Friday, February 4, 2011

mzungo.org exclusive interview - Jeff Hunt pre Beppu-Oita Marathon 2011

"It's fantastic. It goes to show that we are on the way back!" Australian Marathon selector and running legend himself, Steve Moneghetti was full of praise after last years Beppu-Oita Marathon.
28 year old Australian Jeff Hunt finished in a time of 2:11:00 at 3rd place in his debut marathon. A year later he will be back on the same course to proof and better his time.
Straight from Beppu-Oita in Japan, Jeff found the time to answer some questions for mzungo.org

You're back in Beppu one year after your 2:11. Being the "nameless" rookie you had nothing to lose and no big attention. That has changed. How are you prepared for that?
I prepare for it the same way as every race, and I don’t let external pressure worry me. I don’t feel there is any big attention this year, but, I agree, I won’t be coming in as an unknown. I have trained hard over the last 6-8 weeks, and I am happy with how it’s all gone and I’m looking forward to racing on Sunday.

Why did you choose to run Beppu-Oita again? Apparently there is a good Australian contingent in this years London Marathon.
My coach, Ken Green, and I felt that I had recovered well from Delhi, I knew the course and we expect it will be run a time-range that is achievable (2:09-2:11). Japan is only 9hrs on a plane from Sydney and 2hrs behind in time-zone, so there no real adjustments in sleep patterns required. Running a big city marathon like London would be great, but most of the guys going are trying to run 2:05/2:06 which means I could end up in a small pack from early on, making the race very tough. Not to mention, I would have to travel half way around the world to race. I don’t think I am ready to run in a race like London just yet.

Your second marathon took a good bit longer than your first attempt. You finished 13th in 2:25:03 at the Commonwealth Marathon in New Delhi. How did you cope with that?
I realized that I need to have more respect for the marathon distance and get everything right in the lead up. Your preparation needs to be almost flawless to run at your best. I have learnt from my experience in Delhi and it will make me a better runner for it. It has made me hungrier to race and improve.

After the Commonwealth games you did not race that much. How did that marathon impact the season? Was that the plan?
Racing a marathon in October meant that the usual races I would do over the November-January period would have to be skipped. It may also be a blessing in disguise by forcing me into less racing and more training. Post-Delhi, we needed to ensure adequate recovery from the race, and the ability to build up my training load in time to contest Beppu in February.

Last year you had nothing to lose at Beppu-Oita. This time the eyes will be on you to prove the time. What is the game plan? Same tactic like last year?
The game plan is to be competitive and to run faster than last year. How that happens hasn’t been decided. I am unsure of what the pace will be for the lead pack, but I hope it will not be too quick for me to go with it. I think that my tactics from last year may not work again this year, but finishing strong and fast is always a good tactic that seems to work. Patience in a marathon is the best asset.

What do you like about racing in Japan? What's difficult? What's easy?
It’s very well organized, right down to the minute details. The races they put on are not always chasing the WR. They like to setup races to be races, not just time trials, which is great for me because it puts the winning times in the range where I can be contesting for the win. Running a marathon is always difficult, no matter where you run, but the Japanese make the trip so relaxing by taking care of you very well. It means I can focus on my race and get a good result.

How do you cope with training for a marathon through the summer?
Its tough, but you get used to running in the hot weather. For most of the week, I avoid the hot times of the day by training at 6am and 5:30pm. I also have a 3-4 week training block at Falls Creek (Victoria) in December/January where it averages 15-20*C at 1600m altitude. That training block makes it much easier. I also make sure that I am ice-bathing and hydrating well enough to be able to absorb the training.

What makes you believe you can go sub-2:10 and what kind of workouts or races help supporting this believe?
Simply based on last years result makes me believe I can go sub-2:10. I’m not an athlete who does training sessions that are long enough to predict a half marathon time, let alone a marathon time. My long run on Sunday would probably be my best indicator of how I am going. If I can run my 2hrs 30mins feeling good and pick it up towards the end without much effort, it means I feel I’m in good aerobic shape. On my best days, I’ll run the last 10km in about 33mins or so, and still be feeling fresh. Whether I run sub-2:10 this weekend or not, I cannot say, it will depend on the pacing and how I feel. I think that in the future I will join the sub-2:10 club, but it will happen when my body is ready.

Did you train with Andrew Letherby? What is your major course tip for him?
I actually have never met Andrew, so this race will be when I introduce myself to him. He has ran many more marathons than I have, so it’s a bit cheeky for me to offer any tips, but going over the bridges in the last 10km is pretty tough.

Tell us a bit about your training set up.
My training setup is really good. I am based in Sydney and do probably 90% of my 180km weeks around Centennial and Queens Park. Its 180 hectares of dirt, grass and road, which makes it excellent for training on. For a few weeks a year, my training group and I descend on Falls Creek in the Victorian Ski fields to train at altitude (approx 1600m). Falls Creek is amazing. I can do my 2hr 30min long run, overlapping only about one or two kilometres over the 38km or so that I cover.

What shoes are you going to wear in Beppu-Oita?
In the race on Sunday, I will be wearing Adidas Adizero Adios Racing flats in the marathon.
 
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