Madelyn Noe-Schlentz has become a record-setting machine. The Freehold Borough runner chalked up another American Master’s age group record on March 29 at the Raleigh Relays, held at North Carolina State University, where she ran the 10,000 meters in 35:28.71.
Noe-Schlentz sliced five seconds off the 40-44 age group mark of 35:33.6, set by Judy Fox of California 20 years ago. Her 5K times were 17:40 and 17:48.
With husband and coach Jim Schlentz giving her splits by lap, Noe-Schlentz needed a fast 79.6 in the last 400 meters to secure the record. After being well ahead of Fox’s record pace for the first four miles, Noe-Schlentz had begun to slip over the final 2.2 miles. A 10-second margin at four miles had whittled to just five seconds at five miles. She stayed just ahead of Fox’s splits over the final mile and sealed her third American record with that quick 79.6 (5:20 pace) last quarter.
Noe-Schlentz, whose other age group American records were the indoor mile (4:59.9) and 3,000 meters (9:58.88), had to call on all of her resources for the outdoor 10K mark. Feeling flu-like symptoms for most of the week, she had spent more time sleeping than running.
"I thought that it would be a struggle," she said. "I knew I wasn’t feeling good.
"I was running 84-85 second quarters and had 10 seconds to spare with two miles to go," she added. "I dropped to 86-87 for the next mile and I was down to five seconds to spare for the last mile."
But despite the heat and humidity of Raleigh and her flu-like symptoms, Noe-Schlentz could draw on her remarkable range (just the month before she had run a 1:17.13 half-marathon in Las Vegas), the hard training miles she’s been putting in, and the fact that she had been down the record-setting road before and prevailed.
"I didn’t panic," she recalled. "I maintained my form and relaxed my arms. With a lap to go, I knew I could do it."
She did, holding onto her five second margin and setting her second record of the year. Back in January, she broke her own indoor 3,000 record with her 9:55.88 at the Armory in New York City.
Noe-Schlentz began her record-setting barrage last winter at the Armory when she became the first Masters woman to run a mile under 5:00 with her historic 4:59.9. Her indoor 3,000 this January was another landmark age group mark as she became the first woman under 10:00.
The range that Noe-Schlentz has shown in setting her three American age group records is what stands out the most. It’s not like she has been running events that are very similar.
"They’re so different," she said. "In the mile and 3K, right from the start you have to be comfortable and get into a rhythm right away. The 10K is a different pace. It’s slower and you can take five or six laps to really relax and get into a comfortable rhythm."
Noe-Schlentz has done all this record-setting while training for a marathon. She has her sites set on qualifying for the 2004 Olympic marathon trials. The qualifying time is 2:48.00 and she plans on running under that in June at the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn. The 1:17.13 half-marathon she ran translates to a 2:44.00 marathon. She ran a 2:54 marathon a few years ago and that will be a help.
"Once you run one (marathon), you become a little smarter," she said.
Noe-Schlentz picked the Grandma’s Marathon for a number of reasons: She wanted to run a late spring race rather than a fall one to avoid doing her heavy mileage in the summer heat. The course is flat and fast, and the weather is suitable to long-distance running.
As part of her marathon build-up, Noe-Schlentz will run a 10K on the track at the Penn Relays later this month (April 25-27) and she’ll be looking to best her own mark there.
What made the 10K record at Raleigh stand out to Noe-Schlentz was the fact that she did it while in the middle of preparing for a marathon.
"It was special," she noted. "I know I’ve been training really hard. I’m satisfied that in the middle of the training season I can run a fast 10K."
Noe-Schlentz has never run faster than she is now as a Masters runner. The reason— experience.
"I’m mentally much more mature," she said. "I know I have to stay in control. I visualize my race before I run it. I know how I’m going to be feeling at every point of the race."