Fresh off of arriving back to Australia after setting a new Australian record over 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford University – Ben St. Lawrence took time out to log into his Skype account and ‘live-chat’ with The Runner’s Tribe about racing and training overseas, hanging out with Gordon Ramsay, and how English coffee is shit.

The Runner’s Tribe: How is it being back in Aus?

Ben St Lawrence: All good, still waking up at 2:30 am- but getting better!

RT: Hope your parents have FoxTel then!

Ben St Lawrence: Yeah, we've got foxtel thankfully. I'm heading to Syd for the weekend to sort out some accom for the next 5 weeks.

RT: Don't you live in Sydney??

Ben St Lawrence: I did, but I rented my room out when I went overseas on my last trip- and since I'm heading back in 5-6 weeks I decided to leave the tenant in there and just find a temporary room.

RT: Where are you headed to next??

Ben St Lawrence: Will be heading to Teddington in Late June/Early July to race a few times before world champs. At the moment we're hoping that I'll do a 3000m, one or two 1500s and the London Diamond League 5000.Teddington is our London Base.

RT: When you say "we" are your referring to Nic Bideau?

Ben St Lawrence: No, I am referring to my coach- Sean Williams, Myself and Nic who manages me and helps with training and racing plans while overseas. It is a good system, Nic and Sean have a similar training philosophy.

RT: So what has changed since Stanford?? I'm guessing that if you're off again to Europe soon you won't be heading back to work and the daily grind?

Ben St Lawrence: That's right, while I was on this last trip I decided to take the plunge and resign from my full-time job to really focus on running in the lead-up to London 2012. I just felt that if I tried to split my energy between the two, I would end up under-achieving in both areas. I'll go back to work for a week or two to wrap things up, then I will have all my time to focus on all the little things that will hopefully help me to improve.

RT: So you're a full-time athlete now then!! Still with New Balance??

Ben St Lawrence: Yes I am, it feels great saying that! I am still with New Balance, I was lucky enough to meet a lot of the New Balance Management and Product team while I was in Boston, they have some great product and ideas at the moment so I'm excited to be working with them. I even did a photo-shoot while in LA, so my ankles may be on a billboard one day!

RT: Have they found you some shoes that aren't 2E width since you're an Aussie record holder now?? I heard you were stamping all over the guys in London.

Ben St Lawrence: Haha, they have!  I'm doing a lot of running in the Baddeley's (890) and the 1080s as well as the new Minimus. Touch-wood I seem to be pain-free with this shoe combination!

RT: You know when I met Gordon Ramsay he was cooking in New Balance's - you're pretty good mates with him right?? I heard you guys ran together and high-fived a lot?

Ben St Lawrence: Yeah we like to catch up at least once a year for a time trial in Richmond Park. We've done it every year since 2011, he definitely looked like he was 'cooking' while huffing his way up the hills in Richmond. High fiving him was a highlight at about the 80 min mark of a 2 hour long run while I was hanging onto Mike Aish, he hasn't been in touch yet to congratulate me on the Aussie record, but I suspect he will. Gordon that is, although neither has Mike...

RT: How was the boys’ cooking in London? Did you get any lessons from Gordon? 

Ben St Lawrence: I think we could all take some cooking lessons from Gordon. Although Bobby Curtis and Collis are both pretty handy in the kitchen. Mike [Aish] does some good 'Kiwi Burgers', which I found out don't actually contain any Kiwi's... That is one thing I am looking forward to about not rushing around so much with work and training- having time to cook proper meals, rather than eating take-away at 9pm at night as I'm too smashed from a session to cook!

RT: That’s pretty impressive that you can work, eat takeways at 9pm and run 13:10/27:24 - Are you confident you will have a lot more success now that you'll be full-time? Are you worried at all about becoming too consumed in training etc or is that what you're after??

Ben St Lawrence: That is definitely a concern, I will try to stay balanced and not change things too drastically- a few people suggested that if things were working so well- why change them, which is a valid piece of advice, but I decided to ignore the sensible advice and take a chance. Surely with more time to recover, do core-strength and drills, stretch, cook better meals etc I will be giving myself a better chance to improve. Only time will tell, but I am confident that there are some things that I can do that will see me improve. Consistent High Mileage is one thing that I found very hard to do while working full-time, so that is something I will aim for.

RT: Looking at your Australian Record - What was your mindset heading into Stanford?

Ben St Lawrence: After running 13:10 in Melbourne and deciding that Stanford would be my goal race of the trip, I definitely had my sights set on Collis' [Birmingham] National Record. The rough equation is your 5k time, doubled with a minute added on, putting me at 27:20- which sounded very tough but achievable. Between Melbourne and leaving for World Cross I had a bad flare up of an old back injury and got violently ill for a few days. This knocked my momentum a little bit, which wasn't helped by a pretty poor race in Spain at WXC. I then had 10 days in London and probably pushed it a bit too hard to make-up for lost time and ended up having a hopeless race when I got to the US at the Carlsbad 5k. I put in 2 weeks of solid mileage and had a slightly better 5k in Boston, then back to altitude for another 2 weeks before Stanford. Heading into Stanford, I hadn't had a good session or race since Melbourne, but I had been getting it all done and hitting higher mileage than ever before. I'll admit that my confidence in getting the record was gone, and I decided to play it safe and just aim for the Olympic A qualifier!

RT: At what point in the race at Stanford did it get rough?

Ben St Lawrence: Stanford was a different race than usual, as at no point early on did I feel that I was running beyond myself, so that dreaded pain didn't really kick in until the last few laps, at which stage it is easy enough to ignore for a few minutes. Usually when the pain kicks in, especially if it is early in a race, I just focus on getting to a certain point without stressing about the pain too much. For me (and probably most people) it is between laps 7-10  of a 5k and about 18-21 of a 10k. Those are the laps that usually take the most mental energy to get through, and I just make sure that I stay positive and get myself to within striking distance of the finish. In my worst races, it is at this point that the pain becomes too much and then it is a struggle all the way home. The Delhi 10k was an example of this!

RT: So do you have any specific time goals for Europe?? What are the goals for WC?

Ben St Lawrence: In Europe I'd like to run PBs in the 1500, 3000 and 5000- but the main goal is to get to Daegu in the best possible shape, so I don't want to hit top form too soon. In Daegu, if everything goes well in preparation- I'd like to get into the final and then be in the mix in the final few laps. The amount of talent out there is pretty daunting, but if I can focus on preparing myself as well as I can, and then executing the best race that I can- a place in the top hand full of guys is possible.

RT: Now that you have travelled around a bit - what is your fav spot? How did you like the states?

Ben St Lawrence: My favourite training location so far is probably Mt Laguna in California; my favourite race location is probably NYC. Travelling around for races is often a lot less glamorous than it sounds, as you may only see an airport, a hotel and then a track. For instance, I have been to the Czech Republic, arguably one of the most beautiful European destinations- and yet I only saw the track, hotel and airport. I'm not complaining though, sometimes we do get to enjoy a day or two of another culture and location. I really love to travel, so combining it with training and racing is a great lifestyle. I'd like to check out Boulder some day, but we keep getting such good results after Laguna that it's tempting to keep going back!

RT: Do you enjoy training in Teddington?

Ben St Lawrence: Yeah, Teddington is a good European base. There are three massive parks within running distance (Bushy, Richmond and Home) as well as the trail along the Thames. Then you have the track at St Mary's university, so training locations are superb. The house of Nic's that we stay in is within walking distance of the shops, railway, buses and physio/chiro etc. If only there were some Australian Coffee shops nearby we'd have everything we needed!

RT: Yes, English coffee is so shit.

Ben St Lawrence: Yep! That is one thing I really miss while away!

RT: Flat whites?

Ben St Lawrence: Yeah, or piccolo's (half the milk of a flat white)

RT: So who are you going to train with for the next month or so in Sydney?

Ben St Lawrence: I'll be jumping back in with my squad in Sydney for most of my sessions, then will do a fair few of my other runs just on my own. Sean has a very large squad of runners, from young up and comers to recreational guys, so it will be good to get in with them again and catch up. I have done a lot of my running over the last few years with Tim Rowe, who recently moved to Canberra to work with Rob De Castella's Indigenous Marathon Project, so unfortunately I've lost a good training partner there! There's also a group of corporate runners in Sydney called HURTS, who I will jump in with for a Wednesday run from time to time when at work.

At this point, Kitchen Nightmares had started, which meant Ben was forced to decline any further questions. Thanks for your time, Ben and good luck for your upcoming European campaign and the World Champs!

BY DANIEL WALLIS 

For athletes, fewer places hold greater appeal than the United States, thus the significant number of New Zealanders in the NCAA. However, many seem to be ending up in the same spot – something that has been happening since New Zealanders first began competing collegiately in the US as far back as the 1960’s. 

The United States is very precarious terrain, as it represents a dramatically different lifestyle from anything in Australasia or Europe. I mentioned in an article no less than two and a half years ago that being in a place with several others in my situation as a young kiwi athlete living in the US would have perhaps made my transition to life in America that much easier - a rather benign statement in hindsight as confining yourself to a group of those similar to you is only another wall in front of cultural assimilation. Nonetheless, training and competing as a distance runner is about being both comfortable and in routine, as opposed to a typical twenty-something year old traveller looking to completely immerse themselves into the local alcohol fuelled debauchery. (although for some that description would be rather fitting) As a result, it is little surprise that those from New Zealand who head to American Universities with others from their country or historical background are those who transition most quickly in terms of producing quality performances. Although this is not a rule or formula for success, it is a trend - with pockets of New Zealanders frequently accumulating at particular institutions around the United States, often stemming from a New Zealand or British member of the coaching staff, or more frequently a continued presence after a kiwi athlete has had success.

The Kiwi Connection can be exemplified through a number of situations both past and present, though perhaps the greatest illustration of a ‘New Zealand Legion’ at a University in the United States has been Western State University in Gunnison, Colorado - the coldest town in the Continental United States.

Since the early 1980’s there have been eighteen New Zealanders run cross-country and track at Western, with the first being Keith Dowland and the last (as of now) ironically being myself in 2008. However, throughout the 1990’s in particular, Western was an absolute powerhouse – spearheaded by the accomplishments of its New Zealand athletes. One of these athletes was NCAA DII 1500m champion and sub-4 miler Steve Willis, brother of Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis.

Steve Willis first started the search for an American university in 1995 and was drawn to Western largely because of the Kiwi connection, which was compounded by the lack of readily available information on other schools that is available today, a common situation experienced by those that headed to the NCAA before the internet was what it is today. As a result, Willis relied heavily on the experiences of the other New Zealanders already living and training in the United States.

Often the only information about a school's program you could find was what you heard from the coach who called you at 3am because he didn’t know there was a time difference in NZ.  All the coaches talk a good game, so for me I placed a lot of value on what other Kiwis who were already over there said. Since Western had a link with Kiwi's and I knew Rees [Buck], [Phil] Spratley and Squish - that’s where I went.

A Kiwi presence can also be what sets several schools apart from each other. One of the difficulties about being in NZ is that you are typically unable to visit the Universities, meet the coaches, and tour the facilities. Thus, if there is already a NZ connection, the decision is largely already made for you. As mentioned though, this isn’t necessarily a fail-proof option.

A possible downside to having other Kiwis there was that socially, I probably relied on the security my Kiwi mates provided, rather than having to work at establishing my place as a regular guy on the team like everyone else. As a young guy it's probably a good thing to have to be out of your comfort zone, and have to work hard on developing new relationships, dealing with peoples differences etc. From a developing personal character perspective, looking back I think I could have done a better job at this.  In saying that, having the other Kiwis did provide a sense of stability that often lacks for young guys (and gals) living and competing on the other side of the world. If something went down with Coach, or another team member, or if you were just running crap, there were always the other Kiwis (or the 'family' as Squish and Sprately called it) to help you out and keep things in perspective. This was probably more of a factor that we realised at the time.

Moreover, even though a familiar environment provided by the presence of fellow nationals, the collegiate system is different for everyone, and as Willis points out, it’s crucial to explore all your options as much as possible in a rational fashion.

I went over with 1.51, 3.51 which now days would be easily good enough for a good D1 school, but I had no idea of that then. I went to Western because that’s where other Kiwis were, but perhaps accepting a D1 scholarship (I had offers in Colorado Springs, Iowa, Florida and some others) may have been better for my running.

It appears now that the legion of New Zealanders heading to Western State are over, yet this is largely due to the fact that through contemporary technology, coaches from universities all over America are readily accessible, culminating in Kiwis currently attending and competing for schools all across America; from Portland to Providence. However, as always, history seems to be repeating itself, with Kiwis once again settling in numbers at pockets of schools – notably Stony Brook and Providence as of late, illustrating that as it was for Steve Willis in 1995, the “Kiwi Connection” is often difficult to turn down. 

By Daniel Wallis

Simon Rogers, son of 1984 Olympic 1500m finalist Tony Rogers, has justfinished his first year at Purdue University in Indiana. Before leaving New Zealand Rogers finished 2^nd in the New Zealand Under-19 1500m, running 3:51.10, while that same year was 3^rd over 3000m in a time of 8:29.00. While struggling with injury over the cross-country and indoor track season, Rogers ran an impressive 3:46 1500m this outdoor season to earn a spot to the NCAA East-Preliminary round as a freshman. 

The Runnerstribe caught up with Simon to ask him about the season, adjustment to life in the US, and his plans for the summer. 

As the son of a 1500m Olympic-finalist, how did you perceive athletics growing up? Did you always want to run? 

I was always interested to learn about Dad’s running career and what athletics was all about. Growing up I took part in kids athletics but wasn’t really a stand out by any means. I was probably more concerned with my cricket or rugby games in the years before high school. But entering high school things changed a bit and I started to do some structured training for track and cross country, and by about 14 found that I wasn’t going to be an All Black so cross country became my winter sport. Then around 16 cricket was getting in the way of track, so that’s when I made the full-time commitment to athletics as my sport and to having Dad coach me.

How was it being coached by your father in NZ? Did running seem to fit in everywhere or was athletics left from the dinner table?

Running has always been a big part of my life, even before I even took part in it. A lot of family holiday’s were to running events around the country where dad was either in a coaching or organizing role, and I would love being immersed in the sport in any way possible. So when dad started coaching me, the only thing that changed was that I was now running as one of his athletes. It does become interesting when you leave the track after a workout and continue to talk about training or racing over cooking dinner on the BBQ, but it’s what I’ve always enjoyed about our relationship. It only been this past year that I have really come to appreciate how much knowledge Dad possesses as a high-performance coach and how much he has taught me over the years.

What prompted the move to Purdue?

The move to the States was always a goal of mine, and I feel I am very fortunate to be where I am. It was obvious that with so many of the young middle-distance guys my age leaving to the states over the past few years, that there is a huge advantage both in training and racing at a very competitive level. In my search for colleges I wanted to also take into account the academic side life, and chose a school that would allow me to continue with my degree in Sport Science and Psychology. Athletically being part of the Big-10 conference is a huge advantage as the level of distance running in our conference is very deep, with 25 guys running under 3.48 for the 1500 this season in our conference alone.

How was the initial adjustment? Does anything stand out as being difficult regarding the transition from NZ to the states?

Initially I guess I didn’t really know what to expect when I arrived last August, and this year has been huge in terms of learning a variety of lessons. The style of XC racing is very different from NZ in terms the aggressive nature of going out in around 2.40 for the first km in some races.

The big thing was just adjusting to a new program and the training over here, it takes some getting used to when suddenly you change aspects on your approach to training.

How is the training compared to what you were doing in NZ? What is a typical training week for Cross, Indoors, and Outdoors. 

During XC it took me a while to adjust to the heat and humidity of late summer and early fall in Indiana and as a result the workouts were pretty intense. One workout that stands out in mind was on a blistering hot day on our cross course where we did a 2mile tempo in 10mins then ran a mile to recover (7min pace) then into 5x1km at a fast pace with short recovery. We had lots of good workouts like this on our course which has some good hills in it, as well as intense fartlek sessions where the effort time is just faster than race pace, and the recovery portion is at steady run pace.

As for indoors, my training was just trying to get me fit as quick as possible after having around 6weeks out with an unfortunate ankle injury just 2 days prior to the conference cross country. So nothing really to spectacular indoors, just ladder workouts or 400s and 200s at goal race pace.

Outdoors I was finally feeling like I knew what I was doing, and felt somewhat normal again in terms of my fitness and consistency.  I had left off the year before in NZ at 3.51 for 1500 and just wanted to pick up from there. Typical training week this spring was around 40-45miles with 1 hard longer interval workout either Monday Tuesday, 1000s or ladders. A 7mile somewhere in the mid week, then some light 200s or 150s later in the week leading into the race for that week, with easy runs on the other days.

How have you found racing in the states different from NZ? How do you feel about racing three consecutive seasons? 

The volume of racing I did this year was defiantly greater than back home, and probably just so that I would be able to get as much experience in the first year here. With all those lessons in mind, I hope to race a little less next year so I can take my season all the way to Nationals in June. That will just take patience and consistency through cross-country and indoors.

Do you feel as if the deep level of athletes in the states has pushed you too a new level in performance?

Yea the depth here has pushed me to work harder and has defiantly led to me improving physical and mental toughness from where I was a year ago. Walking away from our conference meet last month after just missing advancing to the 1500 final by 0.02seconds, I realised that I will have to come back next year not only stronger, but with an even bigger aggressive and confident approach.

What do you like to do outside of training/racing? 

Right now I’ve been taking a summer class, which is a class normally over a whole semester squeezed into 4 weeks so that’s been keeping me busy. But generally when I’m not doing schoolwork I’m hanging out with the team - a great bunch of people. It’s really cool how we have such a range of people on our team, and both the men’s and women’s distance runners are coached by the same 2 coaches.

What are your training and non-training plans for the summer?

Once this class finishes up on the 11^th of June I’ll be hanging out in West Lafayette for a another week then will be heading home to NZ for 6 weeks of good solid training, where I hope to get some of my first ever weeks of 60+miles. I’m still a low mileage kind of guy, but hoping to set a much stronger base for next year.

Is your coach individualistic or is it very much a blanket training system for all the runners? Has your Dad played any role in your training since you have been at Purdue?

Our Coach takes great time and effort to individualize our training, and my mileage was slightly lower than my training partner for the mile/1500 so my coach realized that my background had yet to go beyond 50mile weeks. In cross the workouts are broken in to 3 or 4 groups according to fitness/ability level but the workout is still based on the same idea. But as we went through indoors and outdoors we became very individualized and by the 3.46 I was definitely seeing the benefits.

As for Dad’s influence, he has continued to provide great advice, especially in the way of helping me initially to adjust to changes and new approaches to training, as well as being there to bounce ideas off for training and racing. 

Lisa Weightman Berlin World Champs Interview

© 2009 The Runner's Tribe, all rights reserved. Published Tuesday August 18, 2009

Brought to you by Edward Ovadia who is in Berlin with official IAAF accreditation covering the championships for Runnerstribe.com

One of my favourite press conference stories concerns the great Ethiopian runner Miruts Yifter after he won the 1980 Moscow Olympic 10,000 metres.

I wasn't there, but the story goes that a Finnish journalist asked a convoluted tactical question which boiled down to what would have happened if Lasse Viren had made a move with five laps to go instead of with 300 metres to go.

The question was translated into Amharic (for Yifter), English, French (the IOC languages) and Russian. Yifter gave a brief reply which travelled back the same torturous route.

"I would have run faster," said the man known as "Yifter the Shifter".

Well tonight in the Olympic stadium, Tyson Gay found out what happens when you run faster than you ever have in your life and venture into territory which had hitherto belonged exclusively to Usain Bolt.

Simply put, Bolt just runs faster.

Consider this, Tyson Gay ran 9.71 seconds, a time bettered before last night only by Bolt's 9.69 world record set at the Beijing Olympics. Instead of the gap to the Olympic champion closing, in fact it widened. Gay ran within 0.02 of where Bolt had been, but Bolt ran a world record 9.58 and the American is now further behind than he's ever been!

Take that. To his credit, Gay was not dismayed at this turn of events. After the race, he still professed his confidence that he could also run that fast.

Asafa Powell, third in 9.84, was almost a spectator. The former world record holder has talked a good race all season, and indeed he ran about where the world record was before first he and now Bolt took it over. But injuries had not allowed him to get into shape to run down in the 9.5s.

Powell would, he said, be going home to train to run 9.58. It will take some doing.

Bolt was asked in the press conference whether he had taken the sport into a new dimension. Most would say he has, but he seemed to suggest he hasn't. Perhaps he is happy for everyone else to be in awe of him, but he does not want to be in awe of himself.

Bolt did allow that 9.58 was something special (presumably royalties are on their way to Bruce as you read this) and that he was proud of himself for being the first man there (he is, of course, the first and only man to the 9.6s, too).

Bolt also explained his pre-race joking around. He works hard all year to prepare to race the 100, he said, so he can fool around on the starting line. As soon as the starter says, 'on your marks', however, he is back in focus. You'd better believe that.

As in Beijing, Bolt nailed his start when it mattered, and led when he came out of his drive phase. "When I got to 50 in the lead I knew it was going to be hard to pass me because that's the best part of my race."

As Steve Cram wrote in a BBC column recently, Bolt is now enjoying that window in his career during which great performances seem to come almost at will and without effort. The latter is, of course, an illusion: Bolt works damn hard, but the impression he gives is otherwise.

In the meantime, his rivals, chiefly Gay and Powell right now, but others will aspire to the standards Bolt is setting, watch on in wonder.

"I knew it was humanly possible to run that fast," said Gay. "I'm just sorry that it wasn't me," he added ruefully.

"I knew I needed to run the perfect race to win," Powell observed, "but I'm not 100 percent healthy to really challenge 9.58."

The perfect race: Powell needed to run it to have a chance; so, too, did Gay. Trouble was, it was Usain Bolt who most closely approached perfection this day.




 

Len Johnson was The Melbourne Age athletics writer for over 20 years, covering five Olympics, 10 world championships and five Commonwealth Games. He is the author of The Landy Era, From Nowhere to the Top of the World, and a former national class distance runner (2.19.32 marathon) who trained with Chris Wardlaw and Robert de Castella.

Like yourselves, the team at Runner's Tribe can't get enough news on running - past, present and future.

We are also passionate about improving the profile of athletics to help aspiring elite athletes realise their dreams.

The Runner's Tribe team is very excited to announce a partnership that will help us achieve these goals. New Balance Athletic Company have agreed to provide sponsorship that will enable us to increase our news coverage, our special features and to maintain our passionate on-line community.

Runner's Tribe is confident that this partnership will help us greatly in our quest to become the world's leading internet provider of extensive and entertaining athletics media.

New Balance is one of the true running heritage brands. Back in the 1970's New Balance was the only brand to support a struggling 2.22 marathoner, Dick Beardsley. It was years later in 1982 that Beardsley was immortalised in the classic "duel in the sun" Boston Marathon, where both runners clocked sub 2.09.

In Australia New Balance has supported runners through Athletics Australia & Triathlon Australia sponsorships. However, New Balance's proudest achievement is the 7-year long support of local runners through the NB Development Squad, with athletes such as Collis Birmingham, Marty Dent & Lisa Weightman, to name just a few.

So we would like to welcome New Balance as supporters of The Runner's Tribe and the development of running in Australia.
 

'The mile has all the elements of drama'
Sir Roger Bannister

A New Zealand athlete travelling to the United States is nothing new. However the topic is one that is frequently debated, with several arguments, often using hypothetical examples about the pros and cons of leaving. I read the discussions; spent the better part of a year searching for what I thought was the right school, and fundraised to make it possible. I was also lucky enough to be an athlete under Rees Buck who, as an 18 year old, had left to the United States straight out of high school to run at the NCAA power-house, Western State College of Colorado. However, no matter how much I thought I knew, and no matter how often I spoke to those who had made the same journey before, it could only go so far. You cannot be taught how things will be before leaving. Granted, you can listen to the experiences of others, but those experience are purely individual and affect each in a unique way. This article is not meant to be persuasive of leaving or staying in New Zealand, rather, an account of what is recognised as the hardest period; leaving and settling in. Although there may be similarities between my experience, and that of, say, my good friend Carl McKenzie at Villanova in Philadelphia, there are very different variables that have affected both of our transitions. The uniqueness of each situation is not to be underestimated. As I write, I am surrounded by a sea of white in a State declared with an Influenza epidemic and am spending my days running under layer after layer or working out on a treadmill. The Kiwi Contingent at Drake University in Iowa may be cold, but I doubt they have experienced -39celsius. Conversely, few of us would be as warm all year around as Danny Shaw and his legion of foreigners at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

 

It renders the treadmill a necessity

I am unashamedly a student of the sport and its history. As a 16 year old I was well aware of Nick Willis, Adrian Blincoe and Mike Aish. I was also well aware they did not live in New Zealand. They were based in the US and were running times faster than anyone on our home soil. Seeing this at such a young age made a lasting impression. I had already seen and raced all over New Zealand and the prospect of doing the same within the United States was a dream that followed me for the next three years. The possibility of representing New Zealand seemed distant, but for the time being I would be more than content with running in the US. It would serve as the goal always in the back of my mind. I always had reason to get up in the morning.

I am not the most talented of athletes, nor the most accomplished, I did however leave New Zealand in the middle of 2007 having run an 8.21 3k and 4.13 mile, seemingly respectable for someone who had just turned 19. I was not short of competition, training partners, facilities, money or gear. I was however, short of experience. I did not leave because I was not running fast enough, or because those around me were not pushing me to succeed. I left because I wanted the experience I had read and dreamed about. The over-dramatic writings of Chris Lear played probably the most significant role in my decision to come to Colorado. The mountains, the altitude, and the camaraderie of one of the most successful cross-country teams in the United States were things I was eager to be a part of. Upon hearing from Colorado University's Mark Wetmore that his squad would be made up of American athletes only, I was not too disappointed. Mentioned in Lear's book "Running with the Buffaloes" were the results of "DII power-house Western State College". They had more mountains, higher elevation, and had won the Division II National Cross-Country crown six times in seven years. Conveniently, my new coach happened to have spent five years running there. Although I was in contact with other schools, my good friend and training partner throughout my time in Wellington, Scott Ferguson, knew as well as I did that the decision to go to Western was essentially made as soon as I was first offered a scholarship in January of 2007.

The months prior to leaving were difficult to describe, I found it strange that I never did become excited about leaving, even to the point when I was on the plane. I had an amazing environment in Wellington, and leaving had become a lot harder than I had imagined as a 5th former at Napier Boy's High School.

 

In Gunnison

I arrived in Gunnison late on June 1st, which happened to be the longest June 1st of my life. As the sole surviving Kiwi on the Western State team, I was lodging with Nelson's own Kim Hogarth for the summer. The night I arrived was the first of many occasions I wanted to leave. One of the biggest issues facing a foreign student-athlete is finance. Most New Zealanders are enrolled in a Division 1 school where finance is not an issue. I chose Western because of its location, its history and whom I thought was coaching, not on where I would receive the most gear or money. The point is, a "full-ride" at Western means you work the summer (If you happen to stay) and at least 2 hours a night during the semester. The issues surrounding money caused me the most stress. Without the help of my family there would have been no way I could have stayed. I tried to account for what I would need when I first arrived, but as Kim explained the financial situation that I would be in, I realised it was a very different scenario to what had been described to me by the coaching staff on the phone before arriving. I thought I had asked the right questions regarding finance for rent, books etc. Each time my questions were answered with "That'll all be taken care of", or "That will be a very minimal cost". I felt secure, but I soon realised that this is how a school is supposed to make you feel. I was understandably frustrated. In the coming months the costs that were supposed to be "very minimal" were US$300 a semester for books and a US$800 house deposit. My refund cheque to cover this, as well as all living and running expenses was just over US$1200 a semester. As expected, two days after I arrived I was working 8 hours a day. Even so I had arrived and was living out my dream.

Kiwis at Western had traditionally gotten by through the handing down of essentials; furniture, cutlery, towels etc. Things you don't really think about when you're planning to come over. Kim made sure that I had what I needed. It seems like a small issue, but when you have just arrived on the other side of the world and things are very different than you expected, issues can escalate quickly.

The first night I really felt like things would work out was the first night I met Mike and Nicole Aish. As mentioned earlier, I am a student of the sport and to Mike and Nicole's relative surprise; I knew a fair amount about both of them and their careers, particularly Mike's. Discussion about the team was delicate. I had only found out a week or so before my arrival that long-time coach Vandenbusche would not be coaching, and that Mike would not have anything to do with the program. It had been another un-expectancy that made my transition all the more difficult. Nonetheless, Mike and Nicole were more than welcoming and being in Gunnison immediately became easier. Such is the feeling I am sure athletes around the US who attend schools with other Kiwis on the team are assured with. Of course Kim was on the team with me, but I can say that his company differed significantly to that of a regular sophomore, with the exception of the night out following the National Cross-Country Championships in Missouri!

I had long read about training at altitude, it is however, difficult to describe. For three months I was reduced to little more than jogging, while a day off a week became essential for recovery. Mike Aish described it too me as "running with weights on, and when you get to sea level, you take those weights off". Altitude and dealing with its affects have continued to be variables which are often very hard to deal with. In Wellington I trained hard and consistently week after week, feeling tired was usually something short-lived and remedied by an easy day or two. However, after spending over 12 months living and training at almost 8,000ft (2,438m) above sea-level, feeling tired has become something of everyday life. Never before has an afternoon sleep been such a necessity. Moreover, travelling down to sea-level affects everyone differently and is still something very new to me.

I began the cross-country season in good shape, Rees and I had planned my months leading into September carefully, having me fit and strong when I needed to be. My first two races were above most peoples expectations; I finished as 3rd man on a team that would go on to be narrowly defeated at the National meet less than two months later, and did it at 7,500ft. Unfortunately this success was short-lived. Each week I would talk to Rees regarding the sessions I had done. He became increasingly concerned with the splits I was hitting, which were sometimes upwards of 15secs faster than he had run on the same loops in his final year at Western. The coaches had seen me race and were convinced that I needed to be amongst the 'top guys' during workouts, all of whom were either born and raised at altitude, or had been there for at least two years. I was coming into my fourth month. My fatigue was not something gradual, it was sudden. Within a week I had gone from finishing a 5x mile on 90secs recovery with a 4.46 (at 8,000ft, remember), hanging from Kim Hogarth's shorts, to being entirely drained for the rest of the week. The week turned into over two months of struggling to run at any level. I had been pushed over the limit, and living at 8,000ft was making it impossible to recover. I lost all confidence in the coaching staff when I was never slowly transitioned back into training; everything was all out or not at all. Everyday I was over the line but was given no other choice, by the middle of October there is generally only the top 8 guys left training together, so the luxury of sitting in a slower pack during a workout is quickly lost. I was getting deeper and deeper into a hole that I had never experienced. This would take more than one or two easy days and is something only those who have spent a considerable amount of time at significant altitude would understand. One day you are in the best shape of your life, the next your season is over. It came so quick that there was nothing I could do to stop it. It was another experience that was unique and, although I struggled immensely, I would not change what happened. I spent over a year in Wellington with no interruptions, making huge gains in both my fitness and knowledge in a comfortable environment. However, there is only so much you can learn in that kind of situation, as I mentioned earlier; it was experience and an investment in my future development that I was seeking. Already I feel it has paid off.

Former New Zealand representative and Western State athlete Carl Jackson commented to me that "no one runs well there first year at altitude". There are some exceptions, Aish in particular. However, while Carl McKenzie and Hayden McLaren are joining the 4min mile club out East, I am working out on treadmills and racing at upwards of 6,000ft. It is part of the decision process when choosing a school. My goal in coming to Western State was to get strong, I realise that my situation could be very different if I was elsewhere, but each athlete must weigh his priorities and decide what will best serve him in the future. For me, Gunnison is an investment. I have arguably sacrificed any chance of an indoor season in coming here due to the weather and with it being my first year at altitude. However, I do not believe that when I am finished with my career that I will be judged on what I did or did not accomplish in my first season in America.

Other uncontrollable elements have played a large role in my experience thus far in the US. The cold is something I thought I knew in Wellington but took on a whole new meaning in Gunnison. There is no track here over winter, we run on roads under thick ice and snow-pack, and there is only so long that you can healthily withstand being out on a Sunday run. Alternating between running on ice and treadmills has a dramatic affect on your body. While I am lucky enough to say that I have never been truly injured, many runners at Western have been and currently are as a result of the adverse conditions we are forced to deal with. It does however, become part of daily life and something that is not worth becoming frustrated with. It is something that has made me stronger and better prepared for future training.

 

Road Running

Illness is also something to be aware of. Most foreigners will find the first few weeks of the semester those when they get sick. New bugs and strands of colds and influenza are not to be underestimated, while living in small Valley in a state with an influenza epidemic is no exception. These are the elements that are more often that not, uncontrollable and all shape the initial experience and feelings of arriving in the US to run. More importantly, they are issues rarely on your mind before leaving, which makes their affects all the more frustrating. This is accentuated by the fact that whilst here on a scholarship, your purpose feels far narrower than in New Zealand. When you are unable to run, suddenly pressures add up. The sport in New Zealand is predominantly individualised and is a far cry from the collegiate system used here in the US. Thus, there is far more pressure from coaches and administrators to always be ready to perform and allow them to 'get there moneys worth'. What few coaches seem to understand is that the scholarship system is not a one-way deal, it is very much a business relationship, while they are accountable to expectations as well, not just the athlete. This is something I have been forced on occasion to address to those who expect there "moneys-worth" from me, with no consideration for their end of the deal.

As with all situations however, there is life away from running. Like many others living out scholarship-life in the states I have made lasting friendships, seen a lot of the country and learnt more about myself in a year than I ever thought possible. It is this side of life in America, the side away from the track, which has given me most enjoyment.

I began this article with the assertion that this topic is nothing new, and I will end with that. However, I feel that a small account of my experience could prove valuable for future athletes making the move to the US. There has been discussion about the topic, but too many athletes come over unprepared for the transition they are about to make and it's unnecessary. You can never know too much, you can never be too prepared. I hope this will be the start of a trend for other athletes in my situation; to provide accounts of their times in the US, the pressures they felt, and the lessons they would pass on. Too many athletes venture over to the US and are seemingly forgotten. If I am anything of an example, there are many high school runners out there who think of nothing else but emulating those of us who have gone before them. Information, resources, and accounts from other athletes should be something readily available in order to allow for more informed decisions about leaving, rather than just taking the first scholarship available, which has been the case for many. It is a life changing experience, and it need not be a bad one.

By Daniel Wallis.