Interview: Ryan Hall

by Ian Chillag

Ryan Hall has had one crazy summer. In June, the Stanford star won the NCAA Championships 5,000 meters in a school record time, 13:22.22, followed closely by teammate Ian Dobson in 13:22.55. Two weeks later, he finished third in 13:16.03 at the USA Track and Field Championships, this time trailing Dobson, and first place runner Tim Broe. This earns him a spot on the U.S. team for the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in August. He recently signed a contract with Asics. If that wasn't enough, he and his fleet-footed Stanford sweetheart Sara Bei — second in the NCAA Championships 5,000, if you're keeping score — just got engaged.

MensRacing.com: In the USA Championships 5,000, you ran pretty boldly. Talk about your strategy for that performance, and how the race actually broke down.
Ryan Hall: Heading into USAs, Ian and I basically had the mentality that we were going to be scrappy runners. We weren't planning to be pushing the pace at any point or to make any huge moves. We knew that we would just have to respond to what was happening in the situation. It was very different from NCAAs, where we had a concrete plan. During the actual race I was glad to see Tim [Broe] get after it. We were hoping it would be a fast race. After the mile, I was feeling very good and relaxed, and the pace felt like it was lagging a bit, and Tim didn't seem to be opening up much of a gap.

I had talked to my fiancée [Sara Bei] before the race and she was encouraging me to be bold. I remember for a moment, before I made my move to catch up with Tim, debating what I should do. I thought back to what Sara had told me and that pretty much tipped the scale. Also, I admire guys who aren't afraid to go to the front and hammer, so when I caught Tim, I decided to help with the pace. I was a little nervous making such a big move but I love to take chances in races and see what happens.

MR: You finished with a big PR, just behind your former Stanford teammate Ian Dobson. After a tight 1-2 at the NCAA Championships, then the USA Champs, it looks as if your career is going to run parallel with Dobson's. Talk about what it's like to embark on your professional paths together.
RH: In my opinion, life is so much sweeter when you share it with other people. One of the highlights of the year for me has been training with Ian. Not only do we work well together as training partners, but we have become good friends. Crossing the finish line at both NCAAs and USAs was so much better than it would have been if I were on my own. There was a deep sense of us accomplishing something we had set out to do. It makes track feel like a team sport again. As far as turning pro together, it is great to have someone going through the exact same process as you. Actually, Ian kind of went through the whole becoming a pro scene before me. He put a lot of work into researching it all, so it made my quick transition a lot smoother.

MR: Has turning pro changed your day-to-day life, and your feelings about yourself as a runner?
RH: Well, I have to keep reminding myself that I still have to finish up a little bit of school before I really enjoy all the elements of being a full-time runner. It has been kind of weird to think of running as a job. Sometimes I can justify that running is just like any other full-time job, but it is really not. I feel very blessed to be running for Asics, they have been great through the whole process so far. I really like the feel of the company, too. As for my day-to-day life, it has been different. Usually this time of year I am at home working. I am very grateful that this year I am at Stanford doing what I love to do. I have always been fairly disciplined so my dedication to running really hasn't changed, but I can see how it would be easy to fall into the trap of overdoing it physically when all you have to do is run. I am really excited to be heading over to Europe. I have only been to Mexico before so it will be a memorable experience.

MR: What's a typical week like for you, in terms of training?
RH: Ian and I have been ramping up our training a bit now so I have been doing four morning runs a week, typically a half hour, and then afternoon runs. We work out twice a week and do weights twice a week. It has been a little challenging getting back into the training mindset after tapering for NCAAs and USAs, but training has been going well. We also do one long run a week.

MR: Who's coaching you, and what are you working on most?
RH: Coach [Andrew] Gerard is still coaching me. He is a great coach and the only reason why I would make any changes is if he is in another part of the country, which unfortunately it looks like will be the case [Gerard just took over as coach at George Mason University in Virginia]. I haven't decided on anything yet for next year but [Gerard] will continue to coach me until he takes off back to Virginia. I will miss working with him though, the guys at George Mason are lucky.

MR: Talk about a key workout — one that you feel is most significant to your training.
RH: There are a couple of key workouts that I think have really helped me run well. Mile repeats is a big one for me. I like this workout because we usually do a couple off the track and then three or so on the track. We take pretty good recovery for them but we run them hard, usually faster than 5K pace.

MR: There's a great field of young US runners right now — [Alan] Webb, [Dathan] Ritz[enhein], [Jorge] Torres, [Tim] Broe, [Adam] Goucher, [Ian] Dobson, and plenty more — and you're definitely part of it. How does that feel? Do you think about being part of a US running renaissance?
RH: To be honest, I haven't thought about that a lot. I hope that I can help inspire people to run faster and to train hard. I get really encouraged when I see guys like Broe running fast times. We need guys to run fast in the states too, so Americans can actually see it and be inspired by it. The more guys we have breaking down barriers, the better off American distance running will be. We still have a long ways to go but we have a good start. As far as me being a part of it all, I just train hard and give God the outcomes. Sometimes I think as Americans we think too much. We think about how fast 62 second pace is for 5Ks. I have a feeling the runners who are running sub 13:00 5Ks aren't caught up in thinking how fast 62s are, they just go out there and run gutsy races.

MR: In high school and in the beginning of college, you were known as a 1,500 runner. Why the step up to the 5,000?
RH: Yeah, this is the first year I have focused on the 5K. I hadn't tried it at all until last year, when I ran one at Mt. SAC. I think I just always saw myself as a 1,500 runner because of my success in high school and my pride kept me from being open to the 5K. Once I tried it I really enjoyed it, though. It is a fun distance to race. I actually enjoy it much more than the 1,500, but I think it will be important to keep trying to improve my leg speed.

MR: Tell a story of one of the first times you realized you were fast.
RH: That's a good question. This is kind of an example of why it is sometimes better to not think about how fast other people are running. When I was a freshman in high school, I had just been training for a couple of months and my dad and I went out to Trabuco Hills High School, in Mission Viejo, to do a mile time trial. I had just purchased my first pair of spikes and had never run on a synthetic surface. I ran 4:48 for 1,600. I remember thinking after that that I was really fast, like the fastest freshmen ever. It is funny to think that just a year before that Evan Fox [my future teammate at Stanford] had run 4:16 or something ridiculous like that. I didn't even know that I wasn't really that good, but that is not what mattered. What mattered is that I thought I was good and that I could run with anyone. Its good to remember that as I head to Europe.

MR: What are your long-term goals? Is there a marathon in your future?
RH: Just thinking of the training necessary for the marathon makes my body feel tired. I do put in a good amount of mileage, and maybe one day I will be able to handle marathon training, but the idea doesn't appeal to me at all right now. I like running shorter, faster stuff anyways. I don't really have any long-term goals. My only goal is to keep using the gift God has given me.

MR: You could end up lining up beside 5,000 meter world record holder Kenenisa Bekele in Helsinki. What's that going to be like?
RH: I have always loved to run against the world's best. I remember racing against [Bernard] Lagat in high school. It makes me excited, lining up with guys like that. You never know what can happen on any given day. Obviously I don't have a very good shot at running with those guys, but I am going to give it a go. It will be inspiring to see what those guys can do. I am sure I will go back to the states with a whole new sense of what is possible.

MR: You and Sara Bei, also a 5,000 runner, just got engaged. Do you train together? Are you competitive with one another? What are some of the advantages/struggles of being in a relationship with another high-level runner?
RH: Getting engaged to Sara has been by far the best thing that could have happened to me. I feel so thankful to have her. She has already helped me in so many different areas of my life, especially in running. I have had many, many discouraging moments in the past four years and couldn't have made it through them with a positive outlook without her. She has been a constant encouragement to me. I can remember this past March going on a six-hour bike ride together. We were both banged up, so we did some crosstraining together. I remember how discouraged I was then, and how much she encouraged me on that bike ride. It helps so much to have someone feeding me encouragement.

Sara and I go on occasional easy runs together, those are my favorite days to train, even though there are few during hard training periods. We never get competitive with one another, not in running anyway. We can get pretty competitive in cards and board games, though. I think there are only advantages to being in a relationship with another runner. We can relate to each other so well because we know what [the] other is going through. We can bounce ideas off each other and help with training ideas. She has helped me a lot with my nutrition this year. The best part about it, though, is just getting to spend so much time together. How sweet is it that we get to go to Europe together! I can't say enough good things about the blessing of having her.

MR: And on the Bei question... How long before we see the match race between the Halls and the Culpeppers?
RH: That is a funny one. I think that would be pretty fun. We should do that sometime. I would be up for it just as long as I don't have to run a marathon or a 10K in my leg, that could get ugly.

MR: Between winning NCAAs, going pro, getting engaged, and transitioning from college into what's next, you've had a hectic couple of months. What's that been like, and are you looking forward to things settling down?
RH: This last month has been crazy. I never thought I would have a month like this in my whole life. I have felt overwhelmed by how blessed I am to have all this great stuff happen in a month's time. One of these things happening to me would have kept me content for a long time. I am excited to head to Europe and settle down a bit, because it will be kind of busy when I get back. Sara and I — her parents have been a great help as well — are planning a wedding for the end of this September, so it will continue to be action-packed for a while. This is how I enjoy life!

MR: What are some things you're into that have nothing to do with running?
RH: As far as hobbies go, I am really into fly fishing. I am not very good or anything, but I started doing it this past year. It is really relaxing and fun. I can't wait to get up into the mountains and do some fishing this fall. I also like to read, but haven't done a lot of it as of late. I would like to get back into that. I like to read the Bible and other Christian literature. I get really inspired by it. I also have gotten into road biking a lot. It is fun for Sara and me to do together. One of my favorite things to do, though, is to climb mountains. I love to run to the top of mountains, or hike to the top of high points. I am looking forward to doing some more of that.

MR: What makes you different from all the other runners out there?
RH: I am not going to claim to be the only runner like this, but what sets me apart a bit is that I try to run not for myself. I admit that sometimes I get things out of perspective, but I really do try and run to make God smile and to bring Him pleasure. My favorite times in running are when I am running and just pouring myself out on the track, going all out for Him. I feel like I am doing what God created me to do. There is no better feeling than that.

(Interview posted July 21, 2005)