Running Uphill

Hello, World!

It has been a minute or two since I have posted an update. After a relatively mediocre race at the US XC Championships in Boulder on February 7^th where I placed 24^th, I spent the rest of the month in Boulder to continue my altitude training.

When I returned to sea level in Minnesota in March, in cliché fashion, I was running the best workouts of my life and gearing up for what I thought would legitimately be a 13:20-25 5k, given the workouts I was running (as always, you can see my training log here). In the excitement of these stellar workouts and impending race success, I ignored the early signs of achilles overuse. 

Which turned into cutting workouts short. 

Which turned into taking a few days off, because it'll patch up real quick. 

Which turned into taking a few weeks off. 

Which turned into running a lone mediocre 5k at Payton Jordan, my only race to show for the entirety of the 2015 track season.

Below is a screenshot of my training log summary from track season, which is inundated with bars labeled "OTHER", indicating a cross training day.

During the months of April, May, and June combined, I totaled a paltry 298 running miles. For sake of comparison, in the previous 5 years, my mileage during this same period of time was as follows:

2014 - 946
2013 - 1031
2012 - 75 (foot injury)
2011 - 888
2010 - 888

This was supposed to be the year. The year that finally turned it around. Since the magical year of 2011, I have been on and off like day and night. Sporadic success came once in a blue moon. But 2015! I had put a stake in the ground, I was going to be ON! 

Yet again, I found myself in the midst of injury. Cheering on teammates, friends, and rivals alike from the east grandstands at historic Hayward Field, host of the 2015 USA Track and Field Championships. I watched in agony as the 5k field loped along for two miles, followed by a fast finish. I watched as a contemporary won the race, an athlete with whom I have closed, side by side, in previous races. A finish which did not eclipse my ability.

Motivated by what I witnessed that week at the US Championships, I ran along the famed Pre's Trail on the north side of the Willamette River, covering ground which has been trodden by countless national and world champions. My thoughts focused on training, racing, competing. Is this still what I wanted? Had my love for the footrace been too far tempered by the trials of injury?

I returned to Minnesota with a burdened mind, but a clear vision: I love to race. I am not ready to toss the spikes, the long workouts, the innumerable miles. I owe it to myself at least through the 2016 Olympic Trials. You can do anything for a year, right?

So with renewed vigor and commitment to the sport, I have made the difficult decision to leave Team USA Minnesota. The past two years have been full of both trials and triumphs, failure and success. But my sojourn in Minnesota has been perennially overshadowed by injury. My longest stint of uninterrupted health was between March 1, 2014 and December 25, 2014. And even that was complicated by anemia early on in the track season.

My decision to leave Minnesota is not a reflection of the support of the team, my teammates, or the Land of 10,000 Lakes (...and its frigid winter). Coach Dennis Barker is a highly accredited coach with a long history of success. A coach, while at Team USA Minnesota, has produced 23 National Champions in events ranging from the 1500 meters up through the marathon. His résumé is unarguably impressive. But as outstanding as Dennis' credentials are, unfortunately it wasn't a great fit for me. With continued bouts of injury under his direction, I have decided to pursue another opportunity where I hope to be more consistently healthy. I strongly believe consistency is the greatest predictor of distance running success and that is the area in which I have failed most during my time in Minnesota.

With that, I am excited to announce that in October, I will be joining Team Run Eugene, based in Eugene, Oregon! After many conversations with coaches, friends, and mentors, I am excited to begin working with the new team and coach, Ian Dobson, a 2008 Olympian in the 5000 meters representing the US.

This will be another big change in my life, but one about which I have great excitement. Ian and I have spoken about what my time in Eugene will look like and I'm looking forward training under his tutelage with my eyes set on making a US team. In fact, Eugene plays host to the US Olympic Trials at Hayward Field, located on the campus of the University of Oregon, so it will be a constant reminder of the goals towards which I aspire.

As I return to more consistent training, I have my eyes set on the two following races so far this fall:

• Minnesota Mile - September 13
• USA 5k Road Championships/CVS 5k - September 20

And if I can place in the top 10 at the CVS 5k, that will make me eligible for the .US Road Racing Championships on November 15, in which I hope to compete. I'm determined to keep the entirety of 2015 from being a competitive wash.

Finally: thank you for reading, for the continued support, and for all of the kind messages that I have received from so many of you this year. My sincere appreciation for all of those who have helped me keep my head high during this tough year of injury.