For some people, their childhood dreams evolve and change. For Annie Frisbie those dreams are getting closer to becoming a reality.
“I think every little kid is like, ‘Oh, I want to be an Olympian,’“ Annie said. “But it’s in the same way you say, ‘Oh, I want to be an artist,‘ or ‘I want to be a police officer,’ it’s just this far-off distant dream. You really don’t know how you’re going to get there.”
As an Iowa State alumna, I was fortunate to be Annie Frisbie’s teammate during her final two years as a Cyclone. Shortly after graduating from ISU in 2019, Annie joined Minnesota Distance Elite, coached by Chris Lundstrom. After having some ups and downs in college, she found the joy of distance running again. She loves her team and the process of training and racing.
Within the last couple of years, Annie began to see these dreams become tangible. “How cool that I can visualize and picture what that looks like, when as a little kid you’re just saying those words.”
During the recent 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, Annie’s Minnesota Distance Elite training partner and teammate Dakotah Lindwurm achieved her Olympic goal by finishing third in the race. Annie also had aspirations of making the 2024 team, but finished 10th. I am thrilled to have had Annie share her marathon experiences with me.
Annie’s first marathon was the New York City Marathon in 2021.
“I think the prospect of doing something new that you’ve never done before is so fun,” Annie said. “You just approach it with curiosity, and it’s such a fun way to race and train because even if the race doesn’t go well, there is no pressure on it…the marathon is an event that I’ll never fully know. I think you’re learning every single time, every single race.”
Annie has now run five marathons total: New York 2021, New York 2022, Boston 2022, Berlin 2023, and Annie’s most recent, which led her to a 10th place finish at her first Olympic Trials Marathon.
“So much goes into a marathon, and it’s just such an emotional roller coaster, leading up to, during the race, and then afterwards too, which can lead to a lot of heartbreak as well…but when it does go well, it’s unlike any other race,” Annie shared.
While Annie’s first 2021 New York City Marathon brought curiosity and excitement, her most recent race at the Olympic Trials brought mixed emotions: hope for the future and a bit of heartbreak.
In 2021, during her first marathon buildup, she noted how she was challenged for most of the build.
“I wasn’t able to complete most of the workouts or the long runs. I was able to do them, but I wasn’t able to do them quickly.”
During her buildup for Berlin in the fall of 2023, Annie began to believe she could be a contender for the Olympic team. Throughout this training block, Annie noticed she was able to complete her long runs at a faster pace. Her marathon-specific workout paces improved, too.
As she trained for the Trials, Annie and her teammates went to Florida in early December to acclimate to the humidity and heat. No longer working as a graphic designer, as she had been during her other marathon builds, Annie was able to take a mental break.
“Minnesota in winter can definitely be a grind sometimes,” Annie said. “I think the sun helps so much.”
Annie and Dakotah completed a three by three-mile workout twice during their build up. In December near Christmas, they completed it faster than ever before. They repeated the same workout again a couple weeks before the marathon trials at an even faster pace.
Feeling confident and ready, Annie’s excitement built as the Trials approached. Though the marathon brings about lots of emotion, the Olympic Trials Marathon bring another layer of emotional excitement.
“There’s just more on the line, top three or bust basically. If you make the top three, it can set you up for the next four years,” Annie said. “If you’re not in the top three, you won’t lose your sponsorship or anything, but if you do make that top three, it definitely boosts you to another level in the road scene. Everyone knows the top ranked runners on paper are not necessarily going to be the three who make it.”
Annie found joy in many steps of the process, including her mental preparation for who would be in the race.
“The excitement of following the different storylines, trying to do some investigative work to see how other athletes are feeling, and getting a feel for how things potentially could shake out on race day was super fun,” Annie said. “Then come race weekend, it was cool to see everyone. I think the tension was definitely high, but in a good way. I kind of like that. Everyone knows something big is coming, and everyone is nervous, but it is mostly excited nervous.”
Annie’s race plan was to be very smart.
“I think a mistake I made at my fall marathon in Berlin was going out too aggressively and chasing a time, so the goal in the trials was to be in the mix, but not the one at the front of the pack doing the move making,” Annie said. “I attached to the back of the first pack or the front of the second pack and was trying to zone out for as long as I could. Unfortunately, at mile 16 or 17, the move was made, and I, in my mind, thought I was slowing down. I didn’t realize a move was being made, and they were surging.” Annie thought she was falling off the pace.
A lot can fluctuate in how one’s mind and body feel during a 26.2 mile race that lasts for hours.
“In the Trials race, specifically, I kind of let my mind go, and that’s a mistake I wish I could go back and instantly fix because there was so much left in the race where I had time to catch up with people again. Unfortunately, when the mind starts to spiral, the body starts to spiral as well.”
Even as her own race plans changed, Annie was aware of her teammate Dakotah’s chances of making the Olympic team.
Annie’s coach, Chris Lundstrom, told her she was having a great race. He informed her she was in 10th, and Dakotah was contending back and forth with another woman for the third-place spot.
“In my mind I was like…10th. I’m so disappointed, but I was like…oh, that’s awesome for Dakotah. A couple miles later, spectators were telling me, ‘Dakotah’s in third, Dakotah’s in third, Dakotah’s in fourth…’ And then by the end with only a mile or two to go, spectators were telling me, ‘Dakotah made the team!’ and I was so happy for her.”
While celebrating her teammate, Annie was able to focus on finishing her own race to earn 10th place.
“Once I crossed the finish line,” Annie said, “I saw Dakotah, and it was just so emotional…so proud of her. She’s gone through so many waves these last few years and to see her come out on top and have success…so cool.”
Even though this outcome fell slightly short of Annie’s goals, she is already excited to use this experience when looking to the future.
“I’m going to cry at the end of a race. It’s such an emotional rollercoaster,” Annie said. “Getting to the finish line, there’s a flood of emotions that come over you, and unfortunately, one of the main ones this time was some disappointment. Even though you know top-10 is still awesome, at the end of the day, I didn’t really accomplish my goal of top three, but this gives me a chip on the shoulder.”
Annie has gained further confidence and inspiration from her teammate.
“I was so happy for my teammate Dakotah who made her first Olympic team,” Annie said. “She is such a deserving person. She’s such a positive light. This whole build-up, she was so confident saying, ‘When I make the Olympic team…’ She had this inner confidence that was just another level, and it was really cool to see her make that dream become a reality.”
Despite her disappointment, Annie was still able to celebrate her own performance with her teammates and family. Annie reflected on having her family and boyfriend Dhru with her that weekend.
“It was so good to have them there. When there’s so much that goes into a race, having those people who are your emotional regulators, it’s so key,” she said. “Having Dhru there to keep me level-headed was awesome, and seeing my family, knowing they were there to support me before and after the race was so special. I think it’s awesome to share those moments with the people you love when a race goes well, but I think when you’re disappointed, it’s just such a good reminder that the people who are in your corner don’t care if you do well or not. They’re going to be there no matter what.”
When asked what has helped her to be successful at the marathon distance, Annie replied, “I think just this inner belief that the work will pay off one day. And I think Dakotah’s story is a testament to that. Just keeping at it. I really enjoy the process of training. I find so much joy in the day-to-day: doing workouts, doing the little things, and then racing well. It’s just overall an enjoyable thing.”
Annie has reflected and learned from each of her marathon experiences.
“That’s one of those things that I’m learning in the marathon constantly: It’s not over till it’s over.”
With all these experiences, Annie’s excitement for the marathon has continued to build, and so has her inner belief in herself.
“I’m already excited for 2028 even though it’s four years away! But there are so many other things I hope to accomplish between now and then and it’s not like, ‘Oh that’s the end all be all,’ but I’m excited to come back in the future.”
Annie is already back at it on the roads, finishing 4th in a time of 49:28 at the historically elite Jacksonville 15k, The Gate River Run, on March 2.
Keep your inner belief, Annie. I am just one of many of your fans that you are inspiring.
