Olympian Flanagan shares thoughts on Boston encore

Elite runner Shalane Flanagan of Marblehead has picked quite an encore once she’s completed the marathon in the London Olympics on Aug. 5.Flanagan will run the 2013 Boston Marathon, her first time competing in the storied event she grew up watching.The Boston Athletic Association introduced Flanagan as part of its women’s elite field for the 2013 Marathon in a conference call on Thursday. Flanagan and her two fellow elite runners – Desiree Davila and Kara Goucher, both of whom will also run the Olympic marathon – spoke for about 40 minutes to the media.”I wanted to run the Boston Marathon as long as I’ve been watching it,” Flanagan said. “I’m in awe of the Marathon.”Flanagan has a pretty good resume in marathons already. She finished second at the 2012 ING New York City Marathon, and in January, she won the U.S. Olympic trials in Houston with a record time of 2:25:38. Davila and Goucher finished second and third, respectively.She said she wanted to “kind of make sure you do things methodically, go through the ranks ? Now is kind of that moment, opportunity, I’m ready to give my best now.”She noted, “I’ve had over one year of marathon training. I didn’t want it to be mediocre. I wanted to put in a great performance.”Flanagan attended Marblehead High School, where she not only ran, but played soccer and swam.”My experience at Marblehead High School was just great,” she said. “In general, it was a really great community to be raised in and supported by coaches and teachers.”She also credited her parents, Steve Flanagan and Cheryl Treworgy, calling them “role models” and an inspiration, and saying that she will “look to them for that hug, that support.” She added that while they “leave coaching and advice to my actual coaches, they support whatever adventure and goal that I have.”Towards her Olympic goal, Flanagan has trained with Goucher, and said, “Kara and I have very similar preparation, almost to a tee. Day to day we do the same thing.” However, she said, “We’ve deviated a bit recently.”That’s because Goucher will run the U.S. championship half-marathon in Duluth on Saturday, while Flanagan will compete in another Olympic trials next week: The 10,000 meters.”Hopefully my legs can give me a little bit of boost I need,” Flanagan said, calling the event “a fun way to test myself for the Olympic Games.”When those games are over, she will focus on her new goal of winning the Boston Marathon.”I think courses and conditions can change,” she said. “But a win is a win.”She also said that the marathon is a way for her to “give back to the community that supported, raised and inspired me to become a runner,” and added, “A lot of faces along the course I’ll recognize. It’s motivating. It tears at my heart.”Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected].