Interview with Jason Hubbard

by Ryan Milner

See also: Pre-race interview with Jason Hubbard and Peter De La Cerda

Jason Hubbard competes at the 2004 CVS/pharmacy Downtown 5K. (Photo by Alison Wade/New York Road Runners)

Alamosa, Colorado residents Jason Hubbard and Peter De La Cerda both competed against some of the top 10K runners in the U.S. at the USA 10K Championships on November 6. Hubbard took third place in 28:57 and earned a spot on the USA's Chiba Ekiden team. De La Cerda, battling illness, managed to place 22nd in 29:50. Ryan Milner spoke with Hubbard after the race.

Ryan Milner: First off, congratulations. Could you explain how your race progressed?
Jason Hubbard: I wanted to push the pace around 1.5 miles to break the pack up and then sit behind the leaders and try to relax. Around four miles when [eventual winner Chad] Pearson bolted, I couldn't react. I just continued to run hard and at five miles I pushed past [James] Carney and finished as hard as I could.

RM: How does this race affect your future training and racing plans?
JH: I hope that someone can help with sponsorship, so I can run a few track races. Until then I believe that I will run club [cross country] nationals on December 4th and then the USA Half-Marathon Championships in January. As for training, I'm going to continue to do what Coach [Damon] Martin sees fit. He's done everything right for me so far.

RM: At what point did you know you had third place wrapped up?
JH: I really didn't know when I had third place taken care of. It was more that when I crossed the finish line, I knew that I did it. I was very tired the last 800 and thought that I was going to lose third place, actually.

RM: Was the excitement instant or did it take some time to sink in?
JH: Kind of both. After the race, when I was getting water, I was happy. I called my wife told her, and then just lived all day on what had happened. It was cool.

RM: Do you see your future primarily on the track or roads, and which do you prefer?
JH: I love track racing over anything. I'm starting to like road racing only because you don't think about your time; you just race the people, the conditions, and the course.

RM: How did Coach Martin respond when he learned how you finished?
JH: He actually believes in me more than I do. He knew that I could run up there in the top three. He was excited and told me I did very well. That's always good to hear from your coach. It keeps me wanting to improve more.

RM: What are your goals for club cross country nationals and the USA Half-Marathon Championships? Do you have any plans to run the USA Cross Country Championships in February and try to qualify for the World Cross Country team?
JH: In the half-marathon, I want to finish in the top six and set a PR. To make the top six, I believe it will take 1:03 to low 1:04 on that course, so that's what we're going to train for. As for cross country nationals, I'm going to forgo indoor track to train for the 4K and try to make my first [World Cross Country team].

RM: Jason, for people who may not know, what is the Chiba Ekiden race, and what does it mean to you to have qualified for the team?
JH: The Ekiden team is a five-person relay race that covers the distance of a marathon. The race will be held in Japan. One could say it's the World Championships for the marathon relay; the best teams in the world will be there — Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, Mexico, etc. This is one of my lifetime goals. I'm glad that I have finally made it. It's always a good feeling to run with 'USA' on your shirt. That means something to me, to represent America.

RM: Who else is on the team, and [how do you expect to do]?
JH: I believe that I will have the first leg [the legs are 10K, 5K, 10K, 5K, and 12.2K) I want to run around 28:20 and stay in the top five so that my team has a good start. The team should be Chad Pearson, Justin Young, James Carney, Matt Gabrielson, and Luke Watson. As a team, I would like to finish in the top five or six.

RM: That sounds like a squad with good credentials. Do find it encouraging to have this many quality athletes on your team?
JH: I know all the athletes on this team and I'm glad to be a part of it. They're going to run very well. When you make a U.S. team, it almost becomes like a college national team, where the [goal] is just do all that you can not to let your teammates down.

RM: Does a success like this alter how you'll set future goals or have you [set your goals high] from the very beginning?
JH: My goals have always been set fairly high. I just like to compete against the best runners I can. I came to Adams State as a 15:00 5K runner and set my goal to be a Division II national champion. So I guess I've been setting high goals for myself from the beginning. I always want to improve myself and be as complete a runner as I can. [This means] running consistently in the top three to five in races. I also want to make U.S. teams, eventually I would like to race the international runners for a top-five placing. That's going to take some time and luck.

[Interview posted November 19, 2004.]