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Catching Up With Ryan Vail - USA XC Champs

Published by
DyeStatPRO.com   Feb 6th 2015, 1:03pm
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Marathoner Ready to Roll Over Hill 'n' Dale

By Scott Bush

It's been a successful past few years for Ryan Vail. In 2013, the Portland-based runner helped Team USA take home silver at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, all the while improving time and time again over the marathon, becoming one of the favorites to make the U.S. Olympic squad come 2016. As Vail kicks off his 2015 racing season, he sets his sights on another Team USA roster spot, competing this weekend at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Boulder, Colorado.

Scott Bush (SB): Since the NYC Marathon this past November, you've been pretty quiet. How's training been heading into this weekend's action? How are you feeling?

Ryan Vail (RV): Training has been great. I took two weeks off after the New York Marathon and went to South Africa for some hiking with my wife. I started running again while in South Africa and then flew to the Czech Republic for the month of December to spend time with my in-laws. I spent all of December doing nothing but hills, fartleks, and tempos, so it was a nice opportunity for some base work. I returned to Portland at the end of December and had a solid four weeks of more specific interval and threshold training, so I'm confident in my fitness right now.

SB: You've had some nice success in cross country over the years. How does your training change from marathon training to cross country training?

RV: Coming off the marathon, I have a huge base under me, so even after two weeks off, I feel fit quickly. I drop the volume from the 135-150 miles per week range down to 100 to120 miles per week, and the workouts get shorter and faster. While I'm still doing some longer tempos and long runs, the focus is on more intense fartleks and intervals. I also get off the road a bit more and onto grass for some of the tougher workouts. Cross country terrain calls on some different muscles and tendons, and I try to prep my legs for that.

SB: Coming back from the NYC Marathon, how did you recover? Was it fairly easy to come back from it and resume training?

RV: With the huge base I accumulated all summer/fall, the fitness comes back very quickly. I'm running as fast as I ever have in cross country repeats and even some track intervals. Two weeks off is not enough to wipe away the work leading up to New York, so I'm still building off that fitness. The first week or two back feel rusty, but I then I start to steadily pick up steam again.

SB: You live in Portland, not at altitude. How have you prepared for the thin-air of Boulder?

RV: I traveled to Albuquerque with the Brooks Beasts to acclimate to the altitude. I only came up two weeks before the race, so not enough time to reap the full benefits of altitude, but hopefully enough time to adjust and feel strong heading into the race. I decided it was more important to get more quality workouts in at sea level where I'm comfortable rather than spend the whole month at altitude. I'll be heading straight to Boulder tomorrow from Albuquerque.

SB: Late last year, you commented that you weren't planning to do a spring marathon in 2015. What will you tackle instead?

RV: I knew that I would have to either skip a spring marathon or a fall marathon, and I chose the spring so that I could try out for the World XC team and hit the track again before going back to marathon training. The tentative plan at the moment is to call it a season after the US Outdoor Champs, unless I make the world team in the 10km, and then shoot for an early fall marathon that would still give me plenty of time to rest and rebuild for the Olympic Marathon Trials.

SB: What type of work do you put in outside of running to make yourself a better runner? What does that look like over the course of a week?

RV: I do a core and strength routine about 3 times for week, which can take anywhere from 40-60 minutes normally. This routine is pretty basic and focuses on core, stabilizers, and flexibility. I don't do heavy leg lifting. I have tried some of this in the past, and I found that with the number of miles I run, my workouts were suffering. I also do drills and strides 2-3 times per week. Recovery also plays a big part, whether that means massage, S.T.E.M., ice, napping, etc.

SB: You and your wife seemingly love to travel. Where are one or two of your favorite spots you've traveled?

RV: My wife and I have been fortunate enough to do a lot of traveling, sometimes for racing, and sometimes at the end of the season. It would be difficult to pick a favorite or two, but I think Patagonia and Cambodia are right up there.



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