IU runner’s change of heart leads to success

She runs 65 miles a week. \nShe can run a mile in less than five minutes. Her 3,000-meter time is top-10 all-time at IU. Her 5,000-meter time is the fastest in the nation this year. All of these long distance achievements come from a person who started her career as a sprinter.\nIt’s a good thing she changed her mind.\nShe is IU junior Wendi Robinson, a member of both the cross country and track and field teams. Robinson grew up in Danville, Ind., a town about 20 miles west of Indianapolis.\nWhen it came time for Robinson to decide what college to attend, the 2005 high school state champion in the mile narrowed it down to IU and Butler University. She said she wanted to be close to home, and both schools had academic and athletic programs that appealed to her.\nDuring Robinson’s recruitment, Jessica Gall, a runner on IU’s track team at the time, eagerly asked her coach to let Robinson stay with her. Gall had previously seen Robinson in high school.\n“You could tell this girl was going to be good,” said Gall, a three-time All-American and 2005 graduate. \nGall said the night Robinson visited, the two didn’t get much sleep. Instead they stayed up all night talking about running, high school, college life and other random topics.\nAnother person who influenced Robinson’s career as a Hoosier is Rebecca Walter, a former Big Ten cross country champion and six-time All-Big Ten honoree in two sports at Michigan.\nWalter, who works with the distance runners, is now an assistant coach at IU and speaks very highly of Robinson.\n“She is very coachable, self-motivated and has high aspirations,” she said.\nIn addition to being her coach, Walter is also a training partner for Robinson. The two do many workouts together, pushing and motivating one another.\n“She has been a great motivator to get me back into fitness,” Walter said.\nIU coach Ron Helmer believes Walter has benefitted Robinson greatly, noting the two have grown tremendously from the experience. \n“Rebecca came along at the right time,” Helmer said. “They work really well together.”\nBefore coming to IU, Helmer did a lot of research, including examining results from previous seasons and looking at players’ grade reports. That research, combined with his experiences on campus, led him to the conclusion that Robinson is a special runner. \nHelmer said Robinson fits the profile of other talented runners he’s seen. He also said that if things play out right for Robinson, she could potentially be very competitive on the national level.\nHelmer should know. He coached 213 Big East champions, 120 All-Americans and four national champions during his career at Georgetown.\nTo be an elite runner, an athlete must go through rigorous physical training, something most people don’t have the motivation or desire to do. For example, Robinson runs an average of 65 miles a week.\n“It’s just how I am,” she said. “When I do something, I have a goal in mind, and I work hard and consistently to improve.” \nRobinson said she also likes the benefits from the exercise.\n“It’s better than sitting around and watching TV,” she said.\nBut everything hasn’t always come easy for the junior runner.\nIn her junior year of high school, Robinson finished 16th in the semi-state cross country race, only to have the top 15 advance to the state competition. Instead of dwelling on the past, she trained hard over the next year, and won the semi-state the following season.\nIn addition to her own performance, Robinson has also had a positive impact on her teammates.\n“It makes you better running with someone that good,” said IU sophomore Sarah Pease, a fellow distance runner and one of Robinson’s friends.\nRobinson’s success is well-documented as a Hoosier. The future will tell if this accomplished distance runner can add to her long list of achievements.\n“The sky is the limit for Wendi,” Gall said.