{"id":23590,"date":"2017-10-02T15:25:30","date_gmt":"2017-10-02T04:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.runnerstribe.com\/?p=23590"},"modified":"2017-10-02T15:41:01","modified_gmt":"2017-10-02T04:41:01","slug":"interview-with-adrian-blincoe-kiwi-flyer-by-neil-macdonald","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/features\/interview-with-adrian-blincoe-kiwi-flyer-by-neil-macdonald\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Adrian Blincoe “Kiwi Flyer” by Neil MacDonald"},"content":{"rendered":"

The below interview is thanks to Neil MacDonald, who caught up with Adrian Blincoe in January 2004.\u00a0 With Neil\u2019s permission, the interview has been restored so that today\u2019s generation can appreciate this outstanding read.<\/b><\/p>\n

Neil MacDonald\u00a0managed the Geelong Region Cross Country team from 2000-2007.<\/b><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

ADRIAN BLINCOE \u201cKIWI FLYER\u201d<\/b><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Top New Zealand middle-distance runner, Adrian Blincoe is certainly a seasoned traveller with time spent over the last few years studying in America, racing for the renowned Villanova Wildcats and <\/span>competing on the European athletic circuit. Over the summer of 2003 \/ 2004, Adrian travelled to Falls Creek to prepare in his bid to wear New Zealand\u2019s famous black singlet with the silver fern at the Athens Olympics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

N.M. Adrian, welcome to Falls Creek. As <\/span>a New <\/span>Zealander, why are you here at this time of the year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Just basically to escape the Philadelphia winter which can be very brutal. I remember we had 28 inches of snow in one day so those conditions make running very difficult indeed. Now that I don\u2019t have the restrictions of running for the College, I decided to come over here for seven weeks solid base building training. Because I\u2019ve been in Europe for so long, I just need 10 \u2013 12 weeks of threshold workouts and mileage before I hit the track, so I guess there\u2019s no better place to come than here.<\/p>\n

N.M. Have you <\/span>been to altitude and completed training in a group situation before?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. No, this is the first stint at altitude for me so it\u2019s all kind of new but we have Nic (Bideau) up here with us and he\u2019s been doing this for a long time so he\u2019s giving me advice and altering my workouts to suit how I\u2019m going so that I get the most benefit from my <\/span>time here.<\/p>\n

N.M. How <\/span>have you <\/span>enjoyed the different terrain and running trails that Falls Creek has to offer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. It\u2019s really good. First of all it\u2019s been really good to catch up with the guys that I\u2019ve lived with in Europe, like Georgie (Clarke), Buster (Craig Mottram), Benita (Johnson) and Cam (Benita\u2019s husband). Also, I really like training with Buster, because we push each other along. Last year in Europe I was helping him out when he was coming back from injury and now that I\u2019m not as fit as I\u2019d like to be, he\u2019s helping me out. But our group up here is really good and I\u2019m used to <\/span>training with up to twenty athletes.<\/p>\n

N.M. You completed your first ever \u2018Quarters Session\u201d and Langfords yesterday. What were your impressions of this famous session?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. I thought it was going to be a lot easier than it was. When you hear that it\u2019s 8 x 400 metres with a 200 metre \u2018float\u2019 between, and then the sort of times that Buster and Mona have run up here, you <\/span>think that does not sound too hard. But it\u2019s a lot tougher than I thought and I learnt that you can\u2019t \u2018cook\u2019 yourself too early. I went out a little too quick at the start and eventually paid for it. However, it\u2019s a good session for me at this time of the year and I\u2019m pretty confident that as I become fitter I can keep dropping my time for the session. I think we\u2019re going to complete this session each Thursday for the next few weeks.<\/p>\n

N.M. What was your time yesterday?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. 15.45.<\/p>\n

N.M. Coming to a complete stop and then turning at each end point certainly makes the session more difficult. In fact, at Falls Creek it\u2019s a little like a gigantic \u2018beep test\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ed. At Falls Creek the \u201cQuarters Session\u201d is run along a 600 metre stretch of aqueduct, with a shoe or a jacket or a stick dividing each 200 metre point.<\/b><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, I\u2019m not used to doing a session like that and the stopping adds a little time to your end result but it\u2019s the same for everyone. However, the slowing to turn does not mean extra recovery and I was hurting pretty bad towards the end yesterday.<\/p>\n

N.M. And, as you <\/span>said, you <\/span>probably went out a little hard by sitting on Craig for the first few <\/span>surges?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, but it felt easy at that stage. However, once you <\/span>go over your current fitness level in a session like that at altitude, there\u2019s no coming back. Next time I\u2019ll pace myself a little better early on and I\u2019m confident that I can take a fair bit off my time of 15.45.<\/p>\n

N.M. One of the good things about training at Falls Creek is that you <\/span>have plenty of opportunity for recovering between sessions. What have you <\/span>been doing between sessions?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. I don\u2019t usually run twice on my hard session day, but up here I\u2019ve been doing an easy run each afternoon, which has been good because I find the easy 30 minute second run freshens up the legs ready for the next day. I have also been heading to the weights room to work on specific strength, stretching and core stability. Apart from that I\u2019ve been fitting in a lot of reading. In the eight days I\u2019ve been here I\u2019ve read five books so that has helped to pass the time while I\u2019m recovering. We\u2019ve also been playing a bit of cards.<\/p>\n

N.M. In regards to the cards, I hear that you\u2019re a fan of \u201cFive Hundred\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, I think it\u2019s the best card game and I\u2019m pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.<\/p>\n

N.M. What books have you read so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Lance Armstrong\u2019s second book \u2013 \u201cEvery Second Counts\u201d, a poker book called \u201cThe Greatest Game In The World\u201d, \u201c1984\u201d by George Orwell, plus two of the Narnia series by CS Lewis – I\u2019ve got the whole Narnia Chronicles so I\u2019m working my way through those.<\/p>\n

N.M. Pretty varied literary taste, I\u2019d suggest.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, I like to alternate between a classic book and something a little lighter. I\u2019ve got \u201cThe Catcher In The Rye\u201d and \u201cSlaughterhouse Five\u201d up here too, so I plan to read those soon.<\/p>\n

N.M. I would have thought you\u2019d have read Salinger\u2019s \u201cCatcher In The Rye\u201d and Orwell\u2019s \u201c1984\u201d at school?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. No, I haven\u2019t. We <\/span>read a few of the classic American twentieth century novels at school and before heading here I read books like \u201cTo Kill A Mockingbird\u201d and the \u201cThe Great Gatsby\u201d. Then there was James Joyce\u2019s book \u2026\u2026\u2026.. aaahhhh.<\/p>\n

N.M. \u201cUlysses\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. No \u2026\u2026\u2026.. \u201cPortrait Of An Artist As A Young Man\u201d and that was pretty tough reading.<\/p>\n

N.M. \u201cUlysses\u201d is also very tough going?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, I think \u201cUlysses\u201d might stay on the shelf for a while.<\/p>\n

N.M. I think \u201cUlysses\u201d holds the record as the book most started but never finished.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, it\u2019s critically acclaimed and on top of all the \u201cBest Books Of The Twentieth Century\u201d but a very challenging read.<\/p>\n

N.M. How <\/span>did you <\/span>become involved with Nic Bideau\u2019s group?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. My coach in America, Marcus O\u2019Sullivan is good friends with Nic and so when I\u2019d finished this <\/span>season in America, he recommended that I work with Nic. When Sonia O\u2019Sullivan was in America for the New York Marathon, we had a meeting and talked things through and now I will be spending the Australian summer training with his group.<\/p>\n

(Ed. Marcus O\u2019Sullivan represented Ireland in 4 Olympic Games – 1984 (800, 1500 metres \/ 1988 (1500 metres) \/ 1992 (1500 metres) \/ 1996 (1500 metres). He also won three World Indoor Championships over 1500 metres (1987, 1989, 1993), set the World Record for 1500 metres Indoors in 1989 (3:35.4), ran 3:50.9 for an Indoor Mile and with John Walker and Steve Scott, is one of only three athletes to record 100 plus sub four minute miles.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

N.M. You had a very successful 2003, culminating with you <\/span>competing at the World Athletic Championships in Paris, where you <\/span>won a heat of the 1500 metres. Can you <\/span>go through that race?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. It was kind of funny because, although it was my first senior World Championships, I was not all that nervous because it was not all that difficult to qualify for the next round. In my heat only four runners would not make it through and there were four obvious guys who weren\u2019t up to the standard. Then, Bernard Lagat did not show up for my heat (because of a positive drug test that he was later cleared of) so that made things easier for me. In the race we went out really slow and I felt very comfortable, because I have a good kick and a decent turn of speed. When we started to pick it up I was boxed in right behind Medhi Baala and Reyes Estevez, but that was OK because those sort of guys are going to run on strongly. Then, with 150 metres to go I saw an opening and so that I would have a clear run, I swooped around the outside. With 100 metres to go I was still feeling great so I thought, \u201cI can ease up here and run 0.2 of a second slower or maintain my pace and win the heat?\u201d, so I chose to win the heat. I think it was a good move because, even though it didn\u2019t really mean much, it got a lot of people back home in New Zealand interested.<\/p>\n

N.M. Great for the sponsors too?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, they were very happy.<\/p>\n

N.M. Was it front or back page news back in New <\/span>Zealand?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. It was on the radio a lot and it may have made the small print somewhere in the sports results.<\/p>\n

N.M. Was that your biggest win?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Because of how easy it was going to be to qualify, it was no big deal – The NCAA Championships that I won were a much bigger deal.<\/p>\n

N.M. What happened in the World Championships semi-final?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Aaahhh \u2026\u2026. I got off to a bad start. After only a hundred metres I was boxed in at the rear. You <\/span>might think that with 1400 metres to go there is plenty of time but when the pack is moving along at 3.36 pace or faster, it is really hard to improve your position unless you\u2019re a sub 3.30 athlete. Then, when the pace picked up, I had the option of running the last 600 metres out in lane three against the best athletes in the world or staying where I was hoping that something would open up on the inside. I chose the later, but no gaps appeared. Then with 300 metres to go I was tripped and lost all momentum. Eventually I came home ninth, which was really disappointing. But I learnt a lot, especially about running the first 100 metres really aggressively so that you\u2019re in the right position. Semi-finals at world level tend to be slow early so you have to be in the lead group when the pace picks up over the last two laps.<\/p>\n

N.M. What time did you <\/span>end up running?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. About 3.42.<\/p>\n

(Ed. Adrian\u2019s time was 3:41.53 with Mehdi Baala first in 3:39.73)<\/strong><\/p>\n

N.M. Who was in you <\/span>semi-final?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Medhi Baala, Reyes Estevez, Ruiz Silva, Fouad Chouki \u2013 the French guy who was later rubbed out for EPO use. There were a lot of guys who\u2019ve run under 3.32.<\/p>\n

N.M. Did you <\/span>stay on in Paris and watch the final?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, I did. And while it was fantastic to see athletes like El Guerrouj run, I felt that I would not have been out of place in the final. Whereas, two years previously, I would have thought \u2018Wow, these guys are really moving \u2013 I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever reach that level\u2019. So a lot can change over the course of two years.<\/p>\n

N.M. Looking through your <\/span>times, you <\/span>have run Personal Bests right across the board in 2003.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, there were P.B.\u2019s in the 800 metres, 1500 metres, mile, 2000 metres and 3000 metres, so it\u2019s been a good year. Basically, it came down to me being a year stronger but also getting into the right races. I\u2019d never been to Europe before and every European race is an opportunity to run fast if <\/span>you\u2019re in great shape.<\/p>\n

N.M. You mentioned earlier that your win in the NCAA Indoor 3000 metres was a highlight. What differences are there from indoor to outdoor racing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. There\u2019s a lot more contact indoors, it\u2019s a lot tighter on the smaller tracks so you <\/span>have to protect your space. There can be a lot of elbows thrown but I like that type of physical racing. I won the NCAA 3000 metres and Distance Medley Relay in 2002 also so that was pretty special. When I first came to America my goal was to work my way up into the top three in the college system. In 2001, after six months I had placed second in the indoor 3000 metres, then the following year I recorded the third fastest time ever by a collegian indoors when I ran 7.47. Obviously, going into 2003 I had a fair bit of pressure on me as the favourite for both the 3000 metres and the distance medley but I was able to win both, which was both a relief and very satisfying.<\/p>\n

N.M. Would it be fair to say that you receive more recognition in America than you <\/span>do in New <\/span>Zealand?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Absolutely. The famous American magazine \u201cTrack and Field News\u201d covers Collegiate Track and Field just as much, if not more, as it covers professional athletics.<\/p>\n

N.M. Your impressions of the American College running scene. Is it a great arena to develop running talent?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. For me, it was perfect. I was able to win the New Zealand senior men\u2019s 1500 metres in 2000 but I was only a 3.42 runner at that stage, so I was not ready to compete in the big European races. Instead, I chose to go to Villanova and run with Marcus O\u2019Sullivan. It was a great learning experience for me because I learnt how to race as well as how to just run fast – developing things like my finishing kick and race tactics that I would need if I was going to perform well against the best runners in Europe. I also met a lot a great people as well as having a lot of fun. Saying all of that, you have to be careful in that there are only a handful of universities that I would recommend for runners, because a lot of them are still hung-up on the point scoring syndrome and trying to beat Conference rivals.<\/p>\n

N.M. By that, do you <\/span>mean that some of them flog their athletes and run them into the ground?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Yes, definitely. But my school was not like that at all. In fact, it <\/span>was probably the opposite in that if I was feeling tired, they would rest me. For most colleges, the most important meets were the Conference Meets as that\u2019s where the rivalries have developed and where the College Directors decide financial bonuses and structures for coaches. Luckily, Marcus was not at all hung-up on that and would always put the athletes\u2019 well-being ahead of any team wins. I probably only ran 50% of the Conference Meets because our goal was to run well at the NCAA\u2019s and well after I had finished college.<\/p>\n

N.M. For anyone interested in going over to America, which Colleges spring to mind as the really good ones as far as athletics is concerned?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.B. Obviously Villanova, Michigan \u2013 that\u2019s where my <\/span>fellow New Zealand 1500 metre runner, Nick Willis is, Providence is very good, Stanford is good but it\u2019s very hard to get in to because they\u2019re a little anti- foreigner. Colorado, Ohio State, Georgetown \u2013 schools like that I\u2019d recommend. But overall, the top three are Villanova, Michigan and Stanford.<\/p>\n

\n

Adrian Blincoe anchored Villanova to back-to-back NCAA DMR titles in 2002 (9:31.00) and 2003 (9:29.12) pic.twitter.com\/kVBWSJC9j2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Run Nova (@RunNova) March 16, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n