This month we are revisiting with Alisa Harvey. The difficulty was finding a starting point, in lieu of sharing her accomplishments I asked questions. Alisa has participated in local community and international events. You will find that retirement is not a word in her vocabulary. Alisa is relevant in the sport and being a mother has family obligations which she must manage. 

COVID-19 is having an impact, but she has found ways to maintain her fitness. The environment is serious, but you do not have to put your life on hold.

Not all of us can be Alisa, but there are points which you can apply to your approach to fitness. Each person is responsible for their own fitness, and you will get out of your program what you put into it. 

Enjoy the following, and hopefully something will spike your interest. 

What has a higher value: effort or time?

Effort has always been more important. I believe that I made up for my lack of volume of training during my elite days because of my high intensity of training. Running faster or lifting more weight has netted me more lifetime gains in performances of all distances.

What do you consider to be barriers to training?

My barriers to training are time, rest, and illness. Time to train is critical to completing enough exercise to enhance fitness. Resting adequately is critical to having enough energy to complete any given workout to its intended exhaustion level. Illness will prevent you from even getting out the door, on the track, or to the gym.  

What are the expectations when you attend a meet? 

When I attend a meet, I expect to compete to my fullest in each event. Track meets are fitness tests or goal setters for me. I may have a time goal or a finishing goal. I don’t always run for time; I sometimes run to win without consideration for the finishing time.

What is the thought process in selecting an event?

My event selections are seasonal: In the fall I run 1-Mile, 5K, 8K, 10k, 10-Mile, Half Marathon, and Marathons. In the winter, I run indoor track: 400m, 800m, and Mile. In the spring, I like to start the season with a couple 5K races on the road, then move to the outdoor track by late spring, including 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m. During the summer, I am cautious of the temperatures due to my history with heat illness. I avoid racing in extremely hot weather. On the track I only run morning races. On the road I avoid distances over 8K and extreme humidity in the forecast.

How do you manage the heat?

The summer heat has always been a problem for me. At the age of 16, I had a heat stroke after a long day at a track meet. I take care to acclimate with shortened training sessions during the first two hot weather weeks. Once I acclimate, I like to carry a bottle of sports drink with me on runs and track workouts. I occasionally bring a small cooler of ice to the track for hot weather workouts. I use the ice to apply to my wrists or neck between intervals.  

What are some ways to train in this COVID-19 environment?

I have concocted my own gym in my garage since my gym closed due to COVID-19. I have had lots of training gains with my kettle bells, elastic bands, exercise balls, hand-weights, pull-up bar, and weight-set.  

When I go out to do distance runs, I stay on the street to avoid the walkers on the sidewalks. If I pass someone, I make sure to move out at least 10 feet from them. My favorite run is at my neighborhood park. The park is comprised of multiple soccer fields, and I run multiple 1-mile loops around the grass perimeter.  Only the County grounds workers and I are out there in the mornings. I enjoy the solitude and nature. An occasional goose, hawk, groundhog, squirrel, or deer might make themselves known. I have a favorite spot next to the woods where I stretch and do some running drills between loops or intervals on the grass.

I perform track workouts at two local high schools, now that they are open. It is a bit trickier on the tracks to stay COVID-19 safe. Early on, there were lots of people walking and jogging on the tracks. I have been doing morning track workouts for years, and I had never seen so many people using them at once. COVID-19 has certainly started an exercise boom in the Northern Virginia area. One morning, I had to move to the softball turf area of this high school so that I could train safely. I did not want to train so close to other people without my wearing a mask. I have not run with a mask on, yet.

If you could do anything different what would that be?

There really is not anything that I want to do differently regarding my running, training, and fitness.

What is your philosophy when it comes to the sport, and what would like to see improved?

My philosophy: A runner should be open to training for any event—sprints or distances. Do not avoid any event based on the ideas or suggestions of others. Find out for yourself by attempting a variety of distances.  

I would like to see coaches become less definitive when it comes to guiding a new runner to participate in certain events. Utilize time trials as an effective way of finding out what event the new runner might excel in. Coaches are often too quick to make decisions for their athletes without adequate testing. 

When will it be time to hang up the spikes?

It will be time for me to hang up the track spikes when I no longer have the desire or ability to sprint. The word “sprint” is relative to my given age.

One day I might wake up and no longer have the urge to kick-butt. But for now, I do. As I age, my sprinting speed will slow as expected. If I find that my sprinting is no longer competitive against other female runners in my same age group, then it will be time for me to hang up the spikes.  

How do you respond to those who say running is boring and they do not like it?

I would suggest that the person try a different place to perform their runs. Some folks may be more intrigued by running on an outdoor track. At a track stadium you can spend minutes stretching and strengthening in your own private area inside or outside of the oval. The multiple lanes provide a creative way to develop workouts by changing lanes. You can sprint as fast as you can on a track while getting an accurate distance marker.

For the nature enthusiast, a grassy park with fields or trails might provide enough natural scenery or curious critters to keep a person entertained during a run.

How important is it to have a support crew/team?

Running is an individual sport. If you are attempting a 30-plus mile race, it might be important to have others provide fuel and hydration if the event is not providing fuel for participants. Otherwise, I suggest purchasing the water pack or bottles, energy gels, and sports bars. Stash, pocket, or hide the items at a convenient spot and get going on your own. 

What are three things you pass along to those you coach?

1. Take at least one day off from running per week.

2. Take vitamins and practice good nutrition.

3. Get at least 7-hours of sleep per day.

How important is winning?

Winning can be a darn good motivator, but if you depend on winning to keep you interested in the sport, your time as a runner will be short-lived.  

What do you want readers to know about Alisa Harvey?

I am a cautious woman that believes in doing things my way. I have worked hard for every race that I have won and every feat that I have accomplished. I was born to low-income parents that struggled to get out of the 1960s segregated South. I learned from my parents that life is what you make it, and things are not always fair or equal.  

I was fortunate to cross paths with caring high school coaches that sent me in the right direction. My college career was satisfying. Though, my elite career left me unfulfilled due to my inability to qualify for the Olympic Team, which is probably why I welcomed the competitive spirit of my later years and into Masters running. I can honestly say now that I am fulfilled with regards to my career accomplishments.  

I now feel good giving back to my athletes. I have coached all ages, both sexes, and all abilities. My high school stars have gone on to college careers. My postpartum mothers are now happy with their bodies. My masters runners are still out there running and racing successfully. 

What setbacks (if any) did you have coming back after the birth of your child? Were there any doubts?

No, I came back after both pregnancies with a strong body, wiser mind, and the ability to navigate motherhood and competitive running. I had to lose 40 pounds after both of my children; my first was born at 28, my second at 36. I documented my weight loss month-to-month with my second child. Admittedly, I did have doubts when I stepped on the scales to see 143 pounds on the scale, but I returned to 110 pounds four months after the birth.

What are some changes you have seen among female athletes?

Female athletes appear to have the desire to speak out now unlike 20 or 30 years ago. I watched Allyson Felix (400m olympian, nine-time Olympic medalist) speak on TV about being dropped from sponsorship after having a baby. Alysia Montano (800m olympian, six-time USA Outdoor Champion) also spoke eloquently about being dropped by Nike after she got pregnant. Both cases represent how much more vocal female athletes have become. I went through the same loss of corporate financial support and loss of my manager after I became pregnant with my daughter back in 1994.  

How important is diet?

A good diet is critical to sports performance. The human body is resilient, but if you eat improperly for enough time your body eventually fails you. Over the years, I have observed various athletes subsist on inadequate diets for a cycle or two. I have never seen anyone become successful long term with starkly inadequate daily meals.  

I have always taken supplements, even in high school. I have gone back and forth between favorite meals, but one thing that has stayed constant is my desire to eat a multitude of foods: pasta, veggies, cereals, protein bars and shakes, nut butters, fruit and fruit juices, coconut water, beans, and rice.  

Recently, I became aware that I have milk intolerance. I decided to exclude milk and milk products from my diet. I no longer have sinus congestion or related problems. My stomach bloating has disappeared. I seem to just feel better. I get my protein through soy and oat products and take daily vitamins and minerals.

Do you use any sports gels or other supplements with training?

Yes, I use any of the sports gels daily before or after I train. I also use salt tablets.

Any thoughts on entering a new age group?

My hope is to take advantage of this extra time that I have had due to COVID-19 and get ready to attempt some records in the W55 age group on track in the 400m and 800m events.

What obstacles did you overcome early in the sport from the days of Thomas Jefferson High School (VA)?

I overcame painful shin splints during the spring season my freshmen year. I had to stop running midway through the season. I recovered during that summer. The shin splints never returned.  

I also suffered a heat stroke during the summer before my senior year. I ended-up in the ER after an all-day track meet. I stayed on the couch for a week afterward to recover.

Who was the role model that was the spark for you to start your journey?

Wilma Rudolph was my role model. I saw the movie Wilma when I was in elementary school. I was convinced that I wanted to be a sprinter, preferably an Olympic sprinter like Wilma Rudolph.

Did you ever question your abilities?

Yes! When I entered high school, I was a full-figured youngster. Puberty hit me hard. I grew three inches and 20 pounds in the summer before high school. When I finally got to track season, I could not complete the one-mile loop around the school grounds that all team members had to do for team warm-up. I had to walk some of the mile. Needless to say, I had a few doubts about my future in track and field. Eventually I leaned-up and got fit. That season I had some success in the sprints, but finally succumbed to nasty shin splints. I had to stop competing mid-season due to the shin splints in both legs.

What are the top three where you did not execute according to plan?

1. The 1996 Olympic Trials 800m Final. I went out too fast. My split for the first 400m was 56-seconds. I lost focus at the starting line. It cost me a spot on the Olympic Team.

2. The 1999 Army Ten Miler. I looked up at about 3/4 mile to go and saw the lead woman about 200m up ahead of me. I waited too long to go get her. She finished just a few seconds ahead of me. I finished second.

3. The second round of the 1992 Olympic Trials 1500m race. I stayed too far back into the pack coming into the final lap. When I decided to go so did everyone else. I was the last qualifier into the finals.

What are the top three achievements which makes you smile?

1. The 1986 NCAA Division I, 1500m Championship victory in Indianapolis, Indiana.

2. The 1991 Pan American Games 1500m Gold Medal and 800m Silver Medal in Havana, Cuba.

3. The 1997, 1998, 2003, and 2006 Army Ten-Miler First Place female finishes in Washington, D.C.