After Brillian 2007, TegenkampWants More in 2008
By David Monti
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission. February 21, 2008
If you've been having trouble getting in your own training this winter
because of the weather, Matt Tegenkamp feels your pain. In snowy and
cold Madison, Wis., the fastest American ever over two miles has been
counting the days until spring.
"It's been a record-breaking year this year for all the snow,"
Tegenkamp said in a telephone interview from his home yesterday. "I
was actually in Tempe (Arizona) for December and January. I keep
complaining about it. Maybe the warmer weather made me soft."
"Soft" isn't an adjective one is likely to hear when Tegenkamp's name
is mentioned. Under the tutelage of University of Wisconsin associate
head track coach, Jerry Schumacher, the 26 year-old 5000m runner has
blossomed into America's #2 5000m man behind double world champion,
Bernard Lagat. He's coming off of a career year where he ran a USA
best for the two-mile (8:07.07), and recorded U.S.-leading outdoor
times for both 3000m (7:35.68) and 5000m (13:07.41). He also ran the
#3 U.S. time for 1500m (3:34.25).
But more importantly, Tegenkamp showed that he can compete in top-level
championships. At last summer's IAAF World Championships in Osaka,
Tegenkamp ran the race of his life, just missing a spot on the podium
in the 5000m by 3/100ths of a second. He was still surging when third
place Moses Kipsiro of Uganda crossed the finish line ahead of him.
"It was an awesome season," said Tegenkamp without a hint of arrogance.
"I broke down a lot of mental barriers on how I need to race. I
always thought I just needed to make the race and go from a long way
out and break people. Last year it kind of dawned on me that you can't
always be the one who makes the race, and you have to have it at the
end. It actually came to fruition at the World Champs."
Tegenkamp, along with his training partners Chris Solinsky and Jonathon
Riley, will be heading to Boston this weekend for the AT&T USA
Indoor Championships where they are hoping for what Tegenkamp called "a
sweep." Both Solinsky and Riley have already raced this year, but
Tegenkamp will have the tough job of defending his U.S. 3000m indoor
title and running his season opener at the same time. He hasn't raced
since last September, and would have liked to have opened his season
earlier. He was disappointed that there wasn't a 3-K at last Friday's
Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., to give him a rust-buster.
"It was kind of a bummer," he said. "They just didn't have a 3-K."
The Tyson organizers instead offered a 5000m, won by Irishman Alistair
Cragg in 13:32.01. That was just too long for Tegenkamp this early in
the season.
"There's really no reason to be running a 5-k indoors right now," he
explained. "There is no goal to be running a 10,000 this year. We
though about running a mile at Tyson to get in a little prep work. I
got back to Madison February third, and it would just have been a quick
turnaround, training-wise. When I was down in Arizona I had not done a
lot of repeat sessions. We decided against Tyson and decided to do
Boston."
Under Schumacher Tegenkamp has shaken off the injury problems which
plagued him during his college career. Fostering a relaxed setting in
training, Schumacher has judiciously increased his athlete's workload,
raising his weekly mileage from about 70 per week four years ago to 105
today. Tegenkamp said that running twice a day, three to four days a
week, was the safest way to increase his base.
"It's been a process over the years," Tegenkamp said. "When I was
going through my injuries we took a step back and picked a mileage I
could handle and not get injured. Ever since then we've been gradually
building."
Tegenkamp hopes to carry his high mileage through May before tapering a
bit in advance of the U.S. Olympic Trials which open in Eugene, Ore.,
June 27. But, if everything works out right, he might cut back a
little sooner to attempt a fast 5000m in Berlin on June 1. He may not
take a shot at it then, but Bob Kennedy's nearly 12 year-old American
record of 12:58.21 will at least be in the back of his mind.
"It's going to be a very tough record to get," admitted Tegenkamp who
has a personal best of 13:04.90 from 2006. "We'll see. I think I'm
ready to do it. Maybe something before the Trials if the race is
there. I'm not afraid to run a hard 5000 before the Trials."
This Saturday, Solinsky, Riley and the Oregon Track Club's Bolota
Asmerom will be Tegenkamp's top rivals. The top-2 finishers will
qualify for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain,
next month. That meet interests Tegenkamp, but he's not sure if
competing there would be the best move to support his primary goal of
competing well in the Beijing Olympics.
"It's something that I would like to do," Tegenkamp said. "I would
have to talk it over with my coach. It's a tough game to play. We've
always had the attitude that you can't do everything. There's a lot of
travel involved. Jerry and I will sit down and make the right decision
for me at the time. We always have to look at the long-term goal of
making the Olympic final."
