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St. Louis Track Club Men's Elite Mile JORDAN FIFE
1. Jordan, it seems like you are off to a great start in 2009 with a 5k PR at Mt Sac and then a solid steeple at Stanford. Are you happy with how things have gone and what is it about your training that has you in such good shape? I obviously can't be dissapointed with either of my track performances thus far, but I'd be lying if I said I was happy with them. I'm more content with them than anything. Coming off of five weeks of training at altitude in Flagstaff, AZ, I thought I was ready for a 13:35 type performance in the 5k. I lost focus late in the race and slowed down enough to cost me that sub 13:40. It was still a 7 second PR so I still was able to get a confidence boost from that meet. The approach to the steeple race was a bit different as I was just wanting to make sure that I qualified for the US Championships. I would have liked to run a few seconds faster and PR, but I ran fast enough to qualify and that was the main objective. The biggest contributor to my fitness right now is just consistency. Month after month of good workouts, solid long runs, and the right amount of rest in between definitely adds up. 2. Last year was an Olympic year and a lot of people had you as a guy who might be a darkhorse to make the team in the steeplechase. Things didn't quite work out for you at the Trials. Talk about that experience and did it fuel you to come back stronger than ever? The overall Olympic Trials experience was bittersweet. I would never have dreamed that I would ever be running at the Olympic Trials, so the fact that I was even there and able to experience it was overwhelming. The other side was that guys that I had defeated earlier in the season in the steeplechase ended up making the Olympic Team, so it was frustrating to watch the finals from the stands knowing that I could compete with those guys. I had some foot problems for the month or so leading up to the Trials so I wasn't able to do any jumping. I knew the prelims were going to be rough since I hadn't really jumped a hurdle in so long and my legs just weren't used to the continuous jumping and landing. The experience has made me realize though that its all about who is the most fit on that day. It doesn't matter who beats who earlier in the season. I've shifted my training to be able to race stronger later in the year rather than using up everything at the beginning of the year. 3. What are your goals for this season? My best finish in a USA Championship steeplechase came when I was a junior in college. So more than anything, I'd like to be able to compete and place as high as I did that year which was 10th. I'm shooting for my first 8:30 in the steeplechase as well. Hopefully the time and place goal will come hand in hand at this year's USA Championships. 4. How does the Big River Festival of Miles fit into your season and why did you choose to run it again this year? I don't really have any big races planned between the BRFM and the USA Championships so it made sense to run a faster race to work on some speed. I run the mile during the indoor season but then I get away from that mid-distance type of race during the outdoor season and its always nice to get back to it from time to time. I had a great experience at last year's race and I'm looking forward to an exciting race again this year. 5. How much of a difference does it make for you as an athlete to have a really big crowd at race? The crowd can make all of the difference in the world. I seem to compete better the bigger the crowd. I always enjoy the indoor season because the fans seem louder and closer to the track and the atmosphere is just electric. For an outdoor meet to have the same feel, it has to be a special race that is the "event of the meet" or something like that. With everyone's attention being on each individual race next Saturday, it should have that kind of feel. 6. Finally, knowing who is in the race and knowing your own fitness level how do you see the race playing out on Saturday without giving away any secret strategies of course! If the weather is nice, I can definitely see everyone making a run at the sub 4:00. Last year turned in to a more tactical race because of the weather, but this year should be a lot better and field seems a little deeper as well. From my own perspective, I have to be as confident as I can be. I'd be lying if I didn't think I could win the race and run under 4:00 at the same time, but I also know that everyone else will be thinking the same thing. Only one person can win though, so I have to keep my focus and really push at the end and go hard all the way to the finish line. Watch Jordan break four minutes in the mile *** |
West County |
