Patrick Rizzo had a tremendous 2012 by all accounts, finishing with new PRs of 1:04:20 for the half-marathon and a 2:13:42 13th place effort at the Olympic Marathon Trials. Since graduating from North Central College, Rizzo has been a regular on the U.S. road race championship circuit and has become one of the better marathoners in the United States. This weekend at the Aramco Half-Marathon in Houston, Rizzo looks to run another personal best in the half-marathon. 

We caught up with Rizzo this week, where he talked about how he's grown as a professional runner, while also giving plenty of insight into his 2013 goals. 

Scott Bush (SB): Your coach Brad Hudson posts a lot of pictures of your group's training, which is nice to see as a fan, but there are rarely comments about how the workouts went. How has your training been going leading up to the Houston Half-Marathon?

Patrick Rizzo (PR): Brad does a great job of keeping visibility for the group. It started out as something he was doing half-jokingly but now we get a lot of interest in the group because of it. You're right that Brad rarely comments on the workouts publicly. We generally make mention when something goes exceptionally well, but I'd say most workouts are just getting the work in at a set pace.

Once in a great while someone will significantly outperform where he/she thought of current capabilities. That is really the only time Brad or any of us comment much on the pictures.

As for Houston's prep, this is the most inconsistent my training has gone in years, possibly ever! I'll have a solid workout that indicates I am fit, then a bad workout where I struggle to even hit marathon pace, and then another good one... It really has been frustrating but I've also made a lot of changes these last few months in my personal life as well as my professional life (I've parted ways with Mizuno at the beginning of the year). I think once I start back up on marathon training next month, things will balance out again and I'll get back on the horse.

SB: Your PR is 1:04:20 for the half-marathon and it seems like there's going to be a nice group of athletes pushing for sub-64 efforts. What's your race strategy for Sunday's race and do you think you'll be packing up with any other athletes to push to new PRs?

PR: I am going to have to take some risks on Sunday. There's no point in racing if you're just staying in the comfort zone the whole time, so I think a PR is possible, but as I said before my training hasn't been amazing the past 8 weeks or so.

SB: You ran a new PR at the Olympic Trials in 2012, then came back and ran a 2:15 effort in Chicago. How do you feel about your 2012 season and what are you most excited for in 2013?

PR: I was pretty happy with my upper distances in 2012. I ran my 2 fastest marathons yet and had a decent half-marathon at the US Championship in Duluth as well. I raced quite a bit during the year, possibly too much, and it took its toll by the time Chicago came along. I need to sit back for a couple months now and recollect my body before I am ready to push into my next marathon, likely London.

I love the opportunities that are coming my way for 2013 and hopefully one door I open for myself is the opportunity to represent the USA in the World Championships in Moscow this summer. That's a major goal for 2013.

SB: After this weekend's race, do you have any other races lined up heading into the spring racing season? Any chance you'll be running Boston or another marathon?

PR: I'll be lying low, for the most part. I may race some locally for a while, but I'll just do one indicator race in my buildup to a spring marathon, again, likely London.

SB: You're part of the Brad Hudson Training Group. Who else is currently part of the group and who are your main training partners?

PR: There are a bunch of us as well as people who come and go. Our staple guys are Kenyon Newman, Zach Hine, Jeremy Freed (when healthy), Fernando Cabada, and Matt Reed (triathlete). We see Jason Hartmann a lot and Trent Briney comes and goes as he needs too.

We have a pretty welcoming group and that's something we have made sure to keep as people come and go. There is really never any negativity toward other groups or other people. We want it so people coming to Boulder can come train with us and we can help one another get better and achieve goals. The thing I love about all of the guys in our group right now is that everyone is a true ambassador of the sport. Those are the kind of guys I want to be surrounded by and associating with.

SB: For distance runners, especially marathoners, the mental side of training is so important. What type of mental training do you do to best prepare yourself for your races?

PR: I try to always know the course I'm racing and visualize where I am at on the course while I'm working out. I have always been mentally solid, so I don't really put too much into real deep mental prep.

SB: Your alma mater North Central College won yet another national team title this past fall. What does it mean to you to be a part of such a strong collegiate tradition and an alum of a program that is right up there challenging for a national title every year?

PR: I am and always will be proud of North Central and the young men making up the teams there. I've stayed in contact with some of the guys there in each class since I graduated and kept an interest in their success. If you look at Brad's pictures of our long runs, you might notice that I still wear my NCC stocking cap. It's a distinguishing mark of a distinguished program.

One thing I take a lot of pride in is never forgetting my roots. I still keep close to my high school coach, Jim Macnider, my college coach, Al Carius, and many of the guys who have gotten me to this point in my life. I never want to get to a point in my life where I take anyone or any experience for granted. Each team in college was unique and each race experience post-college is unique. I've been very fortunate to have always put myself among very successful-minded people and that, more than anything else, has helped me be successful.

Quick Six

SB: Shoes you train in?

PR: Currently have some Newton prototypes called the "Energy" that I am loving and a pair of Brooks Pure Grit2 for my trail runs.

SB: Favorite pre-race meal?

PR: Toast, just like the other 364 days.

SB: Car you drive?

PR: Subaru Forester, the most effeminate vehicle I could afford.

SB: Favorite band?

PR: John Prine and the Beatles have to duke it out for #1.

SB: Favorite part about living in Boulder?

PR: We have almost 350 days of sunshine a year here. It's absolutely gorgeous to run every day. It isn't the altitude here, it's the atmosphere.

SB: Best movie?

PR: Tombstone