One on One with Adrian Blincoe May 2007

NZR: Firstly, congrats on your win in the 5000m at Stanford last weekend.  Tell us about the race and your build up toward it?

 

Training had been going really well leading up to the race, so I knew it would go well. There was no pacemaker, which was unfortunate because had it been faster in the first mile, I would have run 13:20 or so. But I was encouraged with how comfortable it felt, and am now confident I can run under 13:20.

 

NZR:  It seems that over the past 18 months you are back looking at a fast 5000m time again after not running any since your were a junior and running sub 14.20 off about 60k a week.  What has driven the move up, is this a move up?

 

I have finally strung together enough consistent training to allow me to do justice to the 5000. Previously I would train hard and then break down, get niggly injuries, never anything major, but enough to interrupt my training. This build-up I have put together 25 quality weeks and only had maybe 4 days off. The past few years I have seen what strength can do for you. Strength means speed, so although my training is currently focused on the 5000, my plan is to still run major championships in the 1500. I have had a front row seat in seeing what guys like Buster can do over shorter distances while still training for the 5000.

  

NZR: How have you changed your training for these 5000m races?  Is your body handling any increased mileage?

 

I am still at the lower end of the spectrum mileage wise. I have averaged 70-75 miles a week this build-up. The major increase has come in my long runs which now alternate weekly between 90 and 120 mins. The workouts at the moment are also a lot tougher. 1500m workouts are easy compared to the volume of 5k workouts.

 

NZR: What is your target distance with Osaka in mind?

 

I plan to run the 1500 in Osaka.

 

NZR: What are your thoughts on NZ’s current resurgence in 1500m running (Nick Willis, Paul Hamblyn, Gareth Hyett etc)?  Do you think qualifying for major champs is going to be hard with more people going for 3 spots?

 

It’s great that so many guys are running fast. Nick started it all with his first trip to Europe in 2003. I remember seeing he ran 3:36, it raised the bar, and then 2 weeks later I ran 3:36. It has just escalated from there really. Paul ran amazingly  in Melbourne, few people realize the hard work that he puts in. Now guys like Gareth, Max, and Carl are putting there hands up as well. I am such a competitive person that if more than 3 guys run the time, it will just mean I’ll have to run even faster.

 

NZR: You largely sat out the US indoor season. Why was that considering you have been know to run fast indoor 3k’s?

 

My goal this indoor was to build a huge aerobic base. I knew I would be racing a very long season. My first race was last week, and I plan to be racing in August, that is 4 months, you cannot accomplish that if you run a full indoor season.

 

NZR: What’s life like in Philadelphia, do you plan on living in the US indefinitely?

 

I love it in Philadelphia. I am very settled here right now. From a running standpoint my coach and training partners are here. It is close to Europe, and you also have access to the top US races. My girlfriend, Kelly, is also a Philadelphia native, which is another obvious advantage. I don’t know where I’ll end up.

 

NZR: Tell us about your role as assistant coach at Villanova?

This year has been my first as an official Villanova Coach. The past few years my own running was my sole focus. It was good at first, but then I was getting a little bored. I needed something to get me out of the house for a few hours each day. It has been exactly what I needed. I help Marcus with recruiting, and also have some input into the guys’ training.

 

I have been doing workouts  with one of the guys on the team, Bobby Curtis, he ran 13:43 in his first 5000, and then ran 3:57 (Mile) and 1:49 (800) this past weekend – so that obviously helps my training. Plus I do all the non-running stuff with the team - core, weights, drills etc.

NZR: Was it hard to become professional after finishing college when you were not American?

 

For the most part non-US runners don’t receive nearly as much interest from US shoe companies. I was lucky to hook up with Nic Bideau, who helped me secure a contract with New Balance. It was a little stressful my last month of Villanova, as I knew that part of my life was coming to an end. I had no agent, no contract, nowhere to live. Thankfully Nic helped me with the first 2, and that eased a lot of my concerns. Villanova was such a security blanket as everything was taken care of for me. I suddenly had to fend for myself.

 

NZR: Who are your current coaching and management advisers?

 

Marcus coaches me. Nic is my manager, he also oversees my training when I am in Europe. This is important because Marcus is not there to see how I look, so Nic can adjust things. They both have very similar training philosophies, so it is a pretty seamless transition. They are also good friends, and talk regularly.

 

NZR: What are your racing plans this northern summer?

 

My next race is the Reebok meet in New York, June 2nd. I’ll do the 5000 there. Then I’ll head to Europe for the remainder of the summer. The result in NY will determine my racing schedule in Europe, but I plan to focus on 1500.

 

NZR: Do you have plans to have a go at the NZ 5000m record in Europe this year?

 

There will be no specific record attempts. I am still really new to the 5000. I want to hit the A standard in both the 1500 and the 5000, and to win a race in Europe, those are my goals for this year.

 

NZR: Any chance of a 10,000m track career after Beijing Olympics?

 

I don’t think so. I still consider myself a 1500m runner - for the next few years anyway. On the world stage a 3:32 or 3:33 still puts you in with a shot at winning races, placing high at major championships. But the equivalent 5k - say a 13:10, doesn’t get you anywhere. In the 10k it is perhaps even tougher. The need, then, is to run that 3:33.