Tim Nelson returned to competition this morning at the national 8K championship in Central Park. Here’s what he had to say for himself last night.
Falmouth was your first road race as a pro. What have you been up to since then?
I headed to Kenya for 3 1/2 months for a study abroad program, which also allowed me an opportunity to do some pretty intense training with some of the Kimbia guys in Iten. I took classes in Nairobi for the first 7 weeks, then did a 6-week “internship,” in which I hung around at the Singore Girls School with Coach Kipchumba, shadowing him during practice. I also help lead some core and stability strengthening sessions with the girls, but many of the girls were better at the exercises that I was since they had learned them at Brother Colm O’Connell’s camp. So I was pretty much there for the experience and the training.
At noon on Saturday, you’ll be satisfied with your race at the Central Park 8K if…
…I place in the top five or otherwise run a “good” race. It is difficult to set goals or limitations since I haven’t raced in about six months. But I definitely want to get in the mix of the likes of Webb and Carlson and see what I can do.
What else are you racing between now and Olympic Trials?
I will be at the Stanford meet on April 4th, running the 5K. Then I hope to go for the Olympic A standard in the 10K at the Cardinal Invitational on May 4th. That’s all I’ve got right now.
Have you incorporated into your routine anything you learned or observed in Kenya?
Well, the most important things I learned in Kenya don’t seem to have a lot to do with running. In some ways I learned more about myself and how I am different as an American than I did about running. But I also saw how the unique culture in Kenya plays into developing amazing distance runners: the value for hard work and the unmatched focus that the Singore girls shared was inspirational in itself. The most important thing I learned is that there really isn’t a “secret” explaining why many Kenyans excel in distance running. From my experience, I would say that many Kenyans simply work harder and have a stronger motivation to work harder than most American distance runners.
You mentioned homework. Of what sort?
I’m finishing up my 5th year here at UW-Madison (it feels good to almost be done!). I’m taking 14 easy credits, 6 of which I need to graduate with a degree in Communication Arts: Radio, TV, Film. The other classes are just for fun: second semester Swahili and African International Relations. I’m enjoying it. It only took five years, but I think I finally enjoy school.
