Newsletter #4 Chipping away

Hold Fast Running: Newsletter #4

Where do I start? A lot has happened since my last newsletter! First, I qualified for the USATF Championships this past summer in the 1500m. Upon arrival, I learned I was going to be in the first heat of three. The field was stacked, but I was very confident in my fitness that I could take on these guys. After what felt like a mediocre season of racing, I was ready to prove myself. The gun went off and the race was a blur for the first 200 meters. Yared Nuguse (the 1500m American Record holder) decided to swing wide and push the pace; out of instinct, I went right with him. Placed in second and right on the rail, I was feeling great and in perfect position! The top three in each heat qualify for the final and then the next three fastest times. We go through 800 meters in 1:56 and I am still in second place behind Nuguse, but I could feel the lions clipping my heels. With a lap to go, I’m in third and feeling strong. I fought off Matthew Centrowitz or “Centro” (the 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist) on three of his moves - with 400m to go, 300m to go, and then 200m to go. At this point, I believe I fought too hard, using energy, instead of running relaxed until the final 150m. I was spent and four guys went around me on the straight-away. Being passed after holding a good position for 1400m is the worst feeling for a miler. I finished seventh in my heat and was the first person out of making the final. This hurt, as I had worked so hard this year to come up short. I got over it very quickly because I knew my purpose wasn't in this sport.

The next few days Kelly and I got to watch some amazing track and field and spend time with fellow track nerds and friends, on top of eating Prince Puckler’s world-famous ice cream every day (you can't beat that). After my prelim, I had a choice… Mope around and feel sorry for myself or go support others… That’s an easy choice! Wes Fergusen, a standout runner from Kearney, Nebraska is among the best 800m runners in the country and, in my opinion, the world. However, nobody knows this kid. Yet… Being a coach, I wanted to help him out a bit at his first US Championships. A few days before the race his coach asked if I could pick him up from the airport. Of course, I could do that. All of his flights were canceled. A Nebraska flight was canceled, and then another flight was delayed for 8 hours in Seattle (which was the night before his prelim). He finally got to Eugene and ran well in his prelim. He stormed down the final 100 to qualify for the semifinal the next day. Since I wasn’t racing in the final, I asked him if I could warm up with him in an attempt to get his mind off the race and calm his nerves. That was fun. His warm-up was different, but I’m not judging (he runs a 1:45 800m)! For what comes next, keep in mind the “Bad Luck” message from a couple of newsletters ago. Wes ran extremely well. Even though he was in lane two most of the race, his kick was stellar and he placed first in his semifinal. Onto the final, he goes! A UNK kid kicking down the best runners in the country - how cool! Fifteen minutes go by, and the announcer states that Wes Fergusen is disqualified for a lane violation - the outside of his spike on the line for two steps was all it took. At times when I don’t see the bigger picture in this sport, it’s moments like being there for someone in a difficult time that help me understand the value of sports and what they teach us.

Although this misfortune was very tough to swallow, Wes ended up having a great attitude because he understood that the next year (the Olympic year) was the important one and that DQ just fueled his fire even more. I hope that lane violation was an amazing lesson for him in this sport and in life.

Next, Los Angeles Sound Running 1500m two weeks later. I ran a personal best (finally)!! This whole season, I ran 3:39 (2 seconds off of my PR). Some of those races were definitely my fault for racing poorly and other races just ended up being tactical affairs. The Sound Running Meet in LA is always a great meet to attend. Runners are fit and it's right after the USA Championships making it a great opportunity to go snag a PR. This trip was a blast! I ended up sharing a room with two brothers “from the circuit” (Speed Boys).

When I arrived in LA, I was starving, so once I arrived at my hotel I went to go grab some tacos from a taco truck! I had just placed my order and was waiting for my food when BANG!!! A gunshot went off 10 feet away from me! People scattered, some rushed into the taco truck, and others took off running. I was scared and asked the guy next to me what to do. He said, “That was a firecracker, son.” I believed the man and just stood there with him. A minute later, five police cars came speeding over. We learned it was a gunshot and this Kansas kid just hung out waiting for his tacos like nothing happened. Never trust an old man waiting in line for his tacos - that was not a firework!

The trip gets even more interesting… The next day after our pre-meet run and strides, we were just hanging out in the hotel. I get the munchies, so I go and grab a bagel and lather some creamy peanut butter on it. After taking one bite, my tongue starts to tingle and my throat gets really itchy. I freaked out, grabbed the peanut butter jar and it said cashew butter... I’m allergic to tree nuts. The rest of the night was pretty rough. I took Benadryl and drank a lot of water. I really didn't want to use my EpiPen since that would make my leg sore. The moral of this story: never trust a Boulder runner with “Peanut Butter”! ;)

So, two strikes for this weekend. Almost got shot having tacos, then about died eating cashews. Now, let's just get on the track, I thought, I really have nothing to lose now! The warm-up went great, I felt really loose and my head was in it after doing some great nasal breathing exercises. Twenty minutes before the race, I headed to the restroom one last time, following Craig Engels into the locker room. For some reason, he picks up the pace and runs in quickly. As I approach the stalls, there is Craig and his bare butt with a huge smile, “You ready to race, boys”? Hopefully, that gave you a laugh like it did for me. I am very thankful for runners like Craig who don't take this sport too seriously all of the time. The race was great. I got into a flow state early and just attached to the train until moves were made. With 300 meters to go, I knew I needed to pick it up if I wanted to run fast. With 100m to go, I had a little left in the tank and came through the line with a one-second personal best and first time running 3:36! This was a big relief to come away with a PR after a long season of running 3:39. Onward!

Three more races were left for the 2023 season. Kelly, my mom, and I drove out to Boulder for a mile on the track in late July. We stayed at the cashew butter man’s house and came out alive! ;) The Mile High Mile is a race I had wanted to do for years and it did not disappoint. The race was about to go down as the sun was setting and the football lights were not turning on. So, they parked cars on the curves of the outside of the track for light and asked all of the spectators to come on the track to shine their phone lights! How cool is that!? Kind of sketchy to race in, but awesome! The race went well, but I did not respect the altitude enough… 600m into the race my legs didn't feel good at all… and that's way too early in the race. I stayed right on the pack but had nothing with 300m to go when everyone was kicking. I ended up in third behind some local legends! Austen Dalquist got the dub!! My time was 4:04 and it was the hardest race of my career. Racing is fun but the people you meet bring so much value to this sport. Two of my athletes from FHSU were there with their families. The Kansas University Cross Country team was in attendance and they were going crazy for this Kansas kid, which felt pretty cool! Many close friends from the area also came out to watch. That weekend was such a fun time and I left feeling very grateful.

The Ed Murphy Classic in Memphis was my last race of the season. Being the weird runner I am, as always, and wanting to save a buck, Kelly and I flew to Memphis on THE day of the race. This is not something you should do as an athlete. We landed at about 7:30 AM, did a shakeout jog, ate breakfast, and slept most of the day. My performance that evening was decent, as I ran 3:37 for my second-fastest time of the season but just didn't feel the greatest. To add to this wild weekend, I hopped in a mile road race the next day. That was a fun one to end the season.

With the summer of racing coming to an end, I told myself to rest for a few weeks and fully recover but that only lasted about three days before I had to start jogging again. I’m already very excited to get back to training for 2024. We have some huge goals for this Olympic Year, so we’re back to work! “If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.” With this quote in mind, my mileage is going to go up, I will race more 800m and 3,000m races during the indoor season, and I will focus on strength training!

Something I have learned these last 8 years of running is that in this sport you don't get results instantly. In a world where you can get many things instantly, that is not the case in running. To be an elite runner, you have to run every day for years and you might see success. Also, to elevate your game you must add the “one percenters” into your daily routine (such as foam rolling, hydration, strength training, mobility, plyometrics, nutrition, reading, preparing, etc.) To be knowledgeable, you read every day. You don't have to read all day, just get it in. A leader shows up every day with a positive attitude, no matter the circumstances, and brings people with him or her! This message is simple and has helped me greatly with running and in life. Show up, little things add up, success takes time and a lot of effort, but it’s worth it! Malcolm Gladwell states that you need about 10,000 hours of practice to be an expert, so we need to get after it. It’s not about huge efforts in training, but simply keep showing up. Motivation doesn't get you out the door when it's cold and windy but being disciplined to the grind will. A great book to read if you want to understand consistency is Atomic Habits by James Clear.

I’ll leave you with this quote that I’ll be living by this year for the 2024 Olympic Trials. Let's keep chipping away.

“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” - Jacob Riis