by Jeff Benjamin
Ben Flanagan and Jeff Benjamin
Ben Flanagan came on the scene as a MIchigan athlete, when, under the watchful eyes of Coach Kevin Sullivan, and took the 10,000m title at the NCAA in his senior year (2018). Ben is from Canada, and runs for Reebok Boston, coached by coaching icon Chris Fox. Ben is developing into a fine athlete, and he has won the Falmouth Road Race in 2018, and in 2020, set PBs at 3000m (7:47.37) and 5000m (13:31.07) indoors.
Like all athletes, Ben is juggling his training and safety in the current plague. We thank Ben for speaking with Jeff on training in the current era.
Awaiting The Baton In The Relay Exchange Zone – Profiles Of Athletes, Coaches & Legends During The War Against Corona
Profile # 42
Top Distance Runner Ben Flanagan!
By Jeff Benjamin
Ben Flanagan takes NCAA 10,000m title, in huge upset! photo by You Tube
How is your daily training routine doing and how challenging has it been for you in this environment?
“My daily training has been really good during this time. Aside from incorporating health and safety recommendations into my routine, I’ve been doing my best to keep my training plan as typical as possible. I have not had too much difficulty adjusting to the new environment, although I do miss training with my teammates everyday. Otherwise, I feel as motivated as ever to train hard, smart and sustainably toward long-term goals. I consider this a major opportunity to work on some things that I have been trying to get comfortable with for a while and am trying to take advantage of the ability to focus on a solid block of base training.”
What advice can you give to runners, -especially youth, high school, collegiate- who are challenged during this time as well.
“First of all, I feel for all of the athletes that missed out on any significant opportunities or final seasons due to these circumstances, it is certainly not an easy situation. That being said, there are multiple approaches that can be taken to maximize an athlete’s future potential during this time. Based on my own personal experience, my first recommendation would be to reflect on what you really want long-term and how you think you might get there. This can provide athletes an opportunity to commit to doing what is truly best for them, pressure-free, while there are no upcoming races on the schedule. For some, this may include a shift towards base training, whereas others may require some time-off from training to recover and reset. In addition, I would encourage athletes to continue to set goals and to make training as sustainable as possible while working towards them. Goals help with accountability, but during this time especially, it is important to avoid over-doing anything given limited resources for recovery and treatment. Above everything else I mentioned, prioritize the health and safety of yourself and others during this time. Stay positive, we will all be able to race again at some point.”
