Episode 25: Nick Symmonds

Final Surge Podcast

Episode 25 of the Final Surge podcast we talk to Nick Symmonds. Nick is a 6-time US National 800 meters champion, 2-time Olympian and won a silver medal in the 2013 World Championships in the 800. Nick is spending more time these days working on his new company Run Gum, but he tells us he is not done yet on his Oval Office. If you are not following us on Twitter we can be found @FinalSurge. Let us know your thoughts on the podcast or the Final Surge software.

For those who maybe have heard of you, but not heard your story, can you tell us how you got started in running when you were young?

You took a little different route out of high school and went D3, why did you choose that route?

After college, you got a contract with Nike?

My favorite race of all time to watch is the 1972 men's Olympic final for the 800 in which Dave Wottle won. I am sure you are familiar with it right? So with that in mind let’s talk 800 race strategy. It seems that the most common way to run an 800, and i believe the way you try to run it too, is running about 2 seconds faster on the first lap than the second. While for most other races, coaches usually push for a more even or negative split. In that 72 race Wottle runs his race, he ran an even 26 for every 200 split. He was like 4 second back at 200, was like 2 second back at the 400 and was still in last at the 500. So that race seems to lend to a move even split, so I want to hear your theory on the race strategy there?

Most of our podcast are with coaches or athletes who are working with 10k, marathon type runners. So with an 800 runner, I want to talk a little training. We have many high school and college coaches who I know listen to this podcast. If you had a chance to develop an 800 runner say starting as a freshman in high school and you could have them until they graduated college, what would the training look like?

Would you be more strength based with1600 and 3200 or 200 for speed work?

How would you have strength or plyo work set up?

A few numbers for you… 1:42.95, 3:34.55, 3.59.68… These are your PR's for 800, 15 and mile. But I am curious, what is your 5k PR time?

Now, what about that 5.19 PR in the beer mile. Are we going to see an attempt to go sub 5 there?

Last we saw you on the track you were pulling out of the Olympic trials because of an injury. How is the rehab going?

So can we plan on seeing you make another run for a world championship or Olympic team?

What is your recovery process like? How much cross training are you doing or what other activities?

When will see back on the track?

So you are in the process it seems of transitioning from an elite athlete to an en entrepreneur, can you tell us about Run Gum and what growing pains you may have had?

When my athletes come to me about fueling I hate to talk about anything like energy drinks because I am a big believer in eating real food, not sugar and junk. Is Run Gum looking to be a replacement?

How does Run Gum work? Would a marathoner bring one piece with them?

We talk about him publishing his 800 training log.

Did you say you are going to run a marathon in 2018?

Have you thought about which one that is going to be?

There is a lot of talk about caffeine benefits for marathoners and ultra runners but what about for shorter races?

I think what we have seen from you is you don’t always take the easy route. You seem to like challenges. How has that helped you in helping to launch a business?

What is next for the company, is it going to stop with gum or you have something else planned?

Rapid Fire... 5 questions in under 1 minute Favorite running book? - Once a runner Current trainers you are wearing? - Brooks Adrenaline Favorite race? - Olympic Trials 2008 Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? - RunGum Your favorite piece of running equipment that is not your shoes? - Half tights

Resources Run Gum Wottle 800 Race Nick on Twitter Run Gum on Twitter His book Life Outside the Oval Office