Robby Andrews is trying to come back from hell but he’s not making any excuses, “There’s no real excuse for running 1:54.”
By Jonathan Gault
June 14, 2019
Editor’s note: On Sunday the adidas Boost Boston Games and adidas Boost Boston Back Bay Mile will take place on Boylston St – home to the finish line of the Boston Marathon. A schedule for the adidas Boost Boston Games which will be televised live on NBC from 4:30-6 pm ET is here. The mile schedule is here. Jonathan Gault talked to Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Noah Lyles, Ajee’ Wilson, and Robby Andrews at today’s pre-event presser. His article on Robby Andrews appears below. There are three other articles: a Miller-Uibo article is here, a Noah Lyles article is here, and an Ajee’ Wilson article is here,
BOSTON — Robby Andrews won his first US outdoor title in June 2017, but since summiting the mountain of US middle distance running, he has plummeted back to earth. For a full explanation of everything Andrews has endured, you can watch the first six minutes of the video below. The short version: heading into USAs last year, workouts were going poor and Andrews was feeling tired all the time. Eventually, that was diagnosed as Lyme disease. Andrews tried homeopathic solutions, but after it returned this winter, he began using antibiotics. Still, Andrews said that he can still feel crappy in the days right after taking the antibiotics. And yesterday was one of them — he ran 1:54 for 800 meters at the Adrian Martinez Classic, his 2019 outdoor opener.
Add in surgery to remove some nasty bone spurs in February, and Andrews feels as if he’s been taking two steps forward, one step back over the past year.
“I know it sounds [like] these are like really great excuses,” Andrews said. “I’m trying to look at them as explanations, not excuses. There’s no real excuse for running 1:54.”
Andrews says that the 1:54 is not indicative of his current fitness level — he ran 1:52 in practice a few weeks ago — but it’s fair to wonder: can he get fit enough by the end of July to make his fourth straight World/Olympic team?
That’s TBD, but first Andrews needs the World Championship standard. After racing the road mile here on Sunday against the likes of Nick Willis and Drew Hunter, Andrews will take a shot at the 3:36.00 IAAF standard at Princeton on June 30 and, if necessary, July 9 at the new Sunset Tour meet in California.
And if he doesn’t get it, his 2019 World Championship dreams will be on life support before he even reaches Des Moines. Remember, USATF isn’t allowing athletes to chase it this year — and Andrews needed to chase it after USAs in both 2015 and 2017. He said he has accepted the situation.
“It’s not my job to make the rules, it’s my job to make teams,” Andrews said. “If that’s what they’re telling me to do, then that’s what I’m going to do. It’s the same for everybody.”
More from today’s press event:
Ajee’ Wilson plans to eventually move up to the 1500, perhaps as soon as next year US 1500 Olympic hopefuls, your nightmare may become reality in 2020.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo Say She’s In the Best Shape of Her Life, “I Just Feel A Whole Lot Stronger This Year.” In other news, Miller-Uibo declined to discuss what happened in the fight with Tori Bowie that led to Bowie’s exit from PURE Athletics.
Noah Lyles on Christian Coleman: “Some people just don’t like you. You can’t do nothing about it.” The world’s fastest 100 meter man also reiterated once again that he has zero plans to run the 100 at USAs and Worlds. Plus he says he’s “more excited” to train after losing to Michael Norman in Rome.