Interviews: Macharia Yuot of Widener
(Photo courtesy of the Widener athletics website)
Yuot is a senior at Widener University. He has won a total of five NCAA championships, which include two at the Indoor Track and Field Championships and three at the Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This past outdoor track and field season he won the 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m, and 10,000m. Prior to that he was presented with the NCAA Inspiration Award in 2005. Yuot placed second at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship in 2003 and 2005. He recently won his fourth Middle Atlantic Conference Cross Country title on October 28th, helping his team finish in a tie for fourth place.
By: Derick Lawrence (11/06/2006)
Tell us a little bit about yourself (where you’re from, what high school you went to, how you got started running)?
I was born in Sudan but spent 8 years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to Philadelphia. After arriving in Philadelphia I was offered admission to West Philadelphia Catholic High School. As a member of the soccer team, my teammates encouraged me to join track since I was able to do well in the two mile warm up run. After that the track coach asked me to join the indoor track team and I did.
What were your PR's in high school (cross country and track)?
My best times in High School were 2:08(800) 4:38(1600) and 9:49(3200). Each of those times came during the last two weeks of the season. When looking back on it I see that the regular season dual meets really helped me run fast by the end of the season.
What are your current PR's (cross country and track)?
24:00 (5 Miles at Paul Short in 2004). 1:56(800), 3:52(1500), 9:03(Steeple), 14:13(5000), 29:21 (10,000)
What was your training like this past summer (mileage, workouts, etc.)?
I ran more miles this past summer than ever before. Most weeks I got in 90 miles. The more my body got used to the miles the easier it seemed. I could really feel what they mean when talking about base work. I ran most of my miles late at night since I was spending so much time taking public transportation to and from a summer internship. I would catch the bus at 6:00am to the El in West Philly and then took the train to Conshohocken, PA in order be in work by 8:30. So by the end of the day I was commuting 5 hours before getting to run. The good part of that is my teammate Joe Francisco was working 10 hours a day as a landscaper so we would meet at the end of the day and train together. Needless to say we wouldn’t get finished dinner until 10:00pm. We would alternate between hoagies, Chinese and pizza.
By the end of the summer I was really excited about running miles and I wanted to test myself to see how many miles I could handle per week. During a trip to Estes Park, Colorado in late August I was able to run 132 miles in 8 days without breaking down. Even though the miles were slow because of the altitude, I believe they were miles that were good for me. As I was running I looked at each mile as an investment in my future as a runner. What do they say? “Money in the bank?”
How has your training progressed over the years from high school to now (cross country and track)?
I joined the track team in February of my senior year. Since most of the people on the team were sprinters, I was doing most sprint work.( Drills and stairs in the school). I haven’t done drills since then.
What has your training consisted of over the past two weeks (mileage, workouts, etc.)?
I am keeping between 85-90 miles. I usually run one 9.5 mile hilly run per week for time. If I feel good I run around 49:00, if not around 51:00. The course is good since it has a variety of hill types. Two half-mile long hills and 5 shorter steep hills of between 200 meters and 400 meters. The only thing I don’t like about the course is the down hills that are really steep. They hurt the knee that I had surgery on back in the summer of 2005. Coach tells me to run the down hills slow but that is hard knowing that I am timing the run.
The other workout I run in a week is a really tough 1,000 meter run in Chester Park. We normally do 6 repeats with 1:45 rest. The course starts at the creek and climbs for the 1st 400 meters onto a grassy field that has poor footing. After that the course rolls further up hills which keep me honest. On a good day I run between 3:05-3:07. We do those for 4 consecutive weeks from the middle of September to the middle of October.
Over the last three weeks of the season going up to Regionals we will run 2 x 2000 coming through the mile in between 4:30-4:35 with 3-4 minutes of easy jogging in between. We normally do a few 400’s in 65 to get warmed up. I like a long warm up of at least 3 miles for all workouts. If I have the time, I might do a 10 mile cool down.
I feel a long cool down gives me mental relaxation as well as physical relaxation. I always strive to keep equilibrium after each hard effort. In essence the cool down is way to reflect on what has been discovered during a race or workout. I can usually tell how much time I will need to get back in balance during the first mile of the cool down.
What is your favorite workout(s) during the cross country season and what does it include?
I have no real favorite. I believe that every workout has its own meaning. As I said before the meaning is usually discovered during the cool down.
This past outdoor track and field season you won the 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m, and 10,000m at the 2006 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Tell us about these races and your thoughts looking back at your performances.
(Photo courtesy of Trackshark.com)
More than anything, I was lucky to have my teammate Joe Francisco with me for the entire week. Joe was ranked 2nd and he 3rd on the performance list in the 5,000. I know how tough he is through our workouts together. Even though we were competitors, having his friendship and support was invaluable.
I feel good not only about the results but also how the plan to achieve winning all three worked out. The plan was made by myself and coach after a disappointing result in the 10k at Stanford. I learned how important it is to stick to a plan once it is made. I think that knowing it was my final outdoor NCAA meet I wanted to represent my teammates and Widener in a way that would show how much support I was given during my years in college. Also, the meaning of each win was special to me since I have great respect for all of athletes in each race and know how hard each of them trains. It was interesting to see the seniors who were in the same situation as me. I imagine that each senior in the race had similar feeling as myself; sad that it was over but excited to represent their team and school.
What are your goals (individual and team) heading into regionals and nationals?
I will try my best in each race. Coach has a saying, “Expect nothing but hope for the best.”
How did you overcome disappointments or barriers in your training or racing (i.e., injuries, disappointing races, etc.)?
I now see that all of the injuries or disappointments I had have been learning experiences. I am sure I will have more lessons in the future and look forward to learning from them.
Do you walk, bike, or drive to class and/or practice? If you bike or drive, what kind of bike or car do you have?
I drive a 1994 Toyota Camry with 208,000 miles. Since coming to this country I have always worked. I saved up money over the summer to get the car which I need to get to and from my field placement for social work majors. My dorm is close to the athletic facility which makes it easy to walk to and from practice. Being that the car has so many miles, I drive as little as possible.
What's your major?
(Photo courtesy of the Kilroy Education website)
I am a social work major.
Nothing could compare to the field placement that I am now working. Each day I travel to St. Francis Country House in Darby PA to work with the elderly. Listening to the patients and there lives has helped me know more about this country than any other experience I have had thus far.
What are the dining options like at Widener University? Does most of the team eat together?
The team eats together. Even though Widener has a wide variety of options, I don’t put much thought into what I have for a meal. I can say that the only time I ever eat fast food is after a hard race.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life and/or running?
My teammates have been a great influence on my life. Also, my coach has helped me see what the sport can offer me. He used to yell across the track, “If you do the training, they will know your name.”
What are your plans after college? Do you have any post-collegiate competitive running plans?
I want to keep running and racing. A lot depends on whether or not I get US Citizenship. I have no country to represent at this time since the genocide in Sudan is still targeting my people. And anyway, I look at myself as an American. I want to contribute to this country not only through running but also through my social work degree. As a social work major I see how much help the underprivileged need. If I do get citizenship, I will finally feel like a free man.
Do you have a pre-race routine (certain foods you eat, songs you listen to, warmup routine, etc.)? If so, could you describe it for us.
I like to be alone and quiet with my own thoughts. I don’t like listening to music before a race. For me music is entertainment and is not appropriate before such a serious undertaking as racing.
What do you like the most about Widener University Cross Country?
My team is my family. Even though this year’s team is young I enjoy watching each of the new guys grow into mature runners. I always have said that people who struggle together form a certain kind of brotherhood. I wish I could have more time with the younger guys. Knowing that we are a family, we look out for each other outside the locker room.
What's the running environment like at Widener University? Where does the team train?
(Photo courtesy of Clark Companies)
We train mostly on the roads. However, there is a really nice park 1 mile from campus where we do most of our mid season interval work. Since we are so close to Philly, it is not unusual for us to go the Schuylkill River and run one or two loops of 8.4 miles each for our Sunday run. We have one of the nicest outdoor tracks around. The atmosphere down there is great for track workouts.
What advice would you give to other runners who aspire to be a champion?
- Try to form relationships with your competitors based on respect. Even if you don’t know them before the race, you will by its end.
- Know the difference between being happy with a race and satisfied with a race. There should me no room for satisfaction until your career is over.
Thanks to Macharia for a great interview.
post comment
Untitled Comment
10:11 PM, November 10, 2006
.. Posted by CodySolverson
A great interview from a great competitor. Yuot should be an inspiration to all of us runners.
Agreed
11:45 PM, November 13, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
Definitely one of the best interviews I have read. Immeasurable respect.
Untitled Comment
4:45 PM, November 14, 2006
.. Posted by Midwest
If you cant respect this guy after this interview, there's something wrong with you. This guy is an inspiration both in abilities as a runner as well as being a true sportsman. The country could use more people like him...if he wants in, i say let him in!
flustrated
6:22 PM, November 14, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
Must be he hasn't done quite enough work yet, because a lot of idiots still insist on calling him "Yout."
Untitled Comment
9:03 PM, November 14, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
Good interview, interview Finnegan and Sigl.
Great Interview
9:47 PM, November 14, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
Interview was very inspirational and I wish him the best of luck in his post-collegiate running career.
Yout
1:20 PM, November 15, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
My favorite part of the interview is when he said he tested his training ability in Colorado running a 132miles in 8 days. I laughed out loud in the computer lab, a laugh representing amazment and respect.
Inspiration
10:54 PM, November 18, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
Yuot is an inspiration to runners and non-runners alike... what a brave soul with tremendous courage and strength
Congratulations
10:58 AM, November 22, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
I\\\'m happy that Yuot got a nice win at Nats, and then followed it up with an amazing marathon debut. I think the sky is the limit for this guy, and I expect (or rather, hope) big things in the future.
Destiny
7:17 PM, November 24, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
I saw you run at the ECAC meet at Tufts, I think it was in 2003. I was finishing my collegiate career and you were just starting yours. I told my father to watch the kid from Widener, he is going to be special. I am glad I was right. Well done.
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