1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,920 What's up everyone? You are listening to the CDs 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,120 Magic Podcast. I'm your host Chris Chavez, and 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,480 every week we go beyond the results to bring you 4 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,480 conversations with the biggest names on the track, the roads, 5 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,760 and behind the scenes. From world class athletes and 6 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,280 coaches to innovators shaping the sport. 7 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,520 If it's happening on the track, we're covering it with real 8 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,560 insights that sharpen minds, deep dives into the moments that 9 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,360 define careers, and the kind of access to the pros you won't get 10 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,360 anywhere else. So let's get into it because we 11 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:33,240 love track and field. Before we dive in, we just 12 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,920 wanted to say thank you. This show exists because people 13 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,400 like you listen, share it, and support it. 14 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,800 If you're enjoying the podcast, a five star review on Apple 15 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,600 Podcast goes a long way. It helps the show grow and keeps 16 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:45,400 us going. We love giving the listeners a 17 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:46,920 shout out when they leave us a review. 18 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,680 I finally learned how to go in and see reviews from other 19 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,120 countries, and so we have a bunch of those to get through. 20 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,840 This one is one that we got a while back from Yellow PJ in 21 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,280 Australia. Thank you for being you. 22 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,400 Your passion has really ignited an interest in running that I 23 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,200 didn't know was possible. I've never been someone to watch 24 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,520 or keep track of sports until you all came along. 25 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,720 Thanks for all you do and for being you. 26 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,680 From us to you. We appreciate you Yellow PJ and 27 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,280 if you feel the same way as them, leaving a quick five star 28 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,680 review on Apple Podcast is the best way to support the show and 29 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,480 it helps more people find it. We read every one of those 30 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,520 reviews and they truly mean a lot. 31 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,600 My guest for today's episode is Zuhair Talbi. 32 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,320 And over the weekend in Houston, he didn't just win the Houston 33 00:01:33,320 --> 00:01:35,120 Marathon for the second time in his career. 34 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,920 He ran 2 hours, 5 minutes and 43 seconds, the fourth fastest 35 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:43,400 marathon ever by an American, moving him to #3 on the US all 36 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,040 time list and announcing very clearly that he belongs in the 37 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,520 heart of the American Marathon in conversation. 38 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:53,400 But the time only tells part of the story. 39 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:58,000 Zuhair's path to this moment spans continents and systems. 40 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,160 Growing up in Morocco, navigating limited resources and 41 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,800 federation frustrations to arriving in the United States 42 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,440 with big dreams, having to learn English, starting at a junior 43 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,880 College in rural Kansas, moving through the NAIA ranks and 44 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,160 slowly building himself into a world class marathoner. 45 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,040 Along the way he missed an Olympic start at the Tokyo Games 46 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,120 due to some incompetence by the Moroccan federation and that 47 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,640 built up just his frustrations till ultimately he decided to 48 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:30,160 become an American citizen. He joined the US Army to support 49 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,360 his family and accelerate that process and kept believing that 50 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,000 his best days were still ahead. In Houston, everything came 51 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,800 together, smart pacing without fueling a good training block, 52 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,280 and as a result, he became the first American man to win the 53 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,280 Houston Marathon since 2003. Celebrating afterwards carrying 54 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,480 an American flag felt symbolic. Zuhair officially became a U.S. 55 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:55,040 citizen in 2025, and while he won't be able to represent the 56 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,800 United States globally until 2027, this was his first major 57 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,880 moment as an American runner. In this conversation, Zuhair 58 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,160 opens up about the decision to change his national allegiance, 59 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,920 the challenges that shaped him, the role of family, including a 60 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,640 shared breakthrough this past weekend because his wife ran a 61 00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:17,560 15 minute personal best to hit the OTQ, and why he's thinking 62 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,200 long term as the road to the 2028 Olympic Trials begins to 63 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,000 take shape. So without further ado, here is 64 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:38,680 Zuhair Talbi. I get to welcome on Zuhair Talbi 65 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:43,360 after running the fourth fastest US marathon in history, Moves to 66 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:48,320 #3 on the all time list with a victory at the Houston Marathon 67 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,400 in two hours, 5 minutes and 43 seconds. 68 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,640 Big personal vest is you hear how you feeling after a couple 69 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,200 days to just reflect on the performance. 70 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:04,440 Yeah, it's unbelievable. I, you know, it just sit in now 71 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:10,760 and they felt like just exactly what I wanted to achieve in 72 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:16,760 Houston. Same exact thing that I was, I 73 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:21,399 was saying just with, you know, close people around me, I'm 74 00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:24,560 like, in a perfect scenario, this is what's going to happen. 75 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,240 And that's what happened in in the race. 76 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:32,160 I'm I'm very happy with what's yeah, with the, with the when 77 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,280 and with the time. So this is, I guess, like one of 78 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:39,000 the first big opportunities for you to really get the chance 79 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,160 after a race to celebrate. And you were carrying the 80 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,880 American flag afterwards. You're in the process of 81 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,800 switching your allegiance from Morocco to the United States. 82 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,920 And, you know, you've got a lot of people excited now after a 83 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,360 performance like this because you're obviously going to be, 84 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,600 you know, potentially one of the biggest names at the US Olympic 85 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,200 marathon trials in 2028. So if we take a couple steps 86 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,680 back, like what went into the decision to switch from Morocco 87 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,000 to the United States, 'cause you are you're US citizenship right 88 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:09,280 now. Yes, yeah. 89 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:14,680 So I, I got my citizenship in January this year, I mean in 90 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,880 2025. And yeah, it's been it's been a 91 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,800 year now. So then yeah, I start the 92 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:27,360 process of switching the allegiance and I got a like a 93 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:33,360 like a response or just, yeah, that was like just two months 94 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,960 ago where everything like officially now, you know, they 95 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:43,480 give me the time where, you know, like I'm an American now I 96 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:49,880 can run like in the nation. But if I want to represent, you 97 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:54,520 know, US in globally, like in the world championship, it would 98 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,520 be next year. So in 2027. 99 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:05,000 So I'm looking forward for that. But so the decision was, I will 100 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:10,240 say it's, it's something I've been, I've been really dreaming 101 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:17,920 about for like since I came to America and you know, of course, 102 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,160 like just coming to America, I was like, hey, that's the dream. 103 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,880 I want to just go there and, and you know, like try to achieve my 104 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,200 goals. I and then growing up in 105 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:33,680 Morocco, it's like it's like you don't know if you're going to 106 00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:37,160 achieve what you want or not. It's like very hard. 107 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,280 You know, there's a lot of limitations when it comes to 108 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:46,480 like resources and, and, you know, just doing school and and 109 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,240 running. And so the dream coming here, 110 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,520 like I achieved that. And then when I was here, I saw 111 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:59,360 all the opportunities here and I was like, yeah, I yeah, the 112 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,520 dream one day is like just to represent America. 113 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:08,640 And then, you know, just, I mean, like a country that really 114 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,640 opened the door for me and give me a chance. 115 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:17,360 And I think that's inside of me was like a normal decision to 116 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,400 do. I mean, after a few years, I get 117 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:25,640 married, you know, I have a son. So it's, it's like, that's home, 118 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,640 you know, like, I mean, literally like three years after 119 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:34,040 I lived here, I, I start calling, you know, America home. 120 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:38,360 I go to Morocco for like a month and I'm like, no, I have to go 121 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:42,800 back because you just build a lot of friends, a lot of, you 122 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,000 know, you just, you know, you live somewhere more than 5-6 123 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:48,640 years. You just, you know, you can't, 124 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,080 you just call it home. And I feel home here. 125 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,280 And I, I can't wait to represent America in like, globally now. 126 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:58,920 You mentioned your wife and and your son. 127 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:03,120 You know your wife just ran a 15 minute personal vest to also hit 128 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,280 the Olympic Trials qualifying standard. 129 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,680 So how big was the celebration after the race in Houston this 130 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,040 weekend? It was big. 131 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:15,000 It was big. She's she's definitely, you 132 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:20,960 know, she has the competitive side when it comes to running. 133 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:27,760 And just after having the baby and she had that rough birth and 134 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:31,040 it was, it was a, it was a hard, you know, monthly. 135 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:34,120 It was hard for her like for a few months. 136 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,000 Then she was like, you know what, I I really want to run and 137 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,039 they want to give it a good shot. 138 00:08:40,039 --> 00:08:43,760 And I was like, yeah, she and she come to me and it's like, I 139 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:47,360 want to run the because first time she run 250, she never 140 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,280 trained properly for the marathons. 141 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:53,360 Then she was like, I want to this time trained properly for 142 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:57,880 the marathon and try to achieve the Olympic Tristander. 143 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,480 And I was like, it's it's very achievable. 144 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,600 And she was just following my 10 and she was running mileage. 145 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:12,000 And yeah, I think it worked out very well for her and we were 146 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,720 very happy and all the family around us as well, we're very 147 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,480 happy with that. Did the two of you meet at 148 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:21,400 Oklahoma City? That's correct. 149 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,120 Yeah. We were going to the same 150 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,840 schools we were in, same team, and that's how we met. 151 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,760 And yeah. Let's set the the stage a little 152 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:32,880 bit about just sort of like even a little bit more of your back 153 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,840 story because you and I laugh about this sometimes because you 154 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:41,400 first popped onto my radar when we were calling the trials of 155 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:45,640 Miles Texas qualifier 10K race in February 2021. 156 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:51,560 It's almost five years ago now where there were no races and 157 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:55,280 that was the first race back and there happened to be a 10K on 158 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,280 the schedule. And you ran the 10K, you lapped 159 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,720 most of the field and you just destroyed everybody. 160 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,520 And in the, in the race in the moment, me and, and Kyle Merber 161 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,720 who were calling the race, we had to like Google you and, and 162 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,080 look up all of your stats because no one really knew who 163 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,120 you were at the time. And this was a, a breakthrough 164 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:17,920 performance for you, very solid. And so even before that, like 165 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:21,880 how, how did you go from Morocco to Oklahoma City? 166 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:22,480 Like what? What? 167 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:27,280 What was the connection there? It's it's a long story that I 168 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:32,960 will, you know, just shorten it in when you grew up in Morocco 169 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:37,000 and you don't have a lot of information when it comes to 170 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:43,080 like like NCAA system or how that works or, you know, any I I 171 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:47,200 did not know all of that until maybe three years after having, 172 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,440 you know, my degree in high school, after graduating high 173 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:53,320 school. I'm like, Oh yeah, they there is 174 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:56,400 opportunities in the world. There is like the college 175 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:57,760 system. We offer that. 176 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:03,480 So when you try in a later age, because lack of information at 177 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:08,160 that time, I was like, I, I knew about it, but people around me 178 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:12,040 make it very hard to like, do you know, they're like, you have 179 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:15,480 to like be fluent in English, you're going to study, you know, 180 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:20,720 So it was not a lot of encouragement around me. 181 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:25,600 So I was like, OK, so but the moment I really want it, I went 182 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:29,080 for it and they start doing what it takes, you know, studying 183 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,360 language and we love that. So when I came in, I came to 184 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:39,600 America, I find trouble in like being eligible in the NCAA 185 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,960 Division one. So the option and also I was not 186 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,520 confident that I will even pass classes at that time because my 187 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,520 English was, you know, I was speaking a few words at this 188 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:56,040 time, not a few words. But you can tell that there is 189 00:11:56,040 --> 00:12:00,560 no way I can do a presentation in a, you know, in, I don't 190 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,360 know, English composition one or something like the basic like 191 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:07,480 thing that a lot of international students can have. 192 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:10,760 I, I was like in a few of the basics. 193 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,600 So I, I went to Jico college for about a year. 194 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:20,440 Then that's when Kobe hit and when I was in, yeah, when I was 195 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:28,400 in in junior college, I ran 2802 in Portland Track Festival. 196 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,960 So it was it was a decent time. It was a good time. 197 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:36,080 But I still, no one knows who I am yet because, you know, it's 198 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:42,560 just it has to be like a media coverage on the race. 199 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,240 I was lucky that you guys were there in, in Texas. 200 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:53,600 So what happened is from junior college, I went to like NEIA 201 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:57,120 just because I'm afraid also to go through the hassle of trying 202 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:02,840 to be eligible and all that. And and I just understood from 203 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,200 coaches that it might not work out. 204 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:09,200 So I was like, you know, I don't what I need is a school. 205 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,560 I came for a school. NEIA offered like a scholarship 206 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:15,200 to school. Then the coaches was like, Hey, 207 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,400 are you are you all the coaches? I ask is like the same question 208 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,760 I asked, are you willing to take me to where, you know, 209 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:25,840 professional runners? I I want to compete with the 210 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,440 best here. And I was very lucky with coach 211 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:33,600 Aguero, like a previous coach, you know, CU who said, yeah, of 212 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,400 course we will make sure you're, you know, you run fast and and 213 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,080 all that. So he took me to. 214 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:44,960 Yeah, Texas and before that because of COVID, you don't you 215 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:46,880 don't have a lot of things going on. 216 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:49,000 So you just, I was just locked in. 217 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:55,760 I was just training and you know, I had also, I was in 218 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,000 junior college, I did not have teammates. 219 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:02,280 I was by myself. So when I came to OCU, we were 220 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,520 like 20 in the team, just males, we were like 20 or more. 221 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:10,320 So that team environment really helped me because you go to the 222 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,360 gym, you don't go alone. You you do like easy runs, you 223 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:15,680 don't, you don't do them alone even for workout. 224 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:21,680 So I think that helped me really like just focus on, on, on 225 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:25,560 training and school. And yeah, since then the results 226 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:31,520 start, you know, showing like in, in, in Texas qualifier. 227 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:38,240 Yeah, it was, it was humid that day and I I won by like I think 228 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:42,800 like 30 seconds or something. Then then at that moment, I 229 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:47,920 start like believe in that, maybe even the Olympic standard. 230 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:51,960 It's not, it's not like crazy to think about or dream about. 231 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:57,600 So it was a very good race, good motivation that day. 232 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:00,880 Yeah, now that was a it was a cool moment just cuz like when I 233 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:05,640 go back and and reflect on all the many weird, but then really 234 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,080 cool things that happened in in in Texas at that time. 235 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,520 Remind me again, where was your junior college? 236 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,760 Because I always love hearing the stories when I've talked to 237 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:17,600 Shadrack cheer cheer or Elkanah Kabed or all these people on on 238 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,120 the podcast have just when they come from Kenya and they get on 239 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,960 an airplane, sometimes for the first time, they get dropped off 240 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:28,280 and middle it could be middle of nowhere in in America. 241 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,120 It's not New York and it's it's like all these different places. 242 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:34,440 And it's such a cultural shock because when you watch movies, 243 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,160 you see TV like you picture a different kind of America and 244 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:40,480 then you get off the plane and it's not what what you've seen. 245 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:45,400 Yes, yeah. So, so before I came to America, 246 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,040 I was in the capital city of Morocco in Rabat. 247 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:52,400 And it was like, you know, very nice city and all that coming 248 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,040 here. So when I went to junior 249 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:59,360 college, I was in Northwest Northwest Kansas Technical 250 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,880 College. That's the name of the, the 251 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:04,520 college. It's like 300 student goes to 252 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:07,920 that the whole thing college. And it's a small town. 253 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:13,000 I think it's like 8000 or 7000 population in that town. 254 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:18,120 And that year when I was there, it was like snowing so much for 255 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,600 like about like 2 months nonstop, you know. 256 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,160 So it was a rough, I would say a rough start because you know, 257 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,800 you get the culture shock with the cold and all that stuff. 258 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,440 It was, it was, it was definitely a hard time. 259 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:39,240 But the, the good side of that is I was 30 miles away from 260 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:42,360 Wesley Kip 2. He was in this in a junior 261 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:48,240 College in Kansas as well in, I don't recall the name of the 262 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:51,960 college, but he was 30 miles. So we run conference together. 263 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:56,360 We run everything together. And he was, he was, it was fast. 264 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,000 So he kept me on my toes the whole time. 265 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:03,920 I was like, if you want to win just conference in Jico, you got 266 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,599 to win. You got to beat Wesley, which, 267 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:11,560 you know, it was a it was a very good competition between us that 268 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:16,920 we always like talk about. I think it was nice memories for 269 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:21,160 sure. It was just I knew inside of me. 270 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:24,720 It's like coming, you know, to American general. 271 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:27,800 It's not going to be like easy from the beginning. 272 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:30,880 It has to be like hard. Then you find your path. 273 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:32,840 And I think that's what happened to me, yeah. 274 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:36,680 Kind of wild how, you know, the two of you had that success and 275 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:39,320 you shared those moments, but then at the same time, like took 276 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:43,600 very different paths and now both U.S. citizens and both 277 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,680 going to be racing at the marathon trials in in 2028. 278 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:48,560 That's remarkable. That's crazy. 279 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,240 Yeah, we, we were laughing about it just the other day in 280 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:53,800 Chicago. We were like, that's crazy. 281 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,840 We were just, you know, running together in a, a random track 282 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:00,320 meet in Kansas that no one knows about. 283 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,800 And look at us now. We're just, you know, you never 284 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:08,440 know. In Morocco, like obviously very 285 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:13,720 rich, you know, historical track culture, you know, in the 2000s, 286 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,880 I guess where, where did you start running like and, and how, 287 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:19,840 what was your sort of entryway into the sport? 288 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:25,200 My, my very first entry to the sport was my my family. 289 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:29,520 So my uncles were were they run cross country and they run 290 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:33,360 marathons, they love marathons. And one of my uncles, he was 291 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:36,920 very, he was competitive, but he had a full time job, so he was 292 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:43,440 just doing it as much as he can. So as when I, when I start, like 293 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:46,320 I was very active kid, I was playing soccer, I was doing a 294 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:50,880 lot of things and he was very encouraging that I should run. 295 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:57,200 And so he would sign me for like like small, like kids races and 296 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,560 all that. So I knew about running in an 297 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:04,800 early age, but the culture around me is like everyone loves 298 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,600 soccer and I was, I love soccer. So I was like, I don't want to 299 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:10,040 run. I just want to play soccer. 300 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:15,400 So until one day that I, I broke my wrist while playing soccer. 301 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:19,120 Then I was like, you know, I had that pressure from the family 302 00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:22,440 that, hey, you know, you, you probably, you're better off with 303 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,400 running. You don't get any impact. 304 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:26,520 You're, you're, you're fine as a headrunner. 305 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:32,680 So since then, it was like 14 years old, that's when I really 306 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:38,120 took it seriously. And like I will say just a year 307 00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:43,720 after that, I start like, like in my youth category, I won the 308 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:49,000 national championships. I was, I was, I was like all my 309 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,880 like age categories. I was, I was like the national 310 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:57,000 champion. And like as a junior, I, I, I 311 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,920 did, I finished 14th in the world cross country. 312 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:05,160 And they think that's I would say my start being very 313 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:08,800 noticeable like in in Morocco at the time and. 314 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:15,120 Yeah, So just I was, I was talented, but it was always not 315 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:19,040 100% serious in in in training, you know, there's always things 316 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,440 going on that's. Yeah, cuz I, I was looking at 317 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,560 your resume and it's sort of like I, I, I looked at a result 318 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:28,400 and I was like whoa like world cross country 2013 like yeah, 319 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,200 you know, 14 Then you got you guys got bronze I think in that 320 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:33,240 as a team. Yeah, right. 321 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,320 And then two years later, I think World University Games 322 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:38,320 like silver medal for you in the 5K. 323 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,520 So like you were representing Morocco at at such an early age. 324 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,600 And so if we kind of continue on like your progression of things 325 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,920 like, yes, 2021, like that was February, you have this moment 326 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,160 where you pop off in Austin, you continue on throughout the 327 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,360 outdoor season to have, you know, pretty strong success. 328 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:58,240 And then you get all the way to the Olympics, you're in the 329 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,560 Olympic Village. And then what is it like the 330 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,240 night or two before you find out that like they're not letting 331 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,040 you compete? And part of it was like, I guess 332 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,320 you can explain it better, but there was like some technical 333 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:11,840 mistakes. With no no. 334 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:13,000 No. What? 335 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:15,480 OK, you explain it. Then yeah, yeah, I I would say 336 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:19,280 that's part of me at the time I was like, I don't need to talk 337 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:25,000 about this at the, I don't need to attack anyone or anything. 338 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,680 But this is it's like I would say the Moroccan Federation, 339 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,960 they were not taking it very seriously. 340 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,920 You know, they're not on the dot of the rules. 341 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:39,520 Or if you're an in like there is a this categories and Morocco 342 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:44,200 was in a category A where you have to have three doping tests 343 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:48,200 out of competition before you're eligible to race. 344 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:53,320 And they were just, I was like, I literally have proofs, right? 345 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:59,040 That in December, right in December, I'm like, hey, this is 346 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:01,480 like one of the best shape I am in. 347 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:06,360 I I, we can prove it with the coach and all that, that I know 348 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:08,320 the rule because I follow the sport. 349 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:10,640 I know I know the sport very well. 350 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,920 So I reach out to them saying, hey, you can you can test me, 351 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:17,880 I'm available. This is my address and all that 352 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,640 just because if I did the standard, I won't even have to 353 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:24,920 deal with that. And their answer is like, just 354 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:30,280 do the standard first, then we, we know we, we, we do something 355 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,920 even like when I did the standard in May, I still have 356 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:35,920 enough time to do all that to test, but. 357 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:37,080 You need to. There is no. 358 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:42,000 Person that tickets as an urgent thing to do, you know, yeah, we 359 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,200 have a rule. It's going to be like, Nah, 360 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:48,520 they're like last minute thing. They're slowing down the process 361 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:53,800 and what got me to just focus on my training is the like the 362 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:58,720 Moroccan Federation Dr. came to me and say, hey, we sent like, 363 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:03,360 and you know, we talked to the yeah, yeah, you about your case 364 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:06,760 because you're, you know, international student in America 365 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,160 and all that. So you're, you can do, just do 366 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,560 your test, but they don't have to meet that rule of like 3 367 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:18,760 weeks apart between the tests. So I was like, really that OK, 368 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,680 I'm, you know, I'm, I'm going to go train and just focus on my 369 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:24,880 training. But behind the scene there is 370 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,080 some lying, there is some like mismanagement there. 371 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:32,800 There is like a lot of all things that really crushed my, 372 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,120 my dream at the time because I was, I was very fit. 373 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:41,320 You know, I was like, you know, I was, I run 2720 while I'm like 374 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:45,440 taking five classes. And after that, like, OK, now 375 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,280 I'm focused. I got better in during summer 376 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,520 to, to run the Olympics. And I was like, yeah, maybe I 377 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:54,960 have a chance to, you know, finish top, top 6 stuff. 378 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,040 I don't know. We don't know what would happen 379 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,880 at the time. But I never, I never had that, 380 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:06,040 that chance to, to, to, to run. And it's 100% their mistake. 381 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:11,240 But I was not willing to like just say it because at the time 382 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,440 I was like, if if they're my enemy right now, I don't know 383 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,880 what would happen in the future, you know, like if I will still 384 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,000 want to like run a different race. 385 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:24,160 So, but yeah, so that's that's one when I get the chance to 386 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:29,120 represent USAI was like, why? Yeah, of course I'm did it. 387 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:35,000 Not just one race because I remember also in 20/20/2014, I 388 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,960 was the fastest junior to the world championship here in 389 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,480 Eugene and I was like very excited. 390 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,120 That sounds like America. I want to go run there and you 391 00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:50,360 know, in Eugene and we're like watching the Prefontaine races 392 00:24:50,360 --> 00:24:52,200 and all I was like, I want to go. 393 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:58,600 I was, I run as a junior 1350. But in their perspective, I'm 394 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:02,080 not fast enough to go. You have to run like you have to 395 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,520 guarantee a middle, which is like a very stupid mindset that 396 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,640 they have that causes a lot of. So it's a build up, you know, 397 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:12,840 throughout the year you get, you know, you're stuck in an 398 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:14,440 airport. They don't care if you. 399 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:18,600 So I got so many drama within them, like, you know, an 400 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,840 American now. And yeah, I'm not going to deal 401 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:25,480 with all that stuff. This episode of the City Smack 402 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,640 podcast is supported by Lollipop, the official soda of 403 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,520 smarter sipping. OK, I don't know how much of A 404 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:36,640 hot take this is, but before we get into it, I feel like in 2025 405 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:40,120 we talked way too much about protein and not nearly enough 406 00:25:40,120 --> 00:25:43,120 about fiber. Fiber is a kind of unsung hero 407 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:45,920 in your digestive system. It keeps things moving, beats a 408 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,600 good gut bacteria, and yet most of us aren't getting nearly 409 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,800 enough of it. If you're thinking, OK, but what 410 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,320 even is fiber or how do I get it without eating a bowl of twigs, 411 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,800 congratulations, you're normal. Enter lollipop. 412 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,160 Lollipops, a better for you soda that puts 6 to 9 grams of fiber 413 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,160 in every single can. And it's not just any fiber, 414 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,000 prebiotic fiber, which is basically food for the 415 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,960 beneficial bacteria in your gut because yes, your gut bacteria 416 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,080 needs snacks too. This winter, Ollie Pop's holiday 417 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,720 cans are back featuring their Yeti trio. 418 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:20,920 You got Ollie for the vintage cola vibes. 419 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,920 You've got Pip for crisp apple forward goodness. 420 00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:28,480 You got Pop for classic party ready ginger ale, festive cans, 421 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:33,000 cozy flavors, actual fiber. And yes, this is real fiber, 422 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,480 prebiotic fiber from ingredients like have a root and chicory 423 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,600 root that help feed beneficial gut bacteria, which feels 424 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:42,880 especially clutched during this holiday cookie season. 425 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:46,440 So whether you're watching snowfall, we're doing absolutely 426 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:47,920 nothing under a blanket right now. 427 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:52,040 Crack open an lollipop. It's a smart, simple way to add 428 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,600 more fiber to your day. No recipes, no resolutions, no 429 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:59,160 sad salads required. Whether your team vintage cola, 430 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:02,840 crisp apple or ginger ale. Bundle up, pour yourself a can 431 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,560 and sip on some fiber. Your gut will feel warm and 432 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,680 fuzzy and honestly, that's the true holiday spirit. 433 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:12,800 Citius Mac Podcast listeners, you know the deal. 434 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:17,720 Visit drinklollipop.com and use code CITIUS 25 at checkout to 435 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,160 get 25% off your orders. That's Citius 25 at 436 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:25,920 drinklollipop.com. We are heading into Year 4 with 437 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:28,920 Lollipop and we could not be more excited. 438 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,440 Yeah, OK, so that that totally changes things 'cause I was 439 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,560 trying to think of like, man, I think Zuhair got really screwed 440 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:40,760 by the Moroccan Federation 2021. But I feel like the last time I 441 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:44,000 talked to him about, you know, what happened in Tokyo, you were 442 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,240 telling me like it was a little bit different. 443 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,520 But now I guess like you feel a little bit more relieved to be 444 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,880 able to speak the truth as to to what happened and my next 445 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:53,720 thinking. And just sort of like you get 446 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:57,080 told you can't run the 10K at the Tokyo Olympics. 447 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:00,200 I'm sure you're devastated in that moment. 448 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:02,920 And it was such a weird Olympics, too, where everyone in 449 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,280 the village, you know, there were the COVID tests and the 450 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:07,440 masking and everything, and everyone had to be separated. 451 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:09,520 So what happens? Like they just say, all right, 452 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:10,960 it's time for you to pack your bags and go. 453 00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:15,880 You just said your flight is like a week. 454 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:18,880 You're just like sitting there and I'm embarrassed because I'm 455 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:20,400 there. I'm there. 456 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:24,440 I'm like, I'm like everyone asking me, I'm like, and you 457 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:28,120 have to explain. Like everyone that asks me is 458 00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:31,360 not like 1 answer is like you have to explain the whole thing. 459 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:34,400 This is what happened and this is and they got at certain point 460 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:37,320 got tired of explaining. Well, there is a rule there is. 461 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,360 And also like some people that are even close minded when they 462 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,920 hear drag testing, they were like, what would you, you know, 463 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:49,400 they can. Some people, they even can like 464 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:55,000 jump to a different conclusion based on, you know, how you, you 465 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,480 said that. And I was like, yeah, But the 466 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:02,360 the worst part of all that I qualify in both distances, the 467 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:05,720 10K and the 5K. So there you see the three weeks 468 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:10,640 apart, I will still be eligible 3 days after the 10K to get a 469 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:14,120 test, but they never send my name on the 5K. 470 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:19,680 You see how you shake your head? I was like, this is like, this, 471 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:23,680 this, this is crazy. It's it's, it's like, and now I 472 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:28,040 mean like I had no in, I didn't want like I know a lot of media, 473 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:31,240 like Moroccan media, they were like contacting me and say they 474 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:34,320 knew what happened. Like some people, they're not 475 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:35,640 stupid. They're not, they're smart 476 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:41,680 enough to know this, you know, the something that like from 477 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,960 them happened. But I was just not willing to 478 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,040 like face them or anything. Yeah. 479 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,200 Yeah, cuz then at the time, like you're still representing that, 480 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:52,560 you're still young. You have the opportunity the 481 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,160 next year to represent Morocco at a world championship and you 482 00:29:56,160 --> 00:30:00,120 end up running world indoors in 2022, you finished 6th of that 483 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,160 one. And then at the outdoor World 484 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:07,800 Championships, you were in the 10K there and you're in the new 485 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:13,640 Olympic cycle at that point. And then comes Paris where you 486 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:16,200 run the marathon there. You you finished 35th at that 487 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:17,720 point. Like you'd already started 488 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:20,640 transitioning over to the roads. Did you know kind of like in the 489 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,200 lead up to the Paris Olympics, like this is going to be my last 490 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,160 time representing Morocco. I'm going to finally become an 491 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:29,400 Olympian, but this is it. Or like, was the thought already 492 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:31,160 sort of in motion? Yeah, so we were. 493 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:33,920 We were. So for like a long time, I'll 494 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:39,360 say a month, we were thinking, do I do I even should go to the 495 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:43,720 Paris Olympics to run or it's not even worth it because I have 496 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,800 to wait. Like there's a three-year wait. 497 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:51,520 And most close people to me, they were like, it's an 498 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:54,520 opportunity. You're so fit, you know, people 499 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,520 like to see your training. They were like you probably, you 500 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:00,520 know, the hype you, you know, they're like you're probably 501 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:02,680 going to finish in the podium. You never know. 502 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:07,360 You don't don't let this opportunity just go away because 503 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:12,760 of, you know, you know, finally I was like, yeah, it's just you 504 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:15,800 don't know what's going to happen in another four years. 505 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:19,880 So I was just going to run the Olympics right now and and see, 506 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:24,440 but I end up like, you know, getting fatigued by the end of 507 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:26,800 my cycle. I didn't even erase the way I 508 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:29,120 wanted. And it's just a mess. 509 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:30,880 Yeah. Yeah. 510 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,560 But overall at that point too, just you, you've always been 511 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:37,560 very strong immediately. I guess like once you move to 512 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,720 the marathon, like you have the 5th place to finish in Boston, 513 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:45,160 then you, I mean, each time that I feel like there's a tough 514 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,600 course, I'm always like, you got to watch Zuhair because like he, 515 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:50,360 he'll be a sneaky contender for this one. 516 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:55,080 And then like 2024, you come out with a hot start that's already 517 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:58,560 looking similar to this one. You win Houston 20639, finish 518 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,400 10th in Boston, then you had the Olympics and then you go to 519 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,440 China and you run one more marathon Python. 520 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:07,680 He ran two O 7 there. 2024 strong year for you overall. 521 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:12,000 What sort of was your goal? I guess into last year because 522 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,040 it was a little bit more conservative of a approach when 523 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,320 it came to racing. We talked before we started 524 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:19,760 recording like only one marathon last year, and that was Chicago. 525 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:21,760 Oh, yes, yeah. So. 526 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,760 So when I run, I run that race. I timed it right where I went to 527 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,680 China and I ran the marathon one week later. 528 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:35,320 I was already enlisted in the US Army, so at that time. 529 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:41,280 So as soon as I got from that race, I was in South Carolina in 530 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:45,560 basic training. So from like a whole racing, 531 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:50,200 then I knew I'm not going to be able to race until potentially 532 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,120 Chicago or New York at the end of the year. 533 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:57,760 So I knew that a whole year going to be like so and also by 534 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:03,080 running 4 marathons in one year, I was like, maybe I need a long 535 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:07,640 reset, you know, like just don't do any running. 536 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,320 Just focus on another stuff. I will still run right like when 537 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:16,760 I can, you know, with the with the physical, you know, demand 538 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:19,480 that the army, you know, require. 539 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:24,240 So I was trying to run as much as they can, but but I was in a 540 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:28,200 different, you know, I was, I made new friends and we were 541 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,480 doing different things. So it was, it was just I forget 542 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:35,880 and I forgot about running until like, you know, like I was, I 543 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,240 remember like just looking at the result. 544 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:43,480 I have like 20 minute in a, in a, in a basic training and they 545 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:47,160 looked at the result of New York and they saw like, you know, 546 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:51,040 just looking at the result. I was like, wow, you know, you, 547 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:57,040 you're in a different life then. So running didn't start until I 548 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:04,000 graduated in like AIT in Virginia in March. 549 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:08,320 So from March then that's when I took it like seriously. 550 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:12,960 I knew I'll be fit by Chicago, but I was not sure how fit I 551 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,120 would be. So I quickly during summer, I 552 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:21,440 did a cycle of racing that it proved to me that I am, I'm back 553 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:25,800 in my in my ship. But yeah, this is a but I knew 554 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:31,440 in 20 like 2025 is going to be like just one race, but 2026 I, 555 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:36,840 I knew I would wanted to like put more than than two like in 556 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:37,920 in a year. So. 557 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,960 What are yours, I guess like your duties and and your role 558 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:44,159 within the the US Army and like, why did you decide to take that 559 00:34:44,159 --> 00:34:47,600 route too? For me, so if I want to take the 560 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:54,080 normal route of like becoming AUS citizen, you know, for 561 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:56,960 people that they don't know, you know, I was like a permanent 562 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:00,080 residence here in America, but you still need to wait like 563 00:35:00,240 --> 00:35:03,840 three years or two years and something to like apply for your 564 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:09,200 citizenship And for, you know, with the Army, you would like 565 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:14,320 basically like have an immediate like application when you 566 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,880 enlist. And that's one part, the second 567 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:23,120 part on like, you know, in sports, you don't you make 568 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:25,280 money, but you don't make like crazy money. 569 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:27,920 And if you live in America and you have like just health 570 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,800 insurance that it's like very expensive. 571 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:36,320 And you know, I was, I was also like, you know, we, you know, we 572 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:38,720 expecting a baby. We know like, hey, you know, 573 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,760 just go into the birth and all that stuff. 574 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:45,720 It might be like it might, you know, it might cost a lot. 575 00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:52,480 And beside that, I was just I I train every day with the, you 576 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:54,440 know, the soldiers, so in my team. 577 00:35:54,720 --> 00:36:00,320 So I, you know, basically like now that life and I was like, 578 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:02,800 yeah, I can do that. And yeah. 579 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:06,280 So it was, it was a combination of things that got me, you know, 580 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:10,920 in this plus last, I really needed a change. 581 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:14,560 I really like wanted to not do running for a little bit and I 582 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:17,240 was like maybe this is the perfect timing to do it. 583 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:22,440 Was it a fairly easy transition for you to jump into Coach Scott 584 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,720 Simmons's group where like then all of a sudden, I mean, he's, 585 00:36:24,720 --> 00:36:27,160 he's dealt with so many athletes who have followed in this, in 586 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:30,080 this path over the last, you know, I think like 10 plus 587 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:33,200 years. My relationship with Coach Scott 588 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:37,760 was like, since I was in college, I was coming like when 589 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:42,720 I have like, you know, summer, summer, like I can come, I come 590 00:36:42,720 --> 00:36:48,240 for like a month or, or like just when we get the winter 591 00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:51,800 break, you know, like around Christmas time, I, I'll come 592 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:53,840 here for like 3 weeks or something. 593 00:36:53,840 --> 00:37:00,960 So, and coach, Coach Scott Simmons already now my coaches 594 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:04,880 in, in OCU, he, he coached them at certain time. 595 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:10,080 So it was easy to have that access to him. 596 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:15,160 And also, you know, just I believed in attitude. 597 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,600 I was like, anytime I find like a time, I was like, I'm going to 598 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:21,320 go to altitude and the perfect place when I was in college, 599 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,080 like, yeah, I know somebody. I know the team. 600 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:27,040 And yeah. And there were, the team was 601 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:33,000 very welcoming and I felt like I fit in and I was like, yeah. 602 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:38,200 And so as soon as I graduated and maybe another six months 603 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:42,720 later after graduation, I, I came here, I knew that would, 604 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,240 you know, he was willing, you know, he was helping me even 605 00:37:46,240 --> 00:37:49,120 when I was still in Oklahoma. They knew he was. 606 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:53,600 He's going to be like helping me throughout the my journey here. 607 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:57,960 One of the fun parts is that you know when you have success and 608 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:01,200 then, you know, I think I was thinking about this before the 609 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:04,200 New York City Marathon when Hilary Bor was getting ready to 610 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:06,640 run and he's telling me about his workouts and how well his 611 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:08,720 training block was going. And he's like, well, you know, 612 00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:11,200 he's been training with you and you just ran two O 7. 613 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,560 So it's like you're starting to think like, oh, he could be 614 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,800 pretty fit, you know, all things considered, you know, when after 615 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:19,320 having spent a bunch of time with you. 616 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:23,240 So I guess like, what's the best part about having such a strong 617 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:26,920 group with guys like Hillary to to train with every day? 618 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:31,040 Yeah, I I love Hillary. He's, he's my buddy. 619 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:36,200 We, we train together. We talk a lot as like one, one 620 00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:42,200 of my closest teammate and I think we share one goal is like 621 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:45,760 how we can improve and how what we can do differently to make 622 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:49,760 like a big change. And he is just such a strong 623 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:53,120 runner in general. Like speed wise, like like we, 624 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:58,680 you can do volume like 40K and he's pretty strong and and I 625 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:01,040 knew he would run something fast. 626 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:03,040 That's for sure. Just with me experiencing 627 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:07,560 marathon is just like, you know, sometimes where you're new in 628 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:11,000 marathon, you don't have that much experience to your, you 629 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:16,600 know, so he did few mistakes that he would change and but 630 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:19,480 just having him in the team, yeah, it makes a big, big 631 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:23,120 difference because you're not worried about those big 632 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:25,280 workouts. You know that you're not going 633 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:27,480 to do them by myself. I'm not going to pace the whole 634 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:31,360 thing by myself. I'm not, you know, if I, if I 635 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:36,760 have an OK day, I know they will just, you know, push me 636 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:42,000 throughout the the workout and I felt like we, we work as a as a 637 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:47,120 team. And you know, he said the he say 638 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:50,120 the same thing is like, oh, man, when you're not here, you know, 639 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:57,000 it's it's I feel like when when we all start training like a 640 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,400 training block together, I think, yeah, he just goes quick. 641 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:02,320 He goes fast. You don't you don't even feel 642 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:02,760 it. Yeah. 643 00:40:03,240 --> 00:40:05,520 For this one, it must have been interesting because Houston 644 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:10,760 being in in January it he's he's doing the half marathon. 645 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:13,400 You're doing the full marathon. I guess what what made you want 646 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:17,040 to go back to Houston and and take a stab at A at a fast time 647 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,400 here? You know, I, I wanted to do 648 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:23,960 Houston before I even like run Chicago because I just, it's 649 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:25,960 just a magical place, I felt like. 650 00:40:26,720 --> 00:40:28,920 I agree it's a marathon. PB is from today. 651 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:36,160 We went through my training before I when I run 26IN in in 652 00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:40,720 Houston and I was, I had some like letter injury in my 653 00:40:40,720 --> 00:40:44,200 hamstring and there was not doing a lot of work and, and 654 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:48,600 there was like, yeah, like the three weeks before race I was 655 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:52,760 not doing a lot of work and like low mileage and they still run 656 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:55,040 fast there. And I was like, yeah, I think 657 00:40:57,200 --> 00:41:02,760 also it lined up perfect after New York or Chicago where you 658 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:07,400 can run, but if you don't get what you want in Chicago or or 659 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:10,920 New York, you can give another attempt in Houston. 660 00:41:11,360 --> 00:41:14,680 And they, I, I, I saw a lot of people did the same thing, not 661 00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:18,680 like professionally, but just like people are like chasing 662 00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:20,680 times and all that in here in America. 663 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:22,920 They, they would, they would do the same thing. 664 00:41:23,280 --> 00:41:26,360 And I, I did not get what I wanted in Chicago. 665 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:31,760 I, I also, I hate to be that person who write a post saying, 666 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:35,960 oh, I got a stomach issue. I know 100% that no one cares 667 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,760 about that. Like you do it or you don't do 668 00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:41,400 it. And they was like the only way 669 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:47,040 to prove to myself 1st that I am able to do those times is by 670 00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:52,600 finding another race and just, you know, fix the mistakes that 671 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:57,520 I had and hoping, you know, not getting like the stomach issue I 672 00:41:57,520 --> 00:41:59,520 had in Chicago. I was like hoping not getting 673 00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:04,440 the same thing in in Houston and having a good race and also like 674 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,880 just having the course record there and I knew I can break it 675 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,560 again. So I was like motivation as well 676 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:16,880 to like set my mind on winning and breaking the course record. 677 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:22,320 That's it's different than just trying to like finish top 10 or 678 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:24,280 a very different approach I feel like. 679 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,200 Did you ever think American record because Connor said, you 680 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:30,720 know, two O 443 in Chicago, you were in that race. 681 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:33,360 You were with him for a good chunk of the early portions of 682 00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:36,320 it. But like did that start cross 683 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:39,560 your mind or did you keep it a little bit more measured of two 684 00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:43,520 O 5 something? No, I did not have any American 685 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:47,200 recording in my mind. I just like just wanna, you 686 00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:53,520 know, go through the steps, you know, just running 2O5I was, you 687 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:56,360 know, that was my goal. Then, you know, starting 688 00:42:56,360 --> 00:43:02,400 lowering my PVI think when I get closer to the American rock or 689 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:05,800 then I will be like, yes, I'm definitely going to go for it. 690 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:09,200 But at this point in with my career, I feel like I, I'm still 691 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:14,480 lacking a few more training experience and more, you know, I 692 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:17,280 feel like I did not give everything in training like 693 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:20,840 comparing to like just even when I compare my training to a few 694 00:43:20,840 --> 00:43:24,920 other runners, I'm like, yeah, I don't think I, I have ever had 695 00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:30,920 like 130 miles for a long time. I'm like, I pick in 130, but my 696 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:34,520 average is like 110 or 115 or something like that. 697 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:40,160 So it's it's like I have room to still improve and potentially 698 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:41,880 get in there. Yeah. 699 00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:45,920 I guess the cool part too about, you know, becoming AUS citizen 700 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:49,960 is that you unlock like the USATF, like Rd. racing circuit. 701 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:54,000 And so you're able to go and race, you know, against Hillary, 702 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:57,160 against Joe Clecker, against Charles Hicks, like all these 703 00:43:57,160 --> 00:44:00,680 guys all throughout the the year when they go off to those races. 704 00:44:00,680 --> 00:44:03,160 Like was there something in particular you really liked 705 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:07,200 about 2025 and last summer when you started to get those chances 706 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:11,480 to see these competitors who some of them are just starting 707 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:14,400 in the marathon and you know, they're going to be also 708 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:17,320 contenders come 2028. So all of you are learning each 709 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:21,040 other like in real time. Yeah, I feel like this. 710 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:25,320 That's too cool. Like just go in there and, you 711 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:28,920 know, you know, just meeting new people like, you know, you race 712 00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:31,440 with, but you you don't talk to them or anything. 713 00:44:31,720 --> 00:44:36,920 I think like all those, you know, USTF phrases, you get the 714 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:40,800 chance to like, you know, just sit down and talk with. 715 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:44,600 You know, every time I go, I feel like I I made new new 716 00:44:44,600 --> 00:44:49,040 friends and talk and yeah, just, you know, learn more things 717 00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:54,160 about, about the sport and yeah, I'm, you know, it's very 718 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:57,240 competitive. That's why I realized for sure I 719 00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:02,800 I thought I was fit in before the 20 K and I was like, you 720 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:08,760 know, I still, I run a fast time, you know, but you know, I 721 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:13,160 was one minute behind Conor Manse who won the race. 722 00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:17,080 I was like, this is very competitive and that changes my 723 00:45:17,680 --> 00:45:21,240 perspective a little bit. Even you train for marathon, I 724 00:45:21,240 --> 00:45:24,960 feel like you're you, you still need to be in a certain shape to 725 00:45:25,160 --> 00:45:29,480 be able to win right now in the US So it's very competitive, 726 00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:35,080 like it's it's world class races now in US track and field. 727 00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:37,640 Take me through the execution of of Houston. 728 00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:39,560 What did you think you did really well and then what are 729 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:41,760 some of the things that you want to work on for the next time? 730 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:45,720 The pacing, I think something I did very well is pacing myself. 731 00:45:45,720 --> 00:45:49,760 I think in Chicago, I, I, it was, it was bad. 732 00:45:51,240 --> 00:45:56,560 I tried to compare just the the latest race I did and the one 733 00:45:56,560 --> 00:45:59,960 before it. It's like the pacing was good. 734 00:45:59,960 --> 00:46:02,920 The the fueling was good in Houston. 735 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:09,240 I think that was good. The I'll say there's something 736 00:46:09,440 --> 00:46:13,960 I, I thought I still need to improve is like just training in 737 00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:20,800 general, like just like I'll get more mileage and, and try to 738 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:25,240 like improve, you know, strength training and all that stuff. 739 00:46:25,880 --> 00:46:30,280 I feel like I'm still need to improve those, but I think I 740 00:46:30,720 --> 00:46:33,360 excused the race perfectly this time. 741 00:46:33,560 --> 00:46:36,920 Like not not going too aggressive or anything, just 742 00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:41,920 holding until the end so. How many miles did you get up to 743 00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:43,560 in in this marathon training block? 744 00:46:43,800 --> 00:46:48,480 So before Chicago I was, I picked 100 at 130. 745 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:53,440 I'm not sure what's the average, maybe a hundred, 120 or 746 00:46:53,440 --> 00:46:57,440 something. That's the average for for like 747 00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:02,360 4 months or something like 3 between 3:00 to four months. 748 00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:07,760 But this time I took two weeks off, I would say a week off and 749 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:12,400 one week when I start training. So I only have like 2 months 750 00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:16,520 between Chicago and that's like 5 weeks. 751 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:20,240 Yeah. So in those five weeks, maybe I 752 00:47:20,240 --> 00:47:26,000 averaged like 110, a 105. So I was not doing a lot of 753 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:31,240 mileage just because there's always something like the 754 00:47:31,240 --> 00:47:36,240 weather was not was not good. And you know, the travelling as 755 00:47:36,240 --> 00:47:40,280 well can cause a little bit of, you know, having a day off here 756 00:47:40,280 --> 00:47:42,880 and there. But the workouts, they were 757 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:44,840 always good. So that's, that's something I'm 758 00:47:44,840 --> 00:47:49,280 proud of is like I I was consistent the whole time when 759 00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:51,240 it comes to pacing and the workout. 760 00:47:51,240 --> 00:47:55,560 So there is, yeah, I don't remember a bad workout where I'm 761 00:47:55,560 --> 00:48:00,760 like, this is always like getting the right, like the 762 00:48:00,760 --> 00:48:05,480 right pacing. 2024, you did Houston and you bounced back and 763 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:08,560 did Boston. So is that what your hope might 764 00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:12,800 be for this year or where's your early thinking of kind of loose 765 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:15,400 scheduling for 2025? Like what do you want to or 2026 766 00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:20,080 what do you want to try and do? Yeah, I I would say I'm not too 767 00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:22,560 sure yet, but that's yeah, that's my hope. 768 00:48:22,560 --> 00:48:28,200 You know, just I run Boston twice and I think I would love 769 00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:32,680 to go again and but nothing is like officially head. 770 00:48:32,680 --> 00:48:36,040 So we'll see. What did you learn from Boston? 771 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:38,520 Because he had two different kinds of races the last the two 772 00:48:38,520 --> 00:48:39,960 times. I think one time what you had, 773 00:48:40,160 --> 00:48:43,240 you had Kipchogi and then the second time was another one. 774 00:48:43,240 --> 00:48:47,280 That was in 2024. Who was in that one? 775 00:48:47,280 --> 00:48:48,880 I'm, I'm trying to remember off the top of my head. 776 00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:53,240 That was a, that was a one where you finished 10th and oh, that 777 00:48:53,240 --> 00:48:56,400 was the CC lemma year with that where he just went wire to wire. 778 00:48:56,400 --> 00:48:58,560 SO2 Very different kinds of races. 779 00:48:58,800 --> 00:49:03,320 So when CC Lima went, I, I, you know, I did a lot of mistakes. 780 00:49:03,320 --> 00:49:07,840 One mistake was like trying to follow him in early stages. 781 00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:12,440 And I thought maybe they were not, you know, they didn't care 782 00:49:12,440 --> 00:49:14,640 about him. They probably going to let me go 783 00:49:14,640 --> 00:49:17,280 as well. And probably, you know, try to 784 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:22,920 pace myself and then they give me like a gap and they catch up 785 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:30,200 the heartbreak hell. So and they try to push in that 786 00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:32,720 hell, which is not a big, big mistake. 787 00:49:32,720 --> 00:49:37,080 And I, I feel like it was a race where I did not pace myself. 788 00:49:37,080 --> 00:49:39,800 It was like just switching the pace a lot. 789 00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:43,720 And that really caused to, you know, hit the wall. 790 00:49:44,600 --> 00:49:49,080 But I think now I have a perfect, you know, strategy for 791 00:49:49,080 --> 00:49:52,080 Boston. I think I think I learned 792 00:49:52,200 --> 00:49:55,000 through the last two races what I should do. 793 00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:57,320 You know, it's it's it's like Boston. 794 00:49:57,320 --> 00:50:00,920 You can't you can't put a plan and change it while you're 795 00:50:00,920 --> 00:50:03,240 running. Don't get too excited. 796 00:50:03,240 --> 00:50:06,840 The thing that happened in Boston, you know, you go through 797 00:50:06,840 --> 00:50:11,800 certain, you know, streets and they're like, you know, scream 798 00:50:11,800 --> 00:50:16,200 and you get hyped up and you try to change the pace. 799 00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:19,920 And I think that's, that's something your listener 800 00:50:19,920 --> 00:50:23,920 shouldn't do. Don't get don't change your your 801 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:27,760 strategy or your pacing. It's a very emotional course for 802 00:50:27,760 --> 00:50:29,240 sure. I mean, it's been now I guess 803 00:50:29,240 --> 00:50:34,520 like 2026, if it could be 12 years since an, an American won 804 00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:37,200 Boston. And so we were close with with 805 00:50:37,200 --> 00:50:41,880 with Conor getting on the podium last year, but I mean it and the 806 00:50:41,880 --> 00:50:43,280 Americans are only getting stronger. 807 00:50:43,280 --> 00:50:45,440 So I feel like it wouldn't shock me if there was an American on 808 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:49,240 the podium in 2026. At this point, I'm not, I mean, 809 00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:52,000 if Connor is in the podium, I'm not going to be shocked. 810 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,520 This is very, you know, he proved himself that he's one of 811 00:50:55,520 --> 00:51:01,920 the best right now. And I'm for me, I, I, I want to 812 00:51:02,480 --> 00:51:06,800 be real with myself and be like, hey, I'm getting closer. 813 00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:12,280 But you know, when, when you're close enough to say something, I 814 00:51:12,280 --> 00:51:16,400 mean, I would now I would be like, yeah, now I think I can, I 815 00:51:16,400 --> 00:51:20,320 can, I can say I can be in the podium because you're, you're 816 00:51:20,320 --> 00:51:22,760 close. You know, I think I still have 817 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:25,960 room to like, still improve. But yeah, we'll see. 818 00:51:26,600 --> 00:51:30,000 You have a lot of respect for the event and your your 819 00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:33,400 competitors and, and, and I and I like that a lot about you. 820 00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:37,920 So yeah, I mean, it's, it's going to be do you find yourself 821 00:51:37,920 --> 00:51:42,360 like, I guess because 2028 marathon trials is, is on your 822 00:51:42,360 --> 00:51:44,160 radar? And like now we're starting to 823 00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:46,720 hear just sort of like, all right, we got Saint Louis 824 00:51:46,720 --> 00:51:49,920 bidding for it. We got Phoenix bidding for it. 825 00:51:50,280 --> 00:51:54,240 And there's the qualifying windows already open, and a 826 00:51:54,240 --> 00:51:57,160 bunch of people are hitting the times for it that it's like, all 827 00:51:57,160 --> 00:51:59,280 right, it's not too early to start getting excited. 828 00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:02,200 But for Someone Like You do you have to, you know, mentally tell 829 00:52:02,200 --> 00:52:03,840 yourself one thing at a time first. 830 00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:06,040 First we had Houston, now we do something else. 831 00:52:06,040 --> 00:52:09,120 I can't start getting too excited about the trials. 832 00:52:09,480 --> 00:52:13,320 Yeah, I will say I just personally want to time your 833 00:52:13,320 --> 00:52:19,000 right to 202720, you know, the end of 20272028. 834 00:52:19,320 --> 00:52:22,600 I that's why even in my goals right now, I'm not trying to 835 00:52:22,600 --> 00:52:27,040 break any, you know, American record or anything, but the more 836 00:52:27,040 --> 00:52:31,400 it gets closer, the more I will be definitely ready for it 837 00:52:31,400 --> 00:52:38,440 because I feel like I, you know, I have to be smart about it. 838 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:43,840 I have to see it as like 2-3 years instead of like just one 839 00:52:43,840 --> 00:52:49,240 preparation for Boston and go too crazy and you know, you 840 00:52:49,240 --> 00:52:54,240 know, just just have that long term goal. 841 00:52:54,240 --> 00:52:58,480 Then then you're like, break it down because you don't want to 842 00:52:58,480 --> 00:53:03,480 get injured or you don't want to like, you know, maybe if there's 843 00:53:03,480 --> 00:53:07,480 something new you want to try in training, maybe this is the time 844 00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:09,040 because it's a little bit far away. 845 00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:12,240 They can, you can try different things right now. 846 00:53:12,240 --> 00:53:20,920 And in order to be like, hey, in 20, you know, 2027, there is 847 00:53:20,920 --> 00:53:24,640 nothing new you have to try. You just, you need to like at 848 00:53:24,640 --> 00:53:28,320 that point, you have to already figure out your, your strategy 849 00:53:28,320 --> 00:53:30,720 to, because now it's very competitive. 850 00:53:30,720 --> 00:53:34,600 I think the top three spot would be, you know, you got to like, 851 00:53:35,320 --> 00:53:39,240 work very hard to get them. That's which is exciting for me. 852 00:53:39,240 --> 00:53:44,960 I, I, I never had, I, I, nothing ever was handed to me. 853 00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:48,360 I have to work hard for it and I'm willing to do the same thing 854 00:53:48,680 --> 00:53:50,800 for it now. Perfect. 855 00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:53,440 Well, Zu here, I appreciate you taking the time for this and 856 00:53:53,960 --> 00:53:56,800 sharing a bit more of your story because I think people will get, 857 00:53:56,960 --> 00:53:59,880 you know, more familiar with it with all the continued success 858 00:53:59,880 --> 00:54:01,640 that you're going to have over the next couple of years. 859 00:54:01,640 --> 00:54:05,000 And I appreciate it because like this is a long overdue. 860 00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:06,920 You know, I had so many questions while I was on the 861 00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:10,240 broadcast in Austin, TX and, and now, you know, I feel like 862 00:54:10,240 --> 00:54:12,080 everyone is getting to know you a little bit better. 863 00:54:12,920 --> 00:54:15,000 Well, thank you very much for having me, Chris. 864 00:54:15,120 --> 00:54:19,080 That was amazing. Alright, that's a wrap on 865 00:54:19,080 --> 00:54:21,360 today's episode. Thanks for listening, for the 866 00:54:21,360 --> 00:54:24,320 time, the curiosity, and for making this show part of your 867 00:54:24,320 --> 00:54:27,440 routine or your run. A big thanks to our producer 868 00:54:27,440 --> 00:54:30,280 Jasmine Fair, and to everyone behind the scenes who helps make 869 00:54:30,280 --> 00:54:32,000 the Sidious Mag podcast. Happen. 870 00:54:32,440 --> 00:54:34,440 If you enjoyed today's episode, a quick five star review on 871 00:54:34,440 --> 00:54:38,320 Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps people find this show and we 872 00:54:38,320 --> 00:54:40,200 read every single one. You can find 873 00:54:40,200 --> 00:54:44,040 muchmoretrackandfieldcoverage@sidiousmag.com and you can follow along across 874 00:54:44,040 --> 00:54:45,600 all of Sidiousmag's social channels. 875 00:54:45,760 --> 00:54:47,920 We'll see you next time. Thanks again for listening.