Athlete
Spotlight on Eric Blake
by David Hunt, USMRT.COM Writer
An interview with three-time team member Eric Blake.
Divided between the road and the mountain, Eric Blake seems to
dominate nonetheless.
To see Eric Blake run in person is to watch a flawless seamstress stitch a silky design- or in other words it is a beautiful thing. From outward appearances, Blake doesn’t seem like he’d really be any good at a past time like running. Sure, his thin body type and strong legs fit the criteria, but he just doesn’t seem all that mean, in fact he seems sort of, um, nice?
Runners by nature are known to be nice but those at the top aren’t normally known as a friendly bunch but Blake seems just as comfortable talking to me as he would to you and as he would to the back-of-the-pack grandmother who is desperately trying to drop a sub-50 minute 5K. That is, until you see him in a fierce competition halfway to the top of a towering mountain, aiming for the peak. This is where Eric Blake seems to turn on the heat.
Anyone that has raced against Blake or seen him
run in person can testify that this man is a competitor.
Eric racing at the 2006 WMRT in
Bursa, Turkey.
Blake isn’t just known for his competitive nature however, he is known by many for his outstanding results. As a road racer turned mountain goat, Blake has learned how to balance the two extremes to be successful at each.
On the road Blake has qualified for the Olympic Trials Marathon [2004], pushed to a personal best at the marathon distance in 2:21:24, and hammered out such results as a 33rd place finish at the ’04 Olympic Trials and even a 2:21:40 world record for a treadmill marathon.
On the mountain Blake has found even more success by winning the grueling Mt. Washington Road Race [a 7.6 mile challenge at 11.5% grade], dominating New Hampshire’s Mt. Cranmore, and qualifying for the U.S Mountain Running Team a ridiculous three straight years [’04,’05,’06].
USMRT.COM was able to catch Blake before he set out for a run. Here’s
what he had to say:
How do you mix road and trail training?
I really train more for a certain time for the race instead
of the terrain. For example, if I’m training for a half-marathon
I am looking for something close to an hour [in terms of finishing time],
which usually transfers well to mountain races which last a similar
distance. I’m naturally a good hill runner so I feel that if I’m
in good shape for a half-marathon I will run a very good mountain race.
I don’t train much for technical down hill race. Some courses
just suit me better then others…usually the uphill only ones!
How does it feel to have qualified for the
U.S Mountain Running Team 3 times?
It has been great to make the teams and I will
try to qualify again for sure. I’ve run in several of the qualifying
races in the past and when I finally won Mt. Cranmore to secure a spot
I was very happy. It’s tough sometimes because I train and run
a good amount of marathons, which kept me from trying to qualify last
year.
What has been your most challenging mountain
race?
The up and down years [even years] have been the toughest for me. Cranmore
was right up there as well; I definitely sore after that one! I didn’t
try to make the team this year, in part because it was an up and down
mountain race. I recover quickly from races like Mt. Washington because
it is just all uphill. While it is a grueling race and takes a lot out
of you it doesn’t seem to be as demanding as an up and down race.
How did it feel to run in the Olympic Trials
[marathon]?
It was the highlight of my career. I certainly plan on getting back
out there and making another attempt at it. I’d really like to
focus on that for the next 3-4 years. I’m 28 years old right now
and feel like I have some time until I hit my peak in the marathon.
It is my goal.
Eric on Mile 5 of the 2006 Mt. Washington
Road Race. Eric would go on to win the "Beast of the East".
Previous
Athlete Spotlights |
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| 11/07 | Maria Dalzot |
| 10/07 | Laura Haefeli |
| 09/07 | Jay Johnson |
How do you see your training going this year and are you prepared
for the season?
I’m in my downtime period right now but am looking to get back
in the groove early in the year. I’m running the Boston Marathon
[April] and know that I’ll have a good three months to train and
prepare for that. I’ll be looking for a good time and finish there.
After that I have two months until Mt. Washington, in which I will try
to get some good workouts in.
What inspired you to go for the world record
in the treadmill marathon?
That actually happened at a time I was planning for a fall marathon.
There aren’t many qualifying races at that time and I hadn’t
really even trained for a marathon. I’d raced Mt. Washington seven
days before the treadmill marathon [done in 2:21:40] and had actually
put in 4 races in those 22 days. We were throwing around the idea of
doing the race [Blake and Malibu Fitness] but I was thinking that Mt.
Washington was more important so I focused on that instead. When it
came time to do the treadmill run I was a little nervous because there
were about 40-50 people watching and I would have felt kind of like
a failure not to get the record. It was nice to get it by two minutes
though, comfortable. If it gets broken I won’t worry much though;
not sure if I’ll do that again!
Tell me about your 10th place finish at the
Chicago Marathon.
Well, it wasn’t particularly fast [2:26:55] but the heat was incredible.
I started really slow, aiming to run 5:25 per mile I started in 5:30
per. After getting on pace around the 10-12 mile mark I was off a little
by half-way. I went a few miles feeling sorry for myself thinking, ‘I’m
not gonna make it” but then I got my head together and thought
I could break 2:30. Once I heard I was in 14th place [around the 22
mile mark] I got a little wind back to finish 10th overall. A lot of
guys were dropping because of the heat.
What about Obudu in Nigeria?
I finished 12th overall there [November 24]. The course was about a
7 ½ percent grade, which isn’t bad compared to a Mt. Washington,
but the field they brought in was remarkable. Plus, with a $50,000 purse
everyone was aiming for one of those top 8 places. It was pretty painful
and very hot and the lead truck was letting out terrible fumes. I ran
just off the lead pack and thought I did pretty well against such competition.
I probably wouldn’t do it again however. I think it’s a
good race to do once and see Africa. It just takes a whole day of travel
and the safety issues make you nervous. Our driver was swerving around
the mountain roads and there were potholes and close calls left and
right. It wasn’t a good race where you could just chill and relax.
It was worth it though.
Tell me about your coaching background and
how it has helped your running.
I coached two years at Plattsburg and am in my third year with Central
Connecticut. It has helped my running a lot. I’ve learned how
to listen to my body a lot more. I always tell my runners to back down
at the sight of an injury but I didn’t always follow that advice.
In high school I always designed my own workouts so I’m glad to
be coaching now [Blake is close to getting Level 3 Certification] because
I have learned a lot.
In your own words, who is Eric Blake?
If it’s in my own job or my own running I am devoted. If I do
something, I make sure to do it right.
How did you first get in to running?
I played soccer up to eighth grade before switching to running when
it became available in high school. I just figured it was a sport better
cut out for me. Before that, I ran road races and stuff just following
my father who also ran. In 5th and 6th grade I started doing these races.
Sometimes I would place, sometimes I wouldn’t. I seemed to enjoy
the training more then other kids my age.
Future goals?
Short term I plan on setting a PR in the marathon
would be nice to dip under 2:20. Mt. Washington is a goal in itself
because of the challenge. I want to win that race again this year and
if it is a perfect day I’d like to break an hour [Blake’s
best is a 1:01:07]. The weather changes that race a lot though so it’s
so tough to set a time goal.