'Often, the best things are not what we expect'

The countdown is on.

As of July 20, there were still 16 days until Opening Ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics are set to begin. From there, another nine days will elapse before the women’s 5,000-meter preliminary heats on Aug. 16, all in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

These are two big red-letter days for Topsfield’s Abbey D’Agostino, who learned on July 11 (24 hours after the U.S. Olympic Trials ended) that she was officially named to the U.S. Olympic Team for the women’s 5,000-meter run.

Two of the top five finishers in the 5K opted out of running the event at the Olympics, focusing instead on the 10K. Those decisions gave D’Agostino – the fifth place finisher –her first Olympic team spot.

D’Agostino took time out of what is certainly a busy schedule – though no busier than usual, by her watch – to speak with the Tri-Town Transcript on July 13.

How does it feel to have made it past the Olympic Trials, and now become an Olympian?

The way it happened, and how much of a gift it was, was never the experience that as a child I would have expected. Often, the best things are not what we expect.

I’ve been able to celebrate with tons of people, especially from Team New Balance. They’ve always been focused on the long term and they have believed in me along the way.

To be present with the people that I love and who supported me, I’m still just kind of soaking it in. My family was out there, and a lot of people I love and care about are also here in Boston, and there are still some of them I have not seen yet. I want to cherish the moment with them. They’ve seen both sides of my story, the highs and lows.

(During the spring, D’Agostino had to work around a stress reaction in her shin)

The spring was pretty crazy. Training was so different than I would have planned for myself, with my injury. I was diagnosed with that in the beginning of May, so there was not a lot of time. I did a ton of cross-training. My mileage was not very high at all. I didn’t have a lot of control over my circumstances.

That transformed my relationship with running, seeing the control that I thought I had before. There are so many tests towards qualifying. Training doesn’t have to be 80 miles per week or two perfect workouts. That’s the ideal, but it’s never usually the reality. That all led me to surrender to the circumstances.

For the second time in four years, in two Olympic trials, you finished fifth and Kim Conley was third in the Trials. What went through your mind when you saw such a similar result as in 2012 this past Sunday?

Kim is a New Balance teammate, though not on the Boston team. I don’t train with her, but I know her well. Kim was also third in 2012 and I’m really happy for her. She wasn’t able to compete at the U.S. championships last year, but she put together a great base in the fall and winter.

Kim had a disappointing run in the 10k, which was her first choice. She came back strong, and it was a race. It was really a more competitive field than I had anticipated. I didn’t expect to see all three of the top 10K women doubling back in the 5K, with the possibility for running both at the Games.

What was your strategy for the final race on July 10?

After reflecting on the prelims, I certainly made some kind of juvenile tactical decisions in that [July 7 race], and I ran on the outside for the whole race. My thought process was that I felt controlled and relaxed, and I didn’t want to miss any moves, and I didn’t mind running extra. I could get away with that in the preliminary.

Sunday was a more honest race, a faster race. I couldn’t afford to waste as much energy. I focused on getting on the rail and staying relaxed, and not missing any moves. If it did end up being a 15:05 race, I had to end up conserving in a smart way.

What was your mindset as you rounded the last corner and saw how things were shaping up towards the finish?

That was soul exertion, the last 100 meters. When I crossed the line, it was ‘here we are, fifth place again.’ There’s nothing I could do. That was everything I had in my body and soul. I was aware of the situation and knew Molly [Huddle, the winner at 15:05.01] had opted out of the 5K. I knew before the race she probably wouldn’t run both in the Olympics. 

I wasn’t sure about [fourth place finisher] Emily Infeld. But I was perfectly content with the results. I ran very honestly. I was able to get through so much in the spring by the grace of God, that if I was to go to the Olympics, it would be such a blessing and an honor. If not, there would be something else in store for me that would be better for me in the long run. I felt very liberated from the pressure.

Having run a personal record of 15:03.85 in the past, did you have a new PR as the goal in this race, or was the goal simply to place top three regardless of time?

Time was completely irrelevant. In championship races, it is not a factor. It is a factor in that ideally you want to be at your best in a race. I wasn’t going for a season best, I was just focused on staying in the race and being top three.

What was it like finding out so much later than many athletes that you were going to the Olympics, [after Huddle and Infeld withdrew]?

I was able to celebrate with my parents afterwards. It was a tender moment. In a beautiful way, I qualified for the team but in a really non-dramatic way. I didn’t do the victory lap and there were no interviews, but it was kind of special.

How big is the title of Olympian for a track and field athlete?

It’s huge, but it’s so insane to me that there’s so much more value placed on the title of Olympian than a world champion [in non-Olympic years]. It is a shame as track and field athletes that we spend every day of every year working towards those goals, but we also live in the world, and we have to accept that part of our jobs that sometimes makes us feel alienated or isolated.

The reality is that it sounds unromantic – it is a huge blessing, because the Olympics are a powerful platform for reaching people, but it doesn’t define me. It’s part of who I am, but it is not my identity. I’ll just compete well and do my best, but I don’t want to place undue pressure and expectation on the experience itself. I’m excited to use that teaching – that here I am living this experience, but it doesn’t change me.

I am, whether I like it or not, a role model. There are little girls and athletes who are looking up to those who are able to compete at the Olympics, and this is a message worth sharing. It is a special opportunity.

There are so many ways to reach success and they might not be in such a public way [as the Olympics].

Having said that, there’s also that moment that anyone who’s experienced it will say is incomparable: walking into the Olympic stadium for Opening Ceremonies, with your fellow countrymen alongside and the American flag in front of you. How are you mentally preparing yourself for that moment?

I’m getting goosebumps just hearing about that. A friend of mine went, and she mentioned that moment and how special it is. I don’t know how I’m necessarily preparing for it. That will be wonderful to happen naturally. It does take a while for emotional moments to really puncture me, it takes a lot, but certain triggers like that … it’s a very welcome, cathartic appreciation.

I was talking to my coach Mark Doogan about the Opening Ceremonies. Since track and field doesn’t start until Aug. 10, a lot of the athletes will bypass the ceremonies. But I am going to walk in the Opening Ceremonies. We had to make plans quick for that – flights were booked for that night, but in the midst of making plans, we were all able to make it – my family is going to be there: my parents Donna and Eric, and my sisters Julia and Lily.

The women’s 5,000-meter includes a very deep field, especially with the world leader Almaz Ayana (of Ethiopia) running 14:12.59 this year, along with several other amazing runners. What do you think when you look at the Olympic field as it stands?

It’s humbling because the African women are in a league of their own in some ways. The gap between the Africans and the rest of the world is almost the biggest – if not the biggest – in the world for the distance events. It’s a journey and a dream to be a part of changing that and hopefully closing that gap. It’s happening slowly but surely, and it’s encouraging.

Are you excited to run against the defending 2012 Gold medalist Meseret Defar (also of Ethiopia) after racing against her this past spring?

I’ve raced against Defar before this spring, and in both races, I was content with the fact she was aspiring to run a time 30 seconds faster than mine. She didn’t run close to her personal record at the Adidas Boost Boston meet [on June 17]. It was an honor and a privilege not only to be within the top three of that race, but also to have that race be close to home.

I think it’s interesting to reflect and witness the change in my mental preparation for races. I don’t feel like I’m star-struck anymore.

At the Worlds last year, I thought ‘OK, I am among the best in the world,’ but the minute you start to think about that, you’re allowing negativity to invade the thought space that works for you. I definitely feel this gratefulness that I do belong there and I’m capable of running a great race.

There have been several concerns regarding the Olympics, with the Zika virus and other issues that have come up. Are you worried at all about these different health-related issues?

I think a lot of it is super-sensationalized. There are real issues, but they’ve been blown out of proportion to the best of my knowledge. I have had experience with the USOC and USATF (U.S.A. Track and Field) and I’ve never felt unsafe, jeopardized or maltreated in any way. Everyone’s been so diligent and kind. It’s guaranteed to be better if anything [than what’s been reported].

I just have a lot of trust. I am going to do some research before we get out there, but we will be notified on how to best prepare, given Zika and the water. We don’t have to eat any of the local food, all of that is being provided for us.

Has your training schedule changed at all given the July 11 news that you’re going to the Olympics?

I’m still training, but it’s just cardio right now. Everything has just gotten shifted, and I won’t do a workout until Friday [July 15]. I’m taking time to let my body recover a little bit this week, but it does come around the corner quickly.

I will be in Boston through August 1 training. Nothing special, just gaining some more strength and fitness. I will leave on Aug. 1 for Houston, and I’ll be doing some USOC stuff – orientation, and they have a training camp there, but it’s mostly for sprinters. There isn’t a need for me to be there for that, I can get the race training and the humidity training here.

I’m going to sit down with Coach Mark Coogan [July 14], but we’ll meet at the same time as we have every day.