Elly Henes

"I think a lot of my running career has been running within my comfort zone...Among the lessons learned last year was that there are going to be a lot of times when we're not in control and when I'm around people who can just drop me. I just want to be able to go into those high-level meets and know that I belong there. (Millrose) gave me confidence for sure. I wouldn't say it was a bad day or a bad race by any means. I think executed the plan, I put myself in there and I just want to do that more often because I want it to stick."

Elly Henes is a professional runner for Adidas who trains in Flagstaff, Arizona under coach Mike Smith. She was a star at NC State, where she won the NCAA 5000m title in 2021. It was a beautiful moment since the victory came 30 years after her mother and coach Laurie Henes won the same title for the same school. Last year was a breakout year for Elly as a pro, which was capped by a 14:52 personal best for 5000m. She’s carried that momentum into 2023 and just ran a personal best of 30 minutes and 48 seconds for 10,000 meters, which puts her at No. 6 on the all-time list. We talk all about her rookie season, what it’s been like being coached by Mike Smith, her hopes and expectations for her sophomore season, what it was like growing up in a running family – plus: a little Taylor Swift talk.

Host: Chris Chavez | @Chris_J_Chavez on Instagram

Guest: Elly Henes | @_ellyphant_ on Instagram

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Elly Henes is a professional runner for Adidas. She lives in Flagstaff and is coached by Mike Smith. Elly ran for NC State where she was an NCAA champion in the 5k. She won that title in 2021. This was exactly 30 years after her mom became NCAA Champion in 5k at NC State as ... more »

"Running has been super therapeutic for me these last couple of months. I've really taken time to heal and prioritize healing...When my own personal running isn't going well. I get so much joy out of watching my friends crushing it."

Rachel Smith (née Schneider) is one of the nicest people in track and field. Last summer, she fulfilled one of her biggest dreams when she crossed the finish line in third place in the U.S. Olympic Trials 5000m finals and qualified for the Tokyo Games. She just missed out on making it into the final when she ran 15:00 in the first round of the Olympics. We got the chance to catch up a few weeks ago when we were both in Washington, DC for the Team USA athlete summit ahead of their White House visit. It’s been a very hard year for Rachel. Earlier this year, she had a bout with COVID in January. In February, she shared that she learned she had skin cancer and underwent surgery to treat it. In April, she opened up on Instagram about having a miscarriage. It’s very sad to hear and we briefly touch on it. Through it all, Rachel still has turned to running and the sport as a way to heal. She’s at practice and helping her husband Mike coach the NAU team and the small professional squad that includes Elly Henes, Nikki Hiltz and Luis Grijalva. When she is ready to return to racing, she is certainly someone to root for.

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