• Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home 2018 Commonwealth Games

WILLIS USING MERRIE MILE AS STEPPING STONE FOR 2018 CAMPAIGN, (a double in Commonwealth Games might be there)from RRW

Race Results Weeklyby Race Results Weekly
December 9, 2017
0
0 0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Nick Willis may be the most under rated miler of his era. His bronze medal in 2016 was an amazing feat in Rio, and if you rewatch the moves over the last 50 meters, Nick Willis moved worthy of Bernard Lagat at his finest.

Nick Willis, like all track gladiators, is looking for new challenges. He wants to double, perhaps over 1500 meters and 5000 meters in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

RelatedPosts

2018 Gold Coast Diary: Michael Shelley defends Marathon gold, in torrid heat, Callum Hawkins collapses in dramatic marathon ending

Michael Shelley and Johannes Helalia win dramatic and memorable marathon races at the Gold Coast Games on the final day, A View from Kenya

2018 Gold Coast Diary: In the 4 x 100 meter relay, Team England takes a new approach, by Stuart Weir

I thought that this story on Nick Willis, by RRW’s David Monti would be a good read for a Saturday morning.

WIllis_NickFV-BaaMile17.jpgNick Willis, BAA Mile 2017, photo by PhotoRun.net

WILLIS USING MERRIE MILE AS STEPPING STONE FOR 2018 CAMPAIGN
By Taylor Dutch, @taylordutch
(c) 2017 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.

HONOLULU (07-Dec) — With two Olympic medals and eight appearances in global championships finals on his running resume, Nick Willis is ready to check off some of his last boxes. At 34-years-old, Willis admits that the end of his career is near, but he’s still aiming for the next challenge.

On Thursday morning at the Outrigger Reef On The Beach Hotel, Willis shared his goals for the Kalakaua Merrie Mile on Saturday and his plans for the upcoming track season, which indicate a step towards Willis finding his place in the sport as the end of his career looms.

For the past four years, Willis has flown out to Hawaii from his home in Ann Arbor, Mich., to enjoy the Honolulu Marathon festivities. This year, Willis is in the process of a base phase in training that has included 100-mile weeks for the previous five weeks. The high mileage is a first for the 1500m specialist, but it’s necessary to accomplish the New Zealander’s big goal of winning the 1500m/5K double at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in April on Australia’s Gold Coast.

“It’s been a challenge. I’ve been really tired. I’ve been taking a day off each week as well so that’s averaging about 17 miles a day for the other six days. I’ve just been in a state of perpetual fatigue,” Willis told Race Results Weekly.

Since coming to Hawaii, Willis has been in the middle of a down week of 70 miles to help his legs feel fresh for the road mile, and will soon delve into a consistent 85-90 mile per week phase. In the past, Willis has completed the distance double at the Commonwealth Games, but never changed his training to be fully prepared for the 5000m. Until now.

“This year, I’m really putting an emphasis on the 5-K prep work. I really want to see how I can do fully prepared for a championship 5-K race. That’s my hope is to see if I can pull off the double. Whether I can do it or not, we’ll have to wait and see,” Willis said.

“There’s some really tough people to race against, but it’s basically a home championship for me. That’d be a really awesome way to get towards the end of my career. Obviously, I want to get to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, but there’s not many more boxes to tick off so this is a very high focus of mine,” he said.

Some of those boxes include running a marathon, getting under the 13-minute barrier for 5-K, and breaking 3:30 in the 1500m one more time. That last goal is a reflection of Willis’s disappointment with his 2017 track season. After suffering from injury in the spring, Willis still managed to come back and make the IAAF World Championships 1500m final where he placed eighth overall. Throughout the season, Willis faced the mental challenge of wondering whether his body was responding to age or to injury. But by the end of the season, he gained some last-minute confidence with a blistering 3:52 victory at the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile in September in New York City.

“It was a fun challenge. I didn’t like the results in the racing [last season]. That was challenging for me dealing with it after each race. I just wanted to pull the plug on the season. I hate not running up to my true potential. It was like, ‘this isn’t the true Nick Willis,'” he admitted.

“But at the same time, I enjoy the challenge of the training and the trials and all that because I do want to be a successful coach one day. I’m already starting my coaching career, so I got to experience a different angle of it that I haven’t seen as an athlete before. So those experiences, I wanted to make sure that I learned from them so I can help my future athletes deal with them,” he added.

Willis is currently coaching fellow Merrie Mile competitor Hamish Carson who famously competed in the mile on Saturday and the marathon on Sunday last year.

“It was actually the night before he officially asked me to be his coach, and then 12 hours later he goes and runs the whole marathon without me knowing that he was going to do it. I said, ‘the offer is rescinded! I’m not coaching you anymore!'” Willis joked. “He’s got an incredible ability to withstand a high load of training so that’s one really great aspect of him, but it’s also a detriment if he gets caught up with it. He won’t be doing it [the marathon] this year.”

Willis recently created an online training program called Miler Method Boot Camps, which provide six-week on-line camps for athletes training for the mile and 5-K to 10-K distances. The website also includes the RunRestRun Magazine page, which provides written tips on training from Willis and several other coaches and athletes.

Ultimately, Willis wants to maintain his place in the sport by using his 20 years of competitive experience to assist others through coaching.

“There’s so many different avenues we can explore in the sport and I have years and years of experience so it would be a shame to turn my back on it when I’m finished. It would be good to help out the next generation,” he said.

Author

  • Race Results Weekly
    Race Results Weekly

    Race Results Weekly is the news service of record for global road racing, published by David and Jane Monti, with support of Chris Lotsbom. RunBlogRun publishes their stories with permission.

    View all posts
Previous Post

British Athletics Writers Awards recognizes Muir, Farah, Dame Mary Peters, as Stuart Weir observes for RunBlogRun

Next Post

Perry Shakes-Drayton takes BAWA Inspiration award, as Stuart Weir writes about a truly inspirational athlete

Race Results Weekly

Race Results Weekly

Race Results Weekly is the news service of record for global road racing, published by David and Jane Monti, with support of Chris Lotsbom. RunBlogRun publishes their stories with permission.

Similar Post

Brooks PR Invitational Review: Hedengren’s Historic Double Headlines a Scorcher in Seattle
Track & Field

Brooks PR Invitational Review: Hedengren’s Historic Double Headlines a Scorcher in Seattle

June 22, 2025
This Day in Track & Field, June 21, John Landy breaks Roger Bannister’s World record at mile (1954) in Turku, Finland, by Walt Murphy
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field, June 21, John Landy breaks Roger Bannister’s World record at mile (1954) in Turku, Finland, by Walt Murphy

June 22, 2025
2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, June 9, 2025, week 13, day 1, Last week of sharpening, second week, transition from track to cross country.
Spring Training

2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, June 21, 2025, week 14, day 6, final races of season, time to rewind for Cross Country!

June 21, 2025
An Appreciation of Jesse Owens, by Larry Eder
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field, June 20, Jesse Owens wins 100m, 200m, 220y hurdles and long jump at NCAA, for second year in row! (1936), by Walt Murphy

June 22, 2025
Mondo 628 WR, Wanyonyi 1:41.95 WL, Benjamin 46.54 WL, Almgren 12:44.27 ER in Stockholm Diamond League
Diamond League

BAUHAUS-Galan Olympiastadion, Stockholm (SWE), 14-15 June 2025

June 21, 2025
2025 Nike Outdoor Nationals: The Next Generation of Track Stars to Watch
Track & Field

2025 Nike Outdoor Nationals: The Next Generation of Track Stars to Watch

June 21, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to RunBlogRun's Global News Feed

Wake up to RunBlogRun’s news in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll keep you informed about the Sport you love.

*we hate spam as much as you do

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

April 5, 2023
2023 Nike Pre Classic: Two Amazing Days of Track & Field!

Noah Lyles, The Clock Doesn’t Lie

March 7, 2024
Grand Slam Track’s Kingston Slam Comes to a Close with 12 Slam Champions

2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, April 11, 2025, week 4, day 5, fourth week of year, Friday is an easy day!

April 12, 2025
USATF / Day Four:  USA’s Assembled Team Is Ready!

Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

February 6, 2025
Mondo Duplantis and the Jump that made him the greatest of all time

Mondo Duplantis and the Jump that made him the greatest of all time

8
What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

7
My Five Biggest Takeaways from the Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon, by Oliver Hinson

My Five Biggest Takeaways from the Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon, by Oliver Hinson

7
Asafa Powell, Considering Longevity in Sprinting

The RunBlogrun Interview: Asafa Powell

5
Brooks PR Invitational Review: Hedengren’s Historic Double Headlines a Scorcher in Seattle

Brooks PR Invitational Review: Hedengren’s Historic Double Headlines a Scorcher in Seattle

June 22, 2025
This Day in Track & Field, June 21, John Landy breaks Roger Bannister’s World record at mile (1954) in Turku, Finland, by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field, June 21, John Landy breaks Roger Bannister’s World record at mile (1954) in Turku, Finland, by Walt Murphy

June 22, 2025
2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, June 9, 2025, week 13, day 1, Last week of sharpening, second week, transition from track to cross country.

2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, June 21, 2025, week 14, day 6, final races of season, time to rewind for Cross Country!

June 21, 2025
An Appreciation of Jesse Owens, by Larry Eder

This Day in Track & Field, June 20, Jesse Owens wins 100m, 200m, 220y hurdles and long jump at NCAA, for second year in row! (1936), by Walt Murphy

June 22, 2025

Popular Stories

  • Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

    Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Noah Lyles, The Clock Doesn’t Lie

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, April 11, 2025, week 4, day 5, fourth week of year, Friday is an easy day!

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • An epic pole vault competition

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Brooks PR Invitational Review: Hedengren’s Historic Double Headlines a Scorcher in Seattle
Track & Field

Brooks PR Invitational Review: Hedengren’s Historic Double Headlines a Scorcher in Seattle

June 22, 2025
This Day in Track & Field, June 21, John Landy breaks Roger Bannister’s World record at mile (1954) in Turku, Finland, by Walt Murphy
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field, June 21, John Landy breaks Roger Bannister’s World record at mile (1954) in Turku, Finland, by Walt Murphy

June 22, 2025
2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, June 9, 2025, week 13, day 1, Last week of sharpening, second week, transition from track to cross country.
Spring Training

2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, June 21, 2025, week 14, day 6, final races of season, time to rewind for Cross Country!

June 21, 2025
An Appreciation of Jesse Owens, by Larry Eder
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field, June 20, Jesse Owens wins 100m, 200m, 220y hurdles and long jump at NCAA, for second year in row! (1936), by Walt Murphy

June 22, 2025

Recent Tweets

Next Post

Perry Shakes-Drayton takes BAWA Inspiration award, as Stuart Weir writes about a truly inspirational athlete

runblogrun

RunBlogRun comments on the global world of athletics, sports & ethics, and the Olympic movement. @runblogrun

Browse by Category

Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

Select a password for yourself. (minimum length of 8)

Paste here the user biography.

Provide here the twitter screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the instagram screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the facebook profile URL. i.e. http://www.facebook.com/RunBlogRun

Provide here the linkedin profile URL. i.e. https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-eder-5497253

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved