okay too! You've worked too hard to let one workout dictate your mood or what you think you're capable of come race day. It's just a small drop in a big bucket of work you've put in. Don't even get me started on the food topic. Fuel well. Fuel A LOT. Treat yourself. I mean, don't go crazy on junk food day in and day out because yeah, that'll start to add up. Have fun, pick a hobby, be kind to yourself. :) 

Krissy. Thank you so much for taking the time and giving me the opportunity to talk with you. All of running friends in Florida wish you the best and certainly will be watching you in Budapest.