T&F article on Posts by Jim Spivey

JIM SPIVEY--3:50 MILER

Oslo, Norway, July 6, 1991--Jim Spivey runs 3:49.83 to take 3rd in the mile at the famed Bislett Games. The first sub-3:50 ever run by an American had been produced by Steve Scott in July of '81; in the next decade there would be 15 more. Who would have thought that Spivey's 3:49.83--the second sub-3:50 of his career--would be the last one in a drought that has now extended to 12 years?

A poster to our Message Board said, in response to a newspaper article about Spivey, "A sub-3:50 miler should be a millionaire judging by the American athletic payscale? Spivey has done something only three other Americans have ever done and yet he can walk around almost unnoticed."

Spivey, now the cross country coach at Vanderbilt, picked up on the thread, and also started another relative to his spectacular miling career. Here we have taken his three postings and edited them into one cohesive piece that's full of motivation:

THE PAYSCALE

Running 3:50.59 in ?83 to finish 2nd in Oslo put me No. 5 in the T&FN U.S. Rankings behind Steve Scott, Sydney Maree, Todd Harbor and Tom Byers. I was on $12,000 per year, and Nike raised my stipend with Athletics West to $18,000 in the fall of '83. Also clocked 13:19.24, just ahead of Jim Hill of SportHill fame? In ?91, I was on contract for $5000/year.

Concerning the money issue, I always wanted to run not for the money, but for personal reasons. I found that while in a Grand Prix Final--and if you pass one more person you win $2000 more--I could never be motivated for dollars.

Don't feel bad for JS: in '88, between Nike, Olympic USOC stipend ($1500/month based upon winning the bronze medal in the '87 WC), an HMO sponsorship and regular race money, I was low-6-figure income.

One workout in July '88--in 85-degree heat at 8:00pm--was 2 x 800 (5:00 recovery) in 1:53 and 1:51. A bit faster than 57-pace. Yet, in Koblenz, the rabbits went through in 54.5/1:51.0, and slowed the next 200 (29, or 2:20 at 1K). I yelled at Lewis Johnson (now of TV fame) and Ken Washington to go faster! I had felt it slow. Rabbits dropped a few steps later, and I was on my own, 500m from the finish.

I thought, "When I hear the bell, I'm going to dig deep." But I heard a voice from the infield, and it said: "Jim, just relax." It was Seb Coe, who had already run the 800 in 1:43. I relaxed instead of tightening, and ran 56 for my last 400 (2:49.0 at 1200m) for 3:31.01, my PR [and still the second-fastest time ever run by an American].

If either of my coaches, Mike Durkin (Olympian '76 & '80) or Ken Popejoy (two sons running 14:40s for 3M, senior and sophomore this year), would have yelled it, I would not have listened. I thought, "Seb has run this fast before, he must know."

Punchline: Nike's bonus structure:

Sub-3:34.0 - $500

Sub-3:33.0 - $1000

Sub-3:32.0 - $1500

Sub-3:31.0 - $2000

American Record - $2500

Not sure what I spent the $1500 on. Probably bills in '89. Although, from a purely business point of view, when Nike did not renew my contract at the '88 value--or even 70% of that contract which was offered--it was a smart business decision: I was 28, missed the Olympic team? old and washed up. I think that is why I switched to Asics in '89 for no money, only equipment.

Think of it today though: "3:31 runner signs for $0." I look back and wonder myself today? but then, I am still on contract today with Asics. More of a family environment. Wednesday-Saturday this week I will be working the Asics New York City Marathon put on by the NYRRC. Stop by and say hello!

Nike did make the correct business decision. I believe that is why I switched to Asics for $0: I wanted to prove to Nike that I was still viable, and could run 3:49 again. I was able to support my family 1983?97 on running income, and Asics played a huge part in that 1991?98.

I found my '88 Nike contract upstairs, dated 12/8/87. Here was the bonus structure:

sub-3:50.00 $500

sub-3:49.00 $1500

sub-3:48.00 $2000

sub-3:47.69 $2500

sub-3:47.30 $3000

sub-3:46.80 $5000

THE FIRST SPIVEY SUB-3:50

In '86, I knew I was in great shape, and had run 10 x 400 in 57?58 with a 200m jog between. I ran a 1:48 solo 800 in practice a week before Oslo. I knew I was fit, and went over a week early to get adjusted to the time difference. All the big guns were running the Dream Mile, including the World Record holder Steve Cram and AR holder Steve Scott.

We would race at 11:20pm Oslo time, so it could be shown on ABC's Wide World Of Sports live. Visualize, complete dark in Oslo except the stadium of 15,000, small by European standards. The track only has 6 lanes on the backstretch, with the brick wall 3-4 feet high for spectators to sit behind. They had metal billboards placed on the walls, and kids would lay their chests on the walls and beat out a "bang-bang-bang" in unison as you ran by. Each group would pick up the sound as you flew along the track. It was so loud, that I could not hear myself breathe.

It was fast through the 3/4 mile mark - something like 2:52.5 (yards). Cram hammered the third 440 and put a gap on the rest of the field. With a lap to go, I dug in and saw Cram starting to come back. This made me think more positively, and I pressed on the backstretch. I thought I could catch him with 200 to go, then Scotty flew by me like a train, and almost caught Cram. I tightened up, and I can remember to this day, the lactic acid the last 80m: my head was swimming. The line could not have come soon enough.

I went through the line, and thought, "I bet I ran under 3:50, because this is what it should feel like."

I did not find out from the Athletics West agent, Pete Petersons, until we were back in the hotel what my time was. I remember him standing outside the hotel, and I asked him what my time was. He did not know, but had the results. He found the page, and I scanned down and all I saw was 3:4? I didn't even register the last digit. It did not matter.

I went for a warmdown, and just so you know that all milers are not the stoic, no-pain type, I remember warming down, and stopping, dropping to one knee, after 1:00 in the morning, and crying. I can remember thinking, "Why did I deserve to run so fast?"

OK, it sounds a bit silly, but I did wonder that. Everyone trains. Everyone trains hard. I was only putting in 55?65M per week in the spring, and I am sure I was in the 40?50 range before the race. Maybe my head was still swimming in the lactic!

Punchline: In '83, after finishing 2nd in 3:50.59, I had received $300, and no appearance money.

I gave it back to Pete, and said that if this was all I was worth, please give it back to the meet director. He came back the next morning, and gave me the original $300 plus $200 in Norwegian kroner: "This was all he had Jim." '86: $1000 in appearance money, "No bonus money Jim."

CURRENT CROP OF U.S. MILERS NOT AS GOOD?

Why can't Americans approach the times of Sydnee Maree, Steve Scott, Todd Harbor, Tom Byers and Steve Lacy? How about even these 3:51 milers: Richie Harris, Chuck Aragon and my roommate this week for the NYC Marathon, John Gregorek, the Brown U. men's XC coach?

How does Jason Lunn get faster?

That's the same thing I asked Dr. David Martin, who treadmill-tested me through the Olympic Committee 1989?97. His reply: "Get a year older."

He also said, "Realize that you are not a rat on a wheel, that just runs and eats pellets all day. You have a family, wall-staring time, Asics commitments, and 10 other things going on in your life."

I thought one of the best things he told me two weeks ago was asked of him when the U. of Colorado flew him out to speak to the XC teams: "How can we battle fatigue?" Anyone who read Mr. Lear's book knows what a loaded statement this is.

Martin's reply: "As runners, there are so many avenues that affect performance. Hydration (the body is 75% made up of water). Sleep. Academics. Love. The problem: as runners, we want predictability. We want to be able to say, "At 3:30pm on Wednesday, we will have a great workout." The problem is that so many variables will effect that workout, and we feel like a loser if we do not meet expectations."

I think that if you run 4:10 in high school, and you are the best in the state, you try to run 4:09. If you are 2nd in the state at 4:12, you try and run 4:10. If someone comes along and runs 4:02, then everyone shoots for a time 2 seconds faster: "If we really think 13:25 is fast, then I will train to run 13:23. I can't believe that I can run 13:10."

Adam Goucher ran 13:10 or 13:11 a few years ago: do you think that eats at him now, knowing he did it once? He knows, if he gets healthy, he can do it again. Mr. Torres knows his coach can coach people to 13:10. He just has to believe.

My coach, Mike Durkin, said that I never truly believed in his training. I would say otherwise, and have facts of success to back it up. What he meant was that I might run 200s in 28.5 in July, yet be in shape to run 3:33. What was the need to run 25s in practice? Just to prove I could do it? If I knew it anyway, why not run paces that will teach my body to run at the pace after 800m?

I also think the foreign athletes helped me become a better athlete when I was in college.

Racing against Henry Rono, Suleiman Nyambui, Sydney Maree and Abdi Bile--many much older than me--led me to believe that I needed to train better to beat them. Running 13:54 as a sophomore in college at the ?80 NCAA, and being smoked by some Africans--laughing as they ran up front--makes one go home and either change events the next year (I did this too!) and/or train harder. If the NCAAs are won in 3:40 this year, why should I train harder or think I can run 3:35?

WHEN DID 3:54 BECOME A FAST TIME?

Why does 3:54 sound so fast today? Does one think that Jason Lunn is not training to race faster? Yes, I can honestly say, that Coach Gags [Frank Gagliano, formerly of Georgetown, now with Nike Farm Team] has been one of my mentors. I would also like to include John McDonnell and Al Carius (DIII school North Central College) in that title, of being humble and people that have taken me under their wing.

I feel honored that Coach Gags has asked me to fly out to San Francisco and speak to the kids he is coaching in December. In some ways, I will speak what I would want to hear if I was their age? yet, not sure I would have listened.

At age 25-30, you think you are going to make Olympic teams for the rest of your life.

THOUGHTS ON PACE

You have to prepare to be tired after the 800, not prepare for the first 800. Anyone can run 1:55 and sit in and look good. Can you run 57 for the third 400 and then wake up and compete over the last lap? The training must be made up more of pacework--and training while you are tired--than doing 3 x 400 in 52.

So often, it is not opening laps that get you home fast.

I remember reading El G's workouts of 10 x 400 in 55. No faster. He said, "I am trying to run 55/1:50/2:45 and then home for a WR." 57 was my objective.

RUN THE RIGHT RACES

Get into races that help you run fast. Peak in July and August. Pay your way over to Europe and race in the B-meets in the summer.

How do you support yourself financially to be in this position? I trained from November through January, putting in general mileage. Then, raced indoors, only over 3000m, and tried to break 8:00. Seb Coe told me that if you could run under 8:00 one time, you knew you did a good job in your winter training.

Then, I would train from March through June, putting in the volume intervals. Hard days (M-W-Sat) would consist of 11?13M, including a 3?4M morning run. But my easy days, I think even my team laughs at now: 30 minutes am, and 35?40 minutes in the pm. 60-70 minutes total for the day, and at 7:00 pace, or on a good day, 6:50 pace. Great way to count Badger Miles.

I met Bob Kennedy [who ran at Indiana about a decade after Spivey] in Chicago Midway airport the day after the Notre Dame Invite this year. We were talking about age, and how it affected his and my performance.

I said, "I was 36 when I made the '96 Olympic team, and I know there were other people in that race who trained hard, less injuries, and were better than me. How come I finished 4th in the Trials, and went on to run 13:24 in Stockholm at age 36?"

I continued by saying, "I think that knowing how to race and where you have to be helped me more than the training others were putting in."

My team now is trying to peak for one race: Regionals. Best the school has ever finished is 5th, both in ?92 and ?01, my first year coaching here. I met one-on-one with three of my freshmen today, saying, "This is how I was coached, and this is how I judge myself as a coach: after the race, will you be able to look me in the eye, and say you felt the best ever in your life today? If so, then I have coached great."

Even if your place is great, but you did not feel good, I feel that I have let the athlete down. Other coaches are saying, sure, he had the NCAA XC champ at DIII (University of Chicago), but that was DIII stuff. Can he do it at D1? Steve Scott's [Cal State San Marcos] teams are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, but that is NAIA, not D1.

TRUST YOUR COACH

When training, one has to fully trust in your coach. I thought I did, but knew that Mike meant not the Olympic Trials, when I did fully trust him. He meant Olympic Games, when he told me to visualize winning the '92 1500. I could not. I visualized running well, running fast. Going through in 2:50, and hanging on. But not winning.

Seb Coe said to me in 88, "If I can get the 8 inches between my eyes and the top of my head right, I can beat anyone in the world."

Think of that statement. I could say that about my high school, college and USA career, but not European. He could.

Does Alan Webb enter the starting line at Pre this past year, and say that? No. He says to himself, like I did, "How close can I get to Mr. El G?" The main reason I ran the 3:31.01 in Koblenz is because I happened to go out with the rabbits, and after hearing the split, thought, "Feel good, let's keep going." I was the only one who went with Ken and Lewis.

My wife was in the stands, and knew the uncharted waters I was going through. Afterwards, not an athlete, she asked: "Why can't you run that way all the time?" To be honest, when you run from the front, and put it all on the line? what happens when you fail?

What happens if I run 1:51 then 3:42? My confidence would be shot. My season over. I would realize that I could not run that fast, this year. The only way, was to go back and start the training cycle all over again. It was better to hang back, kick like mad, run 3:51 and get 5th, than to go for the win and fail. Yes, the wrong way to race; a nice way to continue to make a living.

DON'T SETTLE FOR AVERAGE

I spent 6 years raising two of my three sons (Sebastian and Sammy) at home, and would not have had that opportunity if I had a normal job.

But I still think when I coach that's an area that I would like to race over again, and teach athletes of today about how to push through being average.

You may be reading this and say, "3:50 is not average." But it is when Cram or Aouita are running 3:47.

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Jim Spivey retired with bests of 1:46.50, 2:16.54 (No. 6 American ever), 3:31.01 (No. 2 American ever), 3:49.80 (No. 4 American ever), 4:52.44 (still the American Record for 2000m), 7:37.04 (No. 6 American ever) and 13:15.86 (No. 11 American ever).

As a high schooler (Fenton, Bensenville, Illinois), he was the No. 1 All-America in the 800 and No. 2 in the mile (behind John Gregorek).

At Indiana he was 3rd in the NCAA 1500 as a junior and 1st as a senior.

At the USATF Champs he won the 1500 title four times and made the top 4 ten times, and in the 5K was four times in the top 6.

Internationally he represented the U.S. three times in the 1500 (5th in the '84 Olympics, 3rd in the '87 WC, 5th in the '93 WC) and twice in the 5000 (heats of the '95 WC, semis of the '96 Olympics). He also made the ?91 WC team in the 1500 but couldn't run because of injury.