Saunders runs past women’s field for win

After wrapping up a successful collegiate career at James Madison and completing a couple of years of training at JMU as a grad student, Shannon Saunders knew she needed a new challenge and a way to continue running competitively.

“I graduated and I was just kind of at a loss because I didn’t want to stop running,” Saunders said. “I really just needed a team that I could be on where there were people like me who had graduated but just didn’t want to quit.”

About that time, things came together for Saunders in Charlottesville. She picked up a job as a counselor that fit perfectly with her degree at Charlottesville’s Children, Youth and Family Services and joined the Ragged Mountain Racing distance squad, where she gets to work under Dana Coons Thiele, a two-time U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the marathon. 

“I’ve been following Dana and her success for years and just looking to her like, ‘Gosh, I’d really like to be able to do some of the things that she’s been able to do,’” Saunders said. “Everything kind of fell into place and I just couldn’t be happier.”

Right now Saunders, under Ragged Mountain Running and Thiele’s watchful eyes, has set her sights on qualifying for the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials in the marathon. But her transition to Charlottesville got a little bit sweeter Saturday morning when she rolled to a win in a shorter race, winning the Charlottesville Ten Miler championship with a time of 61:39.

Saunders stunned herself with the performance — before the race, she told anyone who asked she’d probably run anywhere from 62 minutes to 65 minutes, with 62 being a near-perfect day.

A big part of that finish was Saunders’ quick start. Because she was feeling good in the early stages of the race, she went out a little faster in the first couple of miles than she and her coaches had discussed.

“I was nervous because if you go out too fast in the beginning, you’re going to pay for it later,” Saunders said. “But I was able to maintain that pace throughout. I just kind of got into a rhythm and stuck my nose in it.”

Of course, Saunders is used to being at the front of the pack. In high school, she piled up seven individual state titles in various disciplines and helped lead Jefferson Forest to six team titles in four years.

While at JMU, Saunders set the school record in the 10,000 meters and qualified for the NCAA championships in the event for three straight years from 2004-2005.

“I found a lot of success there with coach [Dave Rinker] and then he coached me after I graduated,” Saunders said. “It was tough to leave Harrisonburg because I did have such a great working relationship with him. But this is such a great team that it made sense for me to make that switch.”

And the change appears to already be paying off. Like any runner who trades out coaches or training programs, there is a period of adjustment, and Saunders has only been in Charlottesville since August 2008.

“I’m having to adjust to a new program and it’s going well,” Saunders said. “But it does take time, and I was really surprised and pleased with my performance today.”

If her history and her quick acclimation to her new setting is any indication, there’s a good chance she’ll be pleased with a lot of future performances.