by Jeff BenjaminErik Sowinski has made the last 11 outdoor USATF finals in the 800 meters. Erik Sowinski has also made 13 indoor USATF championship finals as well! This past indoor season, @runblogrun watched Sowinski all over Europe. Erik ran 1:16.75 on Jan. 26 at Dr. Norb Sander Invite. On Feb. 2, in Karlsruhe, Sowinski took 2nd in 1:46.69 SB. At Torun, on Feb. 6, won the 800m in 1:47.49. Sowinski flew back to US, took 5th in Millrose in 1:46.61. On Feb. 13, at Athlon, Erik took 2nd in 1:47.64. At Muller (Feb. 16), Erik Sowinski took 4th in 1:48.29.
Erik Sowinski answered 9 questions from Jeff Benjamin, prior to his racing at Ocean Breeze AC this weekend!
Erik Sowinski, photo by PhotoRun.net
RunBlogRun, # 1) How Did You Get Started In The Sport?
Erik Sowinski: I ran a little bit growing up, but didn’t really start to take track and field or cross country seriously until my sophomore year of high school. I was big into soccer, but after my freshman year I was told I was too small to play on the varsity team. I decided to go out for cross country instead and the rest is history.
RunBlogRun, # 2) Did You Consider Yourself A Fast orcSlow Developer?
Erik Sowinski: I was definitely a slow developer physically. My freshman year I was 5’0″ and about 90 pounds. As for running, I followed a pretty consistent improvement from high school to college to professional. I set a PR every year in the 800 from my sophomore year of high school until 2014. (1:59 down to 1:44).
RunBlogRun, # 3) Your Best High School Performance?
Erik Sowinski: Definitely, my state championship in the 800 my senior year. It was a big breakthrough for me and definitely opened some doors as far as collegiate track and field goes. Up until that point, I was really only considering some DIII state schools and that race allowed me to check out some D1 schools which eventually led me to Iowa.
RunBlogRun, # 4) Your Best College Performance?
Erik Sowinski: The 4x400m relay at the Big Ten Championships in 2011 at our home track in Iowa City. We scored over 100 points on the last day and won the team’s first title since 1967. To be able to do that at home was a really special moment with a great group of guys.
RunBlogRun, # 5) How is it different being a Pro Athlete?
Erik Sowinski: I think the main difference is that at the end of the day this is your job and there are a lot of pieces in play that while you’re in college you don’t have to worry about i.e. physio, travel, food, etc. It was definitely a big adjustment for me, but I have a great support system in Iowa City and I wouldn’t have made it this far without them.
RunBlogRun, # 6) How would you describe your training program?
Erik Sowinski: I’ve been working with Coach Joey Woody since I was a freshman at Iowa in 2008. We definitely have a more speed oriented program, however we have gradually added to my aerobic capacity throughout that time. When I was a freshman at Iowa I was probably running ~35 miles a week whereas now I’ll touch 70 or so in the fall and winter while maintaining some speed or speed development year round.
RunBlogRun, # 7) Do you incorporate any kind of Cross-Training/Weight Training?
Erik Sowinski: I don’t do a ton of cross training normally, I prefer to get my miles in on the road (weather permitting). This year I had a little of a setback in training late in December so I was forced to do quite a bit of cross training for 2- 3 weeks but am now back to doing everything on the roads/track. As for weight training I generally have 3 sessions per week, unless its a race week and then usually 2 sessions.
RunBlogRun, # 8) What Advice Can You Give To Young Runners?
Erik Sowinski: Development takes time, so trust your coach as they always have your best interest in mind. For me, the biggest thing was consistency in the track, weight room, and habits off the track. I saw steady development year after year and I really think that has helped the longevity of my career. Getting my school work done early, getting enough sleep, maintaining a good diet all go into that consistency as well.
RunBlogRun, # 9) Do You Have Any Staten Island Connections?
Erik Sowinski: I don’t! This will be my first time to Staten Island and I am looking forward to it.
The @runblogrun tour of the IAAF World Indoor Tour, aka Le Tour de Larry, is sponsored by USATF and Nike, reminding you that the 2019 USATF Indoor Championships are February 22, 23, and 24 at the Ocean Breeze AC, on Staten Island. To purchase tickets, please use this link:
http://www.usatf.org/Events—
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