This month we added a new member to Oiselle Team: Regina Joyce. Regina has been a pillar of consistency in the Seattle running scene since she came to the University of Washington as a college runner. She was the NCAA champion in the 3k in 1981 and the NCAA runner up in 1982. In 1984 she competed for Ireland in the Los Angeles Olympics and finished 23rd in the marathon. After becoming a US citizen in 1993 she competed in US Olympic Trials marathon in 1996 and again finished 23rd. She held the 3k, 5k, and 10k records at the University of Washington for over 30 years until a month ago her 10k record was finally taken down by Junior Megan Goethals. Megan finished the 10k at the Stanford Invitational with a blazing fast time of 32:52.78. On April 18th Megan also went on to break Regina's 5k record at the Mt. Sac Relays in a time of 15:33.63. Regina's accomplishments are legends within the Husky community. Last weekend the University of Washington had its first meet on their new outdoor track. Regina and Megan met and talked a little about running. So fun to see a talented runner like Megan following in her footsteps and now holding two of the 3 records.
I caught up with Regina and asked her a few questions that give you more of a glimpse into Regina's years of experience and expertise.
Oiselle Q&A with Oiselle Team Member Regina Joyce:
1. When did you first begin running?
December 1969 - I trained for one week and ran my first cross country race and placed 2nd.
2. What was your fondest memory of growing up in England?
I grew up in England and spent summers in Ireland. My fondest memories involve family...I was the fourth child of five. My younger sister Monica got me into running and was my training partner and companion. Eventually I'll move closer to Monica in Michigan so we can train/run together into our 60's and 70's.
3. What brought you to the University of Washington?
I was recruited to run at Clemson. A friend suggested I look at west coast schools. UW seemed liked the best fit!
4. What was your most favorite memory of racing in college? Post collegiately?
Loved putting on the UW uniform and racing...going to Nationals..being part of the team! Post collegiately, I loved road racing, the World Championships in 1983, and the Olympics in 1984 for Ireland.
5. What is your best piece of advice for young runners who want to be competitive and successful in their running?
Have balance in your life. While running takes a lot of dedication, there is more to life than running: Balance helps keep things in perspective.
6. Since you have been running for so long, what have you done when you go through lulls in your training and racing and how do you stay motivated?
Find training partners/friends who make you laugh. Know that all phases will pass. Each challenge is there for a reason. Maybe you need to focus on another area of your life during the lulls!
7. Do you incorporate cross training in your schedule? Do you have a usual core/strength routine that you do?
I belienve core strength is critical to injury prevention of distance runners. I try to go to a core class a couple times a week.
8. How do you approach your nutrition? Do you have items that you can't live without since you are a runner? Standard items that help you overall health?
I've always eaten healthy, but for now I follow an almost vegan diet (can't live without chocolate). i believe a plant based diet is best for me. Protein and calcium are available in abundance in grains and vegetables!
9. What are you most looking forward to this year in terms of your running?
Recovering from a broken collarbone and 8 broken ribs from a bike accident. I hope to be back running by early summer. So maybe doing a few 5k's and cross country races this fall! Being a part of the Oiselle Racing Team!
