2. Having recently run a sub 4 min mile when did you realise this was
something you were capable of?
I ran 4.02 for an indoor mile in my second year in the States, then for
‘outdoors’ I dropped my PB from 3.48 to 3.41 for the 1500m. The next
season
I ran 3.40 a handful of times, so I guess its been on the cards for a
while
just didn’t get around to cracking it until the Wanganui Marley
earlier
this year.
3. You have spent the majority of the last 4-5 years in the States on
an
athletics scholarship, was this beneficial to your development as an
athlete? What have you learnt to be the key aspects of getting the best
out of yourself as an athlete?
It wasn’t quite that long, but yeah, I was over there on scholarship.
[Incidentally, it’s been great hearing about other people’s experiences
while in the states thanks to all those who have emailed in] Running
for
a US university provided a consistent group of guys to train with. There
were also regular opportunities for top quality competition, and it
allowed
me to focus on my training w/out having to worry about supporting myself
something that would have been pretty tough back home - especially since
I
hadn’t made the step up into the ASB squad or the A or B high
performance
squads
So yeah, I thought it was beneficial.
Just a word or two of advice for those looking at heading over
themselves...
Generally, the programmes with the best offers (financially) are not the
best for the athletic development. The reason for that is because the
top
programmes (Stanford, Arkansas etc.) don’t need to offer big bucks to
get
good athletes to recruit them. I’d say the main things to look for are:
a) the number of other good athletes in the program. - if you’re the
only
quality distance runner there then chances are they are going to use you
as
much as they can and you’ll probably get tired of training by yourself.
b) what meetings your school competes at and what schools you are likely
to
race against regularly there are tons of meets but only a few are
going to
get you fast times especially in distance events.
c) the similarity of training program c.f what your used to and whether
or
not the coach is likely to bail on you after 1 year training programs
depend on the coach, not the school.
Finally, if you can talk to someone (other than the coach) about the program it helps. Most coach’s will generally talk it up to make it sound better than it really is. (P.S. Make sure you choose a place where you can escape the media)
4. What has been your biggest frustration?
Missing out on top notch racing opportunities is frustrating. I’ve seen
guys
run huge PB’s and step it up to the next level just by scraping into
good
races, and getting dragged through for really hot times. It’s the old
catch
22 - you can’t get into the good races w/out the times and you can't get
the
times without the good races (well you can... but its more difficult)
Injuries at the wrong times are pretty frustrating too. I was disappointed not to be able to head over to Aus. for the GP’s this year b/c of a stress fracture.
5. Who do you admire most in athletics, past or present?
Christiansen would have to be right up there. A couple of seasons back
when
he ripped it up in Australia and ran 3.35 twice, from the front, was
pretty
legit if you ask me. It would have been good to see what would have
happened
if he could have stayed healthy last year.
6. What result(s) has/have given you the most satisfaction?
I would have said John Eels missing that kick!.....
Winning a National NCAA 1500 title was quite satisfying. Also the semi
final
of 1500m at the World University Games - 2nd in 3.47 (through the 800m
in
2.11).
7. What sort of training has given you the best results? What sort of
mileage have you done?
My training was largely focused on speed until I left for the States in
'96.
Now I generally sit around 6580 (miles) depending on the season,
although
I tend to have problems if I train twice a day for too long. I seem be
able
to tap into my speed pretty quickly as long as my base is there. And I
also
notice when I haven’t put in the high quality aerobic reps - 6 x mile,
8 x
1000 - that sort of stuff.
8. You are soon to shoot over to Aussie trials and have a blat over
1500m, is a PB on the cards? What is the long term goal after that?
The last several weeks on the track have been quite encouraging, and my
1st
series of time trials have gone OK so I’ll definitely been looking to
break
3.40.
After that.... I want to have a season of racing in Europe sometime,
when
I’m really firing..... Will also be going hard for Manchester 2002.
9. You have a younger brother starting to make an impact, bit of
rivalry
there or just friendly words of advice?
I think I’m getting known as ‘Nick’s brother’ these days! We haven’t
really
raced much on the track yet, but I’m sure there will be an 800 or two
this
year where there’ll be a bit of family pride on the line. He’s way ahead
of
where I was at the same age, and is much better at cross and the longer
stuff, which is a good sign for the 1500. I think he’s a bit more
bio-mechanically sound than I am too so it’ll be exciting to see how
he
gets on in the next few years. Hopefully I can hold him off for another
season or two. [Nick won the U18 grade at the NZ Cross Country Champs after
this interview -ed]
What one piece of advice would you give to school athletes keen to get
the best out of themselves?
Realise the importance of recovery. I've only just started to make
massage,
proper streching, medical treatment etc a real priority - wish I'd done
it
earlier. They reckon for every hour you run - you should spend 2 on
recovery.
10. What are your views on the state of the sport in NZ at present,
what
one thing would you change if you could?
Without blaming anyone I just think it’s a shame for the athletes that
the
sport is in a bit of a shambles right now.
Also, the fact that kids have so many sporting options to choose from
now
means that there needs to be more of an effort made to ensure that all
the
talent doesn’t go elsewhere. If that means paying coaches for the work
they
do... then maybe that's an option.
PB's
400m 48.80
800m 1.48.28
1500m 3.40.29
Mile 3.59.04
Cool Running 14.08.00.
