My 28th Interview: Great Britain's Nick McCormick

This is, I think my first interview with an international distance runner and my friend, Great Briyian's 5K runner Nick McCormick

1. How did you get started in running?
I started running cross country in my local middle school in Hexham. The deputy head was a keen cross country runner/fell runner and allowed a few of us to do laps of the campus at lunchtime, or to my delight, to run off campus with him around the nearby woods. Just out of interest he entered us in a local area schools competition and we won, we then won the inter areas and finally made it to the nationals where we finished in the top 10. The competition within the team really appealed to me, and two of us ended up being future Olympians. Myself on the Track and Perer Wells in rowing (Athens, 2004).

2. What do you tell people that don't get our sport of distance running?
I tell them that perhaps they don't understand it enough. Track and Field in some form has been the main event at the Olympics for thousands of years for a reason. It teaches many life skills whether you are a beginner or at an elite level. While you are immersed in high level competition it is easy to forget about this, I hope that I can apply these skills in a future career outside athletics.

I totally agree with you

3. What are you current PR's?
 800m 1:48.25
1500m 3:33.9
Mile 3:52.02
2000m 4:57.39
3000m 7:50.50
5000m 13:18.81

4. How different is Professional Distance Running Then College Running, for you?
The main difference when you leave college and become professional is that you have to become more responsible for yourself. This is difficult for everyone, so I would say that understanding what and why you are doing certain training while at college can help this process. I'm not saying to question the coach, but I see many athletes going through a 3-4 year college course with little or no concept of what they are doing. It's important to be a student of the event.

5. Who are your favorite professional and/or college distance runner(s) past and/or present & why?
My answer relates to the previous question. I recently watched a documentary about Jenny Simpson where she talked about building her own team that she still has around her. The success she is getting is largely to do with having an understanding of her strengths and weaknesses and putting people in place that can make her better.

I am also a fan of Colorado Buffaloes after reading Chris Lear's great book about their successful cross country season.

6. Best or Worst thing about being a distance running?
People talk about injuries and illnesses effecting performances but a frustrating thing about athletics is that sometimes you put everything into a training season and for whatever reason you just don't get the results. The challenge of athletics comes at these moments where you have to keep going and believing in what you are trying to achieve.

7. Your Favorite Moment of your distance running career?
Running 13:18 in Huelva, Spain and achieving the Olympic A standard for London

8. Goals for 2012?
I have to keep making new goals in 2012 for a change. My goal is to now try and make the Olympic final over 5000m which is would be a massive achievement. I also have ambitions to debut in the half-marathon at the Great North run in September.