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Q&A: 2008 Olympian Ryan Hall

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By BILL WARD | TBO.com

Published: February 26, 2009

2008 Olympian Ryan Hall has come to Tampa to compete in Saturday's Publix Super Markets Gasparilla Distance Classic 15-kilometer road race. Hall, the American record holder in the half marathon (59 minutes, 43 seconds) who is tuning up for next month's Boston Marathon, responded to questions posed by Tampa Tribune running and triathlon writer Bill Ward about his early running career, his days as a Stanford University star, his faith and, now, running as a professional.

BW: Growing up in a place like Big Bear Lake, Calif., a place at a significant altitude, do feel that was an advantage to you as a runner?

RH: I think I certainly adjust faster to altitude and seem to respond better to altitude training than others. However, I find that anyone that spends a number of years at altitude can also come to respond well to altitude training. I can't say for certain that growing up at altitude was a huge advantage but it certainly didn't hurt. I think the bigger benefit in growing up in the mountains was the beauty of the place I lived.

We grew up doing a ton of outdoor activities that built up my general fitness at a relatively young age. Living in a place that is inspiring to go out for a run in the woods is a huge bonus as a runner. However, that is not to say it doesn't have its challenges. Training in the snow and cold of the winter can take a lot of determination but I find it shows me that I can be tough by enduring 0-degree runs and pounding snow. Training up here in the winter makes me feel like I am living out Rocky IV.

BW: Did you log big miles as a high school runner? What sort of base did you have entering the high school cross country and track seasons?

RH: I did do a lot of running when I was in high school. I think the most my dad [Mikey Hall] let me run was 40 miles a week my freshmen year, 60 miles a week my sophomore year, 80 miles a week my junior year and then 100 miles a week my senior year. I have always loved to run and work hard. Now, I don't feel like I am really training unless I am running at least 90 minutes a day. I think those miles provided the base I needed to run well at the marathon distance at a relatively young age.

BW: Knowing the expectations some folks had for your running career at Stanford -- plus all the academic expectations placed on Stanford students -- did you feel much pressure there during those days as a collegiate athlete?

RH: I didn't feel a ton of pressure from others. I more felt nervous about whether or not I would be able to handle the academics. Some people go to Stanford for the challenging academics but I went there to run and to be a part of the atmosphere of greatness that Stanford has created. Everyone there is great at something. Anyway, I struggled through my first couple of years, both in running and especially academically. For some reason I never really believed I would graduate from Stanford.

So when I finally got my diploma I was pretty stoked. I remember [during] freshmen year, my writing professor called me into her office with my paper in her hand, full of red marks. She told me, "Ryan we have a serious problem here." She went on to tell me that I was writing at a very low level and had a lot of big problems. She seemed genuinely concerned that I may not make it through Stanford, which I was already concerned about. But somehow by the grace of God, I made it through.

BW: How did you maintain continuity in your training at Stanford with all the coaching changes the distance program went through (I believe you had two or three different coaches - including Vin Lananna and Andy Gerard -- during your time there)?

RH: The coaching change was totally unexpected. On my recruiting trip I remember sitting in Vin's office with my parents and they asked him if he had any plans to go anywhere. I told us that he had kids in school in the area and was very happy with Stanford and wasn't going anywhere. So two years later, I was shocked when I heard he was leaving.

I find that it takes about a year or so for me to really start to be able to click and run well under a new coach so I naturally wasn't excited to have another transition year during my junior year. However, when Coach Gerard came on at Stanford, it was a huge blessing for me.

I always got along really well with him. Our personalities meshed well together. He had more fire and was more aggressive with workouts then Vin, which I liked. I was also beginning to figure out living on my own and how to juggle athletics, academics and the social scene. He was a great coach for me. I don't think I would be running professionally if it wasn't for him. He took me from a recovering high school star to the world championships in just two short years. He was one of the best coaches I have ever had.

BW: Is it fair to say you're something of an "independent" runner, that is, someone who likes to do the bulk of their training alone? If not, is there a group of guys in Mammoth Lakes you train with regularly? Do you ever train with [2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist] Meb [Keflezighi]?

RH: I do fairly well training on my own. Not in the sense that I like to just do my own thing. I love being apart of a team and having people around to share the experience of training with I just like to do a majority of my hard training on my own. I really don't like racing in practice, which tends to happen whenever you get a group of really talented and hardworking runners together.

There are certain people that I do workout with from time to time and feel that it isn't competitive. Even though [2008 Olympian and ex-Stanford star] Ian [Dobson] and I are doing different events we still do an occasional workout together. We have worked well together since my senior year in college. He was another big factor in helping me get to where I am as a professional runner.

I am starting to mix in with Meb more. He is the runner I most look up to. He handles everything with such a great attitude. He has a heart of gold. I have been around him when he was tearing it up and I have been around him when he has struggled and he always had such a great attitude and perspective on life and running. The reason why we haven't done much training together is because he is coached by Bob Larson so he is on a slightly different schedule and often is in a different training location then myself. Our group has about 15 members and we meet 13 times a week for runs and gym. I like being around the team. It makes easy runs and time in the gym much more enjoyable.

BW: Over the past several years, the media and film industry -- and to some extent, Nike -- have portrayed Steve Prefontaine as an iconic, heroic and sometimes tragic figure. He was certainly a great runner but do you ever feel like American runners can never escape the shadow of Prefontaine?

RH: Prefontaine has been great for the sport of running. He had a great, but short career that turned into an amazing story, which has in turn brought a lot of media and attention to running. I know I have been inspired by his story and I can still remember watching his movie and getting all fired up as young runner in high school. Anyone that can inspire so many people, we should be grateful for. I am grateful for what Pre has done for our sport and inspired so many to run. I hope that I can inspire kids as he has and have the same impact on people's lives.

BW: What's your take on people, us in the media included, placing expectations on runners like you, Alan Webb, Dathan Ritzenhein and Chris Solinsky, to carry the American banner of distance running against the rest of the world?

RH: To be honest I don't really read the media, especially if it's about me. I am just a guy who loves to run and see what God has put in me. I believe that God gave me to ability to compete with the best distance runners in the world and that is all that matters. What reporters say is only a reflection of what they have seen what is important is what I believe about myself. Carrying the banner of American distance running is something you guys put on us. Like I said, my goals are just to get out of me all that God has put in me; if that helps American distance running then that is great. I think if everyone just goes after getting every bit of talent out of themselves then American distance running will be just fine.

BW: Just about all runners find a joy in running, and even an escape. When you have success and make a living from running, is the joy still there? Is that where your faith and your wife, Sara, play a big part of your running?

RH: It was weird when I first turned pro and was getting paid to run. I remember doing a workout at Stanford and thinking, "I can't believe they are paying me to do this." It took a while to adjust to the fact that based on my performance, I was going to get paid a certain amount of prize money, bonuses, etc. But now it is just the same as when I was a little kid running out in the forest or in the snow outside my house.

I do it because I love it, because I love challenging myself, and because I feel close to God when I am doing it. So, while I don't run for the money I do feel very blessed to have the support of [shoe sponsor] Asics and my sponsors to do the thing that I love and to pursue my dream. I am very grateful for the support they have shown me.

BW: How has being part of the international relief and development agency Team World Vision helped ground your life?

RH: From the moment I first started running I was sure of two things. First, that God had given me a gift to run and second that the gift was not only for my enjoyment but to positively impact others. I wasn't exactly sure how I could help other people besides inspiring them to run through running fast times and winning races. Then Sara and I started dating and she inspired me to think beyond the running world about how I can help those in other parts of the world. She had always wanted to help the poor in developing countries and even in our own country. She was always making lunches for the homeless in Palo Alto or serving at our churches morning breakfast to the homeless.

She has always had a heart for the poor. I began to have the same desires. But neither of us really had any idea that we could use our running to help take care of the poor in developing countries. After the [Olympic marathon] trials, Michael Chitwood, from Team World Vision, got in touch with us and showed us how we could both run ourselves and encourage others to run for projects such as clean water in Zambia.

It has been really powerful to be running for something that is much more meaningful than records and championships. I have had the opportunity to see little children in Zambia pumping clean water out of the bore holes that World Vision drilled. To me, running has to be about something greater than me otherwise I won't leave a lasting impact on the world. When I am all done running, I want to leave the sport knowing that I have made a positive impact on as many lives as possible.

BW: You're still only 26 but Stanford guys are always looking ahead it seems. Have you thought about life after professional running?

RH: I would like to stay involved in the running world, while still working abroad to help end world poverty.

BW: Ok, last question. Gotta ask: are you going to take a stab at Todd Williams' 15k record (42:22) here or just trying to do a good, hard workout on a flat, fast course in preparation to your appearance next month in the Boston Marathon?

RH: I am going to praise God with every step by doing the very best I can.

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