Chelsea Reilly won the US 3k indoor national title back on March 2nd, and then there she was a week later competing in the 15k road championships (back on March 9th). It was a big 8 day stretch for the young national champion and we were able to find out a little more about it, straight from the source:

I had originally planned on racing the 15k before the US Cross Country Champs in February. If all went well, we figured that Gate River would be a great workout leading up to World Cross. Unfortunately, I had a bad day at USXC.

We decided to shift gears and my agent, Ray Flynn, got me into the 3k at the Birmingham Grand Prix. I set a big PR (8:53) and we decided to give Indoor Nationals a go. We are really excited about the 3k title — this was a great way to move on from the disappointment of cross country.

I already had Gate River on my schedule and Magda (Lewy Boulet), Tom, and I decided that it would be a great opportunity to get my feet wet with a longer distance. I’m still figuring out my event but I hope to be competitive from everything from the 1500 to the half marathon. The 15k was a really good test for me. There was great competition and I learned a lot! I hope to put myself in a better position next time. I’m already dreaming of winning that race someday!

Everyone at Gate River was amazing. Richard Fannin, the race director, is a huge champion of American Distance Running. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to compete at these events. And that’s what this is all about — giving myself as many opportunities as possible.

I have a great team of people. My coaches, family, agent, and the Bay Area Track Club make it possible for me to travel to these races. I feel very fortunate to be able to pursue running. I love to compete!

Now that indoor is over with, what’s your focus shifting to?

We are now shifting gears to the track. As I mentioned before, I’m not set on a specific event yet. Expect to see me in the 1500, 5k, and maybe the 10k on the track this spring.

Of course, she signed off with:

Keep it on the LEVEL!
Chelsea

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