Birmingham, AL - RunMichigan was able to talk with Ben Rosairo the NCAA DII All American and Truman State University alumni. The St. Louis native is the 2002 Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon Champion. Ben qualified for the Olympic Trials by running 2:21:59 at the 2003 Chicago Marathon. He will be heading to Birmingham, AL to try an earn a spot on the 2004 U.S. Marathon Olympic team.
RunMichigan: What were your thoughts in Chicago when you saw the clock approaching 2:22 as you crossed the line? How did you feel once you knew you had qualified for the Olympic Trials Marathon?
Ben: Basically, as I entered the last mile I thought that even though I was hurting I had enough of a cushion to make it under even if I slowed a little. It hit me that I was going to be really close when I looked at my watch and saw 2:19 and I couldn't see the finish. From there on in I just put my head down and went. Once I crossed the line I knew I had it because my watch said 2:21:57, so I knew the time would be good enough. It was definitely a feeling of accomplishment that I had never experienced.
RunMichigan: How many Marathon have you run now and how will you use this knowledge to help at the Olympic Trials Marathon?
Ben: I have run three marathons so the Trials will be my fourth. The marathon I really learned from is the Chicago Marathon race this past fall. I learned that with the training we do at Hansons, I'll be strong enough to run the entire distance without really hitting the wall. That's not to say the last miles won't be tough or that I won't slow a touch at the end, it's just that I know I won't be running 8 minute miles at the end. Provided, of course, that I don't go out too fast.
RunMichigan: Congratulations on your finish at the HP Half-Marathon and what was the goal for the HP Houston Half-Marathon?
Ben: Thanks. The goal was to run 1:09:00 by hitting an even 5:15 pace. Unfortunately, after a tough week of training I misread what 5:15s would feel like and hit 5:20s early on. At about 7 miles though I started feeling strong and from there on in I was pretty much hitting the splits. A couple sub 5:10s at the end helped too.
RunMichigan: What have you learned about the Olympic Trials Marathon course and how will you use that knowledge to help on race day?
Ben: I know that the course is slightly downhill for the first 8 or 9 miles and then we will run three downtown loops that are slightly over 5 miles and slightly rolling. Hopefully, this will provide a relaxed first part of the race and then it will be time to really race on that last loop.
RunMichigan: What is your goal for the Olympic Trials Marathon race?
Ben: My goal is to run under 2:19. Originally, the plan was 2:18:00 but my training is telling me that I am not quite ready for that. It is such a fine line and you have to listen to your body and be honest with yourself about what you are capable of.
RunMichigan: What are some of the benefits about being part of the Hansons-Brooks ODP?
Ben: First of all, I love the fact that I have 100% faith in my coaches, Keith and Kevin. I just run what they put on the schedule and know that that will get me in the best shape I can be in. Also, the training partners are great. Every single day I am training with some of the best runners in the country.
RunMichigan: What type of training have you been doing since Chicago to prepare for the trials race on Feb 7th?
Ben: Well, my training started off very poorly. It took me until the end of November before I really had my legs back under me. Since then though, I've been running between 115 and 130 miles a week with two workouts each week, one medium long run, and one long run.
RunMichigan: How will you use your successful career at Truman State and your victory at the Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon to help on Feb 7th?
Ben: I appreciate you calling my college career successful. I would more call it mediocre. I wanted to accomplish more than I did, but it just seemed like all the hard work I did is paying off now instead of in college. The Virginia Beach race was the race where I fell in love with the marathon and knew it was the race for me. I knew I wanted to run Chicago in the fall of 2002 and since I was going to redshirt the outdoor track season that year it opened the door for a Spring marathon just as a practice run. I had been training all winter for the indoor 5k and had run 14:27 so I was pretty fit, but not really for a marathon. I ran indoor nationals the second weekend in March and then the next weekend I ran the marathon. It was really hot and pretty much became a battle for survival and I was fortunate enough to win. I really toughed it out there though and I liked the feeling of mind over body that it took to hang on in the last couple miles.
RunMichigan: What are some of the biggest difference of being at Truman State and running for the Hansons-Brooks ODP?
Ben: The biggest difference is the training program here is tailor-made for me. I have always loved high mileage and long runs, but at Truman, and at a lot of colleges really, it seems that they want you to work on getting faster. That is not what I'm good at and I prefer working on my strengths.
RunMichigan: Where are some great places to run in St. Louis and Kirksville?
Ben: I love St. Louis and I think it is a great city, but it is not a good place to train. The summers are too bloody hot and there are no trails within a reasonable distance of my house. There is Forest Park though, where the Women's Marathon Trials are going to be held, and I run there quite a bit. In high school I ran there every day because it was right across the street from school. Kirksville was a nice place to train because it was all rolling dirt roads. They were great for tempo runs and long runs. Also, I would put our mile repeat course against anybody's.
RunMichigan: Where is your favorite place to run in Michigan? And what do you like most about Michigan?
Ben: My favorite place to run is on the dirt roads in Rochester Hills. I also like the Bloomer trails, except for the big crazy downhill that Campbell always insists on doing. The best thing about Michigan is that there is a Dairy Queen right across the street from my apartment.
