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 Laura Haefeli lives in a small remote Colorado town. Away from the big city running scene maybe you can go unnoticed.
Laura’s recent win at the USATF Masters Club X-C champs drew lots of attention. One of her teammates was astonished to learn of Laura’s numerous athletic deeds.
Laura’s won seven national titles in summer biathlon. She’s won four Trail National Championships and two National Mountain Championships as a masters runner.
She’s the only open American woman to win an individual medal at the World Mountain Running Trophy. She’s made the world mountain running team five times, traveling the world with her running.
Photo Courtesy of Teva
Laura's a frontrunner, she likes to lead in her races and lead by example in her community. Laura thought she’d be retired from running by now but she’s still in the game.
Laura spoke to WomenRunningTogether in the midst of her crazy, busy Christmas week, while her kids got a jump on the baking.
The RunDown
Laura Haefeli, Age 42. Born 15th October 1967.
Lives Del Norte, Colorado (elevation of 7,874).
Married to Tom for 16 years.
Three children, two boys ages 14 & 12 and one girl age 9.
High School Cross Country Coach.
Works in family business, Haefeli's Honey
Summary of Athletic Achievements
First Masters Woman, 2009 USATF XC Club Championships, Kentucky.
2009 USATF Masters Mountain National Champion, Cranmore, NH.
2008 USATF Masters Mountain National Champion and New Record Holder, Mt. Washington, NH. (Broke Joan Benoit Samuelson’s record.)
Individual Bronze Medalist, 2007 World Mountain Running Trophy, SUI.
USA Team Gold Medalist, 2007 World Mountain Running Trophy, SUI.
Selected 5 times for the USA Mountain Running Team.
USA Team Bronze Medalist, 2004 World Mountain Running Trophy, Italy.
Winner of 2004-06 & 2008 USATF 10K Trail National Championships.
2004 & 2005 USATF Mountain Runner of the Year.
2008 & 2009 USATF Masters Mountain Runner of the Year.
Winner of 7 National Championships in Summer Biathlon.
Selected 7 times for USA World Summer Biathlon Team.
PRs: 5 km - 16:50; 10 km - 34:47; 5 Mile - 27:32
Cross Country Win
WRT: Congrats on being first woman across the line at the USATF Masters Club X-C Championships (December 09). Were you surprised?
Laura Haefeli: Thanks, it was fun. I haven’t run cross country for so long (since ’99) knew my main competition was Carmen Ayala-Troncoso and Patty Murray. I was really hoping just to be in the top three but you never know who’ll show up. I was thrilled to race them.
WRT: I saw a photo of early in the race and you had the lead. Do you always go out fast?
Laura Haefeli: Yes. Ever since middle school, I’ve been a frontrunner. Even though tactically I know this isn’t always wise. I love to lead if I can. If I’d been in the open race, I would’ve had a wind block and could’ve run 30 seconds faster.
WRT: Why ‘d you choose the masters race?
Laura Haefeli: I got to be part of the Fleet Feet Real Women Real Fast masters team. At the last minute, I emailed my friend, Lisa Goldsmith. Being on the team gave me a spark. It made traveling that far more worthwhile and it was a lot of fun being with the others.
Living in a remote area, we ‘re five hours south of Boulder and 40 miles to the nearest town, I don’t get to run with many people. Plus, I grew up in southeastern Indiana, across the river from Kentucky. My parents still live nearby in Indiana and came to the race. That was so cool.
Editors Note: Laura’s team Fleet Feet Real Women Real Fast, of Boulder, Colorado finished second in W40 at the USATF Club XC Championship one point behind Club Northwest. Running with Laura were Lisa Goldsmith, Jennifer Cubillas, Deborah Conley and Lesia Atkinson.
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 WRT: Do you think your altitude training gave you an advantage in Kentucky?
Laura Haefeli: When I race at sea level I feel the running is just as hard but the times are faster.
At Kentucky, it was nice to feel good and have rolling hills. With mountain racing the hills are so steep and it’s all at altitude. You’re sucking wind and it’s hard work. So maybe I had an advantage.
A Running Journey
WRT: How did you get into running?
Photos Courtesy of Laura Haefeli Laura Haefeli: I started in 6th grade. I was a sprinter, as everyone wanted to be a sprinter. I didn’t want to run distance, but got “stuck” running the half mile. I won and then moved up to the mile. From then on, I was a distance runner. With my twin sister, Ann, right on my heels!
WRT: Did you go to college on a running scholarship?
Laura Haefeli: Yes, I went to the University of Dayton, Ohio as they had a Division 1 cross country team. I knew I could be part of their team. Dayton didn’t have a track program but by then I was burned out on track.
Now I wish I’d run track just to know what I could’ve done. But I know many track runners who, the day they graduated from school, stopped running completely.
Top of Page WRT: You’ve competed in Summer Biathlon, what drew you to the sport?
Laura Haefeli: I grew up on a farm in Indiana and learned how to shoot. I got into the sport when a race director suggested I give it a try. It’s fun and a total mental and physical challenge.
I began competing in the 90’s and saw the rise and decline of the sport in the USA. There was talk that Summer Biathlon would be an Olympic sport by the end of the 90’s. But it never happened and my last year was in 2003.
Editor’s Note: The Summer Biathlon is a combination of cross country running and rifle marksmanship. It’s a spin-off of the winter Olympic version of cross-country skiing and shooting. The standard running distance is 5kms. The rifles are .22 caliber and the standard shooting distance is 50m.
 WRT: When did you start mountain running?
Laura Haefeli: In 2004 I trained for just one discipline, running, which was great. I wanted to just run some races for fun.
2007 World Mountain Running Trophy
L to R: Bronze-Laura Haefeli, USA;
Gold-Anna Pirchtrova, CZE; Silver-Andrea Meyer, AUS. What I didn’t realize was that the first race I registered for was the National Mountain Championships! I finished second but the winner was from Mexico so I was the USA champion. I thought I’d be retiring from competition. Then I make the national team!
Editor’s Note: Laura went on to make another four national teams (2005-08). She’s competed in four world mountain championships, winning an individual bronze world medal in 2007.
WRT: You’ve managed to travel the world with running.
Laura Haefeli: I’ve been to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, New Zealand and Italy, running in World Mountain and World Summer Biathlon Championships. My running has taken me to places I never thought I’d go.
WRT: How did you go in the 2009 trials?
Laura Haefeli: I just missed the team. It was between my friend, Brandy Erholtz and me. We’re good friends, so it was hard, as we wanted to be on the team together. But I was happy for her.
WRT: Will you try out for the 2010 USA Mountain Running team?
Laura Haefeli: I’ll probably go for it again. It’s an up-hill race this year and I’m best at the up and down runs. That’s where I got the bronze at the worlds. But I like the change. The trials are in June 2010 and they’ll take the top four women.
WRT: Any masters races on the horizon?
Laura: I’d like to run some of the masters road championships in 2010.
Finding a Balance
WRT: How do you keep up your desire to run?
Laura Haefeli: I take time off. I believe if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be running. It’s a hard sport. I still try and do something every day. Either snow shoeing, skiing, hiking or biking.
My training partner, Chuck Smead, gives me a hard time for taking time off. I think it’s good. When I’m done with my races, it’s rest time. It’s nice not having to do mile reps or intervals. Just enjoy an easy run.
WRT: In your racing season do you run most days?
Laura Haefeli: Yes, I normally run seven days a week, apart from my “forced days off”. I’ve got to be flexible with my schedule. I’m a mom, wife and with our business, I can’t stress about not running. I used to but I have to figure that it’s a good day of rest.
WRT: What’s your training like?
Laura Haefeli: I usually do three hard workouts a week, when I’m training for a race. I don’t have a coach so I run a lot by feel. Some weeks it’s two, others it’s four. I do long and short intervals and hills. I use my road as it has a slight up and down. Every quarter mile is marked for six miles. The trails around here are steep which is good.
I do lots of time trials of 2-4 miles, as I don’t get to race myself into shape. It’s hard to do these on your own. Chuck lives 35 miles away, maybe once a week we get together for a run.
WRT: Are you a big mileage runner?
Laura Haefeli: Not now. In college I ran 70-80 miles a week. With children there’s not much time to run. If I can get in 50 miles, it’s a really good week. That’s the height of my training. I do double training when I can, but it’s not very often.
 WRT: Do you think your lower mileage prevents injuries?
Laura Haefeli: Yes, plus I think I read my body well. Those forced days off are healing.
I go really easy on my easy days and don’t do steep downhill training; it’s too risky. I’ve been very fortunate with injuries.
2007 World Mountain Trophy USA Team Gold Medalists,
L to R: Rachael Cuellar, Chris Lundy, Laura Haefeli,
Anita Ortiz and team manager, Ellen Miller. Testing Times
WRT: So you’ve avoided any major problems?
Laura Haefeli: Yes, though in 2008 I was anemic. It sort of crept up on me. I was having a great season; I’d made the USA world mountain champs team again. Then 4-6 weeks before the worlds, I knew something wasn’t quite right.
I did a race in Vail, and my lips were purple and blue afterwards. I kept getting dizzy. I was working hard but not getting anywhere. A blood test showed that my hemoglobin was very low. I didn’t run well at the 2008 worlds; in hindsight I shouldn’t have gone.
WRT: How did you get your iron levels up?
Laura Haefeli: By eating lots of red meat, 5 days a week. It used to be chicken but now it’s steak. Also I take iron supplements. Masters champ, Simon Gutierrez, has helped me figure out what supplements I need.
WRT: Did you consider iron injections?
Laura Haefeli: No. I wasn’t allowed as I’m on the USADA drug-testing list. I’m the first mountain runner to be tested.
WRT: What was the testing like?
Laura Haefeli: It’s a pain in the butt. You have to give them your schedule and account for every 24 hours, 7 days a week. It’s so much information. I said you don’t understand, I’ve got a business; I’m running around with my kids and my training schedule is when I can get out.
You have to tell them if you’ll be away for more than two hours from your home. Here everything is two hours drive away. Home Depot is three hours drive.
WRT: How many times have you been tested?
Laura Haefeli: Twice. You select a testing time and mine was after 9pm. Both times they were sitting in the driveway waiting for me. I was so dehydrated it took 1-2 hours. They followed me around as I drank water. It’s a strange process.
Top of Page Family Matters
 WRT: I’m guessing you get a lot of support from your family.
Laura Haefeli: My parents have always been there for me. All through grade school and college they’d come to my races.
L to R: Laura's mom, Laura & sister Ann Sorenson. My mom and my sister came with me to the 2007 World Mountain Champs in Switzerland. It was so neat that they could be there when I placed third and our team won the gold.
My sister is my twin, Ann Sorenson. I often say “we” when I mean me. She lives in Montana. Ann runs and competes. I taught her to shoot and we both made national biathlon teams. We got to travel together a couple times of year.
My older brother, David, was also supportive, traveling to Maryland, my senior year in college, to watch me compete in the Div.1 National Championships. Tom, my husband is so supportive. He realizes that this is who I am, that running is part of me.
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WRT: Clearly you love to run.
Laura Haefeli: I’m so thankful every day that I’m a runner. So many people can’t run and wish they could. I thank God that I can run.
Locally everyone knows who I am. There’s this guy up the road who has problems with his legs. He told me “you’re an inspiration to people around here”. Others have said, “you’re spending all this time running and you’ve got three kids. If you can do it, so can I.” Inspiring others is really cool.
WRT: I imagine some might question why you run, especially mountain running?
Laura Haefeli: Some people think I’m crazy and nuts and ask why do I do it? I say I enjoy it. Also, I’ve got a talent and feel like I should use it and not let it go to waste. Plus its healthy, I’m not in the bars smoking and drinking.
 WRT: You’re also setting a great example for your children.
Laura Haefeli: Hopefully they get something out of it. Seeing my hard work, setting goals and achieving them.
The Haefeli Family. Maybe my kids will look back and say, “Wow, look what mom’s done” and learn from that. Running is a positive influence. If they want to run, great, if not that’s fine too.
Of course it’s not always been easy. When I’ve made world teams, I found it really hard to leave the children. At times when I was breastfeeding I needed to take them with me, to races in the USA.
WRT: You also work in the family business.
Laura Haefeli: Tom and I are co-owners with my mother and father-in law of a beekeeping company, Haefeli’s Honey. Tom’s great, great, grandfather, who came over from Switzerland, started the business. We sell wholesale honey, pollinate and have a retail store selling honey, beeswax and gifts.
I work in the store and do lots at home on the computer. Life is a juggling act at times.
A Giving and Happy Heart
 WRT: You coach high school kids, what’s that like?
Laura Haefeli: It’s part time, from August to October. I’m the head cross country coach of the Del Norte High School.
Coach Laura after a Regional XC meet. I train with my kids as they like me out there with them. It was nice this year, as I had eight boys and three girls on my team. That’s a lot for here. Most boys play football and the girls volleyball.
It’s great to help these kids. Some have gone to college with their running. Lately our funding at school has been cut. Some kids on my team don’t have any money. I pay for meals or shoes where I can. I’m fine with it and the kids are real appreciative. Otherwise they’d be running in street shoes.
WRT: Do you have time for anything else?
Laura Haefeli: I’m a volunteer at the Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church. We live in a small and very poor community. It’s one of the poorest counties in the state. I help gather food and like to get my kids involved.
We did a Thanksgiving drive and one for Christmas. It was amazing how many people were so giving! There are lots of people who wouldn’t have a meal without us.
You gotta give with a happy heart and hope that you’re doing the right thing. Times are not always easy and everyone has a story.
WomenRunningTogether thanks Laura for sharing her story. We’ll enjoy watching as Laura’s running journey continues to unfold. We’ve got a feeling that it isn’t over yet.
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Another sensational interview!
Carmel, you continue to amaze me!
Unlike my quickie Q&A's by email, you apparently talk to runners by phone or in interview. Much better insights are ...
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