Q + A with BRAD POLLEY

Interviewed by Dave Milner 11.05.05

With two miles remaining in the men's race at last week's Atlantic Sun Conference Cross-Country Championship, held on the Campbell University campus in Buies Creek, North Carolina, Brad Polley was in 15th place, and it seemed like his Belmont team was about to have it's 4-year winning streak at the meet ended by conference new comers ETSU. But Polley and his fellow Bruins gradually clawed their way up the field; their strength and patience paying dividends as the Buccaneers' fast early pace took it's toll. A 5:02 fourth mile and 5:00 final mile saw Polley finally catch the leader with 800 meters remaining, and, with his familiar high-turnover, low-knee lift gait, he kicked away to win, clocking an impressive 25:19 over a rolling 8-kilometer course, that has several sandy sections that make maintaining a fast rhythm a challenge.

Polley (right) is a middle Tennessee native. He attended Brentwood Academy from which he graduated in 2002, and was individual runner-up at the 2001 State cross-country meet, just four seconds behind winner, Christian Brothers' Anthony Chiulli (who now runs for Colorado). He went to Samford University for his freshman year, but returned to middle Tennessee in the fall of 2003, transferring to Belmont University.

The last two years have been a rocky road for Polley. He has struggled with injuries, but had a breakthrough on the track last spring when he clocked 14:55.19 for 5,000m at the Florida State Relays. A solid summer of base work has seen Polley run stronger than ever before this fall and, over the longer distance of 10 kilometers, he is expected to earn all-region status (top 25) at next week's NCAA Regional Championships in Gainesville, FL.

TR: Brad, thanks for taking the time to talk to tnrunner.com. You must be on a high right now following last week's conference victory. Talk us through the race.

BP: From the start ETSU went straight to the front. I wouldn’t say the race went out fast, but probably a little faster than I would have expected being a championship race that lacked a clear-cut individual favorite.

It wasn’t really by design that we stayed back early, but that’s just how we’ve run all year. My plan was definitely to be very conservative early, though. Eight days before the race we did a workout and at the very end I got a horrible side stitch, which is rare for me. I was having a great workout and basically refused to ease off and I actually think I ended up straining something because I could faintly feel it at random times over the next week. It definitely had me worried going into the race. So that, along with the fact that all my best races have come when I’ve relaxed early, are the reasons I was so conservative in the beginning.

Through the first 3 miles there was a lead pack of 10 guys that included ETSU’s top 5 and 3 of Belmont’s guys, so they [ETSU] were clearly winning for most of the race. None of us panicked, though, and I, at least, always felt like we were in control. I had a lot of confidence in our guys that we’d do what we’ve done all season and either pick guys off or pull away from the people we were with. I stayed about 10-15 seconds behind the lead pack and that gap never really changed. Around 3 miles I started realizing how good I felt and I hadn’t had problems with the side stitch, so I was confident I’d move up a lot.

A little after 3 miles I was in about 15th place and the lead pack started breaking up. A couple ETSU guys fell off along with my teammate, Adam Bishop. I caught him first and he just latched on to me and we worked together to keep moving up. Over the next few minutes we passed a couple of guys that had been just off the lead pack the whole race and we were probably 9th and 10th at the 4 mile marker.

With 800 to go we caught the rest of the pack and went right on by. No one really responded except Waters from Kennesaw State, and from there it was just a long sprint to the finish, and Bishop just edged him out at the line to get second. To tell the truth, I really don’t even remember the last 200. It had been my goal since July to win the conference, and I think God just carried me.

TR: The NCAA Regional Championships take place in Gainesville, FL next week. Have you reevaluated your goals, both individually and as a team, following your conferences succeess?

BP: No, I don’t think my feelings or expectations have really changed after conference. We definitely were not over confident, because we have tremendous respect for ETSU’s excellent tradition. Their coach knows how to produce winning teams, but we still expected to win, so the results of conference haven’t really changed anything in my opinion as far as goals for regionals.

We can’t control how other teams run, so we just have to focus on ourselves and run our own race like we did last week. We moved up a few places in the South Region rankings, and I think it’s always a good goal to try and beat your ranking, but Georgia State, UTC, Mississippi State and Belmont are all very even and it could shake out in any order. Georgia State and Mississippi State beat us early in the year, but I think they’re within reach now, and UTC has had injuries.

But cross-country is so unpredictable, which is why we just have to run the best race we can, because that’s all we can control. All-Region status [top 25] for me is within reach, I think, but it would definitely take a great race; maybe better than my race at conference. But I’m definitely up for the challenge and I think my best race is yet to come. My goal really is to be top 40, so anything beyond that would be great. Like I said before, I just have to do my thing, because I don’t know what other people are going to do. I have to be flexible in my strategy and be able to respond to anything. I’m just going to be racing guys and trying to get as low a score as possible for the team.

TR: I know cross-country hasn't wrapped up yet, but you must feel more confident now about the upcoming track season. What are your goals for the spring? A sub-14:30 5K? A sub-31:00 10K?

BP: My main goal for next track season is to win another conference championship whether that’s in the 5K, 10K, or maybe even the steeple; whatever I can do to get points for the team. As far as times go, I’d like to get in the 14:30’s at 5000, and under 3:55 for the 1500, although I don’t run it a whole lot.

Hopefully I can run another flat 3000 this spring. I was a little disappointed with how the one I ran last season turned out and I’d like to go under 8:30. I’d also like to give the steeple a shot at some point. My coach at BA, Marshall Smith, always thought it would be a great fit for me, and I started working on it a little last spring, but some of the drills aggravated my Achilles. I’d like to try it again, though. I doubt I’ll run a 10K, and if I do it would most likely be at conference where I wouldn’t be chasing a fast time. I’m definitely up for anything though, and if I did run it I’d be aiming for sub 31:00. I haven’t really thought much about next spring or any time goals yet. I’ll have to wait and see how the fall ends up.

TR: You transferred into Belmont as a sophomore from Samford. What prompted that move?

BP: The situation at Samford just didn’t happen the way I had hoped, and that’s really the just the best way to put it. A lot of events were set in motion in the spring even before I got there, and I wasn’t very happy for a number of reasons. Life’s too short to be unhappy, so I needed to make a change. That fall I saw how Belmont completely dominated the conference and was nearly an NCAA-caliber team, and I could just see the unity on the team and the pride they had in wearing Belmont on their jerseys and that was something I wanted to be a part of. I knew a couple of guys on Belmont’s team from high school and over Samford’s extended Christmas break got to know the rest. It’s really the people that make it a special place. Now I’m here and couldn’t be happier.

TR: How is Belmont and your training under Coach Langdon different from your Samford experience?

BP: Coach Langdon is definitely a great coach. His ability to have us consistently running our best at the end of the season when it matters is really amazing. Our training leading up to the Atlantic Sun race was really focused around simply sharpening up more than anything.

One thing I really like, that’s very similar to what I did at BA, is coming back to thresholds at the end of the season. It’s a really good way to get the confidence up and see how far you’ve progressed since early in the season. It leaves you feeling like you got a tough workout in but could do more. Plus, they’re easy to recover from. We did a bit of visualization the week of conference, and Coach Langdon gave us a small scouting report on the competition but not too detailed; just enough to let us know that ETSU was not to be taken lightly. Our focus has always been on regionals, but we never overlook anyone in the A-Sun or take anything for granted. Our focus and preparation is just a reflection of Coach Langdon. I wish I knew more about how he does it, but it’s nice to have so much confidence in a coach that I know will have me ready to do my best at the end.

TR: Tell us how you got started running competitively.

BP: Neither of my parents ever ran competitively. I got started running by accident really. In 7th grade I started middle school football. One day I dislocated my shoulder pretty badly and that was that; couldn’t play football any more.

A lot of my friends ran cross country and track, so in 8th grade I started running and in my first race I got 2nd to Austin Weaver and went from there. As far as early influences, I can’t say enough about my coaches at B.A, Charlie Harper and Marshall Smith. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Bumbi’s mentioned them in pretty much every interview he’s given. They’re amazing coaches, but I can’t begin to describe the impact they’ve had on my life as a person as well. I find myself still using the lessons I learned from them back in high school on a daily basis. Of course my parents have been incredibly supportive of me in whatever path I take. They’ve always been my biggest fans and hardly miss a meet. I can’t say enough about their love and support either.

More recently, Andrew has been a big influence just as I’ve watched him grow and handle pressure so graciously. His mental preparation is something I’ve watched and really tried to emulate. It’s what sets him apart I think, and it’s helped me come a long way in my own running. My girlfriend is also the toughest, gutsiest racer I know and inspires me to dig a little deeper. Coach Langdon, while helping me get ready physically, is a great role model personally as well, like Coach Harper and Marshall. There are so many people who have influenced me, but I have to deflect the credit and give it where it’s due; most of all to God.

TR: Did you play any other sports in high school and middle school? When did running take over?

BP: I played pretty much every sport there is growing up. Tennis was probably my best sport. I won HVAC (the middle school league) a couple times but never really had a passion for it. Basketball was always my favorite. I played a little on the high school team as an 8th grader and stuck with it until junior year, when I realized I needed to run year-round if I wanted to take the next step in track. Amazingly enough, I improved my PRs by 35 seconds in the 3200, 16 seconds in the 1600, and 7 seconds in the 800 that spring!

TR: What kind of running do you most, and least, enjoy? And why?

BP: I’ve always enjoyed threshold workouts, or tempo runs…whatever you want to call them. That’s actually what we were doing when I got the awful side stitch the week before conference. We did one mile faster than threshold (4:55) and then did a 3 miles threshold hitting 5:20, 5:16, 5:09 and it felt so easy! That was a major confidence booster. I also like 400 repeats. That’s always been one that I can really get into a groove with.

Another thing I like, that we did this year, was 8 x 3:00, which is essentially like 8x1K in 3:00, but without the exact distance marked off. I think it teaches mental toughness in dealing with ambiguity. Of course long runs are nice too when you start off easy and really get rolling the last 6-7 miles.

One thing I’ve always hated is changing distances in workouts, like ladders or alternating 1200, 600, 1200, 600…anything like that. Also, I can’t stand the really fast stuff with long recovery. I like to get into a rhythm and start clicking them off.

TR: Your biomechanics belie your speed. For someone with such good footspeed, you have very little knee lift. Has that always been the case, or is it a product of higher mileage training?

BP: That's funny; I'm definitely a bit of a shuffler, which is interesting since I do have pretty good basic speed. I don't know if this has always been the case, because I doubt I really paid attention to my mechanics when I was younger. Coach Langdon has been known to give me a hard time about that every now and then, all in fun of course, but I don't think I'm too bad. I think it was probably something that has just developed over time maybe as a result of cumulative mileage. Over time your body will just develop better ways of doing things to reduce stress, and I think that's just been the case with me. Of course the slower I run the more obvious the shuffle is, so I don't think it's too noticeable when I race. Maybe I'm wrong though.

TR: Which runners - past and present - do you most admire, and why?

BP: I've always had a lot of admiration for Jim Ryun. He was an amazing runner at a young age and handled himself with so much class. He is a devout Christian and a great man of faith, which is also something I admire. Even though he's not necessarily famous, Coach Harper is another one I look up to, for obvious reasons. He had a great career in his own right including a 4:00 split on Kansas State's NCAA champion DMR and was the last person to beat Jim Ryun in high school.

In sticking with the Kansas theme, Billy Mills is another one I admire, for all he had to endure and then shocking the world to win the gold medal. Also, Emil Zatopek was just insane! He did things you wouldn't think the human body was capable of. He was truly a legend.

Currently, I'm a fan of Ritz and Webb. I think everyone in this country is so excited about the possibility of an American having success at the international level. For some reason I've always been a big fan of Chris Lukezic. I feel like he's very underrated, and if you've ever seen him run, he's so smooth and effortless. Of course I'm probably the biggest Bumbi fan out there since he's one of my best friends. He's such a great guy it's easy to forget what a great runner he is. Nick Willis is another one I root for, because of what he stands for as much as anything. I guess I'm a fan of a lot of people.

TR: Name your all-time Brentwood Academy Cross-Country Team. Five to score.

BP: First of course has got to be Andrew. No explanation needed.

Second is definitely Mike Helton. He was a cross country state champion before there were classifications and if not for an unlucky fall at the end of the South Regional, would have qualified for Kinney Nationals. After those two I’m a little less certain. Let me think.

Okay, third man is a tie between John Krawulski from the mid 1980’s [class of '83] and myself. He ran 4:17 and 1:54 and has become a good friend of mine who I keep in touch with. I think I might have the edge in cross though. It’s too close to call. Fifth, I’d have to go with Destin Tompkins [class of '93]. However, I think I’m going to have to update this list soon and add a current BA runner, Clay Adams.

TR: What kind of music do you listen to? What was the last book you read?

BP: I download a ton of music, but I don’t have an iPod or iTunes or anything like that. I’m really into jam bands, so I pretty much only listen to live music. I love knowing that I can listen to any two Phish shows and hear two totally different things even in the same songs. I download tons of bootleg shows, most recently the Dave Matthews Band show from Nashville this year and a Three and a half hour Widespread Panic show I saw at Bonnaroo.

Even though they’re not a “true” jam band, DMB is definitely my favorite because of the unique jazzy sound and Dave’s songwriting/lyrical ability. The last CD’s I bought were John Butler Trio and Assembly of Dust, and right now Jack Johnson is in my CD player. He’s got a great mellow sound and is also a great songwriter. It’s funny but I can go on 90 minute long runs with Bumbi and talk about music the whole time. We spend a good bit of every summer driving around going to concerts. I could talk about music forever and, yet, ironically I go to a huge music school and have absolutely no musical ability!

The last book I read was The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman. It’s an economics book that discusses the emerging global economy. It’s probably pretty boring unless you’re into that kind of thing. I’m a finance major and it was even a little boring to me, but very useful.

TR: What are your plans for the coming year? When do you graduate?

BP: I've had to deal with a couple injuries since I've been here, so I've redshirted in both cross and track and have another year of eligibility in each. I'm pretty sure I'll be graduating next December and then hopefully going to grad school starting in the spring of '07. That's the plan at least, but there's still a lot of time and work to go with applications and tests and stuff, so it's still a bit up in the air, but I definitely know I wouldn't miss out on the cross country season next fall for the world. I have a feeling it's going to be special, so I'll certainly be around for that giving it everything I've got in my last cross season.

TR: Good luck at the NCAA Regional Meet next week.