byJeff BenjaminWe just watched second heat of the 1,500m heats, as Ben Blankeshihp finished #3 in 3:37.13, and moved to next round. This interview was done by Jeff Benjamin a few weeks ago, and we think that you would enjoy it.
Jeff Benjamin and Ben Blankenship, photo by Jeff Benjamin photos
Ben Blankenship
RunBlogRun, 1)How did you get into the Sport?
Ben Blankenship: “The sport more or less found me. I wasn’t athletic in the traditional sense and was never truly interested in team sports. As I began running in early high school/junior high, I saw such easy progression. The more I ran and worked out, the better I got (I should say that this philosophy doesn’t quite hold true for me anymore!). As a kid who just wanted to be better than the rest, it was rewarding to find something I was good at and run with it.”
RunBlogRun, 2) Did you consider yourself a slow or fast developer?
Ben Blankenship: “That’s a tough question, and one with multiple answers. I was pretty quick to rise to the top in my school but it took me a few tries to get racing right. It’s much easier today to compare yourself to the rest of the world (what with results and standings available online at the click of a button), but back then I was only concerned about the other athletes on the starting line with me – this still stands true to this day. Given that I still think I have plenty of room for growth and improvement, I guess I’d say I’m a slow developer.”
RunBlogRun, 3) Most memorable High School Race?
Ben Blankenship: “Would need to dust off the archives but one that quickly comes to my memory is a high school 3200. I would need to look up all the details because I’m sure my memory of it is more impressive than the reality of it. However; it was my first race back from injury where I missed the cross country state meet. I was lining up with the best distance boys in Minnesota. I remember slowly winding up each lap and slowly breaking away at a mile to go. Any more detail than that and I’d be making it up, but let’s just say I ran fast and it felt good!”
RunBlogRun, 4) Your Most memorable Race as A Pro?
Ben Blankenship : “As an athlete that has seen almost every side of this sport, I try to go into everything now with the mentality of making the most out of each competitive experience. I still have extremely high expectations of myself but I always remind myself that each day running at this level is a gift. I guess my most memorable race this year/training cycle would be Club Cross. It was something different and something that pushed me to grow as an athlete.”
RunBlogRun, 5) How is it different being a pro athlete from a collegiate one?
Ben Blankenship : “The daily responsibilities to get your shit done as a professional athlete all rest with you. Running, recovery, nutrition – the more fully you are able to take care of yourself, the better you’ll be.”
RunBlogRun, 6) What Training philosophy are you following & Who’s Coaching You? Also – Any Shoutouts To your training partners/support staff?
Ben Blankenship : “Mark Rowland is my coach, Nike OTC Elite is my team. I could go on and on about everyone who supports me & all the people who I work with throughout the year but suffice it to say that I have a lot of people in my corner who keep the wheels on the track.”
RunBlogRun, 7) Do you incorporate any cross training and/or Weight training?
Ben Blankenship : “I believe in keeping it simple, especially for relatively un-athletic individuals like myself. Obviously injuries are different, but when healthy I tend to think that body weight exercises (and some time spent bench pressing) are about all you need.”
RunBlogRun, 8) How Are Your Preparations Going At This Point?
Ben Blankenship : “Hopefully well. It isn’t always easy to gauge where your fitness is at, but my team and I have put in good work so that I can be as prepared as possible.”
RunBlogRun, 9) What advice can you give to young Runners??
Ben Blankenship : “Have fun and enjoy it. Running is simple, and it normally works out best if you don’t take it too seriously.”
