Mary Harada

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Mary Harada

If you don’t know Mary Harada, you’re better off not making assumptions about her. She’s not Japanese but her husband of 44 years is.

Oh, maybe she’d pass for an emeritus professor which she is, and you’d possibly assume she’s a grandmother and you’d be right again.

But she’s no little old lady in tennis shoes. She’s not so old and those are racing flats.

No, this slight woman in the wire rimmed glasses is a 73 year old world class runner, American record holder in the mile and a medal winner at National and International meets.

Photo courtesy of prettysporty

She seems soft spoken but can be outspoken, challenging on the track or on various running blogs. She appears easy going, yet is fiercely loyal, supportive and even confrontational.

And if you do know Mary, you know she’s certainly not your typical axe murderer she claims she would’ve become if not for running.

After 40 years of running Mary Harada knows a thing or two about the sport. She knows what works and what doesn’t. But she’s not rigid and is willing to consider new ideas. She might even take up water running and biking this year. Or perhaps eventually try ice-baths.

Meanwhile, Mary’s busy training for another World Championship, inspiring others and leading her team as President of Liberty Athletic Club.

WomenRunningTogether spoke to Mary about running and training through the years, racing around the world and being part of an all women’s club.

The RunDown...Something About Mary
Mary Harada, Age 73.
Married with two sons, one granddaughter.
Lives in West Newbury, Massachusetts.
Professor Emeritus at Northern Essex Community College.
Taught History and Political Sciences.
Running Club: Liberty Athletic Club.

On Running
WRT: Why run?

Mary Harada: I started running in 1968, mainly to keep fit. It was easy to do, didn’t require special equipment and I could just step out the door. It’s a great way to relieve stress. If I hadn’t taken up running I would’ve been an axe murderer.

WRT: Well we at WRT certainly hope you keep up your training!
So when did you start racing?

Mary Harada: In 1976 I began running road races, mainly long distance, 10k, 15k, 25k and six marathons. In 1979 I qualified for Boston with a 3:30 and then ran it in about the same time. I eventually stopped running marathons due to family and work commitments.

I knew I could run slowly forever but I wanted to see if I’d any speed. In 1980 I ran my first indoor mile, finishing third in 6:06 without any coaching. I wondered what I could do if I knew how to train.

WRT: So what did you do?

Mary Harada: I joined Liberty Athletic Club. They had weekly coached practices and a number of very good masters runners. I started running cross country and indoor and outdoor track. The 5k, 3k, mile, 1500m, and even the 800m.

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Training Habits
WRT: What’s your training like?

Mary Harada: When I started being serious about competition I adopted a four seasons plan. Fall cross country required more hill training and running on trails or grass once a week. Winter track called for more speed work on a weekly basis and trying to get to 5-6 track meets.

In the spring, I’d start running a few road races, trying to “race myself into shape”. And the summer track season was more speed.

WRT: What adjustments have you made to your training?

Mary Harada: Over time I learned to pull back and not pound the roads and track constantly. I gave up road racing for a few years to focus on track. Now I’m back again. If I’m going to run a good track 5k or a cross country race, I need the endurance that comes from road racing.

If I’ve had an intense track season I try to take it easy for a few weeks. But the older I get the more difficult it is to return to speed work. So I can’t take off more than a couple of weeks. It’s almost as if once the speed goes, it stays gone. It’s harder to get back to where I was before I stopped. I’m sure it’s a function of age.

Looking at the US and World Records for W70+ and 75+, there’s a substantial increase in the time it takes to run those distances. Sometimes I think I should time myself with a sundial.

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WRT: What’s your current training program like?

Mary Harada: I run four days for a total of 20-25 miles. One day’s a speed workout at my club’s weekly track practice. The other speed workout might be a tempo run that’s longer and a bit slower. It’s a delicate balancing act; if I run hard 3-4 days a week, I’m setting myself up for an injury.

Mary-Harada-Argentina

My longest run is 8 miles. I’ve got a course that’s got a number of hills and I usually run it once or twice a week. I try to have a plan for each workout and not just put in miles for the sake of recording them in my record book.

For me a proper warm up is essential for a good workout or race. I have exercise-induced asthma and if I’m not really warmed up, everything can go downhill in a minute. For my training runs, I warm up for two miles before starting on the heart of the workout.

Mary and Makoto, Argentina '08

I go to the gym twice a week and do mostly upper body weight work. I do some lower body exercises, mostly without weights. At home, I do core work 3-4 times a week as well as a number of stretches and drills.

I should listen to my coach and do a pool workout as well, maybe this year. If I really do buy a bike this summer to ride with my grandchild, I might even ride regularly.

Taking Care
WRT: How else do you look after yourself?

Mary Harada: I’m often asked, “Are you still running?” “Don’t your knees hurt?” and “How do you do it?” The short answer is – yes, no, and good genes.

I get a massage every two weeks and occasionally some acupuncture. I took Pilates classes for five years and still do a number of the exercises and stretches. I don’t sit in ice baths, as we don’t heat our house sufficiently in the winter for me to thaw out after. Maybe I’ll save that for when I’m 80 and looking for something new to add to my regime.

I don’t follow any fad diets. Being married to a Japanese for 44 years we eat a lot of white rice, vegetables and tend to eat fairly small portions of meat, chicken, and fish. Dessert isn’t a regular part of dinner. I enjoy a glass of wine or craft ale and I’m convinced that dark chocolate is one of the basic food groups.

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On the Running Horizon
WRT: What’re your racing plans?

Mary Harada: The USATF National Masters m in Wisconsin this summer and the WMA meet in Finland. I’ll run the 5k, 1500 and 800 as well as the 8k cross country in Finland. I’d love to go to Australia in the fall to the World Masters Games. But unless a very inexpensive plane ticket falls into my lap, that’s not likely to happen.

WRT: Are you chasing any records?

Mary Harada: I hit 75 and a new age group in June 2010. It’d be great to get a record or two but at the moment I’m more interested in seeing what I can do in 2009.

Running Around the World
WRT: You've traveled to many world championships can tell us about that?

Mary Harada: When I first started, I rarely traveled more than an hour or two from home to compete. My first international meet was in 1989. I went to Eugene with club mates to the WAVA meet. I was just blown away seeing all the competitors from around the world. It was wonderful; I was hooked on WAVA meets from then on.

Mary-Harada-Elfrieda-Hodapp

It was, however, at a time in my life when traveling abroad to run track was not on my radar screen. I had children getting ready for college and that was where the money was going. In 1995 I drove to Buffalo to participate in the WAVA meet. I ran in the 10k cross country race and got my first WAVA medal, a bronze as part of the USA W55-60 team.

Mary with W70 Elfrieda Hodapp (Germany)
WMA Indoors Linz 2006

By 1997 with our sons out of college and on their own, I signed up for the WAVA meet in Durban. South Africa was in the early stages of its new political life. I was eager to see how the new regime was working as well as seeing the beautiful animal parks and magnificent scenery. I was there for the track meet, but given the amount of time I spent taking day trips you wouldn’t know it. After the meet I traveled with friends to several parks.

I’ve participated in all of the outdoor WAVA (WMA) meets from 1995 onward as well as two WMA indoor meets in Europe. Although I don’t come home with a chest full of gold medals, I’ve earned a few during the last several meets, both in the individual and team events in cross country and relays. In Italy I was a member of the USA W70 4x400 relay team that won the gold and set a world record.

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Lessons Learned
WRT: Congratulations. So what have you learned from years of racing?

Mary Harada: Firstly, that turning up at the start line without giving the race much thought isn’t a great tactic. To perform well I need a game plan. I’ve also learned, mostly the hard way, to run my own race.

I know if I go out with a faster runner and I try to keep up, I’ll end up just blowing my race. In 1980 at my first track meet, I had no clue about pacing. I began very fast and my teammates were yelling at me to slow down. Well I did, I had to.

I struggled to finish and was hoping not to pass out. It took me some time to catch my breath and to stop coughing. It was the most painful race of my life. I’ve never forgotten that and have tried not to make the same mistake again. However, 26 years later I was doing it again, setting a world record for W70-74 indoor mile.

I blasted off for the first lap shocking myself with my 200m split. I eased back in the second lap, managed to recover some and hang on. I even picked up the speed in the last lap to break the record. My coach nearly had a heart attack watching. If and when I try for a record again I hope to remember that second painful lesson.

Before a Race
WRT: Do you get nervous before a race?

Mary Harada: I try to use that sense of anxiety before a race to make myself focus on my race plan. If I don’t feel a bit anxious I’m not serious about the race. If this happens at an international meet I remind myself that it’s not a local all-comers. That I haven’t spent all that money and time to just jog around the track.

Racing is 90% psychological and 10% physical. If my head’s not in the race, neither is my body.

All-Women’s Running Club
WRT: You’re President of the Liberty Athletic Club, what’s that like?

Mary Harada: I took over the role as president a bit reluctantly a few years ago. It wasn’t my idea of a retirement job but I had the time, unlike most of our members who work and have children. Now’s the time to give back to the club.

WRT: What's special about the club?

Mary Harada: I joined Liberty in 1985 after being a member of two co-ed running clubs. I didn’t choose Liberty because it was an all-women’s club. They had the largest group of women masters in the Greater Boston area and weekly-coached track practices. Also Liberty had a coach who was interested in coaching women.

Mary-Harada-5k-maine

It was a lot more fun to go to cross country, track and road races where I was part of a supportive group rather than just hanging around looking for some familiar faces.

Until the late 1990’s Liberty had excellent male coaches. We had some of the best, like John Babington and Bill Squires.

Then we hired our first woman coach Leslie Lehane (at that time the women’s track coach at Boston University). There was a notable change in the atmosphere at practice.

It’s difficult to describe. It’s not warm and fuzzy and we don’t all wear pink. Probably it’s different for everyone but it’s a more relaxed atmosphere.

Most of our members work and many have family obligations. There’s no need to explain to the coach, she’s in the same situation. She understands the pressure that women face. And the coach also understands the pressures that as women we tend to put upon ourselves.

When Leslie could no longer coach us, Cathy Utzschneider took over. Cathy’s not only a great coach and mentor to the club, but also has a personal training business, teaches courses at Boston College and writes for National Masters News. Multi-tasking is her middle name. She certainly understands and experiences the multiple pressures that club members face in their daily lives.

We’re a small club of women who enjoy running, competing and are looking for a friendly group to do it with. Our adult members range from 22 to the late 70’s. I’m not the oldest member! They run distances from the 60m to the marathon.

Our most outstanding characteristic is that we support each other. Not only in our running but also in our daily lives. We live all over the Greater Boston area. Some of us have been friends for years and some for a few months. If you join Liberty you become part of the Liberty family.

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It Takes a Village
WRT: Besides Liberty who else supports your running?

Mary-Harada-with-family

Mary Harada: My husband and family are very supportive but they don’t run. My sons did many sports in school but not track or cross country.

My husband walks and goes on 6-7 week hiking trips in Europe and Japan. I go to track meets and cross country races. We don’t try to convert each other but support each other’s madness.

Mary and Makoto with younger son
Matthew and grandchild Emily.

I’m fortunate to live in an area that has a wonderful running community. Over the years I’ve often been one of the few women in a race and frequently the only 40 plus woman runner. My sons would ask me if there was anyone else in my age group when I brought home the masters women’s trophy. The usual answer was No! It was sort of a family joke.

These days there are times when I’m the only 70+ woman in a local road race and can come home with a prize just because I turned up. At the local races there are many younger runners and still some of the older ones whom I met many years ago. We compare injuries and complaints about getting older, slower, and how different it is running in the back of the pack.

 

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