Latest / C Tolle Run / 442: Drew Hunter: I Wake Up Excited Every Day

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442: Drew Hunter: I Wake Up Excited Every Day · C Tolle Run

• Carrie Tollefson: Christy, last year I spoke, which I will definitely be running my mouth again, as I always do, but we had some really cool experts that came up and shared some information. Are we gonna have that as well this year? Hi everyone, I'm Olympian Kari Tullifson and welcome to the See Tally Run podcast. This week we have the newly crowned USATF Road 5K champ, Drew Hunter. Drew is an ASICS professional runner. He's a multiple time US champion. Drew is the CEO of Hammer and Axe Training. He's an entrepreneur, podcaster, husband, and a father of two and one more on the way. In this episode we hear all about his latest racing. Hey everyone, I want to take a moment to tell you about an incredible opportunity for all the female runners out there and to help me introduce this, we are going to have the event director for the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, Kristi Mackey. How you doing? our listeners what we have coming up. All right, Drew. ⁓ my goodness. You've been on fire. ⁓ Kristy Maki: We are, we have so many great women that are going to be there talking from ⁓ running gear to nutrition to injury prevention, ⁓ lots of great details to share and they're also motivating and you're not gonna wanna miss what they have to share with you. Drew Hunter: Yeah, I'm I'm trying I'm really trying yeah Carrie Tollefson: You try all the time and I don't know if you go back and watch the broadcast but I am always like everybody better watch out for drew hunter because I just like you are like so gritty and so focused all the time and you just give it your everything Kristy Maki: Thank you, We have a really amazing weekend-long women's running camp up here in Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin called Stry-Dashi. You were with us there last year. It's coming up July 10th through 12th. It's modeled after our popular ski-dashi weekend, except this time we're focusing on running in July instead of skiing in January. Carrie Tollefson: We hear about how he qualified for the World Road Racing Championships next fall in Copenhagen. We talk about his plans for the rest of the spring and summer. We also hear about his businesses. We hear about who he looks up to and what he would tell his younger self and so much more. This is a good one. So let's get after it. Drew Hunter: No, it's funny, my family watches the race and they're like, Drew, I don't know who the announcer is, it was you. And they're like, but she was giving you so much credit. And I was like, I know that's Carrie, she's the best. ⁓ So I actually really appreciate, yeah, when you do hype it up for me. Because yeah, it makes my family really happy. yeah. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ Well, I have to say as a non-skier who attended Ski-to-Ski, I learned so much and I had such a blast. ⁓ well tell them thanks, but it's true. Like it's not even, I mean I've been watching you for years. Like I was at Foot Locker when you were there. ⁓ I just think that anytime we see things clicking in life and in the run for you, like there is nobody tougher in the last 200 meters. Thanks so much for joining me today on See Tally Run. My guest was Drew Hunter. You can find him on social media at DrewHunter00. Before we go, a big shout out to Rundot for supporting the show and to Andrew Harley and Sarah Burney, the amazing producers behind See Tally Run, but also Try Dot and Rundot. Hey, if you're a fan of the pod, we'd love to hear how you are enjoying our podcast. Head on over to seetallyrun.com slash review and we'll bring you right to our show's page. We really appreciate it. Kristy Maki: Yeah, it's a really great time and super motivating and we are really excited to bring that same experience to runners for the second annual Stratashe. Not only will we learn running techniques, strength workouts, ⁓ effective ways to train, nutrition, but it's really three days of empowerment, connection and community building. Drew Hunter: Mm-hmm. Yeah, no, it's definitely something that I feel like I take pride in. Like, it's hard to... You know, everyone's so good now. It's hard to actually be there with 200 to go, but I do feel like when I have been and like when training has been well and I have, you know, like a really good sort of buildup and I do feel like I can compete with anybody. And I feel like I've shown that, you know, the last few races, but especially the last like year and a half, two years, I've really been sort of just like trying to work on that. And my dad always says like, he's like, Drew, like, if you're there with 200 to go, like anything can happen. Carrie Tollefson: And also you can find us on YouTube, Facebook X, and Instagram at SeaTollyRun or at my personal page, Keri underscore Telfson. And you can always visit all of us at SeaTollyRun.com. All of us meaning me, all of our guests, and so much more at SeaTollyRun. Thank you so much for joining us today. And don't forget to get after it. Drew Hunter: happen and like, you have to be there. And so that's something that I always feel like, you know, even at 5k champs, this last, two weeks ago, like I was like, I just got to be with a hundred to go, like be in, you know, be kicking and have that adrenaline and have, you know, be excited. And I feel like I can, like I love winning. Like I, they really, I don't really care about times anymore. I was just trading with my teammate this morning and we were just talking and he's like, I was like, I don't really care. Everyone runs fast now, you know? So it's like, it's just sort of like, I just want to win and I Carrie Tollefson: Awesome. Okay, how can they sign up? Kristy Maki: You can go to Berkey.com and check out our run page and then stride to she and you'll find all the details there. Carrie Tollefson: Alright ladies, well it's your chance not only to run with me but to connect with an awesome group of empowering women at Stride to She this July. Head on over to Berkey.com for details. Drew Hunter: feel like that's really what my motivation's been recently. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, I don't think I ever cared about times. And if you look at my times, you'll be like, and obviously you've run kind of through the slow era and now the fast era. So like it's it's interesting. Like you've been through it all. But my times look terrible now compared to everybody else's. But I never really went into a race. We didn't have we would have some pacer sometimes, but it would be for like, ⁓ you know, the Olympic trials or the Olympic. Drew Hunter: Yeah Carrie Tollefson: qualifying time. It wasn't like we were setting out to run American records very often or world records sometimes indoors they would set something up like Mark, Mark Wetmore would set us up to try to run an American record but it was always about the win and we've really gotten away from that. Drew Hunter: Yeah, no, for sure. definitely think it's... I feel like it's gonna swing back. don't know, Lessonless contracts are actually having time bonuses now. There's only a few companies left that do that because it's like... Carrie Tollefson: Mm. Really? Drew Hunter: everyone runs so fast now it's like, okay, like, do we really like, you know, what, like, they're going to be breaking all these buttons. So like, I think the goal now really is to incentivize sort of like winning and racing more. ⁓ I, I hope so. mean, I think naturally, like it's easier to run fast because of the technology and, know, wave lights is something that you guys probably didn't have, you know, like it's that's a, that's crazy. I mean, it's like the smoothest pacer you've ever had, you know, it's like, ⁓ and, and so I think there's a lot of stuff that makes it way too easy to Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm, we did. Huh. Yep. Drew Hunter: run fast but at the end of the day like when you just think about the best races ever like I just think of like you know Olympic 1500 men's Cole Hawker winning it's like Cole did not have the fastest time going into that race but he's a winner and he wins races and so it's like that's just like the best race to watch and I think that's what our sports about so I hope that we can you know I mean like it's always cool like you know when the breaking two hours in the marathons obviously like an exciting exciting achievement but ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: Yes! ⁓ sure. Drew Hunter: Yeah, I just think about like the best races and the runs I have the most fun in are like really good competitions and oftentimes they're actually slower for the first part and you know it's it makes it fun so. Carrie Tollefson: for sure. It's so interesting that you say that because I'm thinking back to my contracts and I don't know if I ever had a time bonus. I don't think I did. We had place bonuses, you know, like we if you won. I mean even we were laughing the other day and we're gonna get back into your racing but we were laughing about like being on runners world for instance. Like that was a pretty big deal and we didn't get paid for that. Drew Hunter: Yeah, ⁓ that's fun. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's interesting. Yeah. Yeah, I know. ⁓ for sure, yeah. ⁓ that's, yeah, yeah, that's crazy. Carrie Tollefson: Can you think of like now if somebody were like, I mean, it's so different. It's so different. And I so appreciate like reading your, you know, your blogs or reading your newsletters, whatever they're calling it now. ⁓ Drew Hunter: Mm-hmm. Carrie Tollefson: Like all of the things that you have going is so cool and a lot of it is not we don't know about it unless we are doing research on you and trying to dig in a little bit. Like you have a lot of things going and that's kind of how I felt like we were although we couldn't have multiple sponsors at the time and like there was just a it's just a lot of things that are different now and it just has been really fun watching you like through the years see how you evolve with the sport as well because you you went out straight from high school to a pro and then Drew Hunter: Yeah. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: You've had your ups and downs, Drew. Like we have really, those of us who have been longtime fans have really watched you evolve, ride that roller coaster ride of the ups and downs. And it is, I would have to say above and beyond your resume. That is the most impressive thing hands down that you have stuck it out during tough times. And then also through really good times, you could have easily probably just been like, this has been a really awesome career. Nope, you're still going. Drew Hunter: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I'm still going. Yeah, no, I really appreciate that. Yeah. I'm 28. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I know. It is crazy. Yeah, even when you bring that up, it's like, feel like a lot of people have known me as a baby. And now I have three kids. now it's just like, ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: And you're still young! He's still young. Drew Hunter: Yeah, and so I guess what you were alluding to, like, I feel like I now look at my running as like a career. And so like, that's why like, I'd like to do a lot of other things where it's like, I've been in the, I've been the kid that like, it's just. Carrie Tollefson: Mmm. Drew Hunter: loved running so much, but it was like my everything. And then like when that went poorly, it was like, ⁓ my gosh, this is an attack on my identity. And so like, I do think like that's like something I've like worked to get away from. And ironically, I'm running better than I ever have. So it's like, ⁓ it's definitely been, yeah, like a fun journey. And yeah, I feel like I'm still I feel like I'm just getting started. Like I have been so healthy for two years and I feel like I've found like Carrie Tollefson: day. Drew Hunter: such an amazing formula for like training that works for me and I just wake up excited every day and it's like it's cool to do that. I'm 10 years in like I signed a pro contract in 2016 which is crazy so yeah. Carrie Tollefson: I mean, I love that you just said you're excited to wake up every day. That is like everyone's dream, Drew. That's so cool. OK, so you guys, we're going to get into this down the road here, but you have two but one on the way, right? Or did I miss this? OK. Drew Hunter: Yes, yeah, yeah, totally. Yeah, yeah. Yes. Yeah. So I have two daughters and then another girl is due end of July. So yeah, three girls. Yeah, my life is just like pink and princesses and you know, it's the best. I absolutely love it. yeah, it's going to be crazy few months because I qualified for the World Team and that's seven weeks after the due date. And so like we're going to see like, you know, Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ my goodness. Yup. Drew Hunter: We're getting some help. Like my parents are amazing. They're my coaches, but they also like are the best grandparents ever and they live 15 minutes away. And so we're really, they really are like, we want to help you run your best at Worlds. And we know like you're having another kid, know, not most dads would be on paternity leave and you know, doing, you know, like, ⁓ or whatever. so like, we're gonna, we're gonna see how goes. I'm actually like, gonna do like a little like docu-series leading up to it, cause it's just so much going on. So we're Carrie Tollefson: So nice. Yeah, yeah. Drew Hunter: gonna sort of like yeah one of my best friends is like a videographer and he's gonna sort of just follow us around the next two or three months like my family and we're gonna see how this all goes and I have no idea you know like I'm gonna do my best to represent the US really well but yeah it'll be a crazy few months. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah Right. ⁓ No doubt that'll be fun. So that'll be on your YouTube is that on that hammer and axe training YouTube? Drew Hunter: Um, no, so I'm going to basically, what we're going to do is, uh, and I'm still working through like the final details, but I, I can, I can spill the beans a little bit is the goal is to do like one big documentary, like 25, 30 minutes after worlds. But then we're going to have like maybe like three or four, like almost like teaser, like short videos leading up just ones on like my family life. The others on like training. And then the third will be like on like basically the birth and being like, Oh, like what the heck is going on? Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Okay. Okay. Drew Hunter: on, you know, like. We have seven weeks. We just had a kid. I'm not sleeping. know, so luckily the guy who's is the best man in my wedding. So like, he's very close to our family. so like, we don't mind him coming over a few days after the baby's born and sticking a camera in our face. Yeah. And he lives here. And so, ⁓ yeah, that's the plan. We're still like working on like a bunch of different details. Like I'm trying to get some funding because we're also trying to get my family over to Copenhagen. So we're trying to get some sponsors to like, you know, be featured in it. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. ⁓ sir. Yeah, and he lives there in Boulder too. Nice. Hmm. Cool, okay Drew Hunter: help us get some people over there. But yeah, it'll be fun. Just another part of running that I like to do is try to tell my story or involve other people and stuff. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. We love it. Yeah, I mean, it's such an interesting story and you've been on the podcast before, so go and listen to the old episodes. But your family, you have a huge family. Your mom and dad had four of you and then adopted five. Am I remembering this right? So you had nine of you kids plus mom and dad and your mom and dad big into the sport forever. And now in the last two years, has it just been two years since they have now started to coach you again? Drew Hunter: Yep. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so they've coached me, they picked up back coach me in 2020. So they've been coached. Yeah, so we've been now working together for like five or six years. ⁓ Again, yeah, no, I mean, I feel like yeah, anything like, yeah, pre-COVID and then, I don't know, it just feels like a different universe. So yeah, basically post-COVID, they started coaching me and my mom was... Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ that long. ⁓ my gosh, that went by so fast. See ya. right? Okay. Drew Hunter: helping out with my teammates and our marathon team. then sort of my dad was gonna retire from work, so they were back in Virginia and then they were like, let's move out to Colorado. And so now they're out here with me and yeah, it's been great. Like any coach athlete, parent athlete relationship, there's a lot of like... Carrie Tollefson: So cool. Drew Hunter: hard times, but it's also certainly been extra rewarding when things go well. ⁓ it's very, yeah, it's good. And I feel like we have a good ⁓ flow of things. very like, I don't know, like I might want to be a coach one day. So I feel like I have. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Aww. Drew Hunter: You know, like my mom is super collaborative with me. Like, what do want to do this week? Okay, like how's the body feeling? How did the, how are the kids sleeping? You know, like I'm almost afraid to try to hire any other coach. Cause my life is just so different than most of the athletes that I'm with. Like they're just, you know, they sleep all day and they nap and they, you know, like that's, that's what they do. And my life is not like that. It's honestly like, I'm Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Drew Hunter: with kids all day. Like I just put my daughter down before this. Like I'm, I try to be as involved as possible. I'm cooking meals with my wife. Like it's not like a, like I'm not really like just putting my feet up all day. And so I think it's really good that my parents are my coaches because I don't know if other coaches would maybe understand the situation as well. So yeah. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Mm. Yeah. Yeah. But that too I feel like times have changed a little bit where people do have more going on. I mean I talk about her almost on every podcast but even like Jess McLean. Look at her. She's been just killing it right? But she has full-time job and she she posts about her job all the time. Like she is clearly very busy with it and you know not too long ago really everyone every agent didn't really want you to do anything else. Drew Hunter: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: and live off of, you know, 20, $30,000 a year and then hope you made some prize money. So, I mean, now I think people are understanding there's more out there. Companies like Seeing Athletes like you who are entrepreneurs and have ideas and want to build community doing other things like that. Drew Hunter: Totally, yeah, yeah. Yeah, Yeah, yeah, totally. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, no, it definitely is different. Like, ⁓ yeah, even from when I started as a pro, like it wasn't, I mean, you'd hear these like one-off cases of people that like maybe had a part-time job, but it really was like eat, sleep, breathe, run. And like you hope you made enough money to pay the bills and that was it, you know, that was a running career. And it definitely feels like it's evolved. And ⁓ yeah, it's definitely, the game has changed for sure. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. ⁓ Yeah. Hmm. That's really fun. Okay, so let's talk about these awesome races. So, you know, we've been watching you. It's been brewing. It really has. Like you've been kind of all over the place running different distances too. But I feel like when you're on that's where we see the passion and the fire come out. Running a 1500, jumping in the 10,000, getting on the roads, doing stuff like that. ⁓ Drew Hunter: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. Carrie Tollefson: the last few or just as last month you were third at the road mile champs and then you went and won the 5k which we alluded to a little bit earlier I mean this is when I've been reading and watching you this was really the big thing was to try to make that world road championships next fall which you did but now I had to ask before the 5k I asked us atf I'm like what happens if Drew is called to be the alternate in the mile and if he wins on Saturday This is the week before the 5k and it kind of struck this like oh, you know and like Emma Grace Hurley She made two teams so like what would someone do? But so I kind of put it in your your the ball in your court to win that 5k to see what would happen But tell us a little bit about reaching your goal and winning that 5k and knowing that you stamped your your slot at the World Championships Drew Hunter: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, this is my whole big goal for the year. mean, as I'm sure a ton of your listeners know, like it's sort of a we'll call it an off year, traditional off year where there's not like a world track championships that sort of like that's everyone's goal every year. No, that's where like we were talking about earlier. That's where contract bonuses pay out. That's where your sponsors want you to be. Like that's the pinnacle of what our sport is, is either the Olympics or world championships for track. And so they don't have that this year. And so when I was sort of getting Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Yep. Drew Hunter: back into things, I ⁓ was just sort of deciding. I feel like there's two trains of thought. Like you could go do all the Diamond League circuits and try to run as fast as you possibly can. That's like what a lot of the guys I know are doing. ⁓ know, like I'm good friends with Grant Fisher. That's sort of his plan this year. Like he's going to be in a lot of the Diamond Leagues a lot more than he'd do in other years because you know, the travel is hard and you're overseas a lot. And ⁓ so maybe you wouldn't want that. Carrie Tollefson: Right. Drew Hunter: traditional, you know, season where you're trying to peak in September for a world championship. ⁓ And I think the other option was to do sort of what I'm doing is try to maybe have something different on the calendar. A lot of guys will debut in the half if they've never done that or try a marathon or do something a little bit outside of their comfort zone. And ⁓ I really have come to love like road, shorter road racing. It's sort of a niche that like I really enjoy. And so I was sort of like, let's try to make either the mile or the 5k. Carrie Tollefson: Yep. Yep. Drew Hunter: USA Road Team and I was one spot away in the mile but had a great race there like really was happy with that and then so I was the alternate and then ⁓ I thought I had a better shot at the 5k and was a really good field and a lot of guys were gunning for it ⁓ but I was able to make that team and that was sort of like I said my A plus goal for the year was to make the world team in something and I did and it's really been awesome because I just feel like Carrie Tollefson: You're dead. Mm-hmm. Drew Hunter: last few years I've had some great races but I've just come up short of like you know like I was fourth last year at USA's and it was like so close and I kicked well and it was a great race and it was the best 5k I've ever been a part of like not even I've been in diamond leagues before and it was like that USA 5k final was it might as well been a world championship final and I Carrie Tollefson: Hahaha Drew Hunter: was fourth and then I was fourth at the Olympic trials in the 10k and so I've had a lot of really really good results but I haven't had one that really satisfied me and really felt like was reaching my best goal for the year. And then finally this year I won the USA 5K Champs and qualified for the World Team. And that was pretty much all I wanted to do all year. So ⁓ it was actually funny. I sort of finished the race and I had this moment where I was walking back to the hotel by myself. I'd just finished drug testing and I was sort of like... Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. It's so cool. Drew Hunter: Man, I haven't been in this spot in a while. I was kind of just like, what do I do? I guess I could train? My whole goal was to make, I didn't have any races planned after that. So I had nothing else on the calendar. But yeah, was like, in a weird way, it's like a relief. As an athlete, it's like, know, I'm sure you experience this too. There's so much pressure to like... make these teams and to run fast and, you know, ⁓ live up to your potential. And so like a lot of times when you do get there, you're like, like you can just kind of take a deep breath. And I don't love that. Like I wish I could be more. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Drew Hunter: I don't know, you know, excited and happy. And I think like I am there now, but for a lot of it, it was just like a sigh of relief. And my mom's my coach. And unfortunately, she's like the person that, you know, will go on Let's Run and see people criticizing me or say she just she can't help herself. And so ⁓ I think like when I do well, like it really sort of like. ⁓ is good for her and I feel like, so sometimes I feel extra pressure and I know that's not great and she doesn't want me to feel that but to hit something like this was really, really big for me and ⁓ anytime you win a USA Championship, that's just not something I take for granted anymore. The US is arguably the best distance running country in the world right now and the guys I have to race every weekend just at any random USA Championship are some of the best runners in the world and so yeah, this one meant a lot and yeah. Carrie Tollefson: Sure. Yeah. Drew Hunter: I just cannot wait to get to Copenhagen and ⁓ that'll be something that I'll be probably smiling the whole weekend on there just because it feels like you know something I've really wanted for a long time. Thank you. Carrie Tollefson: Nah. Well, and congrats on that then, because it's just so fun. mean, to know that the, not heaviness, that's the wrong word, but to know the buildup going into that race, and then to actually get it done. Like it just had to be so cool. And also, I mean, you are now, you have a family. So there's a difference. Drew Hunter: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Carrie Tollefson: have to bring home the bacon. Drew Hunter: It's yeah, no, it's yeah, it's it's it's my job now and I and I think it's nice to look at it that way too like I I don't know like it's it's like I do think like a lot of guys out of college or like, you know, they're like, ⁓ like I'm living my dream and I'm doing you know, I'm running and stuff but it is like it's a career and it's a job and I think like Carrie Tollefson: Sure. Drew Hunter: sometimes it's good to look at it that way. So you can almost like leave it at practice too, where it's not like all consuming. ⁓ And like, I love running. Don't get me wrong. Like I could talk, you know. Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Drew Hunter: about running all day every day if I wanted to. ⁓ But I have kids now, I'm married, know, like it's like a very, like there's a lot of separation and my wife is not a runner. So it's like, you know, we are not, we're not, yeah, totally. And it's, and so it is fun to, yeah, just look at it as more of like a career. And I'm with ASICS and like, they've been absolutely amazing. ⁓ Like when I was, you know, on my second contract, like I was really looking for a company that like didn't just look at, Carrie Tollefson: Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah. That's so nice sometimes though. Drew Hunter: me is like a time on a clock and ⁓ I feel at home with ASICS and ⁓ you know like I feel like I have great balance. Carrie Tollefson: sure. Drew Hunter: outside of just running like you know right before mile champs i flew to a race i was holding the tape you know for high school kids and i met with a high school team the night before their race and like the amount of messages i got from coaches being like that talk helped my kid pr and like i love that stuff and that stuff fills my cup just as much as running fast and so like i'm always looking to do that stuff as well and so trying to look at my running as more of like a career and not just like okay like let's go perform all the time and ⁓ that's obviously Carrie Tollefson: Mm. Yeah. right. Drew Hunter: important but I try to have balance as much as I can. Carrie Tollefson: Well, one of the things that I loved about how you are sharing after the 5k and obviously your podcast is so fun. It's very entertaining. ⁓ Drew Hunter: Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: but you shared your mental map almost. I mean it was the map of the course, how you drew it out in your mind and different word cues it seemed like. I don't know if you're using those word cues in your race but how you were breaking down your race and I loved seeing that and we don't get that a lot from professional athletes, collegiate athletes of how they actually process what they're about to do and I want you to talk about that but I also loved hearing your post-race interview how you were the first one down in the lobby that morning before the Drew Hunter: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ 5k like you were ready to go like this was a big deal so tell us a little bit about that process of going into the 5k Drew Hunter: Yeah. Yeah, I started doing that before road races. They give you the course map in the tech meeting or whatever, and I'll just copy it in my... I literally have my journal notebook thing here, and I literally just copy it down in there. And then the day before, I'll run the course, I'll jog it for pre-meter, whatever, and then I'll basically just... Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Drew Hunter: like right out of plan and I'll literally write like cover moves here, surge here, ⁓ relax at this point. ⁓ I'll even like say like you might feel bad here but like get through this rough patch like there's a hill or something like that and it helps my nerves so much because it feels like my body's already... It's so prepared for the task ahead that I don't have this unknown of what to expect once I'm out there. So that's the first thing I notice is the race visualization and sort of drawing out the map helps with my nerves. But then B, I feel like I... Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Drew Hunter: I just have this roadmap of what I want to do. like, I'm like a pretty like all in person. Like I'm like, when I do something, I'm like, let's do it. And so I do think it helps me, you know, have a plan, stick to it and not back down. And that has been really good. Like I've just been super eager to get to the start line and race. Like I remember like, Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Drew Hunter: I got to Des Moines like really early before mile champs and the race was at night and I was just like, can we run this race already? Like I was like ready to go. I was just like, can we please do this? Like I'm just ready. I'm mentally prepared. Like I'm ready, you know, and so I do think like that really helps with ⁓ that. And ⁓ yeah, I think like so many people messaged me when I started posting, they were like, this is so cool. I've never thought to do this. And I was like, yeah, it really has helped me. So I really think like for road races is obviously different. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah Drew Hunter: with track because it's like you know you have paces and splits but with road stuff it's nice because you know like there's even like funny there's so many like there's street names like i remember you know at mile champs there's like i don't know but like 80 meters to go there's a street crossing and i was like when you hit there run as hard as you possibly can doesn't matter what place you're in like that like i really simplify things ⁓ and so ⁓ that's always just been a fun new thing i've been doing and i really like it so yeah i got to get to copenhagen and early and map out the course Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. ⁓ huh. ⁓ huh. Yeah. so you can map it out. Yeah. Drew Hunter: and yeah. Carrie Tollefson: It's true. mean, I love that you did that. I had, I just spoke at college and I told everyone about my different word cues that I used for the 1500 and I had four of them at the Olympic trials and they had like six girls run the 1500 two days later at a meet and they texted me and they said, no, I'm not taking all the credit. But they said all six of us PR and we all had six, six of us had different word cues for each lap. But I do think that's an, that is a brilliant way to do it. It's, Drew Hunter: Okay. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ I love that. Yeah, I love that. Carrie Tollefson: easy but also drawing the map. I think anytime you write something down you kind of drill it into your head. So I like that you do that. I like that you shared it and that that was really cool. I appreciated that. How did you celebrate that win? Drew Hunter: Totally. ⁓ So I got home and ⁓ my wife was kind of being like, she was like, I could tell something was going on. was just like, she's like, ⁓ I got to go out and like run an errand. And I was just like, okay, whatever, something weird is happening. And I was out, ⁓ I took my daughter to the park and... Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. Drew Hunter: She was like, you know, I'm going to stay behind. it was just like a little off and I get back from the park and like my family's there and all my best friends are there. And she threw like a surprise, basically like party for me. And she made like an American flag cake. And ⁓ so that's how we celebrate. So was it was really, really great. And yeah, it was like it was super funny. Like, actually, I like when I go out, like I just won't bring my phone. It's really it's bad. It's bad because I like with kids like I should do this. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. ⁓ That's awesome. ⁓ okay. Drew Hunter: but like I'll just leave my phone in the house and So I was gone for like an hour and a half longer than I should have been because I was at the park with my daughter and then my friends were playing beach volleyball I shouldn't even be saying this because I shouldn't I shouldn't be playing beach volleyball But they they were like Drew we need it. We need someone to hop in our game So I hopped in a game of beach volleyball with them and my wife was driving around looking for me because she had all my friends at my surprise party and She was like guys. I'm so sorry like Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ no. Kind of. ⁓ my gosh. Drew Hunter: Drew leaves his phone at home so he has no idea what's going on. Well yeah she literally thought like I was like dead in a ditch. ⁓ So yeah and so I eventually got home and she wasn't there ⁓ but everyone else was and they're like Sandy's literally out looking for you so it was actually pretty pretty funny ⁓ but no no she was she got home like three minutes later and she was happy and it was great so yeah it was Carrie Tollefson: And did you get her nervous? ⁓ no. ⁓ Was she mad or no? God. ⁓ I mean, it's also a really good lesson. Maybe we should you know, leave our phone at home sometimes but yeah You know Drew Hunter: Yeah, I know, maybe not in that case. was not a good job, Yes. Carrie Tollefson: Times are changing. don't know. Maybe we can't live without that phone. I was when I was thinking about what else to ask you today because I do want to direct everyone over to all your stuff. I think it's really cool the whole hammer and axe training. I think that's really neat. I love that you have these newsletters and that you're telling everybody about what's going on in the mind and body and everything else. ⁓ But I just had a couple questions that I thought would be kind of fun. So who do you look who do you look up to? Drew Hunter: ⁓ that's a good question. ⁓ Yeah, ⁓ think I have a few different answers. ⁓ The first is my dad. he's just my dad was a great dad, but he is the best grandpa. Like, he adores my daughters and they adore him. And so like for me, that has been just like... Carrie Tollefson: I know, and it doesn't have to be runner. It can be whatever you want. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. Drew Hunter: I know, I feel like it's unlocked so much of our relationship too. ⁓ Just because, yeah, he has so much love for my kids. ⁓ Definitely my dad. ⁓ The first runner I ever looked up to is Alan Webb. ⁓ And I have like a funny connection to Alan. Like my parents were actually Alan's coach when he was a freshman in high school. ⁓ And so ⁓ and Alan gave me like the best advice ever when I first became a pro. And it's something I repeat to myself all the time. And I tell people this all the time. Like Alan told me when you start having breakthroughs Drew and when you start running well all you're going to want to do is train harder and harder. Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Yeah Drew Hunter: and all you need to do is keep doing what you're doing and that's literally all I've done the last two years. Like I have... this golden carrot in front of me of like, I know I can train harder. I know I want to like, I want to chase these things. And like, I've held back so much and I've continued to have success. And that's literally because of like what Alan told me was like, he's like, the mistake I made was like in 2007, when I had my amazing year, I said, imagine if I can train a little bit harder, how much better I'll be. And then he burnt himself out and he didn't reach any of his goals. And it was like, so that's some Carrie Tollefson: Mm. Yep. Drew Hunter: very very like ⁓ beautiful advice that I've carried into my running. like, I always feel like that's what I'm telling young pros now. I'm like, when you're in a groove, stay in the groove as long as you can. Because you will get struck down by injury. You will have setbacks. You will have these things. But the worst thing you can do is like, wow, running is going well and everything's flowing, is to be like, what if I just up the empty a little bit? And so that's always like a very... Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Push, push, push. Yeah. Drew Hunter: something I've always, you really appreciated Alan saying. So Alan for like as like a mentor ⁓ and ⁓ I'd say those are the first two answers that came to my mind. I mean, like ⁓ my wife is someone I look up to like spiritually, like I'm a Catholic and ⁓ she goes to Mass every single day. ⁓ You know, she's just very dedicated to her faith. And so like that's something that like ⁓ has always been inspiring to me. And so ⁓ I would say like spiritually, Carrie Tollefson: I love that. Yeah, that's great! Nice. Drew Hunter: my dad is like a know father figure mentor and then Alan is like an athlete mentor so those those three people. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, that's awesome. I love that. And by the way, you and your wife are such a beautiful couple. My gosh, so cute. How did you meet her? Drew Hunter: Thank you. Yeah. We actually went to the same high school. ⁓ And yeah, we actually didn't know each other. ⁓ She was the grade above me and she was a theater major. She's a theater girl. So like we did not cross paths at all in high school. ⁓ And it's a long story, but I'll give you the short summed up story is I... ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: Get out of here! Yeah. Okay, okay. Drew Hunter: just asked I was back home for Christmas and I asked her on a date there's a lot of other things that happen like random things but I asked her on a date and we went on a date really hit it off like she's from a family she has eight siblings as well huge big family ⁓ and then ⁓ COVID happened and we were sort of like I live in Colorado she lived in DC like it was like you know Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, wasn't going to happen. Drew Hunter: didn't think it was going to work out. like, we really liked each other, but it was like, okay, this is maybe just, you know, COVID's happening. I have my life here, you have your life here, yada, yada, yada. And then my brother at the time was living with me in Boulder and he had to get back to Virginia. So all the planes were like shut down everything. So me, my best friend and my brother drove 24 hours. I basically drove him back to Virginia for him. Like that was the only way he could get back. He like had to get back for like school and all this other stuff. And I just decided Carrie Tollefson: Right. Drew Hunter: to like quarantine there in Virginia for three months. And so like my wife and I like I almost like old fashioned courted her like we just would go on walks every day like social distance walks every day and like we just got to know each other and I loved her family and like she loved mine and like we really just got to like this deep level of friendship and then the world opened back up and we were like all right let's do this and ⁓ we didn't date for that long we dated for like a year and then we got engaged and got married pretty quickly so like yeah it was just like Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ Yeah ⁓ it's so... Drew Hunter: when I knew I knew. But yeah, it was pretty funny. I feel like COVID was miserable for a lot of people. And I'm like, I hate to say this, but I met the love of my life during that. So I can't claim that. I'm sorry that it was bad. But yeah, some good came from it for me at least. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. Ohhhh I think a lot of people found some good not from having to deal with the pandemic but having maybe time more time given back to us. So that is beautiful and now you're gonna have another girl. I was the third girl in my family. So be ready. Be ready for some fun because yeah everyone told everyone told us to stop at two and I'm like there's no way I was number three and I brought so much fun. So no yeah. Drew Hunter: Yes. ⁓ Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ nice. Okay. Okay. I love that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, there's no way. Yeah, yeah, I love that. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: What would you tell your younger self if you could go back even if it was three years if it's ten years, whatever Drew Hunter: ⁓ I think what I always tell people is like ⁓ the things that I care about so deeply now are the relationships I've had with running and I look back on how serious I was sometimes and I wish I wasn't as serious and I wish I was just like, like I wish I could remember. the bus rides in high school to meets that I know I had fun on, but I was so focused and so headphones in and I just wish I... Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Drew Hunter: sort of took things a little bit less seriously and just had some more fun with like the people that were you know doing the same thing as me ⁓ and that's really you know hit me the last few I'd say months because ⁓ basically all my best training partners I've trained with have either moved on retired or are doing you know moving to different cities or you know just doing different life things and like I had a very much like a I don't know if it was a nostalgic moment where I was like, oh my gosh, I wish I remembered the dinners we had together and that stuff a little bit more and was a little bit less serious about the miles and the training and stuff like that. that's why I always say that stuff is like, those are the best, those are guys who are best men in my wedding and they are all having kids now and so I wish I could remember a little bit more Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Drew Hunter: the less about the running stuff and was maybe a little less serious and focused and more about just the relationship side of things that running can provide. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Hmm. You're kinda becoming an old soul, Drew. Drew Hunter: I know, I know. I'm only 28, but I feel like, yeah. Yeah, I mean, I have three kids, so at this point, I am an old soul, yeah. Carrie Tollefson: I know. Yeah, but I agree. Like there are so many times that my mom and dad remember more about like high school college stuff than I did because you're right. You're in it. You're focused. You're trying to think about running four laps as fast as you possibly can, which is like really, but that's why we're different than most people. ⁓ Drew Hunter: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Carrie Tollefson: Do you feel like those moments when maybe those years or those months where things weren't going well, those are those moments where you don't remember much because you were so intense? Because that's what I feel. I was injured for a lot of my pro career and I don't remember those months at all. And I think I just shut everything down and just focused on the person on the elliptical that was looking back at me in the mirror, you know? Drew Hunter: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, no, I definitely think, yeah, like it's weird because like I wouldn't trade any of the hardships I've had because I do think like they've really made me into the person I am and sort of like they've made the moments now a lot sweeter and they've made like, you know, like I don't feel like my suffering went. like wasted at all. Like I'm like, okay, like my bad planner injuries and bad performances and all that stuff. Yeah, I know I've had both puts. It was brutal. Yeah. So, ⁓ but yeah, I do think like, I wish I was a better teammate. Carrie Tollefson: had the same. Drew Hunter: in those moments, that's something that I feel like it's really easy to be a dark cloud when things are not going well. And that's something that I wish I could redo that. Because like you said, I don't remember a lot. And it's probably because I was just sort of looking... Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Drew Hunter: you know, just in the mirror at myself and thinking about like how I can get out of this. And ⁓ some of the best teammates I've had have been like guys who still showed up to practice when they were hurt and would just cheer us on when we were doing hard training. And I'm like, I wish I would have been more like that. ⁓ And I think I probably would have actually probably been less injured because I would have just been happier. And, know, like the stress probably wouldn't have, you know, been as high. ⁓ So, yeah, I definitely understand what you're saying in that, it makes a lot of Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. It's... yeah. Yeah. I don't know, Drew. I think you're hard on yourself. I think I'm hard on myself. I think we are perfectionists in every sense of the word. And so you have brought together a lot of really good runners to run with you, run under your people. You have done so much for the running world. So I do think I understand what you're saying, but I don't think you need to be as hard on yourself. But yeah, no, it's been really cool to watch you from afar. ⁓ Drew Hunter: sense. Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Carrie Tollefson: You're getting ready to race now at Track Fest, correct? ⁓ So you're going back to the track. You can't stay away from it for too long. Drew Hunter: Yeah, yep, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. wasn't, like I said, I had nothing on the calendar after USA 5K jams. I was like, like I was sort of saying, like it has taken me like years to get momentum on my side and I'm really running well right now. So I'm like. Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Drew Hunter: let's just keep going until the wheels fall off, so to speak. So yeah, I'm going to run TrackFest 5K. It'll be my only 5K on the track this whole year. I ran one indoors, but outdoors, track 5K. Then I'm going to do USA 4 Mile Champs. Carrie Tollefson: you Okay. Drew Hunter: Then I'm going run the 3K at LA at the USATF meet there June 14th and then I'll do pre-fontaine and then I'm going to shut it down and then build to Worlds after that. Almost like a second season later because I think it's hard if you're racing and racing and racing to get to September feeling good so I've always been big on taking a break and resetting and going again and so that's my plan is to do that. Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And how did ASICS take it that you're not going to run USA Zen? Because it is the weekend that you're supposed to have the baby. Drew Hunter: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it's funny. Like I told my agent, like, hey, I'm not running USAs this year. And he was like, not a big deal. No one cares. Yeah. Like he was like, no one cares. ⁓ Yeah. Like I. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. All good. Yeah, because we aren't going for a world championship team or an Olympic year. So, yeah. ⁓ Drew Hunter: Yeah, like, and if I'm being honest, I'm kind of relieved I'm not running USA this year. It's just like that is the most stressful race of the, it's not even close. Like I'm like, drop me in the Olympic final, please. I don't want to run USA championships. ⁓ I mean, I'm being like a little funny about it, but like it's, you know, like it's obviously very exciting, but it is. Carrie Tollefson: It is. Yeah No, yeah. It is a hard race though. Drew Hunter: It is a hard, hard, hard weekend and a lot of times it's like, makes or breaks your whole year and so it's nice that I qualified for the team I wanted to qualify for and that's my goal. And I won't be at USA this year but the next two years I'll be there. yeah, think, I don't know, I think the world road running champs are gonna be really, really big. That's my prediction at least, I just think they're gonna be. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Sure. Drew Hunter: almost as big as track champs in probably 10 years. ⁓ I just think people are really excited about the roads and I think there's a lot of things that the roads provide that the track can't. ⁓ And so I think like this is as good as it's going to get for this year's races as me being in the world team in Copenhagen. I think like ASICS is, mean, my boss was like, texted me right after my race and he was just like. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Drew Hunter: we're super proud of you. The amount of progress you've made in the last 18 months is incredible. And ASICS has the best road racing flats. So I'm even more excited about that. I just think I'm going to be very prepared to run well. And it'll be really fun to be in Copenhagen. I've heard everyone I've talked to about Copenhagen says it's the coolest city they've ever been to. So I'm excited. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: So fun. ⁓ Yeah ⁓ it's so cool. I know, me too. Like even I'm not going, but I was saying, you know, we're announcing these races for them to qualify for Copenhagen. They're like, ⁓ my gosh, how cool. ⁓ well great. Well, are you ready for some run dot rapid fire questions before I let you go? Drew Hunter: Yeah, Yeah, let's do it. Carrie Tollefson: Okay, long hair or short hair? Because you've had both. Drew Hunter: I'm gonna go short hair just because of convenience. The long hair I have to do things and yeah. Carrie Tollefson: Hahaha! Well, it's funny because when you do get ready for your kick, I'm like, watch his throwback of his hat and he gets it going. Because I noticed that every time like, ⁓ here it comes. Okay, headband then? Well, we're thinking back to your long hair days, headband or let it flow. Drew Hunter: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yep. ⁓ Back when I had long hair headband. Yeah, you need to have a headband. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: Okay, ⁓ Hard shell or soft shell? Drew Hunter: ⁓ soft shell. Carrie Tollefson: Ooh, roads are track. Drew Hunter: I'm gonna say Rhodes this year. Yeah, I really like the Rhodes. Yeah. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: Okay, mm-hmm, okay. Going on a date with your wife, would you rather go to the theater for a musical or the opera? I mean, they're kind of the same, but... Drew Hunter: Yeah, I'm gonna say we were just talking about this last night. ⁓ I really want to go see Phantom of the Opera. So maybe, yeah, I guess that's kind of both. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: Mmm. It is kind of both, but I don't know why I was thinking they're different, but I got to do the scream in the Phantom of the Opera when I was in high school. had that, you know, loud high scream. That was kind of fun. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Massage or chiropractor. Drew Hunter: ⁓ really? ⁓ I love that. That's cool. Yeah. massage. This has changed throughout my career though, yeah. ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: Hmm long run. Yeah, I mean I even just like reading it again. I'm like I don't really know sometimes the chiropractor just gives you instant relief, you know massages feels good sometimes and hurts a lot of times Okay, long runs or intervals Drew Hunter: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. intervals. Carrie Tollefson: basketball or baseball? Maybe you're giving it away with your hat. Drew Hunter: Baseball. I'm a huge I'm a huge Guardians fan. This is yeah. Yeah. So yeah Carrie Tollefson: Ooh, okay. Soda or pop, what do call it? Drew Hunter: Soda, but I should call it pop because my grandma and my dad's side of my family is all from Ohio and they call it pop. So yeah. Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ yeah. Do you drink it or no? Drew Hunter: Not really. Like I had a Sprite the other night because I was just, it was so dry and bolder and I was, I was driving home and I just needed something, but it, and that tasted amazing. So I think like, I love having it like once every six months and it tastes incredible. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: No. You just needed something. Ha! ⁓ buddy. Okay, make that Olympic team or continue to make world teams. What do you want to do? You can say both. You can say both! Drew Hunter: I think the Olympic team, think the Olympic team, think maybe this is not a short rapid fire answer that you want, but like I think the Olympic team is so much better for your career than making world championship teams that like it can set you up for life so much better afterwards. Just being able to say you're an Olympian, maybe that's a bad reason to say that, but like, ⁓ yeah. Carrie Tollefson: It's okay. No, I agree. I agree. We don't really talk about the world championship teams that I made and I didn't make any on the track. I made indoors and cross but we talk a lot about Olympic teams but I keep thinking when you're talking I'm wondering if you ever want to get into TV. Drew Hunter: Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I've had other people, like I did this little ASICS thing where I basically was like interviewing kids on the field and stuff and I had like an ASICS rep message me and he was like, you need to get into broadcasting and do that. And I was like, maybe we'll see. ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, the more podcasting you do, the more, you know, comfortable you'll be with the mic. Yeah, you're great at it. Hmm. ⁓ Drew Hunter: Yeah, I do love it. I love talking to people and so I think like it could be something. Thank you. Yeah, you are too. As I was saying, my family loves when you call my racist. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, it's perfect. Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: Well, tell him thanks and tell him to text me if you got my number. Tell him to text me if I'm saying something wrong. ⁓ Well, we'll see you in LA and just congrats. Way to go. It's been really fun. I love watching your journey and can't wait to hear about number three. Baby number three. We'll keep getting after it, Drew. Yay! Drew Hunter: Yes, yeah, thank you. Yep, another girl. Yep, it's gonna be great. thank you so much, Gary.