An Interview with Abby Colbert

The 5-foot-6, 115-pound Jefferson High soon to be senior won her third consecutive AAA Region II title last fall, breaking the tape in 19:16.0. A 2014 First Team All-State selection, Colbert won six of her seven regular season meets she entered in 2014. Her only regular season loss came in late September, where Colbert was runner-up to World Junior 3K finalist Weini Kelati at the 2014 Oatlands Invitational at the Outlands Plantation in Leesburg, VA . In October, Colbert raced to the Class AAA state championship in the soft, sloppy conditions with a time of 18:23.7, besting Capital’s Peyton Panger by twenty-seven seconds. In November, Colbert also competed at the Foot Locker South Regional Championships at McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte, NC, where she finished 27th in 18:09. I caught up with her and asked her a few questions about her past, present, and future with running.

Coach McMillion - When did you first start running track or cross country?

Abby Colbert – In the beginning of 6th grade.

CM - Did you like running right from the start?

AC – Not at all!

CM – What sports did you participate in as a youngster?

AC – I participated in soccer and basketball.

CM - Are there any other runners in your family?

AC – My great uncle ran track in high school, but not long distances.

CM - What other sports or activities in high school do you take part in?

AC – I played basketball for my high school during my freshman and sophomore year.

CM - Do you have any one race or personal record time that you are most proud of so far?

AC – My one race that I am most proud of is the state cross country meet of my junior year. A record that I am proud of is the 800m record that I now hold at my school. I have been trying to break that record since my freshman year.

CM - Have you had any disappointments, and how do you respond to a bad race?

AC – My sophomore year at PTXC 5 at the "The Farm Course" at Kutztown University in Kutztown, PA, it was a lot bigger and different than I expected. I handled it better than I thought I would.

(Colbert finished 29th out of 195 runners with a time of 20:01.30)

CM – What has it been like to run in an era of the best female distance runners in West Virginia high school history? How did Maggie Drazba’s & Amelia Paladino’ssuccess influence your running career?

AC - Oh gosh, it has been great, because now I tell myself every season, I want to be as good as them, and that's what keeps me going.

CM – What is it like to run for Coach Suzy Munnis?

AC – It's wonderful running for her, because she's a runner too, so she actually knows what she's doing and how to train us properly.

CM - Do you set any goals for yourself? If so, what?

AC – Yes, I do set goals for myself and every goal I have set I have achieved it. This year's cross country goal is to beat Amelia Paladino’s cross country state meet time.

CM - Sometimes runners will hit a time plateau and struggle to improve, but every season you have gotten considerably faster. Have you gradually done more mileage or harder training each year, or do you attribute your continued success to experience?

AC – I have been doing a little bit more mileage, but not too much. I think the main thing that I have been doing is harder and longer workouts.

CM - Do you put in a lot of miles during the off-season, or do you focus on other interests?

AC – Summer offseason I do. Winter offseason I played basketball, but junior year I did run in the offseason and did the Battle of Potomac in Gaithersburg, MD and the Foot Locker South Regional at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, NC.

CM - I can’t imagine many girls hanging with you for workouts. Do you train with the boys?

AC – For long slow runs I hang back with the girls, but for the workouts I'm with the boys.

CM – What is your favorite training workout?

AC – Maryland heights repeats

CM – What are Maryland Heights repeats?

AC - It's a hike up to a rock, where we go to the first part of it, and we run 200 meters up it about 5 times.

CM – What does a typical week of training look like for you?

AC – Two long run days, three workout days, and 1 not to slow of a run, but not too hard of a run.

CM – Who or what do you contribute your success to?

AC - My family and coaches most definitely.

CM - Has some of your success drawn more interest to running at Jefferson High?

AC – A little bit, but not too much.

CM - I imagine that you are getting recruited pretty heavily with some of the times you have posted? Do you plan on running in college?

AC – Yes, I do plan on running in college, but I’m still undecided. There’s just a lot to pick from.

CM - After the cross country season for the WVSSAC is over, will you take part in any of the national races like the Foot Locker Championships or the Nike XC Race?

AC - I haven't decided yet, I did last year, I probably will end up doing that again this year.

CM – What advice would you give to girls who look up to you?

AC – You're always gonna have bad races and you can't let the bad ones get to your head to much.

A few Quick Questions:

CM: What shoes do you train in?

AC – Newtons.

CM - Favorite athlete?

AC - Oh gosh, there are too many to just have one favorite athlete.

CM – Who do you look up to the most?

AC - Amelia Paladino.

CM: Favorite song?

AC - Country Roads.

CM - If you could travel anywhere where would you go?

AC - San Diego, California.

CM - Favorite catch-phrase/quote?

AC - "You only have one life to live, so live it."

CM - Thank you for your time Abby. Good luck this 2015 cross country season, and I hope to see you running up in Cabell Midland in late October for the State CC Meet.

AC - No problem! Thank you very much!

CM – Besides her natural talent, the thing that impresses me most about Abby is her determination to win. She is so funny and the best thing about her is that she is always smiling and laughing and she spreads it to everyone. She is out there having fun. Colbert is making a run for big things.

I also was able to ask Abby's coach, Suzy Munnis, a few questions.

Coach McMillion - How did you end up becoming Abby’s coach for track and cross country?

Suzy Munnis – I started working with Abby when she entered Jefferson as a freshman and joined the XC team. I also coach the distance runners during track season.

CM – As a fellow runner, do you run workouts with her?

SM - I do run with the athletes for the long slow runs, but not for the workouts. I need to time and record and yell for those.

CM – One of my favorite sayings in terms of coaching and sport is that “talent alone is not enough.” What do you believe?

SM – You are absolutely right about talent not being enough. The athlete has to have heart and determination! When those stars all align you get the Brandon Doughty's, Eric Graf’s, Ryan Graf's, Andrew Milliron's and of course...Abby Colbert's. We have been very blessed at Jefferson to have had these kids come through our program. The other kids and coaches have both benefitted and learned a lot from these leaders and standout performers.

CM - Thanks Suzy! I appreciate you getting back with me. I really have the utmost respect for Jefferson High track & cross country programs. As a coach, I appreciate seeing a team with so much togetherness. It’s always a great site to see when almost the entire team is aligned against the track wall, loudly cheering on each team member during their events. We not only see this in the attitudes of the athletes, but in the parents as well. There is no wonder your program is so successful. I wish you and your program continued success. Thanks again Coach McMillion

SM - Thank you tons Michael! We are just true fans of the sport and working with the kids is a total blast!

Coach Mike McMillion

e-mail: mgmcmillion@aol.com