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TF360: Ashton Eaton Shifts Gears

Published by
DyeStatPRO.com   Mar 21st 2014, 3:45pm
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Decathlon World Record Holder Focuses on the Hurdles

By Scott Bush - Click Here for all TF360 Archives

It's strange when an athlete walks away disappointed from competition after they've won gold on a world stage, but that's just what happened to decathlon and indoor heptathlon world record holder Ashton Eaton at the IAAF World Indoor Track and Field Championships. As Eaton starts to shift gears in this non-outdoor championship season, where he'll focus on the 400m hurdles, Eaton talked with us about gaining perspective, working on his mental game, how his training will change this season and much more.

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Scott Bush (SB): Congrats on a terrific indoor campaign, which culminated with another World Championship gold medal. Reflecting back on your 2014 indoor season, what do you take away from your collection of performances? And any regrets on just missing your world record or does it just feel good to come away with the big win?

Ashton Eaton (AE): After this indoor season I thought of Daegu 2011. I was hard on myself then and even though I got the silver I considered it a failure. I had the same feeling after Sopot. Your body can easily handle staying at the top of the game. It’s your mind that breaks. Gamers put difficult expectations on themselves and break themselves down.

That’s why people are so mentally tired after big competition years. They've been beating themselves up in practice mentally fighting trying to prove whatever it is they’re trying to prove to themselves. I was mentally tired of having to live up to my own expectations in Sopot, that’s why I didn’t get the WR (failure to me). I’ve learned to remember my body can do it and to push through my weak thoughts.

SB: You've stated a couple times now that the 400m hurdles will be your focus this outdoor season. Why the break from the decathlon and why the 400m hurdles?

AE: I need a break from competing in something I have the world record in to releases that intensity of having to perform. I’d love it if I didn’t have to. But I know this will give me my best shot at being successful and mentally ready in the future. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I chose the 400mH because it will keep me physically fit and because I figure this is the best new event that I have a shot at being competitive in.

SB: While the hurdles will be your focus, will you continue training similar to past years? What does that look like?

AE: I’ll continue training as a decathlete. I’ll do less of everything though, more drill-like rather than competitively focused. This will be helpful on the body as well.

SB: You hold the indoor and outdoor multi-event world records, you've won gold indoor and out. Where do you feel you can most improve over the next few years leading up to Rio?

AE: I’m starting to understand that my improvements will come through my mental game. I broke the world record because nothing went wrong really. I can’t bet on that happening again. As a decathlete you have to be consistent, this is how you win. You don’t have to PB in any events, just be close. But a lot of the time we’re not even close.

I argue that this is because of the pressure of competition. I want so badly to PB or do well that I am always tense and nervous. Most of my PB’s have come when I’ve told myself to “calm down it’s not that big of a deal” (even when it is), or they have come during a meet that I was just having fun at. I have to learn to calm myself and trust what I’ve already done and I’ll improve a lot.

SB: What's the back-story on how you developed into a decathlete? I read one of your high school coaches suggested it, but to go from specializing in a few events to 10 is a pretty dramatic jump for a young athlete.

AE: I was always a good athlete but I think I developed well because I have always been really, really good at understanding exactly what a coach means when they’ve taught something.

My high school coach saw this, and knowing that I wanted to go to college but couldn’t pay for it, knew that athletics was my best bet. Choosing Oregon, the coaches there were tasked with developing me. I think they too saw that I was able to very quickly apply something they just said.  

Being young and pretty naïve, I didn’t really understand the importance of winning or the rate I was improving, I just knew that I was in college and that track was paying for it and if I wanted to keep it that way that I needed to listen to my coaches. It helped that I loved the sport too.

SB: Coming out of high school in Bend, OR, did you have any role models in the sport you looked up to?

AE: I can’t name a specific person that I really focused on or looked up too. I was always very star struck when I would see Jordan Kent or Tommy Skipper (being from Oregon) but in general I looked in amazement at anyone in a college uniform.  

I remember my coach took me to NCAA’s in 2006. It was my HS senior year. I watched Xavier Carter win four events and other athletes I thought I could never amount to. The next year, 2007 NCAA’s were on the same track in Sacramento. I was competing in the LJ, 4x1, and 4x4 for Oregon.

SB: Your Twitter profile mentions you're a "technology enthusiast." What's your favorite piece of technology and how does technology factor into your training?

AE: It’s hard for me to have a favorite piece of tech because each device is my favorite in it’s own category. When I am out and about I always have my phone, when I am at practice or traveling my tablet and at home my computer and video game console.

I’d say my favorite aspect of technology is software. I like the hardware but a lot of the time companies make things too big or ugly colors. With software though, it’s so easy to change and fun to interact with. The most tech we use at practice is video apps that allow us to review. Other than that, my training log is all digital.

SB: Your wife won World heptathlon silver last year, while you won gold. What's it mean to you to have a wife who's equally as committed to pushing herself and how do you balance once another?

AE: It’s pretty fantastic for us because we get to share experiences that matter to each person together. She’s organized and disciplined and I am more on the fly and indulgent, so it’s a good balance.

Click Here for all TF360 Archives



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