Interview with Tera Moody

Tera Moody ran track and cross country for the University of Colorado, winning the Big 12 title in the 10,000 meters as a freshman. In 2008, she finished fifth in the US Olympic Marathon Trials running a 2:33:54. In 2009, she set a PR at the Chicago Marathon running a 2:32:59. Tera currently lives in Colorado Springs.

Congratulations on your 6th place performance at the Houston Half Marathon, setting a PR by 12 seconds. How did the race unfold and was your performance what you were hoping for?

Going into Houston I thought I was in a lot better shape than when I ran 1:13:04 there two years ago. Although I was really struggling with sleep all of my workouts indicated I was ready for a big PR. But the weekend before the race I had a work crisis and ended up working all night. A pipe froze and flooded the basement at a rental on the day one set of tenants was moving out and the next were moving in. I was really stressed out and I pretty much had a nervous breakdown about 4 days before the race. I just had way too much going on. So I’m pretty happy that I was able to get through that and still compete well. I can’t complain about a PR but I do know that I’m ready for a bigger jump.

What are your thoughts going into this weekend’s USA Cross Country Championships? Can you give us your projected top five?

This weekend’s race will be a very low key event for me. I wanted to go because some of my teammates are going and that makes it a lot of fun.

You won two Illinois state titles in high school in the mile, what other colleges did you consider besides the University of Colorado?

I looked at University of Wisconsin, University of Michigan, and University of North Carolina. I really liked all the schools but I just love the state of Colorado.

Do you miss racing on the track and do you have any future plans to get back on the track for some racing?

I miss racing the mile but I’m just not really fast enough to be competitive at a high level. I did run one indoors just for fun when I was in Chicago in December and I loved it. But I don’t enjoy the track for longer distances. It’s very rare for me to even do a workout on the track. I love the atmosphere of road races.

In the September 2009 issue of Runner’s World they wrote an in depth article on your insomnia, what was the response to that article and have you had any additional offers or techniques offered up to help you sleep better?

The response has been amazing. I have gotten a ton of emails and suggestions. It was really nice to relate to others who have the same problem. Unfortunately insomnia is still a big issue for me. I went through a really bad patch in dec/jan but things have improved since then. I got back into yoga a little bit and I think that helps. It can be frustrating but everyone has problems to deal with. I’ve never had a stress fracture or any major injuries so I’m lucky in that respect.

In addition to being a full time runner, you’re also a real estate agent and own some rental properties in Boulder. Is it a struggle balancing working with your running and have you toned down the work with your success in the last few years?

YES it’s a huge struggle to balance. On the one hand I’m really lucky in that I don’t have a 9 to 5 job and I can sometimes create my own hours. I also really like having a lot of things besides running in my life so I don’t focus on it too much. I run better when I have a good life balance. But then things will come up like the week before Houston and it can be pretty difficult to manage everything. Running is definitely a huge priority to me and I really try and not let work interfere. But in that case it was out of my control.

Last year you ran the relatively small Crossroads Half Marathon in Ft. Collins, coming in second overall to Steve Folkerts. There was some chatter as to why you ran that race as opposed to the Boulder Half Marathon where you could have pocketed in easy $500?

In general I really try not to make running about money. I run and race because I love to. In that case I was training for the Chicago Marathon which is pretty flat and run on the roads. I believe the boulder half marathon is run on softer surface over hills so crossroads was a better tune up for what I was trying to accomplish. And I did get a little bonus for breaking the course record.

After your 5th place finish at the Olympic marathon trials in 2008, you moved way up the national radar. You likely could've joined some of the elite training groups in the country, maybe Mammoth, maybe OTC, and if not, then surely you could've gotten Strands sponsorship or even...God forbid, joins the Hansons. Instead, you chose to stay in Colorado and continue to race on the Boulder Running Company team. Could you speak to the opportunities that presented themselves after the trials and your decision to keep your same training setting?

I didn’t really want to get an agent because I like to develop relationships with race directors and have a say in what races I compete in. I thought I still might be able to get sponsored but nothing really went anywhere. I also really enjoy being on a team and competing for the boulder running company. We always have a lot of fun together and we hadn’t won a club xc title yet. There are a ton of benefits to being part of one of those programs and sometimes I wish I had that. But I also enjoy the flexibility I have with my workouts. If I have a really rough night of sleep I can move things around or I can run really early in the morning if I can’t sleep.

Jenny Barringer just announced that she will split time between Boulder and Colorado Springs in the future. As someone who has moved from Boulder to Colorado Springs, could you talk about the differences between the two cities when it comes to running and living?

I really like both places but they are very different. The Springs is a lot more spread out. To drive to a trail I might be in the car for 20 minutes and to go meet my teammates it’s almost a half hour. In Boulder I could be on the creek path within two minutes of leaving my house. The Springs is higher elevation which can be really good but that’s been an adjustment. I really feel a difference even coming from Boulder. The runs up here are really pretty but nothing is flat. So I use a treadmill a lot if I need to hit certain times.

You've proven to be a great ambassador for the BRC and for Colorado running in general. It's great to see you out at local races like the Oatmeal Festival 5K, helping charities like the AIR Foundation and races like Racing with the Stars 5K, and then here doing this interview. Thanks for supporting the local running communities and lastly what do you have on tap for 2010?

I really love running and enjoy being involved with others who share that passion. The AIR foundation is doing amazing things and I encourage everyone to check them out at www.theairfoundation.org

I’m not entirely certain of my schedule for 2010 as I’m getting over a slight issue with my plantar….But I do know a fall marathon will definitely be in the mix as long as I’m healthy.