Standing on the beginning line on the 2024 Paris Olympics marathon as a member of Group USA is the second main accomplishment. The primary one comes roughly six months earlier than, when you need to race to earn your spot.
On a sizzling and humid morning in Orlando, Fiona O’Keeffe received the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:22:10. To name it a surprising debut marathon can be an enormous understatement. O’Keefe commanded the lead in a discipline of deeply-talented runners with a calm-yet-complete confidence, and received by over 30 seconds.
O’Keeffe, 25, is not at all new to working. (She was a six-time All-American at Stanford College.) However she is new to the extraordinary highlight that Olympic success usually brings. Fortunately, the Group USA star excels at defending her peace.
“I’ve been with the PUMA Elite Running Team for the final month or so of my coaching buildup in Mammoth Lakes, California, which is one in every of my favourite locations on this planet,” O’Keeffe says. “It’s so calming and delightful to simply spend time outdoors right here—there are stunning alpine lakes and forests full of pines and aspens throughout us. I additionally discover it useful to have a pleasant group of teammates up right here, so I’m not consistently pondering of solely my very own preparations.”
The soft-spoken, under-the-radar racer caught up with us forward of her Olympic debut to share a couple of wholesome habits that not solely maintain her stress in test, however maintain her mentally and bodily on high of her sport.
Associated Tales
1. She is aware of find out how to bounce again
Restoration is a big a part of her precise job, particularly throughout a marathon training block. So this isn’t a spot that O’Keeffe skimps on. In truth, she’s usually contemplating find out how to maximize her recovery even whereas working.
“Coaching within the PUMA ForeverRun NITRO and Magnify NITRO 2 sneakers offers my legs slightly further love after they’re feeling drained,” she says. “I additionally get common sports activities massages—not at all times a soothing expertise!—and use a foam roller and lacrosse ball to focus on tight spots most days.”
However the piece that makes the most important impression on how she ensures she’s being constructed up reasonably than overwhelmed down by robust coaching? Prioritizing bedtime.
“Sleep is big for me,” O’Keeffe says. “I at all times have a pair of earplugs and a bodily guide on my nightstand—I must learn a bodily guide at night time to go to sleep.”
2. She finds time to unwind
When she’s not working, there’s a very good probability you’ll discover O’Keeffe with a guide–often a bodily copy–in hand.
“My style in books is a bit in every single place,” says the voracious reader. “I rotate between classics, enjoyable gentle reads, non-fiction, and memoirs. I lately learn Emily Henry’s Beach Read in addition to Lindsey Vonn’s memoir, which was fairly inspirational. At the moment, I’m working my method via Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls and a Paulo Coelho novel.”
She places her personal pen to paper, too.
“I do a very good quantity of journaling,” provides O’Keeffe. “I’d describe it as fairly unstructured. Writing has at all times been a pleasant outlet.”
“Sleep is big for me. I at all times have a pair of earplugs and a bodily guide on my nightstand—I must learn a bodily guide at night time to go to sleep.” —Fiona O’Keeffe
3. She outlets sensible
O’Keeffe may be very enthusiastic about environmental points, and tries to reside extra sustainably and devour extra consciously.
“I undoubtedly use a reusable water bottle daily and at all times have it readily available to do my finest to remain hydrated,” she says. “Nonetheless, I believe the most important method we will reside extra sustainably is to scale back our total consumption reasonably than specializing in particular merchandise. If there’s a particular stylish merchandise on social media, I attempt to discern whether or not it could actually be one thing that holds up and that I’d use for a very long time. If not, I attempt to move on it.”
4. She retains it easy
O’Keeffe is a superb reminder that not sweating the small stuff is an lively selection. Her favourite non-running accent for the time being? A pair of sun shades she picked up from the grocery retailer. “They simply occurred to suit completely,” she mentioned. “You’d by no means guess!”
From how she retains her attractive locks wholesome (“My hair care routine may be very easy—the most important factor is just not washing it too incessantly and utilizing a good conditioner on it,” she says) to her pre-race packing checklist (“I pack in a small black PUMA curler bag—so long as I’ve my uniform, running shoes, and a guide I’m good to go!”), O’Keeffe doesn’t waste power worrying about all of the little issues. And in consequence, she has extra power to care in regards to the huge issues, like bringing her finest 26.2 to the streets of Paris.
You’ll be able to catch Fiona O’Keeffe competing within the girls’s marathon on August 11. NBCUniversal is the official U.S. broadcaster for the Paris 2024 Summer time Olympics, however you you can too watch O’Keeffe on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, USA Network, CNBC, and E!
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