2003 USA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Interview: Weldon Johnson

By Ricky Quintana

Weldon Johnson (in yellow) runs in the 10,000m final at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He finished fourth. (Photo: Alison Wade/New York Road Runners)

After nearly two years of struggles, Weldon Johnson pulled off a surprising run at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships to finish fourth in the 10,000m in 28:06.58.

Ricky Quintana: How was it out there?
Weldon Johnson: It was good. For a guy who wasn't supposed to be in the meet... Getting fourth, that was good.

RQ: Did you expect this?
WJ: Uhhhhh. I mean.... When I'm out here running, I'm running to make the Olympics. I'm running to get in the top three. I quit my job and everything. I'm not doing it for any other reason. I think that goes a long way. So I petitioned to get in the meet or whatever. Matt Toll, who's like a second ahead... His coach called me yesterday and he's like, 'You guys... You haven't beaten Matt and blah, blah blah. It's not like you guys are going to do anything out there and make the team or anything.' And I'm like, 'That's the difference.' I didn't say this to him, but I was thinking to myself. I was laughing with my brother and I was like, 'That's the difference. I am trying here to make the team.' I don't care if I run 28:50 this year. When I go to a meet, I'm going there to make the team.

RQ: I know at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, you talked about having trouble with your training and everything. What's happened since then?
WJ: It just took a while. I was injured all last year. I ran a race this year, and I was kind of pleased with that. I'd have a little set back here and there. I went to Canada a couple of weeks ago. That was terrible. I was really depressed the last two weeks. That felt like the worst I've ever run. I was kind of just like 'What's going on?' But then I realized, my workouts have been going better. They started to get better the last two months. I had to be in better shape than I was. It's just... You have to get ready to race. I mean this is it. This is when you have to perform. Honestly, I wasn't confident, but I'm like 'I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens.' And you get out there and feel pretty good. You just have to try and compete and see what happens. Some of these guys... You look at the three guys up there: Dan, he's a competitor, he's always up there. He doesn't get credit for the track. The other three guys, they've been the best the last four years. No matter what, Dan's going to be up there. Some of the other guys, they've been running a lot faster than me this year. I don't know, they get in a race and aren't ready or something. They just aren't consistent. Also, my training, I'm always confident in my coach. It's always, 'Run well at nationals, run well...' So a lot guys are kind of sporadic when they race. I'm definitely going to run a lot better now than I did back in whenever that other race was, back in May or something. At least, I should. If you're not doing that, there's something wrong.

RQ: You were hanging right on the back. Was that your plan?
WJ: Just hang in there and see what happens. I was kind of surprised when they went with three laps. Then, at that point I got a little upset, like maybe I was thinking 'Pan Am Games is OK.' Where some of the other guys wanted to go to the Pan Am Games. I wanted to go to the World Championships. I didn't have the time, but I got the time too. I set a [personal best]. The way my training was going, it was terrible the last two workouts. The third workout, I drove down, I was so depressed, I drove back home. I drive to lower altitude and was like 'What am I doing?' But then, you know.

RQ: At 5k, they just blasted off and they opened a little gap on you. What was going through your mind then?
WJ: I just thought I'd get up and stay on them. At one point, I was like, 'I can run back here,' but I was like, 'What's the point? You want to get up there and stay away from the train.' When I look back, that's one thing. When you start thinking fourth, fifth, that's OK, Pan Ams, I shouldn't be thinking like that, but I did. Then, when they started going, I was like 'What's going to happen? Just stay on it and see what happens.' Then at the end, I should have had little more confidence.

RQ: Were you surprised that you were in it with three laps to go?
WJ: At one point, I kind of thought, 'You're up here, you know. I should be up here. I've never been up there this long. It feels pretty good. I should stay up here longer.'

RQ: Has the time hit you?
WJ: I know I can run faster than that. That's another thing. When I ran 28:10, everyone was like, 'Weldon ran 28:10?' I felt good, so I'm like 'My coach ran sub 28. I want to make the Olympics.' I know how I felt when I ran a 28:10, so I knew I could run faster. Then it was a matter of [being] injured all last year. It's all confidence.

RQ: Where are you going to look to get that sub 28? What do you have to do now?
WJ: I'll probably run another 10 before the Pan Ams. I don't see a need to. Maybe I will. I don't know! Honestly, the way my training is going, I was worried what I was going to do after this race. Do I train for a fall marathon? I'll probably do the [U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials]. That's the thing when it comes to the marathon or 10k, which do I want to do. I've never run a good marathon, but I'm like, 'Which do I want to do?' I don't know what I'm going to do. I have to go to the Pan Am Games now. I'll have to change things around that. I honestly didn't know. I was wondering... I said I wanted to do well, I told my coach, 'I'm going to treat it like a 5k.' Then I was like 'I'm up here at 5k.' But then you get out there and you feel good. I was trying not to have these thoughts, but you're human. 'What if it goes crappy, what are you going to do?' When [I] get out there, I don't go to the back of the pack, I go to the front. You just put yourself in there and you start racing. When I start racing, I can run with these guys. I had one little doubt with three laps to go... I'm obviously hurting. These guys are slightly a little ahead of me, but I'm starting to believe I can run with them for 22 or 23 laps. Then I caught up back up again. I don't know what I did there... It's just a kind of mentality. That and the training.

(Interview conducted June 19, 2003, Posted June 22, 2003)