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Authors: Suzy Favor Hamilton
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career. It seemed he felt left behind, that I had replaced him with first Coach Tegen and then Mark. I didnât want to hurt his feelings, and I definitely didnât want to discuss them. It was easier to be far away. I was finally getting a taste of the independence that I had craved. The trouble is, I didnât know what to do with it. I didnât even know who I wanted to be. After having the Olympics in my sights for more than a decade, Iâd be trying out for my first Olympicteam in a year. But, for the first time since I started running, it wasnât my sole obsession. I didnât want to train constantly. I wanted to let go and live for once and enjoy our new life as newlyweds.
A few months after we arrived, I noticed that Peter seemed less engaged with my training and less interested in my opinion. Around the same time, I took a job as the assistant coach for the cross-country team at Pepperdine. The running coach there, Dick Kampmann, began taking over the workouts Peter sent me, making them his own. He was a more low-key coach, and his relaxed approach to running suited my new laid-back California lifestyle. As much as I knew Peter had done for me, I could feel the beginnings of burnout, and I wanted my life to contain more than just running. That summer of 1991, my success on the track was modest, but it seemed like I was getting more press and attention than ever. As we went into the Olympic trials in the spring of 1992, my image as the all-American golden girl brought all sorts of opportunities that went far beyond the track. I was approached about doing a line of fitness videos. And not only did I land on the cover of Olympian magazine and Runnerâs World, but I found myself in the pages of Rolling Stone, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Elle . I liked all the attention and I was having fun, for once in my life as a runner. The years of anxiety and self-doubt had taken their toll, and I was eager to push those feelings aside and bask in the glow of this new attention. I still loved to run, but the thrill of modeling and being a celebrity became more and more attractive to me. And Reebok, seeing all of the positive attentionI was garnering, liked what they were getting, even though I wasnât dominating on the track. When I was askedâvia my Reebok bossâto pose for Playboy, I was excited, but I immediately knew I couldnât actually do it, not only because of how my family would react, but because in my mind, an all-American golden girl wouldnât do something like that. By this point, I was very aware of my brand, and I also turned down a deal from Miller Brewing Company.
Going into the 1992 Olympic trials, I was a favorite to make the team. Not only had I won a record nine NCAA championships as a college runner, but I was running for Reebok, and theyâd launched a huge promotional campaign around me going into the trials. Iâd also qualified for the final of the Olympic trials in 1988, but my insecurity and anxiety had made me so convinced I didnât belong on the team that Iâd pulled out before the race. This time, there was no question I was a professional runner, but another problem presented itself.
I was nervous. This was what I had been working toward for most of my life. And to ratchet up the tension, among the competitors in my best eventâthe 1,500 metersâwas my childhood idol Mary Decker Slaney. I couldnât believe I would be sharing a track with the woman who had always inspired me. I didnât know it, but Iâd also be facing my future nemesis, Regina Jacobs, who I would regularly compete against throughout my professional career. It seemed like I was forever coming in second to her at U.S. Nationals, which messed with my mind to no end. No matter how hard I trained, she always had the ability to finish races strong in a way I oftencouldnât. I cannot say I was surprised when she tested positive for steroid use in 2003,
A few months after we arrived, I noticed that Peter seemed less engaged with my training and less interested in my opinion. Around the same time, I took a job as the assistant coach for the cross-country team at Pepperdine. The running coach there, Dick Kampmann, began taking over the workouts Peter sent me, making them his own. He was a more low-key coach, and his relaxed approach to running suited my new laid-back California lifestyle. As much as I knew Peter had done for me, I could feel the beginnings of burnout, and I wanted my life to contain more than just running. That summer of 1991, my success on the track was modest, but it seemed like I was getting more press and attention than ever. As we went into the Olympic trials in the spring of 1992, my image as the all-American golden girl brought all sorts of opportunities that went far beyond the track. I was approached about doing a line of fitness videos. And not only did I land on the cover of Olympian magazine and Runnerâs World, but I found myself in the pages of Rolling Stone, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Elle . I liked all the attention and I was having fun, for once in my life as a runner. The years of anxiety and self-doubt had taken their toll, and I was eager to push those feelings aside and bask in the glow of this new attention. I still loved to run, but the thrill of modeling and being a celebrity became more and more attractive to me. And Reebok, seeing all of the positive attentionI was garnering, liked what they were getting, even though I wasnât dominating on the track. When I was askedâvia my Reebok bossâto pose for Playboy, I was excited, but I immediately knew I couldnât actually do it, not only because of how my family would react, but because in my mind, an all-American golden girl wouldnât do something like that. By this point, I was very aware of my brand, and I also turned down a deal from Miller Brewing Company.
Going into the 1992 Olympic trials, I was a favorite to make the team. Not only had I won a record nine NCAA championships as a college runner, but I was running for Reebok, and theyâd launched a huge promotional campaign around me going into the trials. Iâd also qualified for the final of the Olympic trials in 1988, but my insecurity and anxiety had made me so convinced I didnât belong on the team that Iâd pulled out before the race. This time, there was no question I was a professional runner, but another problem presented itself.
I was nervous. This was what I had been working toward for most of my life. And to ratchet up the tension, among the competitors in my best eventâthe 1,500 metersâwas my childhood idol Mary Decker Slaney. I couldnât believe I would be sharing a track with the woman who had always inspired me. I didnât know it, but Iâd also be facing my future nemesis, Regina Jacobs, who I would regularly compete against throughout my professional career. It seemed like I was forever coming in second to her at U.S. Nationals, which messed with my mind to no end. No matter how hard I trained, she always had the ability to finish races strong in a way I oftencouldnât. I cannot say I was surprised when she tested positive for steroid use in 2003,
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