Barely-Edited Pre-Race Press Conference Notes From The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix

by: Letsrun.com
February 5, 2011

LetsRun.com proudly considers itself a leader of the new age of "journalism." This article proves that point.

On Friday, we sent one of our contributors to cover the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix press conference for us, where distance stars Jenny Simpson and Alan Webb of the USA and Mo Farah of the UK were the featured guests.

There was a bureaucratic mix-up after the fact and the article on the press conference was never completed.

However, since tons of nuggets of wisdom were revealed at the press conference, we want to share them with you. So below, you will find our notes from the press conference which contain everything a true distance fan would have written down if they were at the press conference and little else.

Below the notes are the opening paragraphs of a story we didn't finish, as people got confused as to who was working and who was playing on a Friday night.

We hope you enjoy the information below. You'll learn more from it than you probably will in any polished article on the net.

Jenny Simpson: First ran here in 2005 in high school.

"Here in 2005 was my first time on an indoor track ever."

 Last time I ever ran a real indoor season was in 09 at CU.

Fastest time in world right now.

It was really frustrating ... I felt like I maybe had a little bit of a missed opportunity ... in the long run I feel like it ended up working to my benefit.

She and I have had an awesome time ... getting to know each other ... adjusting to training.

I think the hardest thing about taking time off from running ... competition brings out the best in you ... so when you're training you don't see or feel the best part of yourself ... so when I was away from it, it was really intimidating to get back into it.

This is the time of year where ... this is the time of year ... times for me are really out the window ... it is really about getting back on the track, being shoulder to shoulder with people who are really good. Reintroducing yourself tot that competition ... You can run away from your competition in training.

I get to train with people every day that I am never going to race against (men's group). In a race, you don't know how good of shape other people are in ... people's level of fitness are such an unknown, to themselves even. There are some really talented women in there and none of us has races in a couple of months. I get to really compete against these men every day and go hard with them.

Mo Farah: training with Salazar and Webb in Portland.

I respect Alberto ... I think he is a great coach.

"Got a chance to train with the guys and see what its all about."

I believe as an athlete you always have to go to new places.  Changes the atmosphere a little bit. Still doing the same training.

2010 was a great yr for me, it all came at once (2 golds and British record, at time).

 As an athlete gives you good confidence, gives you good boost.

As an athlete you have to take it one day at a time, one year at a time.

If I can improve from there then London will def take care of itself.

As an athlete always you get excited, you always want to do more miles ... as we get older we know the body can't take the contact ... and you don't know it until you get injured ... you can't hide in athletics ... in soccer if you have a bad game you have 10 men to cover you…in track and field if you have a bad race there is no once to cover you… that is why it is important to have the right people behind you.

I believe I am stronger than I was last year. Keep training, keep focused, keep my feet on the ground.

Leave on the 15th of feb to run in Birmingham and then stay in the UK and make a decision to do the European indoors.

Definitely this is about competition.

When in comes to racing there's no mates ... when the gun goes off its every man for himself.

Its always nice to have people you train with. If you're thinking, "oh he's better than me ..." then I don't think you should be there.

If I was going to do euro indoors I would need to be in 7:35 shape.

I don't think I will run World Cross-Country. If I don't decide to do the European then maybe I will do the World Cross. Will make the decision after Birmingham.

Alan Webb:

Obviously its been kind of an up and down ... but now I am on the upswing.

I had a great fall of training… so now overall looking forward I feel confidence wise I am on the up and up.

Starting 2011 with some big goals.

It’s a great facility and I am really looking forward to putting myself in there and enjoying the atmosphere.

Looking forward to being in competitive situations again. I am really very hungry to compete ... even though the last month or so ... had a few little "niggles" but then when I knew I was healthy to run I couldn't wait.

Had some hamstring injuries early in Jan then right when that was starting to feel good I got the flu. I couldn't even get out of bed.

I had a couple of moderate workouts that went well and I was like lets just go.

Do you have to relearn the competitive elements? --- I think the competiveness inside of all of us is like that bike riding thing ... but when you don't have it for a while ... eventually you're gonna get hungry again. That's the hunger that come back, you satisfy it once and then you come back again.

On Verzbicas: I don't want to jinx it, but if he's ready to do it, this will be a pretty good race to do it ... that's basically how I did it the first time, get super strong in cross ... if he gets in there and has the juice (competitive) there then it will be good ... it's definitely possible.

Ran with him a few weeks ago and the kid's strong.

He can kind of shut off and just go ... get in the mix of it ... he'll be looking at the clock as he comes around. If he sees sub 3 with 400 to go he will get a little extra.

I am totally not thinking about time, I am here to compete ... when you put a bunch of guys together who are good then it will likely run fast.

It really helps a lot to have guys around, just from a mental perspective. You are putting the work in but in one way you get to turn off a little bit, just to be able to squeeze that extra 1% out.

I felt like that was sort of a great little bridge between my summer season and my indoor season ... A great little indicator of my fitness. Hopefully some of that strength will keep me going. That base in the fall holds you for the future.

He (Salazar) has experience bring people back up to where they are better than their previous bests.

Having Julia (wife) around has made my life a lot easier.

I would be thrilled, and I hope he does it ... it could be neat to keep the ball rolling in terms of the next generation, it could be cool to look back and know that I helped ... as long as I won too, haha.

Preliminary Article

                Jenny Simpson, Mo Farah and Alan Webb were present today at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix press conference in Boston. All three are looking forward to competitive early season races to test their fitness.   Simpson and Farah will both be racing the 3,000 meters and Webb will be racing in the mile.

                Simpson, who is coming off a win and world indoor mile leader (4:28.60) at the New Balance Games in January, will be returning to the Reggie Lewis Center for the first time since her indoor track debut in the Boston Indoor Games high school mile. She said, "Tomorrow for me will very much be about competing." She added that she knows some of the other competitors well, including Sally Kipyego, and is excited to race these familiar faces.

                Simpson, who is currently training in Colorado Springs under coach Julie Benson, says that she is feeling in shape and strong and enjoys working out with a strong group of guys. She says she benefits from knowing that these are not the people whom she will have to race against, adding, "I get to really compete against these men every day and go hard with them."

                When asked if she would be going for any specific time tomorrow, Simpson said, "This is the time of year where ... times for me are really out the window. It is really about getting back on the track, being shoulder to shoulder with people who are really good."

                Farah, who has been training in Portland with Alberto Salazar's group, is coming off a win at the Great North Cross-Country 8km in January. He says he has really been enjoying training with the group and that he is a stronger runner than he was last year. Farah is currently contemplating running the European Indoor Track circuit and will decide this if he is able to run around 7:35 in Birmingham. Otherwise, he might consider running the World Cross-Country Championships.

                He believes training with the group in Portland has helped his training, but that when you toe the line you are one your own.

                Webb, who has committed to the race after earlier pulling out with the flu and minor hamstring injuries, says that he is ready to race. Webb will be facing a strong mile field, and one that includes high school runner Lukas Verzbicas. Webb believes that Verzbicas has a good chance of going sub four and offered him some advice: "He can kind of shut off and just go, get in the mix of it. He'll be looking at the clock as he comes around. If he sees sub 3 with 400 to go he will get a little extra." Webb also said that, "I don't want to jinx it, but if he's ready to do it, this will be a pretty good race to do it ... If he gets in there and has the (competitive) juice there then it will be good chance ... it's definitely possible."

                Webb appears to be thriving in his new training environment and believes that training with a group is the way to go. "It really helps a lot to have guys around, just from a mental perspective. You are putting the work in but in one way you get to turn off a little bit," said Webb. "Just to be able to squeeze that extra 1% out, which can make a really big difference."

                When asked if he would go for the meet record of 3:53, Webb said that, "I am totally not thinking about time, I am here to compete. When you put a bunch of guys together who are good then the race will likely run fast."

                The meet tomorrow will be held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, with the first race set to go off at 5pm.

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