Below is an excerpt from the Fast Women newsletter, posted with permission. Fast Women produces a high-quality, weekly newsletter, mostly centered around women’s distance running.
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From the Fast Women Newsletter
Katelyn Tuohy missed winning the 5,000m title by 0.46 seconds and came even closer in the 3,000m, finishing second by 0.25 seconds. While she may have been a bit frustrated to return home without an NCAA title, her performance in Birmingham was a big step forward in her running career. And it’s all the more impressive when you consider what she has been up to since the cross country season.
Tuohy said after the 5,000m that she got injured during the cross country season, but didn’t mention it to her coaches, because she wanted to keep training and racing. (She added that she does not recommend doing this.) She ran a 3,000m race in Boston in early December but then didn’t race again until the ACC meet two weeks ago. First Tuohy was taking time off because of the injury, but then she picked up Covid and flu simultaneously, after Christmas, which led to more time off.
Tuohy mentioned that because most of her races in high school ended up being solo time trials (because she was such a dominant runner), this is one of the first opportunities she’s had to hone her racing tactics. And though tactics may have cost her a win in the 3,000m, she seems to be getting better with every race, and she has developed the kind of kick that does win NCAA titles. It’s great to see someone who has had so much pressure on her make a strong transition to collegiate running, despite dealing with quite a few setbacks.
