鈥淚t鈥檚 not about whether you get knocked down; it鈥檚 about whether you get back up.鈥 Perhaps no one in the world understands this maxim better than . Last month, during the 800-meter race at the U.S.听Track and Field Olympic Qualifying Trials in Eugene, Oregon, the 28-year-old middle-distance runner was just 100 meters away from securing her first-ever Olympic bid when another runner tripped and fell into Martinez, knocking her off her feet, and off of the Olympic team. 听
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Martinez, though,听managed to keep her composure as she prepared for the 1500-meter race, an event that she says, 鈥淚 might not have even raced had the 800-meter gone well.鈥 Not only did Martinez race the 1500-meter, moving swiftly through the two preliminary heats, but she gutted out a third place finish in the final鈥攇ood enough to punch her ticket to Rio, where she鈥檒l represent the United States in that distance. 鈥淭he trials were the hardest 10 days of my life,鈥 she says, 鈥渂ut now I鈥檓 more confident than ever.鈥
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To learn more about her extraordinary mental and physical fitness, I recently caught up with the New Balance-sponsored runner from her home in Big Bear, California.
Bouncing Back from Disappointment
It鈥檚 OK, and only natural, to feel down. But only for a little while. Feeling sorry for yourself gets you nowhere. After the 800m fiasco, I just wanted to get back into my routine, which is all about nutrition, sleep, and training. Thankfully I didn鈥檛 get injured in the 800-meter, so it鈥檚 not like I lost any fitness. I just threw myself back in the process, albeit directed at a slightly longer race.
Journaling听
Every day I spend just a few minutes reflecting on things I am grateful for鈥攆amily, food, clean water, shelter, mentors. I did this after getting tripped in the 800-meter. It immediately made me feel better. I know it sounds clich茅, but this practice really does help put everything in perspective. I highly recommend it.
Developing Toughness
I train really hard. You could say that I have lots of practice 鈥渂eing broken.鈥 So when things go south during competition, whether it鈥檚 a freak accident like what happened at the trials or just a really painful race, I鈥檓 prepared to push through it.
Favorite Workout
I love mile repeats. They are really tough, but also a great confidence builder and serve as proof that you are fit. I know I鈥檓 fit when I can go 4×1-mile at around 4:45 pace.
Nutrition
I don鈥檛 adhere to any kind of rigid diet. I try to match my carb intake to my training: when I鈥檓 training a lot, I eat a lot of carbs, but when my training volume is lower, I eat less carbs. I鈥檓 also a big believer in making what I call little swaps鈥攁 sweet potato instead of a regular potato, fish instead of beef, whole-grain crackers instead of chips, etc. Nothing radical, but the small changes add up.
Recovery
I sleep a ton. Eight to ten hours a night and another one to two hours of napping during the day. Sleep is a part of my job; I take it very seriously. Otherwise, the only other recovery modality I use regularly is bodywork. I see a physiotherapist who does something called fascia normalization鈥攊t鈥檚 similar to deep tissue massage, but addresses problems on a more structural level.
A Solitary Life鈥
My husband and I live on a mountain, so life is very simple: run, eat, sleep, run some more, and take care of our two dogs. I guess you could say it鈥檚 boring, but you could also say it fosters consistency, which is the key to continual progression in the sport.
鈥ith Some Balance
Still, I can鈥檛 just be an athlete. I need to be a student of the sport, and perhaps more importantly, a student of life. I try to listen to intellectual podcasts or lectures on the way to and from training. I also read. Just anything to keep me engaged in the world beyond running.
Motivation
I am driven by helping others along the way. I try to give back as much as I can. Lots of little girls look up to me and I need to be a role model for them. I think about this all the time. I thought about this throughout the Trials, especially after getting tripped in the 800-meter. How do I want to react knowing little girls are watching me? How can I inspire them?
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