Friborg glad to be back after battling iron issues

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

The smile on Samantha Friborg’s face tells a story. 

For the Acton-Boxborough High, Mass. senior, it expresses her love of running. 

“She just loves to run. She just has a smile even when the workout coming up is going to be tough. She can’t wait to attack it. She looks forward to it,” cross country coach Lisa Owen said. 

This indoor track season, Friborg’s smile signifies not only her passion for running, but why the sport matters so much to her.   

Flashback to a year ago. She was struggling to compete at a consistent level. She was quickly diagnosed with iron deficiency, and running was put to a sudden halt. 

A year later she is healthy again and thriving. At the Yale Classic, she put down the No. 1 time in the country in the 800 meters Jan. 20, clocking 2:10.26.  

“It is a whole different experience than last winter,” Friborg said. “I feel better and I’m happier. To think about these things that I felt like I kind of had to put on hold last year … it’s been only half the season, but I’m very happy with how it’s gone.”

A PASSION FOR RUNNING

“When you watch her run, there’s no strain in her face,” Acton-Boxborough track coach Ken Feit said. “You watch her, it’s just beautiful. She’s a natural.”

Friborg started running competitively when she was in the sixth grade. She enjoyed the aspect of racing and getting a personal-best time. 

“I just loved to be active,” she said. 

The 5-foot-9 Friborg, who is a quarter Swedish, didn’t start high school track until the outdoor season of her freshman year. She found her niche in the 800 as it combined her speed and endurance. 

“It felt right for me,” said Friborg, who played soccer during the fall of her freshman year. 

She finished her first track season with a 2:18 best and contributed to Acton’s relays. During her sophomore year, she progressed even more, finishing second in the 600 (1:33.96) at the New England Indoor Championships and lowering her 800 to 2:10.18 outdoors. Feit said whenever given the opportunity to race, even in a 200 or 300, Friborg jumps at the chance. 

“She’s a competitor. She thrives on competition,” Feit said. 

A DIFFERENT PATH

After a self-described “picture-perfect” sophomore season, Friborg’s junior campaign took a different path. Beginning in mid-February, Friborg started to experience heaviness in her legs during races. Her performances lagged and fatigue became an issue. At NBNI in March, she finished 24th in the 800, clocking 2:16.13.

“She had a good indoor season last year but it wasn’t what we expected,” Owen said. “Even though I tweaked her program, looked at it carefully and cut back, it wasn’t making any difference.”

Owen, who works with Friborg for endurance training, thought it could be a ferritin issue. Friborg was tested and her ferritin levels were extremely low, indicating she wasn’t receiving enough iron to her blood.

To make sure Friborg became 100 percent healthy, Owen completely shut her down. She ran one open 400 in the spring, but otherwise did not train. It was a hard reality for an individual whose passion is running. 

“It was definitely extremely frustrating to be sidelined in the middle of the season, but it was good to realize the reason my times were going in the wrong direction in the winter was not because I couldn’t run those same times. Something else was going on,” Friborg said. “It reinforced that I missed running when I couldn’t do anything. I hate not being able to run. It reinforced how much I love just running, like completely removed from racing; just a reminder why I love the sport.”

Friborg took the summer off as well, focusing on her job as a camp counselor, something she said kept her in mental and physical shape. Toward the end of the summer, she started lightly training. In the fall, she took on Owen’s summer cross country program to gain a solid endurance base. 

“She’s come back better and stronger,” Owen said. “She now knows she needed iron supplements and is paying attention to what her body is saying, and she’s in the best shape that I’ve seen her over the years. She’s just ready to go.” 

BACK ON TRACK 

The focus this winter for the Yale-bound senior has not been limited to the 800, but rather getting her mileage up and tackling a variety of events. 

“I think she’s enjoying the season,” Feit said. “She’s enjoying her teammates, enjoying being healthy and she loves being able to compete without any duress, without something weighing on her.”

At the Dartmouth Relays in early January, she set the school record in the mile, running 5:04.56. She’s also produced a 2:51.66 time in the 1,000, 1:35.56 in the 600 and a 40.91 300 -- all in low-key dual meets this season.

While the times are great indicators she’s back on track, Friborg’s smile is a telling expression she’s right where she needs to be. 

”When I came back I was so, so ready to go. It was like, ‘Aw, yes, this feels right.’”