My thoughts on the Robertson's
“Way to make an entrance, Jake. Epic,” were the aptly chosen words from Ning that greeted the news of Jake Robertsons 28:48 10km in Prague in 2009.
After some (reportedly) big talk in 2008 about imminent times and some even bigger smack on the forums about potentially bad decisions, Jake proved that for him Ethiopia was the best option. In proving this he added renewed credence to the less frequently travelled paths to success in NZ distance running.
The preferred route taken by most top young Kiwi distance runners on the road to success is the US college option. There is the alternative of staying in the country and trying to survive the hardships of paying for university and a lack of top races, but this is always posed as an inferior second, fall back option. Recently a third alternative has announced itself, the running sabbatical- taking time out of the education system and going somewhere that is perfectly suited to training, cheap to live and has a good coach to work under (a la Jake Robertson and likely, pending some racing, Zane.)Buying out of the traditional paths to success and taking time to concentrate solely on training. No teams, head coaches or athletic directors bullying for more points in more races more often. No worries about grades or the next 21st coming up. This ‘third’ option has shown just how false the traditional dichotomy of stay in NZ or go to the USA is.
A full scholarship to the USA has a number of great benefits. Ranging from a free tertiary education, free travel to meets, a large support crew, top level coaching, a buoyant team atmosphere, and the opportunity to succeed in one of the most competitive athletics scenes in the world. On the face of it there is not much of a decision to be made, sign up and get on the next plane.
There are, however, drawbacks associated with US college system that are not often voiced with enough emphasis. The USA offers many opportunities but also an equal amount of pitfalls. There are many gambles associated with choosing a college. How does one determine who has the best programme; do the schools truly have the athlete’s best interests at heart? Do they want quick results and points for the team or to progress the athlete’s career long term? Is the environment, both physical and psychological, going to suit the athlete and be conducive to consistently training well? These are decisions that will dictate four or five years of an athlete’s life, and as a result must be soundly considered.
The running sabbatical offers an attractive alternative, buying out of the traditional paths to success and taking time to concentrate solely on training. It can provide all of the benefits of a college scholarship and reduce the potential distractions and ulterior negatives associated with the US system.
All that is required are a good coach, meaty training grounds, and a single minded will to make it to the top level. All that matters is the next training session.
Arguably the more ballsy option, taking time out of conventional society to train (pre-sponsorship) has immense potential. Recovery and adaption are the most essential parts of training. No matter how hard you train if you are not recovering fully the true benefit of the training will not be gained. Eventually injuries will occur as the body gets progressively run down. This, in my mind, is the biggest issue with US colleges. Too many distractions; even if you are fully focused things get in the way of rest and recovery.
The biggest drawback with turning down a scholarship is that you are left with no fall back if a career in running fails. The ‘worst’ that can happen with a US scholarship is that you stay 5th on the team, maintain your scholarship, and end up coming out of the system four years later with a degree of your choosing. Not exactly a shithouse result in many peoples books. With the running sabbatical if you miss the big time and fail to get sponsored by the time you run out of people willing to fund you it is back into the real world with no qualifications to your name and no stellar career to milk.
So far the sabbatical is sounding a bit of a long shot. However, I believe it would have been a better option for many of those who went to the USA and never really kicked on past their college careers. When Kim Smith first went to McNeese State things didn’t mesh so she came back to NZ for 18 months. She then went to Providence and a situation perfectly tailored to her and followed on to a stellar career as one of our best runners of all time.
Many with the potential of Kim have gone over, found things not quite to their liking and not taken the option of transferring or bailing. Having the confidence and self belief to recognise and leave a bad situation is a sign of a true champion in the making.
Many of our recent top distance runners have taken different routes to the top. Jason Stewart took the European route running for a club in Germany, Paul Hamblyn stayed in New Zealand and Nick Willis found the USA perfectly suited to him. The Robertson’s appear to be on the cusp of dropping some serious times using Ethiopia as training ground. Taking all options seriously and weighing all considerations are essential to making it to the top.
Being in an environment you are not completely happy with is going to be detrimental to training no matter what way you look at it. I believe the running sabbatical ought to be recognised as a more legitimate option than it is. It provides the opportunity to tailor training solely to suit the athlete in question. It holds credence on many levels and provides the opportunity to gain experiences unique to our sport.
In the words of the ever wise Harry Wakatipu, “Look after number one.” I would love to see more Kiwis backing themselves and getting after some fast times and races and not buying into the conventional wisdom restricting them to University in the US or NZ. If making it to the top is what you want then you are going to have to back yourself; don’t restrict your options to the USA or NZ. Go where you will be able train to your upmost potential.
This is probably only going to speak to a few people out there, but it is an important message nonetheless. The majority of people find the college system provides all they really want out of their running careers. However, if you’re unsure, realise that the dichotomy can be broken; it has been and will be again. If you are in a situation where you are not getting all you need out of the system, you are always able to leave.
That reckless sense of freedom from really smashing a hard workout can be found in more than training, get it into your life and more Kiwis will fly.
By Patrick Strong