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Catching Up With Nicole Tully - HOKA ONE ONE Middle Distance Classic

Published by
DyeStatPRO.com   May 13th 2015, 10:20pm
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Healthy, Running Fast and Ready to Roll

By Scott Bush

At the Payton Jordan Invitational, in her first 5,000m, Nicole Tully took off with two laps to go and shocked the distance running world by finishing third in 15:05.58. The former Villanova star has turned in some impressive performances in the past, but her Payton Jordan effort surprised even herself. 

Building off the success, Tully takes to the track at the HOKA ONE ONE Middle Distance Classic, this time competing in the 1,500m. We caught up with Tully this week, discussing her big 5k performance, what lies ahead, her "day" job and much more.

Follow Nicole: Twitter | NJ*NY TC Bio

Scott Bush (SB): You're coming off a huge 15:05 5,000m performance at the Payton Jordan Invitational a couple weeks ago. You have to be riding a wave of confidence heading into Thursday's race, right?

Nicole Tully (NT): Given my last few races - a 4:11 solo 1500 and the 15:05 5k at Payton Jordan, I am confident in my fitness level. So I'm really excited to get into a fast 1500m this weekend at the HOKA ONE ONE MDC and get pulled to a fast time.

I had surgery on my foot over the summer in July, but have had no injury issues since then, which is huge for me. So having a solid nine months of uninterrupted training has really helped me get to a new level of fitness, and I'm excited to see that paying off. 

SB: Heading into Payton Jordan, what were your expectations and were your workouts pointing to a sub-15:10 performance?

NT: I'd like to say "I knew I had it in me", but that 15:05 was a complete shock. I knew I was in shape to run 15:20 based on my workouts. I thought if I got to the end of the race and was feeling great, I'd be able to close well and dip under 15:20. But I never thought I'd run that fast. I did a really bad job getting out in that race and I was about third to last after the first lap. I pictured my dad yelling at me to "get out of the back" and knew that I had to move up. So, I put myself in the middle of the pack for the first mile.

Throughout the race, I was pleasantly surprised with how comfortable I felt, so I just kept making a move up to the next pack. And then with two laps to go, I still felt great, so I decided to go after that pack battling for third place. I think I closed my last 800 in 2:13 and ran my last 400 in 63 or 64. So I'm pleased that I had so much left for the last 800 when I had run most of the race faster than my original plan. 

SB: You mentioned your 5k was your very first one. Why did you decide to try out the longer distance now?

NT: I've always had good speed for a mid-distance runner, but I've also run really great cross country and two miles. So I knew that I was probably geared more towards the strength events, but I've never been able to maintain the level of training you need for an event like the 5k due to injury. So given that I've had a healthy year, it seemed like a good time to give it a go!

SB: Okay, lets turn our attention to Thursday night's race, where you'll be racing the 1,500m. Knowing your current fitness, what are the expectations heading in to the race?

NT: I'm looking for an A standard in the 1500m. I think if the heat is paced fast and the conditions are right, I have it in me. But that's part of the fun of racing! Seeing how your training translates and having fun! The Oxy meet in 2012 was where I really had my pro breakout race, running 4:07 when my PR had been 4:17 from the year before. So this race is one of my favorites. 

SB: Do you think you'll focus a bit more on the 5k this season or was the goal to get a strength race in and now attack the 800m and 1,500m events for the rest of the year?

NT: To be honest, I haven't decided yet. It will depend on how this 1500 goes. I plan to run an 800 later in the year at the HOKA sponsored Adrian Martinez meet, and then I'll decide on an event for USAs after that. 

SB: You've been a pro for a few years now. How do you feel you've evolved as a professional athlete?

NT: The biggest thing I've learned as a pro, that I wish I knew in college, was to just care less. That sounds really bad to say, but in high school and college I cared so much and would let the pressure get to me and stifle my own racing. But now I see competitively running as something that I don't have to be doing, but something that I want to be doing. So I might as well have fun with it!

Being able to distance myself from my own expectations and pressure that I put on myself has allowed me to race better. I also think it's good to have balance as a pro with the rest of your life. I work full-time for Canon, so part of my day is working, part of it is running. I focus on running when it's time to, but when I'm not running, I don't really think about it. 

SB: Thursday's contest has HOKA ONE ONE as the title sponsor, which just so happens to be your sponsor. What's it like to be part of their team?

NT: It's amazing to be a part of team HOKA ONE ONE. The brand is really all about supporting the runner and making products that help them be healthy and successful. And the HOKA team treats its athletes in the same manner. It's all about supporting us in getting to that next level. Plus it's really fun to be a part of an emerging brand that is really taking the running world by storm. And the product is the best perk.

I was wearing HOKAs before I was officially sponsored by them, so I became a believer on my own. Now I get the pleasure to race for them as well. I've been wearing their shoes for about two years now and I could never go back to running in any other brand. 

SB: While professional running is a full-time job, your other big gig is marketing at Canon. What does that work look like and how does it balance with your busy racing and training schedule?

NT: I do have a big full time job. I work for Canon Solutions America and manage all of the Advertising, Outbound Marketing Communications, and PR for my division. It's a balancing act, to say the least. As we speak now, I'm sitting in my hotel room in Burbank for HOKA MDC and I'm approving ads and building a presentation for my VP of Marketing. Last weekend, I was on a conference call as we drove to the track for our shakeout run before Payton Jordan. So I end up with some creative scheduling to make sure I do everything I need to do training and racing wise, but also for my "normal person" job.

It can get hairy when I have to travel for work, so sometimes I have to adjust my training accordingly. Every now and then I get overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done. But it's mostly manageable. Lucky for me, I have a Manager and VP in my department who are incredibly supportive and allow me a flexible schedule, where I can work from home and manage my workload around running, so I'm able to do both.

For me, I can't focus 100% on running. I would get bored and end up thinking about running too much. Plus, I worked so hard in my Undergraduate and Graduate degrees to put my Marketing career on hold and risk not being as successful. So - I am simultaneously pursuing two professional paths - Running and Marketing. So far so good!



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1 comment(s)
DrBob
Nice featured article on one of Florida's best preps ever !
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