Carrie Tollefson: Hey everyone, I'm Olympian Carrie Tulofson, and welcome to the C Tally Run Podcast. This week I can hardly wait to let you listen to this interview. We are interviewing the top American in fourth place finisher at the MasterCard New York Mini 10K, Emily Venters. Emily is a professional runner for Nike. She was a five-time All-American while she was in college. She started her college career at Boise State, then transferred to Colorado, where she finished her undergrad. Emily, I'm so excited you're on the podcast. Like, it was just like the perfect moment for me to do the commentary at New York Mini last weekend and to see how well you ran. But also it was your birthday and I felt so bad that I missed it on air. So I had to like make up for it. So here you are. Happy birthday. Thanks for coming on see Tali Run. ⁓ we ⁓

Emily Venters: Ha ha You are totally good. Yeah, thank you. I love you and I'm happy to be here. Like, actually though, I think your I was telling my boyfriend like who you were and I was like, she's like one of the best broadcasters though. Like your voice just fits so well.

Carrie Tollefson: Then she continued to compete and got her master's while she was at the University of Utah. That's where she lives now, in Utah. In this episode, we hear all about Emily's journey into the sport. Her family, her new coach, loving the run, how she worked through some tough times physically and mentally, where she's at now and what she's doing next. So let's get after it. ⁓ I appreciate that even the long O's and the Minnesota accent, you don't mind that, huh? ⁓

Emily Venters: Yeah. It it just sounds like it sounds good. Yeah. Some people sh aren't meant for it, but like your voice is meant for it, so yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: I appreciate it. You know, we had so much fun coming home from World Cross Country. We were on the same airplane, remember that? And it was just really nice. Like I have followed you and been a fan of everything that you've been through and how open you've been. But to be able to sit next to you on that airplane for that little bit, both of us were exhausted. But we just chatty cathies.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Thanks so much for joining me today on CTLiron. My guest was Emily Venters. You can find her on social media at Venters Emily. Before we go, big shout out to Rundot for supporting the show and to Andre Harley and Sarah Burney, the amazing producers behind the Try Dot, Rundot, and CTolyrun podcasts. Hey, if you're a fan of the pod, we'd love your support. Please take a moment to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or you can head on over to ctoleron.com slash review and give us a review there. We really appreciate it.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Yeah. It's nice to just like be away from the racing environment and just talk to someone normally too.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. I know. Well let's talk about this. You have a lot going on right now in your life and it's it seems like everything's clicking. So first of all, awesome race, fourth overall at the New York Mini, but first American, which I think that race always brings out so many of the greats. So you must be flying high. I mean it must be a good week for you. You can find us on YouTube, Facebook, X, and Instagram at Ctolyron or at Carrie Talifson, and you can visit us anytime at ctoleron.com. Thank you so much for joining us today. And don't forget to get after it.

Emily Venters: Yeah, it does. Yeah, it was really exciting. ⁓ I like it's funny 'cause I I just I try not to let myself get too high on, you know, any race or anything 'cause I think that ⁓ it's important to just, you know, keep doing what you're doing and not change anything either. So I I mean I enjoyed the moment for sure and everything, but I'm like, you know, just just get back to your life. Just get back to what you're doing and don't change anything. ⁓ nothing needs to be changed now. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. I mean, do you feel like I don't think it was something that any of us weren't expecting. That's the other thing. Like everyone was so excited for you and I was really pumped, but I think we all know how talented you are. And that that is that's where you should be. Like you should be up there knocking at the door of First American Always and and even being up there against like seriously the people you were running against, Emily, are the best we've ever seen over 10K on the roads. It's wild.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Yeah, I didn't realize I honestly didn't really look at who was in it and then after I was like, Whoa, that's really cool. ⁓ but yeah, I I do think that I knew that that was with it. Like that's been within me for a long time and I've seen it here and there and in workouts too, but when it kind of comes into fruition and fru what I h however you say that word, I can't you know fruition. Yes. in a race like that, ⁓ and when you're not fully expecting it on the day, it just

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Fruition, you said it. You said it right. Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah.

Emily Venters: it means a lot, yeah. But yeah, it wasn't like, ⁓ my gosh, that was like something I did not think I was capable of. I I knew that I could do that at some point. I just didn't know like when it would be there and yeah. So it feels good to yeah have that and know that okay, this is where I'm at right now and I actually think I belong there now.

Carrie Tollefson: Exactly. Yeah. So Yep. Yeah. I mean, we have so much to unravel here. I mean, there's just a lot going on in your in the world of running for you right now. But I wanna kinda like just tell everyone that maybe didn't get to tune in to the race. The woman that won, Agnes Nagedic, is a Kenyan athlete. She's young. She's twenty five, right? I think. Yeah, so she won World Cross Country this year in January, where you were a member of the of Team USA.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Insane. Mm-hmm. I think that's what it said.

Carrie Tollefson: She has run the fastest ever on US soil now, which she did there in New York over 10 kilometers. She also is the world record holder in 10K for women only and in a mixed race. Then you had Ziggy Gebra Salama, who is a sub-30 10K runner. Then you have Helen O'Beary. I mean, come on.

Emily Venters: ⁓ wow. Ha ha.

Carrie Tollefson: Anybody who knows the world of running knows Helen O'Beary. So you had these amazing ladies, and then you come in next to them. You had Wayney Collati the race. She ended up having kind of a rough race, but did finish. I I thought she was done at like 8k. I thought she stepped off, but she finished. And then you had Edna Kerrgat, who was tenth at the World Cross Country Championships. I mean, going into that race, you said you didn't really look to see who was on the start line. You just knew it was gonna be a good race.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Okay, I didn't realise that either. Yeah. I I didn't overanalyze anything. Like I it's funny 'cause I did I like on the start line I was like trying to get myself nervous for the race. I like 'cause I don't I like to feel a little bit of nerves. And I feel like when I've had the races where I don't really feel nervous, I just kinda sometimes don't have great days. I'm like, come on, Emily, like, think of something that makes you feel nervous. Like, let's go. I don't know. I just I think I

Carrie Tollefson: Really? Yeah. Why do you think that was? Like just

Emily Venters: went into it with just a really good mindset of like win or lose or whatever happens, you know, we're walking away from this with something and something to take to the next, you know, next week and ⁓ continue on with training. And like I said, I wasn't it wasn't like a peak race or anything or like I just was in a place where I just wasn't sure. So no expectations, no nothing. And it was like this is fun. It's my birthday. Like I love racing in New York City and yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. Hm. Yeah.

Emily Venters: It it was like a good feeling but a weird feeling and yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: I love that. Yeah. I think that's really important for people to hear too, that sometimes you go into races, there's not necessarily an expectation of place, time, all of that. You just go out there and do what we all love. At the end of the day, we really do love this sport. And so I think sometimes when we get too in our heads or we get too nervous for a race, it actually isn't good for the performance. Yeah.

Emily Venters: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I agree. Yeah. ⁓ and I also it was interesting 'cause I had a therapy session earlier in the week before the race and ⁓ And I've started to do EMDR therapy where you kind of like h it's the you hold things in your hand that vibrate, ⁓ and then it kind of stimulates you in different ways and you you look different ways and watch things. Anyway, the my therapist was like, I want you to think about like a memory from high school that's very significant for you and I just said running, ⁓ just in general because that's when I started to run and like that was one of the biggest things of high school, is running for me. So she's like, Okay, think about that memory while you hold these things in your hand and I want you to close your eyes. And

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah.

Emily Venters: And she just was silent. And I was like not really sure how long I was gonna be doing this. But anyway, I just started crying and like I was just thinking about running and like what it meant to me. And I was like, I don't know why I'm crying. Like, can we stop? She's like, no, no, no, no, no, this is good, this is good.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah.

Emily Venters: And she said, Why are you crying? And I just said, I don't know, I just feel happy. Like the feeling when I think about running in high school, like and why I run, is 'cause it makes me feel happy and it is something that I love and it just like for ⁓ it was a really good reminder of like why I run and that I don't need to make it always so anxiety provoking for myself and you know, so stressful. It's like remembering your why always and coming back to like just run. Like it's literally just running.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah.

Emily Venters: ⁓ yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: I love that you said that. I really do. Because I think so many times we forget that, that we just love it. And it is something that fills our cup. And, you know, for me I've always said it's the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. And it's the first thing I think about in the morning. Like, you know, even though I love my husband so much and Charlie is my true love,

Emily Venters: Mm mm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm.

Carrie Tollefson: Think running was my first love. I really do. And I'm so thankful every single day that I can get out there. I still have some zip. You know, I don't overtrain. I just, I just can get out there, and you know, I still can go sub seven. I I love that. But it is true, and I really appreciate you sharing that. That you are, you do seek therapy, you do seek help with finding ways to deal with things in life. But she's she's gotten to the bottom of it that you actually just love this.

Emily Venters: Yeah. ⁓ I bet. Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: That's so cool.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Yeah, I know. It was ⁓ I don't know, I I texted my coach after I sent him a voicemail when I was just sharing and I was like, I don't know, I just wanted you to know that. Like it was just super cool that I had that moment. ⁓ and then going into the race I like, let's just carry that with me of like, yeah, have fun. You love it. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Have fun. It worked, lady. Yeah. Let's talk about that. So, new coach, David Roche. I mean, it's so fun. He obviously is this great ultra runner. We know him on the trails. If you don't know him, check it out because he's got awesome, you know, Instagram and all that stuff. But he coaches Jess McLean, who's having a phenomenal year. She's been with him now for over a year, I think. Two years.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Yeah. Mm. I think she said since twenty twenty four, like after the trials. Yeah. Yep.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, I think it's been two years. And then Amanda Vestry, who had a phenomenal race in New York City last year for the marathon under him, and then ran Boston and ran well there too. ⁓ and now you. So this has only been like the last month or two? Like six weeks. Wow. How did that all come about?

Emily Venters: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Like six weeks maybe, yeah. Yeah. ⁓ so I I've switched around a lot as a pro, I would say. I mean I stayed in Utah, but yeah, a good amount. And I've just found it's hard to find like the perfect fit as a pro. You know, you have groups and you wanna be in a group, but at the same time then you don't feel like you get all of your needs met.

Carrie Tollefson: Sure.

Emily Venters: And yeah, then some coaches are too busy and anyway, ⁓ I was just feeling in this lull kind of just ⁓ a lot of the people in my group with ⁓ down in Provo were either injured or pregnant, the women. And so I was just kind of feeling like lonely. I didn't have a lot of you know, a lot of the people that I trained with normally weren't there and yeah, I was feeling a little bit like I needed a little bit more individualization.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Emily Venters: And so I kinda started to just do my own thing for a little bit. And then my dad was like, Why don't you reach out to David Roach? Like my dad's really into running, and he's he knew David and obviously the success he's having with Jess and Amanda and he's like, He just seems like a really positive guy and I think you should reach out to him. So yeah, I did one phone call and I was like, Yeah, this is it. Like I wanna be coached by David for sure. ⁓ he's just

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah.

Emily Venters: like a really, really nice guy and I think I needed that support too in my life and someone who just n like everything is based off of science too and he's really, really good with the fueling and I didn't ever have anybody help me with that or I haven't really had a lot of help until he started working with me on that. ⁓ and just he's just a I don't know, a a really great guy. Like I can't say enough good things about him so far and ⁓

Carrie Tollefson: Sure. Okay. Mm.

Emily Venters: The training has changed a lot, but it's definitely like I'm feeling a lot fresher from it and not burnt out 'cause that was one of my big things. I was just feeling really in the hole from training and yeah. Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. And he's freshening you up. Talk a little bit about what is different with his training. Cause we're gonna get into this, but you are running another marathon now in the next is it month? No. Are you is that did I read that wrong? I thought you were going to Golden Coast. Okay. I see. Okay. So that's off the so

Emily Venters: Ha ha ⁓ no, I'm not. Mm-mm. I was going to, yeah, but a lot yeah, some things happened in in my life outside of running and yeah. So ch plans have changed. Yes. Yeah. That's kind of what he wanted me to do. Yeah, just like let's you know, we're do we're switching your training, let's just do some summer racing and then we'll kinda figure things out from there. ⁓ yeah. So

Carrie Tollefson: So now you can just get into his training then and you can just get going. Hmm. I see. Okay. So tell me what's different about his his training.

Emily Venters: ⁓ so I only work out like twice a week and and I was working out like three times a week. I was doing Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and it was just a lot for me. Like back to back to back. And I think I did that, you know, throughout college a lot. But once I started running more miles and more work volume of workouts, it's just compounds and it's just like

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, yeah.

Emily Venters: my body can't take it anymore. Like I was really just kept digging myself in the hole. ⁓ so now I just do Wednesday and something in my long room on Saturday. My volume is down and fluctuates more. I take a ⁓ rest day every about ten days. It's just yeah, and I added I like do more hill sprints and yeah, it it's different but I really like it because like I said, I just feel like I go into the workouts fresher and like I'm able to give more ⁓

Carrie Tollefson: Mm. Okay. Mm-hmm.

Emily Venters: And then just more recovered and I'm wearing your heart rate monitor like really tracking that and it it's been fun to kind of watch my easy runs actually in my heart rate like actually come down now. Yeah, I don't know. It's just all it like the way he explains it to me makes a lot of sense too. ⁓ like I said, everything he tells me is science backed or research backed, and he's like, I can send you the article and I'm like, No, no, no trust like I trust you. but

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. It Mm. You trust him. Yeah.

Emily Venters: Yeah, and then just like telling me what to do for fueling, like what to take and you know, I w I was telling him what I was doing and he's he was just like, That's like insane that that's what you were doing. ⁓ like you need to be doing this. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. How does ⁓ I love that. I love that he he kinda knows all that. How how does he get your numbers and things? Are you guys getting like a VO2 max test done? Do you do lactic threshold testing? Like he's just he does all the research and he gives you it's not like you're getting your finger pricked every interval or anything like that. Okay. Yeah. I see.

Emily Venters: No. Yeah. No, I ha I haven't even done that. Yeah. I just wear the Harry monitor and he's kind of like given me based off of like what I've sent him, he's given me like what is it like where it should be. ⁓ and then just with his o he's a very big, you know, I'm sure everybody knows that he's a high carb peeling guy. so he's super big into that and he just tells me kind of what what I should aim for. yeah, during and it's helpful.

Carrie Tollefson: Yep. Yeah. What can you tell us like what you 'cause it's kind of become a hot topic. Like how many carbs are you getting? And actually on our Run dot podcast, we have another podcast with now a C Tali run and Gillian Tholen, one of my really good friends, is the ⁓ sports dietitian and she's on there talking a lot about carbs now, which is ⁓ something that we didn't really always track. So do you have a certain number that's probably different than like Jess McClain's and Amanda Vestries? But what does he tell you?

Emily Venters: Yeah. Mm. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ I just take like a forty gram gel every about thirty ish or so minutes if I'm doing a workout. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yep. I see. And do you take anything before? Do you eat something or are you just kinda looking at what you're eating?

Emily Venters: Yeah, I usually take so I'm actually yeah, I sort of. I mean I take usually a gel before the workout too. ⁓ same thing. And then in my bottle is just electrolytes. But then I'll have like breakfast before too. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Interesting. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I know. It's kind of fun to hear the kind of things that you're doing. I saw that you're starting to use bicarb.

Emily Venters: Yes. I haven't had any I haven't had any problems, which I'm like amazed about. Nothing. Nope. My stomach doesn't hurt at all or anything. So it's great.

Carrie Tollefson: Do you like it? Do you feel a difference? Really? That's pretty good 'cause so many people throw up now. Like I used to love being the first person to get the post race interview and now I'm like, ⁓ it's coming up. We gotta like just wait for it. But you didn't have any issues.

Emily Venters: Yeah. ⁓ no, yeah, I don't know. I haven't had any ⁓ stomach problems and that's why I haven't Do I like it? No, I absolutely hate it. It's hard to take I'm like sitting over there like h in my holding it in my mouth for like 30 seconds before I swallow it. I don't know.

Carrie Tollefson: Do you like it? Ugh. But it works. So this is kind of the question though, because like, do you feel like on the circuit everyone is using bicarb now? Because there's been, you know, like Grant Fisher, for instance, I believe is saying he's done with it. Don't don't quote me. But like he doesn't love it, but he's not necessarily doing a lot of 10Ks on the roads or half marathons. He's doing more 3K, 5K stuff still. He'll do 10K on the track, but I don't know. Did you hear that he was not gonna be taking it anymore?

Emily Venters: Yes. Mm. I mean Yeah. N I I don't know, I don't really pay attention to some things, but I had told David like I don't use it and he's like Emily like everybody is using it. Even if they say they're not using it, they're using it. Like there is so much research out there that it is helping. Like you're only cheating yourself to not use it. And so now he's start he's starting to have me try it before workouts so that I get used to it.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, I read that I think. Okay. Mm. Interesting. Yeah.

Emily Venters: And it's not like the full thing either, just a little bit. ⁓ so ⁓ Yeah. And I think like the first time I took it, I like, honestly my legs kinda felt worse, but I'll go with it. He's like, just keep taking it

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ okay. You're just working into it. Hmm. Yeah. Take it ⁓ I saw that there's a new bike car bar out there. I think it has like chocolate in it. Maybe that's something you might like. I have to see because now I have my daughter is starting to race and you're seeing it at the high school level. And so, you know, even the

Emily Venters: ⁓ interesting. Yeah. Yeah. I bet. Yeah. I mean I think if you can tolerate it and now I'm happy that I can tolerate, so I'm like, I'll just keep doing it. Like whatever he tells me to do, I'll do. If he says it's three percent, you know, or whatever, I'm like, I'll I'll take it. I don't know how much it is, I don't remember, but yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. ⁓ huh. ⁓ Yeah, ex I don't either. I gotta study it up study up a little bit on it. ⁓ so let's let's hear a little bit about the marathon then. Because you did just run your first marathon of Chicago and it was rough. You said it. I mean, I e I encourage everyone to go back to your Instagram and read some of the things that you went through. And lady, you are such an inspiration because you finished that dang thing.

Emily Venters: Yeah. ⁓ yeah, real bad.

Carrie Tollefson: And a lot of people wouldn't have.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Yeah. I ⁓ I had to finish. Yeah, no matter what. I was like, I will get across 'cause I have had races before that that I didn't finish. ⁓ and then I was also raising money for ⁓ Blood Cancer United and

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ Why did you have to, do you think? Yeah. Yeah.

Emily Venters: you know, people donate it to that and just like a reminder that like I went through something very hard as a kid. Come on, like you can like just get to the finish line and so is more yeah, for that and then just my mental sake of like I just have to finish want something 'cause I've had so many races where I just don't finish. And yeah, I was like, no matter what, like I knew the time was gonna be awful and it was going to be embarrassing for me to cross, but I didn't I like it'll mean so much more for me to just get there. Yeah. So

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Hmm. Yeah. Hmm, I don't think it was embarrassing. I I'm so glad that you even in that one like sentence that you just said, basically, I got to really learn the reason behind that. Because as an elite athlete, we sort of have the privilege at times to say, okay, nope, it didn't happen today. I'll I'll be able to get into another race. And that that is a privilege. And I was so proud of you because I was doing the commentary there to hear that you were in the medical tent for almost like 20 minutes. And

Emily Venters: Yeah. Mm-hmm. It is. think it was more than that, yeah. I think it was like thirty five, yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ my gosh. And then you ended up finishing it. Yeah. And you were so gracious. I got to see you after I think we were eating or something and you kinda talked a little bit about it, but to know what you were racing for, I don't think I knew that part that you were racing for blood cancer, something that you had as a child, leukemia. Like, wow, Emily.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I don't like to talk about that race anymore, but 'cause it's funny, like people you know it is, it is. And I I like I am proud of it, but when people it's funny, they're like, Have you run a marathon with your time? And I'm just like, Nope. I don't want to go into the all of it.

Carrie Tollefson: But that's important. I I I think that even the next time well the next time you do run a marathon, I will kind of, I think, if I'm doing the commentary, you know, there are people that debut, right? But it it's not really an honest debut when you have that many things kind of have go wrong, I don't think. So Yeah. There. There you go. Do you have one in mind?

Emily Venters: Yeah. No. No, I I'm saying it's a review. Redo re redo debut. Whatever it is. Whenever it is. I'm not sure. I was thinking of doing a fall one, but I'm I'm just so torn because I really want to run a fast half. And I feel like I have it in me now. Like I haven't had an opportunity to do that in a long time. ⁓ so I just kind of want to see what I can do. And then

Carrie Tollefson: Maybe, can't say yet. Okay. Yeah. Totally. Mm.

Emily Venters: Maybe do a spring marathon. I don't know, there's there's options, so we're figuring that out.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. I did hear that maybe not going back to the track is something that you mentioned. You don't think?

Emily Venters: Yeah, I don't ⁓ I don't know, again now I talked to David yesterday on the phone and I was kinda saying it might like I really want to run a fast half, like maybe I should just go for that this fall, see what happens and but then we're start we talking about the trials and he's like, I just don't think we should count out the ten K though still. Like I think yeah, like that could be a really like really good chance for you right there. So I don't know, we'll see. Like, we don't have to make any decisions and just keep rolling with how things are going and see how training's going. But yeah, I think it would be fun.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. I agree with him. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Emily Venters: Maybe to run the trials in the ten K too. Like I won't do a lot of track, but maybe just do that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Well it's a lot trial. Yes. The longer stuff for sure. You think the ten K is where it's at. I mean, it you fe it feels like that is such a nice thing to have as well because the Olympic trials in the marathon, which are in Saint Louis, they just announced. Super cool. Do do we know the date? How come I'm blanking on the date? March twenty eighth. Okay.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Yeah, I'm excited about that. March twenty eighth. Mm-hmm. So a little bit later.

Carrie Tollefson: So it would be c it'd be perfect to come back to the trials on the track as well, but also not, you know, not that long of time off, I guess, between.

Emily Venters: Mm. Yeah. Yeah. We'll see. I mean, I w I think I would wanna do both, but

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Tell me, you mentioned your dad a little bit and I've gotten to meet your mom and dad. ⁓ your family seems like they are just so supportive and very much Yeah, part of your life and in the Tell us a little bit about that that time where you did you were sick and then getting into the sport and all of that. Like can you just give us a little background as to how you grew up and your family?

Emily Venters: Mm-hmm. They really yeah, they are. They are the best. Mm-hmm. So I don't remember a ton from like having leukemia as a kid. I was three when I got it and about like it took I was in the hospital for about two years, ⁓ in and out. And yeah, I think it was more traumatic for my parents than myself, for sure. ⁓ they you know, they witnessed their little three year old. Like I can't even imagine that. ⁓ yeah, and I think they just say like we never would have guessed that you would be where you are now and

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Three. Sure.

Emily Venters: hearing them say that and then, you know, thinking back, it is really it like I feel super lucky that I am where I am 'cause more than likely you have some sort of complication from like the treatment that you go through as you know, when you go through leukemia. But I really haven't had anything and so it is just like a miracle, I guess, that yeah, I am able to do what I do now and be where I'm at. But I think it's yeah, it's just I I want to be able to share that to families and kids who who are in that same position too. It's like, you know

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah.

Emily Venters: Medica medicine and doctors really do work and you know, you can still go on to do such amazing things even when you go through hard things like that as a kid and I definitely think it probably shaped who I am today too, whether I know that or not. But ⁓ yeah, I was just like a very go, go, go person as a kid and I actually asked my mom, I was like, Did you guys ever like kind of push that on me? You know, like to just be super driven and she was like, No, that was just your personality. Like, you were just

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. ⁓ tough cookie. Mm-hmm.

Emily Venters: A type A, like we're get we're we're perfectionist. ⁓ you know, like I'd I would play the board games with family and cry if I lost. Yeah, and I was involved in choir. Like, I just think about my day. It's like I would wake up for swim practice at 5 a.m., go swim, then go to choir, then go to school, then go to swim practice again, then come home and do homework and then do it all again. Never, you know, that was my life every day. So I was just go, go, go.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. ⁓ buddy. Gosh. I know. Just busy busy.

Emily Venters: Yeah, I I've loved to stay busy and ⁓ my parents have like literally have been the best thing obviously in my life. I'm really, really lucky to have them. Like I I think about that too sometimes and it just like I it makes me sad. Like I hope I can be as good a parent as they've been to me. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Mm. Yeah, I love that. I know. I'm the same way. I just think of my mom and dad. I'm like, I know I'm already doing it wrong, but I mean it's it's nice that we still have them in our lives to kind of get us back on on track when we go off track, you know?

Emily Venters: No. Yeah. It is. Yeah. Yeah. I'm it's it's nice to have a supported family. But yeah, they've always supported me through running too. Yeah, I have one brother. He's younger than me. Two years, yep.

Carrie Tollefson: Do you have siblings? Okay. Okay. ⁓ how about your you know, your health? Like do you still have to have certain checkups or are you in the clear? How does that work?

Emily Venters: Mm-hmm. I do have checkups, yeah. For a while it was like every year and then it went to bi annually and I think now it's maybe every three years. But I just get like my heart checked, ⁓ E. K. G and echocardiogram and then lab stron see the oncologist, yeah. So

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Interesting. I bet they're just in wonder too, like how in the world can this woman run like she does.

Emily Venters: Yeah. Yeah. And then I it was I was maybe gonna have problems with like fertility because of some of the medications I had taken. So I actually checked that checked on that last summer and like the doctor was like, It's amazing, like you your fertility looks great.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yay!

Emily Venters: Like you have a lot you have a lot of eggs there and so yeah, because we had thought that maybe I would not have very many eggs and it would have to be like I would have to get pregnant earlier and but yeah, no it's great. And so again, like I'm just like that is I feel so lucky that I really have had nothing. Yeah. Yeah, me too.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. It's so good. I'm so thankful. How did you start running? 'Cause you talked a little bit about then being a swimmer and being in choir, which I didn't know. Do you still like to sing? ⁓

Emily Venters: Yeah, I do love to sing. Yeah, I wish that there were more opportunities to do that as an adult, but I haven't really found anything. ⁓ no, no, no. No. I'm not that good.

Carrie Tollefson: I know. I think we need to do like some kind of karaoke after all these Yeah, ⁓ yeah, we do. Because no, but like there are so many athletes. I was just in at Track Fest in LA. And it is wild how many athletes are so good at music. Like, you know. I do too. Yep.

Emily Venters: Yeah, I think it's like a it's just a different outlet for people. It's you know, it's a creative outlet and you're not competing with anybody really at it. And yeah, it's it is therapeutic too. ⁓ so yeah, that's cool. There are a lot

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know a lot of the the people in Utah, but like all of those athletes, I mean, they're all involved in, you know, their faith involves a lot of music. But like Sandy Morris sings, you know, Kenneth Rooks. I know that, you know, like Clayton, they all like everybody instruments, yeah. So it's I just love that. I love hearing that you have that kind of side to you. ⁓ so yeah, tell me when you started running.

Emily Venters: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Okay. ⁓ yeah. They play instruments, yes. Mm-hmm. I know. Yeah, I do. I started running seriously in high school, but I I guess we saw a glimpse of it in elementary school when we would do the pacer test, like the beep test. I don't know if kids do that anymore. Probably not, but yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Mm-hmm. I don't think they do. Yes.

Emily Venters: Literally just going until you can't keep going anymore and yeah, i I I would beat all the boys and yeah, then I would end up in the nurse's office after 'cause my face was so red and I was so overheated, like with ice packs on my head. yeah. So he kind of knew that maybe I was I would be a good runner, like in elementary. But I love swimming so much. All my like my best friends were in it and no. No. Yeah, even when I'm hurt, no.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ my gosh, so funny. Can't stop, won't stop. Yeah. Do you still swim? Okay. Do you do any cross training? No. Just run right now. Okay.

Emily Venters: No. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Even when I'm hurt, I don't even like to be in the pool. It's just I think I just got burnt out. It's a sport that you people get burnt out a lot easier. ⁓ But it was yeah, I loved it. And it like I like I said, I started doing, you know, waking up for doubles, I think around like fourth grade or third grade even. I don't even remember, but it was really early, so it taught me to be super disciplined and ⁓ like on it from a very young age. So

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. I agree. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ that's so cool.

Emily Venters: Then I went to running and I'm like, ⁓ wow, I actually get to run for only once a day. That's great.

Carrie Tollefson: Exactly. Well, we were just talking about that on our run today. Like, it's interesting how long cyclists have to go out

Emily Venters: Yeah. ⁓

Carrie Tollefson: and cycle. Even and then swimmers have to be so disciplined and they're up so early and again in the afternoon and they have to do dry land. Like all that stuff. You know, sometimes us runners are kind of lucky because you can't you can only run so much. Even though, you know, when you're gonna run your marathon, you'll probably bump up to ninety, hundred, even a hundred and twenty, like people get up to hundred and thirty. But you still have most of the day to either rest or do your lifting or whatever. It's not like you're out there for an eight hour run.

Emily Venters: Mm-hmm. I could not. Yeah. I know. Yeah. Right. No, I like, ⁓ to them. Like, even in the triathletes too, I'm like, couldn't be me. Nope. ⁓ me either. Same. I'm two-hour run is good, Max.

Carrie Tollefson: I know. Yes. I don't think it could be me either. I don't even know if I could do an ultra marathon. I get bored. I'm like I I got stuff to do, peeps. I know. I do love those though. I really do love a good two hour run. There's something about that. Like coming home and you have that high and you're like, I just did something really hard. Yeah. So what is next on the the schedule for you? Do you have anything? Okay.

Emily Venters: Yeah, that's Yeah. I am gonna do si yeah. I'm gonna do the six K Road Champs next. Yeah. And then I think I'll do the eight K one too, ⁓ the week after that.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ okay. Are you gonna Okay. How about Peachtree? On the fourth. Are you doing that? Mm, maybe you should look into that. It's a fun one. World's largest 10K.

Emily Venters: ⁓ no. No. Well, I don't I know. It s just sounds a little bit too hot for me.

Carrie Tollefson: Haha it is hot and it's humid, but it is a fun day, that's for sure. Hey

Emily Venters: Yeah, I know.

Carrie Tollefson: Hey, real quick, ⁓ I got some other fun questions after this, but one of the things that I always have felt bad about since the news came out last year was when you were second at the NCAAs ⁓ in 2023, right? In the 10,000, like had a phenomenal race there. But last year it came out that the winner was stripped of her title. What has come of that? You have not been slotted as the NCAA champ yet, have you? They need to do that.

Emily Venters: ⁓ yeah. Mm-hmm. Yes. Mm. Yeah. I we that was like the frustration with all of it 'cause we put in an appeal and everything to just basically get the ⁓ just the positions changed. And all also for the people under me, because some of them, you know, one person would have gotten all American. And, you know, it it that's only the only the right thing to do. That was not asking very much, you know, to change the result. Like we weren't asked no no money involved. Like it wouldn't have taken very much. ⁓ but basically their reasoning was that ⁓ if they or we thought if they did that then they'll have to go back and do all the team scores and change and they didn't want to do but

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. ⁓

Emily Venters: it's like you did the they've done it before. There have been a couple of instances where they have done that. And it's a individual sport. So and it literally says in their bylaws, like my dad went through all of it, he's an attorney. ⁓ and he like read through them and it's like, you have the ability to do that. Like and that's all we're asking. Just make it right. You know?

Carrie Tollefson: Really. Yeah, yeah. Mm. Right. Well, I hope they do that. Astrid. Yeah.

Emily Venters: Especially because they already put like ⁓ an asterisk or hashtag by her that says, you know, it's been vacated since. It's like that's all you had to do, like I guess, yeah, there's no winner. Yeah. That's what they say. And yeah, I don't know. It's like if you just look at every other example, everybody makes it right. And like I said, again, there's no money involved in this one for us. So it wouldn't be that difficult.

Carrie Tollefson: So then right now there's like no winner. Okay. Interesting. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Well, I feel for you on that because I know that that's something that Yep, it is frustrating.

Emily Venters: Yeah, it it w it's frustrating. Yeah. And also, yeah, I think it just sets a precedence too of like if the N C double A actually cares about, you know, the the student athletes and, you know, their well being and everything, they shouldn't stand for any any drug positive drug test or anything related to that. Like they have to make it right and have to set like the whatever of like if this happens there are, you know

Carrie Tollefson: Hmm. Yep. That's right. Hmm. Yeah. Well we'll keep following along and hopefully they can figure that out. For your sake too, because that is an important thing and I I'm with you on that. Yep.

Emily Venters: repercussions for whatever you do. And it's like she didn't really Yeah. Anyway. Yeah. I yeah. My my college coach wanted me to keep trying to fight it, but I just have said it's like I don't I'm just letting it go at this point. I feel like we did what we could and also I don't want any more on my mental well being. I'm just gotta move past it anyway. It's not like yeah. Right. It

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah. No, not when you're running like you are right now and you're having fun and enjoying it. So I love that. Good. ⁓ so training on your own right now, though. You were in that in one of the post race with Sidious, I saw that ⁓ post race interview. ⁓ you said no, no, no one's timing you, no, or no one you're not running with the watch. So I was wondering, like, how do you how are you hitting these splits or who is helping you?

Emily Venters: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yes. Mm-hmm. Mm. Mm. ⁓ I mean I mean like I will look at it occasionally. ⁓ it's not like I don't. And then I also have done a lot of my training on like the Woodway treadmill. It's

Carrie Tollefson: Just to make sure. Mm-hmm. ⁓ okay.

Emily Venters: ⁓ for me I just set it and then I just don't really look at it like a lot and I just kinda run and do my own thing and so it's nice for me. Yeah. I I don't like the treadmill for every day but for Threshold it's like really good for me. ⁓ I kinda can just be in my own zone and yeah. But then when I do things outside like I said I do look at it but like I don't look at it a lot. Or when I'm doing splits on like I'll take the split on the track but I

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Interesting. Yeah. ⁓ Okay.

Emily Venters: I won't look at it until I'm done. Like I just know what the effort is. And again, like David has reminded me, he's like, your cells don't know the difference between, you know, 455 and 505 pace. It's just about the effort, how you feel on that day. Did you feel like you hit it? And if you did, then yeah, that's great. You got the stimulus that you needed. So ⁓ yeah, he's really good of with those reminders too of like just, you know, this is about effort always. Like

Carrie Tollefson: Mm. Yeah. Okay. The heart rate, yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah.

Emily Venters: And make you if you feel you got the right effort then that's great. Yeah. But in races I think it is good for me to not wear the watch too, 'cause it again, like, it doesn't really matter. It's not gonna change anything.

Carrie Tollefson: Hmm, that's good. I love it. We weren't allowed for a number of years. You can wear watches. I also thought it was hilarious because you said you ha you would look away from the clock at the mile markers.

Emily Venters: Yeah, that's ⁓ that's crazy. Yeah, I wonder when that changed. Yeah, I did. That's funny. I love it. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: I mean, I took I did the same things. I didn't want to know. I remember one time I I ran a 10K on the roads and I was running with Katie McGregor, who is my longtime training partner, and she's a nine-time US champion. So good. And I saw like 450 or something for the first mile, and my eyeballs came out of my head. And she was like, Stop. She got mad at me. She, you know, she was like wanting me to have a good race too. We were racing each other though. She was like, stop looking at the clock. Just run.

Emily Venters: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. You're like I c yeah. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: So I I didn't I was nervous about I was like, I don't run 10Ks very often. I need to stay to my p stick to my pace and she was like, No. And I really appreciate that you say that because we are so into time and lights and pacers and all that. You just go out there and race. It's great.

Emily Venters: Yes. Right. No, I agree. I think like, yeah, if I would have seen the clock at I don't know, whatever, and it was in my head too fast, I would have freaked out and I would have panicked a little bit. So it's like no there's literally no sense in looking. I'm just racing anyway. Plus, you know, at any of the like the trials races, you're racing. You're not paying attention to the time, and so that's what you also have to r get used to is like just learning how to race. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Good for you. Yep. No. Yep. That's great. ⁓ tell us something funny about you. Like what do you do that's funny?

Emily Venters: ⁓ gosh. I feel like

Carrie Tollefson: Do do you know pop your pimples every night before you go to bed? Like you don't have any pimples. But do you brush your teeth eight times a day? I don't know. ⁓

Emily Venters: ⁓ I t ⁓ I w well when I do have when I ⁓ so I s I like to sleep in pitch black. So we have in yeah yeah we have installed like blinds that were like super expensive, but they are perfectly blacked out. There's like seals under the door. And like in the hotel, obviously it's never completely blacked out. And I it just drives me crazy. So I like put up washcloths of

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ so you have dark out shades? T. Do you wear a mask? Okay. My gosh.

Emily Venters: The light and no, I don't wear a mask. I can't. ⁓ but yeah, my sleep is something that I'm like very particular about. Like but I but you sleep amazing when it's completely blacked out. Like literally I sleep so well. It's changed yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. They sleep like a baby because that's what everyone does with babies. ⁓ tell me who is your favorite person to run with.

Emily Venters: ⁓

Carrie Tollefson: Like if you could call anyone to go for a run, who would that be?

Emily Venters: Probably Keela. She's my best friend. She's been my best friend for like five years since we we came to Utah together and yeah, we just chit chat the whole time. So it's it's always nice running with her.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ Isn't that fun? Yeah. ⁓ tell me a little bit about where you wanna be in like three to five years. Like still racing? Do you wanna work doing something else? Like what do you think you wanna do?

Emily Venters: Hmm. Honestly, I think I want to be a mom by that time. So yeah, I it's not like I'm like trying to plan out my life exactly, but I do think, yeah, in probably three to five years I will have a kid and I'm really excited for that. Like I wanna keep running after that too, but I just yeah, that excites me and I feel like it gives me like the next purpose and what I'm, you know, living for and like I said, my mom has been s just such a rock for me and my best friend for so long. So yeah, I just I'm excited for that chapter of my life and I think it'll make my running even better too, because I'll have

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah.

Emily Venters: Yeah, something else in my life that I'm putting my time towards besides myself. So yeah, there and then yeah, hopefully I'm really in my marathon career by then too. Yeah, I do. And I think that once you have a kid doing marathons is probably a little bit easier than do trying to race more often and travel and yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: It will That's so cool. Yeah, you really want to get there. You wanna be there. Uh-huh. Yeah. ⁓ my gosh, that's so so awesome. I'm gonna skip my last one and go to my my run dot rapid fire because you kind of said where you wanted to be was a marathon. That was ⁓ what I was gonna ask you. Okay, so the run dot rapid fire questions. I don't know if you've done these with me anywhere. I don't think I've interviewed you and done rapid fire. Okay, well get ready for it. What's worse? Running over real life snakes or going through the blue water pit at the World Cross Country Championships.

Emily Venters: Yeah. No. Okay. Well Running over real life snakes. I hate snakes so so much. Like I we were talking about that that snake on the course, if I would have saw I literally think I would have run off the course. I don't care. Like, yeah. That Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ yeah. It was huge. It was crazy. I remember seeing Agnes Negetic, the woman we talked about that just won the mini. She went way around. And I was kind of like, what is she doing? And then afterwards we found out that there was the snake. I don't I mean, I don't know if she saw it for real, but I think she did. Okay. What's worse? Eating bicarb or having to drink liquid iron. I don't know if you've done that, but I had to do that one season and it was nast.

Emily Venters: No. Okay. ⁓ Yeah, probably bicarb. I just have a hard time swallowing the little pellets. You gotta try it. Have you tried it? You have to try it. Yeah. You might just be flying. You might

Carrie Tollefson: Okay, I don't know if I can do this. Alright. I I think I should. I need to do that when I'm running with these faster people. ⁓ okay. Exactly. I might get back into it. I might become pro again. You never know. okay, so I think you're on one right now. But I remember the post race interview that you did for our broadcast, and you said you were going home to have a staycation. So staycations or vacations?

Emily Venters: ⁓ vacation for sure. It is, yeah. But I love traveling, so

Carrie Tollefson: I didn't know. Like sometimes it's so nice just to be home and not have to do a dang thing. Okay, okay, vacations. Would you rather drink or whatever, I guess eat even, I don't know. A dirty soda or a smoothie. I think you eat a smoothie and you drink a dirty soda. I don't know.

Emily Venters: Man, I don't know. I really like so honestly since being in Utah I'm a big Coke zero fan. And I'm not afraid to say it. Yep. Okay.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay, can you get serious here? Do you have one a day or do you have multiple or do you not allow yourself to have one a day? Is it like just a treat?

Emily Venters: ⁓ if I ha like if we have them here, they'll have one, yeah. 'Cause I feel like it's a yeah, just one. It's like the perfect amount of caffeine. It's like forty four milligrams of caffeine and, you know, a little afternoon like treat.

Carrie Tollefson: Just one? Okay. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Little pick me up with zero sugar. I know. I need to try that. I am I don't love the zero stuff.

Emily Venters: It's good. Yeah. It I mean, I feel like it's not good for me. I know, I feel like it's not good for me, but you know what? It's not gonna kill me. I actually read something about how much aspartame and stuff you have to have to actually cause cancer and it's way a lot, so

Carrie Tollefson: No ⁓ okay. I didn't read about that. I'm not gonna read about it. I'm just gonna enjoy it.

Emily Venters: So maybe a couple a week I have, yeah. Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay, okay. Bachelor in Paradise or Shark Tank. I do my research.

Emily Venters: ⁓ I haven't really watched Bachelor or in a long time, but I do watch some of the dating shows.

Carrie Tollefson: They're okay, well, I was looking at your I think it was on your Utah site when you were in college, and it said that your favorite shows were Bachelor of Paradise and Shark Tank.

Emily Venters: Mm-hmm. ⁓ my gosh, I don't remember writing that. But yeah, I you know, I don't watch a lot of reality TV, so yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Okay. Mm. Okay. Although I think on Bachelor in Paradise there is a Paralympian right now and a sprinter. Mm-hmm. So you might want to might want to tune in. I think that's what it's called. Maybe it's Love Island. Might be Love Island. But anywho.

Emily Venters: ⁓ wow. Wow, that's cool. Maybe I'll have to tune in, yes. They're that one is coming out soon too. That new one. Yeah. They're really trashy.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay, well, don't don't quote me. I just have to look over Ruby's shoulder every now and then. And I can't believe how bad the language is. It is terrible. Trash. I'm sorry, people. Not our Paralympian and Sprinter. They're perfect. Okay. Turquoise or coral? What color do you like better? Because I read about this too. Okay, well. But you put on the the Utah site turquoise.

Emily Venters: No. No, just those shows. Pink. So neither. Okay. That is so funny. I have no idea where that is. ⁓ I would choose turquoise. Dogs.

Carrie Tollefson: So funny. Okay. Dogs are cats. Curry or stir fry.

Emily Venters: Curry.

Carrie Tollefson: Sing opera or speak French.

Emily Venters: ⁓ s ⁓ seeing opera. I feel like that's a really special talent.

Carrie Tollefson: It said that you wanted to speak a bunch of ⁓ languages. So I s I'm gonna save it to you. I'll send it to you. Okay. Nurse anesthetist or D1 coach?

Emily Venters: Okay, I I need to see this what you're pulling this from because I have no idea. Yeah. ⁓ a nurse and ethicist, for sure. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: So that I learned that there. And then last one is mine. Run fast or win races. What would you prefer?

Emily Venters: ⁓ Probably run fast.

Carrie Tollefson: Cause then you couldn't then you'll probably win the races. ⁓ I love it. Well, thank you so much, Emily, for your time. This has been really fun. I've gotten to know you. You like pink, not turquoise or coral. Yeah, I know. Okay, well good luck with everything.

Emily Venters: Yeah, then I'll probably win. I guess either way. Yeah. I do like pink. Maybe those used to be my favorite colors. Yeah. Well, I I will say my ⁓ my room when I was little was lime green and turquoise. So I did those Yeah. Maybe. Yeah, it does get a little foggier, I've noticed the memory starts to go already. Yeah.

Carrie Tollefson: Well yeah, it was probably from a long time ago. So maybe your memory is just foggy. I know my shirt mine sure is, but it Yeah. Yeah, you just had a birthday, you know. So anyway, thanks so much. Good luck to you this summer. We'll see you on the roads. I'll hopefully be calling those races the six K and the Eight K. Is the six K the one coming like July eleventh or something like that? I think that. Okay.

Emily Venters: Thank you, Carrie. Thanks. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's still like yes. Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: I'll be on that one for sure. So we'll be chatting all about you. Keep getting after it, lady.

Emily Venters: Sweet. Thank you. Good to you.

Carrie Tollefson: Bye. ⁓