Shannon Rowbury heads into the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston this weekend as something of an unknown quantity. Her last track meet, the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships, was a memorable one for the San Francisco native, as she came back less than two hours after winning the mile to place second in the 3000 meters. But her 2007 outdoor season was scuttled by a femoral stress fracture, so the Duke University standout barely had time to celebrate her indoor achievements before realizing she was through as a collegian.

But Rowbury, 23, was far from done running. Continuing a graduate program in humanities with an emphasis in film studies at Duke, Rowbury signed with Nike as her injury healed and began training with multi-American record holder Shalane Flanagan and top mid-distance runner Erin Donohue.

Rowbury recently spent time in the mountains of Mexico at the La Loma High Altitude Center in San Luis Potosi. New York Road Runners tracked her down in Sarasota, FL, where Rowbury was taking advantage of the mild weather and local hospitality in preparing for the 3000 meters at indoor nationals this weekend.