An interview with Addie DiFrancesco

As old coaches do, I make references and comparisons to former runners on the team quite a bit in my day-to-day interaction with current athletes. There’s a quote out there that I like to recite all the time, our women’s athletes hear it from me quite a bit: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” I tell them that, and then don’t follow my own advice. Old habits die hard, and I still fall back on comparing traits from former athletes (now Forever Foxes) to current athletes (future Forever Foxes). After close to 30 years of coaching, I guess it just happens. Addie DiFrancesco is a name that comes up frequently -- especially with this highly charged, highly competitive and ultra-highly successful women’s team we currently have. Did that long run a little too hard, pushed those last few miles at a crazy-fast pace? “Oh, that’s nothing compared to Addie.” Drilled those intervals at the track faster than you should have? “Oh yeah, that was in Addie’s playbook.” Ran yourself dizzy and delirious in a race, giving it your all, leaving every ounce of energy out there on the track? “Addie! Penn Relays 10k! Scared the bejesus out of me!”

She was one of our favorites. As you might surmise, a little nutty with her work ethic. We’d come back from an off-campus workout, drop the ladies off in front of McCann, empty out the coolers, go inside to return the van keys, go to the bathroom, maybe chat with the housekeepers, swim coaches, whoever … and then finally head out to my car to drive home. And there’s Addie, hammering out a few extra cooldown miles on campus. As a coach, what’s not to love about hard-working athletes? It’s a good “problem” to have when your biggest chore is teaching them how to pull back. Addie was a journalism major, so we had that in common. She’s a great writer, and I think that comes out here in her Pandemic Papers responses. Addie admits here that she’s a bit of an introvert, so she didn’t mind having one-on-one conversations about her writing, her running … or Otis. Ah, Otis. That mystical place, in rural western Massachusetts, really defines Addie. It’s her happy place – for her and her family. After one meet at Franklin Park in Boston, we had a post-race BBQ at Otis – to this day, I have no idea how that big bus made it in and out of that narrow dirt road. Speaking of Franklin Park … I don’t remember Addie being any happier than that one regional meet in the mud and muck at Franklin. Addie loved cross country, way more than track. Cross country was her sport.

Addie has done a lot since graduating from Marist eight years ago. Astutely, she did NOT pursue a career in journalism; while disappointing, because she is a great writer, it was also a natural response, given the volatile and shaky nature of the profession – back then and now. She entered her family’s insurance business. Athletically, she pushed a little reset with her running. After eight years as a competitive high school and college runner, pushing herself to the limit and beyond, her mind and body needed it. She reinvented herself with some intense strength and conditioning, and not surprisingly, her limited race results have been outstanding. We really appreciate Addie taking the time to answer the questions here today. It was great to revisit her career – seems like yesterday, but it was about a decade ago now!

When did you start running and what got you started in the sport?

Well, I used to be a horseback rider ... started when I was 3. And I only dropped it when I was being recruited to run in college. I used to run around the horse rings and jump over the horse jumps or perform dressage tests on foot with my barn pals. I would make jumps at home and spend hours outside running around and hopping over things. Around fourth grade, my dad threatened to sell my horse if I didn't start doing some team sports. Well, I figured running came pretty naturally. Except I didn't really take it seriously. I stopped in the woods to wait for a friend and almost missed a race start because I was trying to braid my teammate's hair. I got a little more competitive by 8th grade... but not really. I didn't start to really GO FOR IT until the end of my sophomore year of high school. And I'm not a natural. I worked HARD. Extra runs after practice. Extra core work. Extra warm ups. I couldn't do/get enough. 

You had a strong high school career. Tell us about that, what are your favorite memories and highlights?

I LOVED everything about my high school team. It was truly my life junior and senior year. Had a couple little bumps with mono senior XC and a fractured ankle senior track. But I really felt this sense of family. I could spend hours at practice and still never want to go home. I still go to Holy Cross to do my runs! It's home. First time I really felt strong and like I belonged somewhere. That sticks with you. I had one key rival in high school my junior and senior year. She had a slight edge on the track, but I managed to get her in cross country on our back hills. I don't have ONE memory because I genuinely loved being at the meets with all my teammates, many of them I'm still in touch with. 

What drew you to Marist College? Tell us about the recruiting process and how you chose Marist over other schools.

My cousin was a Communications major at the time and my parents took me to visit her to see if I liked the school. She took us to Rossi's Deli and showed us the riverfront. I'm not a super outgoing person on the upfront. So the whole college process was actually stressful and intimidating to me. I honestly think I e-mailed Chuck about running? I can't remember! I had gotten some random recruitment letters at school from Bucknell, Fairfield, and a couple other schools. So that got me thinking, well, what if I try the schools I really want to go to. Chuck called me and we chatted for a while about the program and where he wanted to take it. (I was also in a panic senior year after I fractured my ankle and thought he was going to call and tell me deal was off LOL). I figured I was just going to fill out the pack. I was very new to everything since I really only had two years of competitive running under my belt. It came down to Marist and Stonehill College. My mom actually helped me. She told me to think about where I would feel like I was more at home. Marist it was!

What was your academic major(s) at Marist and what were your career goals entering college?

I was a Communications Journalism major with a Creative Writing (Non Fiction) minor. I love to write. I have kept a daily journal since I was about 8. I wanted to enter into Sports Journalism and maybe dabble in Photojournalism as well. I actually have Holy Cross to thank once again because the English program at that school was second to none. I didn't want to be a teacher, but it put the idea of Journalism and Creative Writing in my mind. 

You had a GREAT career as a runner here, helping to elevate our program to new levels. What are some of your favorite memories and career highlights?

Oh boy! There are quite a few. Penn Relays my freshman year was one of my absolute favorites. It was my first real big track meet. And I was in the Olympic Development for my first ever track 10k. Trial by fire, right? I had some issues with a mile to go. (Sorry, Pete! I think I scared you a little.) But, I finished the race and when Pete showed me the splits I couldn't believe my eyes. I ran almost every lap the same. The two 5ks were 18:06, 18:06 for 36:12. I wanted to break that time in the worst way. Cross country was always my favorite, though. Winning ECACs as a team my sophomore year was right up there with Penn Relays. And I always really enjoyed MAACs, especially when they were at Van Cortlandt. Something about the terrain there just made it feel like your feet had wings. I think I finished 2nd overall at MAACs at Van Cortlandt my sophomore year, but it was a battle to the end with one of the Iona runners. (I think about if I had to do that now and feel a little sick; I don't know where that hyper competitiveness used to come from). I also ran MAACs injured my senior year and pulled out a third. I don't remember the race hurting, but I paid for it after. I just knew I wasn't missing my last race at Van Cortlandt. And who could forget Disney? My parents came down to watch and take Jack to Disney. It was his 10th birthday and he still talks about how many times he got to go on the

Rockin Rollercoaster with Chuck. Lauren and Chuck also talked me onto a log flume ride, which was and still is my personal hell. I'm pretty sure Chuck kept a copy of that ride picture in his office and showed it to recruits. Let's just say I look very much not thrilled to be on that ride. These meets and trips were fun mostly because you were with your team. Any big success was all for the team. I used to feel really proud seeing the name Marist high up on the results.

You had a (well-earned) reputation for being a fiercely hard worker in training while you were in college. Where did that drive and work ethic come from and if you could do it over again, what would you do differently?

Chuck will kill me when he reads this. I regret not strength training more. I used to just hammer miles. I loved it. I think I just really liked that feeling of moving fast and seeing miles click off. To this day, I operate by the mindset that if you're going to do something, you do it to the very best of your ability. You give it everything you have, every single day. That went for school, too. And that's from my parents. From the time I started getting report cards, if I had one grade slip, my dad would jab a finger at the line and ask, "What happened here?" I was constantly working to be the best. Not just my best, the best. Even if I didn't hit it all the time, I had to keep working for it. And that bled into running. Chuck would give me splits to hit for 1,000-meter repeats. I would shave a few seconds off because that would make them "better." Sometimes that probably worked, but sometimes it also hurt. I would definitely dial in those workouts I used to blow out. I would also maybe cut my mileage back. I started a strength program after I graduated and I ran a half marathon on only 25 miles a week of training and no speed work. So I learned the hard way. DO YOUR STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING! 

Tell us about your post-collegiate running and athletic pursuits. You've done a lot! What are some of the races you've done, and other activities, and to what level are you training right now?

I was kind of lost after college. I still ran every day, but had some nagging injuries and wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I think I was also a little burnt out. The idea of racing kind of made me break into a cold sweat. So I did this group strength and conditioning class at my gym. It was called IAP and geared toward athletes. There were many elements that really helped get me back to running. We even ran in some of the workouts! I started to really just fall back into place. I did a 5k in the summer months after two years of not racing. I won. I then pointed toward my first half marathon. The whole second half was uphill ... which I wasn't expecting. But, I managed to win that, too. I wasn't thrilled about my time, but that's what I get for only running 25 miles a week up to it (I was a little dehydrated/delirious at mile 12 and went to grab water and asked the guy at the table where I was ... He asked if I needed a medic). I credited my ability to finish solely to the strength training I had been doing. It also happened to be a Road Runners Club of America Championship race. I had never broken a tape before, so that was really cool. I'm still doing a lot of weight lifting and conditioning work with a new trainer. He tries to keep me from destroying myself. Last summer, he had me back on the track for mile repeats and I was hitting college times again. Now, everything is a little different with the pandemic. He mentioned some hill repeats soon just to mix things up. But I would really like to run a half marathon time I'm proud of. 

We all knew about your affinity for your summer home in OTIS while you were in college. Give us some background/history there, tell us how much it means to you and how much time do you and your family spend there?

Ah, Otis Reservoir. The place. Not my dog ... or my boyfriend ... as a lot of the team initially thought. I found that hilarious. My grandfather built our house on Otis in 1971. My dad grew up there; the plate on his truck is Otis71. When I was little, every summer weekend we would get piled into the truck with groceries and the dog and go up. As I got older, we would spend weeks at a time there. I started doing my runs up there in high school. And it just started to be my place. Runs there just FELT better. I also met my boyfriend there. He lived a few houses down from us. So it changed from just summers, to then going there as often as I could. I still go up pretty much every weekend, no matter the season. I've gotten a little more adventurous with my water sports since I'm not technically racing anymore. My youngest brother, Jack, is a phenomenal water skier. So he's been showing me the ropes. I even tried barefoot skiing, which is exactly as it sounds. No skis, just your bare feet on the water as you get pulled at 35-40 mph. Not the best activity if you're on a running scholarship. 

Tell us about your post-collegiate work career -- you got into the family business, right? What are you doing now and how has it been affected by the pandemic?

I am a licensed insurance agent at our family insurance agency. I took the six-month self-study course after I realized I really didn't want to get into journalism as it now is. I had to pass a three-hour state exam (it was no joke). And I take another small test every two years to renew my license. The pandemic was tough for us at first. We didn't realize just how many customers come through our door every day to talk to us about car changes, new homes, or pay bills. We locked our door and put a sign up asking customers to call or e-mail us and we would try to do everything that way. We're a small agency, so pretty much all my coworkers opted to stay in the office and we were all careful. Technically, insurance was considered "essential" in Connecticut. And I can honestly say I had never been busier. People called about changing policies around or getting new quotes to save money. I was really lucky in that I had a job to be busy at. And most companies were giving stay at home credits. Of course, every company was giving a different percentage. So that was fun trying to explain to customers. I don't consider myself a true "essential" worker like nurses, police officers, or grocery store workers. Those are your heroes right now. But I figured if I could help someone out by saving them a few dollars or just help them navigate a fender bender they had, then I was doing what I could. 

Other than Otis, where are you living (home with family, solo, with your boyfriend)?

I live in Thomaston, CT with my boyfriend (yes, still Paul). He purchased a house there a couple years ago. It's about 45 minutes from Otis and I have a brand-new track at Nystrom's Park that is a half mile run from the house. I actually have some nice areas to run, which was a huge plus.

Overall, how has the pandemic affected your life and your family's life?

I think I mentioned above that I'm a little bit of an introvert. I don't go out a lot to begin with. So, I don't miss that much. And the beauty of a family business is that I'm with my family. I go to work, then to my parents to use their bike and DBs for workouts (or see my dog), then home. Initially, it was really scary. I was worried about my parents. Worried about going to the store. But, I've kind of just rolled up my sleeves and do what I have to do. I've always been an obsessive hand washer. So that hasn't changed. We have recently started to see some friends by having them over to sit outside, very far apart. 

Where do you see this going short- and long-term?

Honestly, I don't know. Some days everything feels almost normal. Then I have to pull a mask on to go into Dunkin' Donuts for my coffee. I'm a little anxious with all these reopenings happening because there are people who aren't being careful or considerate. I do think there is a very high chance of a second wave of this. Initially, I was reading every article I could get my hands on. But it was giving me real anxiety. Now, I've kind of been trying to just get little bursts of news here and there and not overwhelm myself. Because this whole pandemic is very overwhelming. I've always been good at kind of just slogging through things that drag on. (Thank you, distance running.) I think this is definitely going to be the "new normal" for at least another year. I hope I'm wrong. 

What are some of your fondest memories of your last few months of your senior year, and what message can you send to our recently graduated seniors who had this special time in their lives robbed from them?

Our trip to Mt. SAC in California was one of my favorite senior year memories (I'm still sorry about the guacamole all over the rental car!!). My race wasn't the greatest, but it was one of my last trips. It was just me and a few of the guys - Will, Quimes, and Kenny. We had some good laughs on that trip. My parents also made a trip of it and brought Jack. That kid lived the life, seriously. I had been injured junior year and worked my butt off over the summer. So, my senior year of Cross Country ended up being one of my best. I was really glad to kind of end it on a high note at the MAAC meet. That brings me to the current seniors. I felt horrible when I saw everything getting cancelled. I had my senior year of high school track ended because of my injury. And I remember how crushing that was when I thought of all the time and hard work. You can spend a lot of time feeling sorry for yourself and what will never be. Or, you can pull yourself up and keep working hard. Because one day, hopefully soon, the roads and tracks will be busy with races again. I had a coach from a rival team in high school say this to me when I was hurt, "This is just a snapshot, not your whole photo album." These are uncharted waters right now. Running is a wonderful sport in that we aren't really finished with it when we leave Marist. We can go on to crush road races or join local teams. Nothing can be said to fill the empty spot of a lost senior year, but I've noticed Marist runners tend to be pretty resilient. I know I'll be seeing a lot of blog posts about these current seniors making a splash in races across the country. This time might be a gift to some. Time to rest. Time to reassess where they're going in life. Time to reflect on all the friendships and good memories from Marist. 

Anything else you'd like to add ...

I really just hope everyone is staying safe!! And to the Seniors, I've loved following along the results this year. Even without the exclamation point of a senior track season, the Marist team was on fire this year and you should all be proud.