Rebuilding a national champion

If you’re out running any of the popular running routes in Sydney, you’ve probably been passed by Heidi See. There’s no shame in it; she’s got four national titles after all and does this for a living.

The diminutive See is just like any other 20-something Sydneysider; she’s up to date on the hottest brunch spots, spoils her two cats, and maintains a blog dedicated to fashion (mostly). But on the track she has the composure of a sniper, and has proven deadly in the 1,500m (National champion 2015, 2016, 2017) and the 5,000m (2017).

After injuries over summer ruined her prospects at the 2018 national titles, See has been focused on doing her rehab and training in Sydney. It’s an adjustment, and not just because of her recent injuries. See only moved back to Sydney in late 2017 after nine years living in the US at college and with Furman Elite.

“Coming back to Sydney has been an adjustment. Last time I was training properly in Sydney I was a lot younger and I was injured, so I wasn’t really training a lot. So I’m starting from scratch trying to find the best spots for each session”.

So where does a 4-time national champion and member of Australia’s most successful training group, Melbourne Track Club, go to train?

“Most people like running Centennial Park, but I also love running at Narrabeen around the lagoon. If I have to do a long run I’ll do a couple of loops there; it’s about a 37 minute loop. I’m also often at Wentworth Point near Sydney Olympic Park, that’s where I do tempo work”.

Accompanying See on some of her training loops are the new Nike Air Pegasus 35. The Peg 35, the latest in a long history of the fan-favourite, is the first model to feature cushioning foam specifically tuned to the female foot.

“The first thing I noticed when I got them was the upper, it looks and feels great. And then once you start moving they’re great under foot. There’s enough support to look after my feet but they still feel fast”.

The Peg 35 also features a full length Zoom Airbag for the first time, resulting in a shoe that provides more flexibility and a better transition. The inspiration for the Airbag was the shape of the carbon fibre plate in the Vaporfly 4%, arguably the hottest shoe on the market right now for marathoners.

“The Peg’s have been perfect for my tempo workouts. They feel fast, but if I’m doing big volumes I can’t sacrifice my feet, and the Peg’s still keep me fresh after my session”.

There are some obvious visual similarities between the Peg 35 and shoes like the Zoom Fly and the Vaporfly 4%, but don’t call the Peg 35 a copycat. It is after all, Nike’s all time #1 selling running shoe.

Fans of the sport will remember See’s heartbreak at missing the Rio Olympics, after she suffered a stress fracture just months before the games, and with a qualifying time well within her grasp.

“That was the biggest disappointment I've ever had to deal with. I won nationals that year and was in the best shape of my life, I felt like there was no way I could miss the Olympic team. And because I was fit and running well, I hadn’t prepared myself for the thought of failure".

Following her 2016 disappointment, See came back strongly in 2017 to compete in the 5,000m at the World Championships in London.

However 2018 didn't start well, with See unable to defend her three-peat of national titles in the 1,500m. Going in to the meet under an injury cloud, See still expected to record a better performance than she was able to.

“(Nationals) this year was a blow because I've now made 2 World Championships teams but still haven't made Commonwealth Games or Olympics, and to miss out on a home games was really disappointing.

You have to be on top of your game to beat girls like Linden (Hall) and Zoe (Buckman) but to not even get top 3, it really wasn't a great day for me".

See, who moved back to Australia with her husband, former miler Jeff See (a 6 time All American at Ohio State), is enjoying being back in Sydney, the place where she grew up and where her family still lives.

See is embracing a more balanced approach to training, away from the insenity and singular focus of a life spent at altitude camps.

“Living in Sydney again definitely feels different because I did all of my growing up and experiencing life in my 20’s over in the States, so I’m trying to make Sydney feel like home again”.

Understandably, any major life decisions in the See house revolve around running. But it’s important for her to have an outlet when she’s not training, and for See that comes in the form of her fashion accessories brand, Boho Kitty.

“I’m a really creative person, so Boho Kitty is perfect in that it can travel with me when I go to races or camps. It helps create some balance for me".

As for her return to competition, See has recently renewed a successful formula from her past; working out with her husband. The two trained together after college at Furman Elite, but since Jeff retired and entered the corporate world (Jeff is now a web developer), Heidi hasn’t had the support and company on her early morning training runs.

“I’m doing my morning workouts really early at the moment so that Jeff can run with me before he goes to work. It’s hard for me to be up that early training, but it’s harder for him!

Training together was such a big part of our life together, so having him back training with me has made a massive difference”.

It’s hard to imagine that someone with four national titles to their name is yet to write their career highlight, but as See rebuilds her body stronger than its ever been, a birth at Tokyo 2020 is still very much part of the plan.