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Interview with David Torrence - Facebook Exclusive

Published by
USATF   May 12th 2010, 8:43pm
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Interview from www.facebook.com/USATFfans

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USA Track & Field -  We have David Torrence with us for our first USATF Facebook Fan page exclusive interview. David Torrence will defend his 2009 title at the USA 1 Mile Road Championships tomorrow in Minneapolis. David’s 2009 performance left his mark in the history books by winning the first ever road mile championship as well as being the first man in the state of Minnesota to break four-minutes for a mile on the roads.

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USA Track & Field -  Hey David, how’s it going? Where are you at today?

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David Torrence - Hey! I'm doing great. Just hanging out in a coffee shop here in downtown Minneapolis, lounging around before my run.

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USA Track & Field -  Nice, sounds good. so, how does running a road mile compare to a mile on the track?

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David Torrence - You know, it's actually pretty different. First of all, when you're running a mile on the track, you always know where you are at during the race. You know exactly where 200m, 700m, 1000m, etc., are at and you're able to adjust and be pretty aware of the speed you're going, and the distance you have left. On the road however, you usually only get the quarter-mile splits, and because of that, there's a good portion of the race that you're just kind of guess-timating where you are. Also, the fact that there are hills and downhills, and the fact that we're on cement is a change as well.

I love them though, it's a refreshing move away from the track and I think it's a really exciting way to get the more casual road-racers to see a bit of the track speed that's out there.

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USA Track & Field -  Last year you moved into the lead by running the tangent on a curve. Was that a lucky move or a calculated strategy?

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David Torrence - When I ran the course the day before, I definitely made a mental note to make sure I cut that turn as close as possible, and when it came down to the last 300m or so, and I saw Jon Rankin out in the middle of the street, it became even more apparent to me to go inside. After all, the whole street is the course. So I guess in that sense it was a "calculated strategy"!

It ended up being a pretty dramatic move, because not only did I take the tangent, but I also started kicking right about then, so when I went by Jon I put a lot of distance between us pretty quickly. He made a valiant effort to catch back up though...and if he had taken the tangent himself, who knows what would have happened.

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USA Track & Field -  That move lead to a lot of changes for you. Before this race last year, you said in an interview, “ If I don’t do well, I might have to move on.” How did winning this race change your outlook as a professional runner?

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David Torrence - Well, thanks to the great people at Medtronic, the prize money from the race basically supported me for the next year. Before I won the race last year I was unsponsored, unemployed, and basically living off of my earnings from the fall and my winnings from the USATF Indoor Champs. The money was dwindling down however, and after another month or so, I would have been totally broke.

I could have gotten a job and tried to make some cash that way, but I really wanted to put all my effort into training/recovering, and try and run as fast as I could every time I competed, in hopes to get noticed and picked up by a sponsor. I basically made a big gamble by training full-time and not working, but I really felt that it was what I needed to do in order to get to the next level and be noticed. I've always felt you have to go big or go home, and at the end of the day, I think it worked out alright for me.

So I guess to answer your question, it basically just allowed me to keep training full-time, keep improving, and eventually led to me being sponsored.

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USA Track & Field -  Alright, the next question comes from a Twitter follower, Derek Rubis…
What is the best thing about being in the Bay Area Track club?

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David Torrence - You know, for me personally I really love the idea of our club bridging the gap between the elites of our sport with the college, highschool, youth level runners and even the regular Joe Joggers who put in 3miles every other day.

A vast majority of those people have very little knowledge of the top end of our sport. How many recreational basketball players do you know that have never heard of Kobe Bryant? Or football players who don't know Reggie Bush? In track however, there's a large divide between our fans or even just participants of the sport and the top level athletes.

So what I'm really excited about is the clinics, camps, races, and other events that we are planning in order to give back to the community, and really try to connect with all those runners out there who are really missing out on the beauty of the sport at the highest level.

It also helps that the members of the BATC do a variety of different events, so it's like we have experts in each discipline from the 800m to the marathon! It gives us the opportunity to really learn from each other, and get in some great training at the same time!

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USA Track & Field -  That's awesome!

As you look at the other men in the field, there are some stout competitors, including Lopez Lomong, Garrett Heath and Dan Huling. How does being the defending champion and the first entry in the record books influence your confidence on race day?

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David Torrence - It definitely gives me a boost of confidence. Since I am the defending road mile champion, there's a bit of a target on my back...

But I refuse to go down lightly.

I've raced the course before... I've seen its tricks.... I know its secrets.

So this year's field may have more top milers, with lots of fast times and grand accomplishments, but none have that important ingredient that can make the difference on race day: experience.

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USA Track & Field -  Very true!

There are also several newcomers in the field, including Derek Scott who recently won the Puma mile, as well as three athletes without any sponsors. As someone who has recently broken through to the next category of professional runner, what advice would you give those guys?

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David Torrence - I think the biggest piece of advice I would give them is get out and race.

The point of being a professional runner is to be seen, to be wearing your sponsor's gear and competing in meets, in races. You have to show them what you are capable of and what you can bring to the table. If you only race very rarely, then you end up selling yourself short because you're not showing anybody the talent and ability that you have.

Also, if you race more, then you end up competing with the best, and that alone can take you to that next level when you're battling out with the fastest people in the nation, or even the world.

On a more technical note, this is where getting an Agent would really help. They know of so many meets not only in the US but internationally that can really make the difference in terms of putting yourself on bigger stages. My agent, Ray Flynn, got me into a race in Toronto last summer where I ended up being the first American and running 3:56 for the mile. Usain Bolt even competed at the meet, but I had never even heard of the race before hand! That was a big stepping stone for me, and having the support of an agent who is looking to get you into bigger and better meets really makes a difference.

Lastly, if you're not getting attention from the big-name sponsors, don't be afraid to go out of the box and ask local business, gyms, or other places that put an importance to health and fitness to see if they have anything available to help you out. Whether it's discounted groceries at Trader Joe's, or an actual stipend from a local business/gym, it can really make a difference month to month.

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USA Track & Field -  Thanks so much for chatting with me today.

I’ll remind your fans to watch the USA 1 Mile Road Championships live at www.USARunningCircuit.com tomorrow starting at 7:53 p.m. CST.

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David Torrence - No problem, I had a great time!

If anybody else has any more questions or comments, feel free to post them below and I'll answer them after the race!



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