Memphis senior Steffen Nerdal opened the season with a bang last weekend. At the Arkansas State University Kickoff Klassic, Nerdal threw a best of 22.41m (73-06.25). That was just shy of his personal best of 22.54m at last year's NCAA indoor championships. Nerdal has won two All-American honors during his time at the University of Memphis, and is looking to earn a few more honors before his collegiate career is over. While he proved he was one of the top throwers in college last indoor season, he stayed under the radar during the outdoor season while redshirting. Earlier this week, CollegeHammer.com had a chance to catch up with the 6'7" Norwegian.
You opened up the season with a near personal best throw last weekend and that put you way ahead of what you threw last year at this time. How did it feel to get back in the ring and start the new season off on such a good note? Do you have any goals for the season?
Steffen Nerdal: It felt great opening up with that mark. I did not expect to be anywhere near 22 meters with the weight. It shows that I am doing some things right. My goal for this season is to bring home a national title. As simple as that.
What have you been focusing on in your training to help you get such a good early result?
Steffen Nerdal: This fall I have focused more on the hammer compared to the last couple of years. The approach to this year is quality over quantity. I have tried to work on speed in the circle and in the weight room. So far I have improved both places.
You redshirted the outdoor season last year, but had a great indoor season and took second place at the NCAA championships with a new personal best. Your performance at NCAAs also wasn't your first time stepping up at a big competition; back in 2008, you also placed sixth at the NCAA outdoor championships with another personal best. What is your mindset and training like before a big meet?
Steffen Nerdal: Before a big meet I preserve as much energy as possible. Both physically and mentally I prepare myself by focusing all my attention to the upcoming meet. In order to perform at my best I need to be nervous for maybe a week or so. In the weeks leading up to a big meet my traning consist of minimum amount of work. My body recovers very slowly so I only throw a couple of times per week, and do some explosive lifts to wake my body up. Less is more for me.
Although you redshirted, you still had a great outdoor season. You broke 70 meters for the first time and placed third at the Mt. SAC Relays against an international field. However, you didn't compete at all for six weeks in the middle of the season and told me you were in a bit of a slump. Was it difficult to redshirt? What changes did you make to bring the season back around and win the Norwegian Championship?
Steffen Nerdal: My coach, Kevin Robinson, and I decided to experiment a little with my training last year since I was redshirting outdoor. After the indoor season I was in great physical shape, so I competed in 5 meets in March/April. Even though I improved on my personal best, and made some progress we decided to "start over again", which meant high volume lifting and throwing (almost like fall training). This was done in hopes of taking me to the next level and qualify for the world champs in Berlin. It was a gamble because I ended up being close to overtrained in June. I was able to recover somewhat throughout the summer, but not in time. The good thing about last year is that I built a great foundation for this year. My body is stronger and more solid than ever now.
I was lucky enough to visit your hometown of Bergen, Norway last year and it was quite beautiful. What led you to leave and pursue an education at Memphis? What has been your overall impression of the United States so far?
Steffen Nerdal: I went to high school in Florida as an exchange student, and I always dreamed of coming back. I came in contact with coach Robinson through Gaute Myklebust (a two-time World Champs participants for Norway in discus-'05 and '09), and he recommended the coach and the program. I enjoy the U.S. a lot because it offers great education, the best competition in sports; the possibilties are endless. Also, I have been fortune enough to travel across most of the country which I would recommend to anyone.
How has your rapport been with Coach Robinson?
Steffen Nerdal: Coach Robinson is great to work with because he gets the most out of
you no matter what. We have a prolific and deep relationship both on
and off the track and we understand eachother very well. There are many
great things that can be said about coach's approach to coaching, but
the thing I enjoy the most about it is his intensity in the
workouts. He is a master of taking your body as far as it will go. His
workouts fit me very well, I am a completely different athlete now as
a result. I believe too many coaches focus too much on technique. Coach
Robinson is technical when it's needed, but in the end you want to
throw as far as possible. Speed and velocity will get the implement
far; he makes it simple which is maybe the hardest thing to do.
Having only thrown the hammer, and not the weight, before starting college, what has been your impression of the weight throw? What do you focus on in your training for it? Do you touch the hammer too during the indoor season?
Steffen Nerdal: To be honest I hated the weight with a passion when I first came to the U.S. Now, I have learned to like it a little more. I use the weight as a tool for building specific strength in the fall where I throw it once a week at the most. In season I throw it once a week in training, while still focusing most of my attention on the hammer. A couple of weeks before the championships I put the hammer away, and usually my marks start to jump. Then it actually becomes fun to throw the weight.
You also dabble a little in the discus and have a personal best of 55 meters. Do you train for that event much any more, or do you focus on only the hammer and weight throw now?
Steffen Nerdal: I put the discus away in '07 because I felt it was too hard to focus on two completely different events. I will throw it some this year, but the discus is just for fun now.
This is your last year of eligibility. Do you have any plans for beyond 2010? Will you continue training?
Steffen Nerdal: I want to continue to throw and try to make the 2012 Olympics. It all depends on how well this year goes. My other option is to get my MBA while still training. Hopefully I can pull some strings and try to go pro next year. My dream is to take my throwing career as far as possible.
