One of our all time favorite ex TNB mates Mike Morgan has been named to the 2011 USA World Championships Marathon Team. Mike was kind enough to answer a few questions:
Will: So how does it feel to be named to the USA World Championships Marathon Team? The meet is in Daegu, Korea this summer, do you know what day you’ll be competing?
Mike: Will, to sport the USA Jersey in international competition is an unbelievable feeling, it is the pinnacle of our sport. I remember standing on that start line in Osaka, Japan, thinking that there are over 300 million people in the US, and I was one of five guys that got this opportunity to represent our country. Don’t screw it up! It is a very humbling and emotional event, one that I will never forget. This time around, I will be competing on the final day of the Championships, it is scheduled for September 4th.
Will: This isn’t your first time to run the WC Marathon. Didn’t you run in Osaka a few years ago?
Mike: Yes, I have been fortunate enough to run on both the World Championships Marathon in Osaka 2007, as well as the World Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton, in 2005.
Will: What did you learn from your first trip that will help you this August?
Mike: I learned so much. Things such as dealing with jet lag, being away from your family in a foreign land for a couple of weeks, the pressure of performing on a major stage, and of course, running a marathon in the brutal heat and humidity. I am very confident that we will be able to take my training from the last Championships, tweak it, and come up with a great game plan for Daegu.
Will: The qualifying mark for the World Championships Marathon is 2:17:00. Remind us of which race you ran that qualified you.
Mike: My qualification mark came from the 2010 Chicago Marathon where I ran a personal best of 2:14:55.
Will: This obviously alters the focus on the USA Olympic Trials next January. Will there be plenty of time to recover and get trained up for Houston?
Mike: Let’s be honest. I am 31 with a kid on the way, my opportunities to wear that USA Jersey are becoming limited. I had such a positive experience in Osaka, I would never forgive myself if I passed on a chance to do it again. After Osaka, I had 6 weeks to recover and compete at the US Olympic Trials, it worked out well. I do recognize that I am 4 years older, and the US Marathon game has changed significantly, however, this time around, the trials are in January, and that gives me 4 months to get ready. In my mind, this does not alter the focus for the Olympic Trials, rather, it is just another stepping stone towards that race.
Will: Can you tell us who your teammates will be? Men? Women? Any other of your Hanson’s mates?
Mike: I haven’t heard the official roster, but I believe that I will be the only Hanson member, however, I will be joined by my former Hanson teammates Nick Arciniaga, and Jeff Eggleston, as well as Sergio Reyes, and Mike Sayenko. Also, I am hopeful that Desi Davila can qualify for the Championships in the 10,000m on the track.
Will: I see this as the third biggest race of your life- behind only the upcoming Olympic Trials and hopefully the Olympic Games themselves. This next year is what all your years of running and racing have pointed to. Can you give us a little insight about how it feels to be on the verge of realizing every runner’s dream of the biggest stage?
Mike: It can definitely be overwhelming to think about what has to be done to make the team. Like you mentioned, I have been preparing for this moment my entire life. Starting from the lessons my parents taught me, to all of the things that I have learned from all of my coaches throughout the years, I need to pull it all together for this race.
Will: We missed seeing you and Kelly in Lincoln for the marathon, will you be visiting Nebraska at all before you leave later this summer? I’d like to give you a lock of my hair for good luck!
Mike: Yes, because the trials are in January, my Christmas trip to Nebraska may not happen, or it will be very short lived, so we will try to get back a couple of times this summer. Plus, I need a little Nebraska summer to get ready for Daegu!
Wednesday Night Track Workout at Millard West, 6:00 pm
Marathoners- easy 3-5 miles
Half Marathoners- easy 3-5 miles
Speed Demons- 1.5-2.0 mile warm up and down. 2 X 800 w/ 2:00 recovery, 2 X 400 w/ 1:00 recovery, 2 X 200 w/ :30 recovery
Mike Morgan running the 2008 USA Olympic Marathon Trials in Central Park.
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