Latest / I'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein Podcast / Episode 540: Kendall Ellis- U.S. 400M Champion on her way to the Paris Olympics!

Transcript

Episode 540: Kendall Ellis- U.S. 400M Champion on her way to the Paris Olympics! · I'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein Podcast

• 0:00
  This is a Sandy Boy productions podcast.
• 0:19
  Hey, everybody. Welcome to all have another podcast
• 0:21
  with Lindsay He.
• 0:23
  I'm your host, Lindsay. Thanks so much for
• 0:25
  being here today. Hope you've had a great
• 0:27
  fourth of July,
• 0:29
  speaking of fourth of July, Kendall, Ellis and
• 0:32
  I
• 0:33
  recorded this episode of the podcast yesterday
• 0:36
  on the fourth of July.
• 0:38
  Kendall is another 1 of our Olympia for
• 0:41
  team Usa headed to Paris.
• 0:44
  She won the 400
• 0:45
  in the track field trials
• 0:48
  last week, and it was so exciting to
• 0:51
  see her come in first place with such
• 0:52
  a strong finish.
• 0:54
  Kendall was first on this show in May
• 0:56
  of 20 22.
• 0:58
  Episode 3 85 if you wanna go back
• 1:00
  and
• 1:01
  learn a little bit more about her history
• 1:03
  in the sport.
• 1:05
  She is an Olympic gold medal.
• 1:08
  In the 4 by 4 relay and an
• 1:09
  Olympic bronze medal
• 1:11
  in the mixed 4 by 4 relay. She
• 1:14
  also has a gold medal in the 4
• 1:16
  by 4 at the 20 19 and 20
• 1:18
  17 world championships
• 1:20
  where she competed as an individual as well.
• 1:24
  In 20 21,
• 1:25
  She barely missed making it as an individual
• 1:28
  in the 400
• 1:30
  for the Olympics, placing in that fourth place
• 1:34
  spot. This time around comes back and wins
• 1:36
  the whole thing, getting a national title
• 1:40
  and running a personal record of 49.46,
• 1:45
  her second P r
• 1:47
  of the week, but
• 1:49
  that P she ran in the semi finals
• 1:52
  at the trials was her first P r
• 1:55
  in 6 years.
• 1:57
  So we talk about what those last 6
• 1:58
  years looked like and how there were so
• 2:01
  many wins in those 6 years that she
• 2:03
  really wasn't even focused on the
• 2:06
  time on that personal record. But dang if
• 2:09
  it didn't happen at just the right time.
• 2:12
  Kindle ran for the university of Southern California
• 2:15
  where she was a 3 time Nc double
• 2:17
  champion, And I would say she is 1
• 2:21
  to be watching
• 2:23
  to
• 2:23
  possibly
• 2:25
  win a medal at the 20 24
• 2:28
  Paris of Olympics. It's an honor and a
• 2:30
  joy to talk to Kendall
• 2:32
  and to watch her compete and cheer for
• 2:34
  her, and I hope you'll all do the
• 2:36
  same. If you aren't already following her on
• 2:40
  Instagram, you can find her she's ken underscore
• 2:43
  kendall over there. If you're enjoying this podcast,
• 2:47
  and the additional episodes we're putting out this
• 2:50
  week and next leading up to the Olympics
• 2:53
  in Paris.
• 2:55
  Please consider leaving us a quick rating and
• 2:57
  review. That is a simple way to support
• 2:59
  the podcast.
• 3:00
  It's the easiest free way to support the
• 3:02
  show. You can also share about it on
• 3:04
  social media. That's a huge
• 3:06
  win for us and just tag me at
• 3:09
  lindsay hi 6 6.
• 3:11
  And the other way you can support the
• 3:12
  podcast is just supporting my work on Patreon.
• 3:15
  It's patreon dot com slash Lindsay He. Alright,
• 3:19
  friends. Thanks for being here, and please enjoy
• 3:21
  my conversation with Kendall Ellis.
• 3:24
  Hey everybody. So excited to bring you this
• 3:26
  conversation with Olympia, Kendall Ellis. Welcome back to
• 3:29
  the show Kendall. Thanks for having me again.
• 3:32
  Yes. I'm so excited so it's been 2
• 3:34
  years. I looked back. It was 20... Summer
• 3:35
  of 20 22 when we first talked. And
• 3:39
  I am so excited to have you back
• 3:40
  on your probably feeling all kinds of emotions
• 3:43
  right now making the second Olympic team. Yeah.
• 3:46
  What a difference from summer 22 to now.
• 3:50
  You
• 3:51
  looked so strong.
• 3:53
  You looked so incredible out there. Like,
• 3:56
  I knew when you were coming around that
• 3:58
  turn. I was, like, listening to the announcer
• 4:01
  And I was like, why aren't they talking
• 4:02
  about Kendall yet? She's like, right... She's, like,
• 4:04
  coming up? Like, I see her, why are
• 4:05
  they not talking about her yet and then
• 4:06
  Sonya comes on? It's like, look at Kendall
• 4:08
  ellis on the right?
• 4:10
  You know, they rarely talk about me until
• 4:13
  I win. So
• 4:15
  And I went by a lot.
• 4:18
  Yeah. It was a good. It was a
• 4:19
  good race. I felt. I felt really good.
• 4:22
  I felt really strong and I didn't exactly
• 4:24
  know I positioned being out there in Lane
• 4:26
  8, but
• 4:27
  washing the race back. I was like, oh,
• 4:29
  I didn't feel
• 4:32
  not that I didn't give a hundred percent,
• 4:33
  but I didn't feel like I was completely
• 4:35
  depleted. Like, I felt like could do it
• 4:37
  again. I felt like I could do something
• 4:38
  faster. So I'm glad to have that experience
• 4:41
  it. And I think my fastest races.
• 4:44
  That is how I typically feel, like, I
• 4:45
  don't feel spent and, like, there's something else
• 4:48
  in the tank. So excited to tap into
• 4:50
  that. Yeah. I was gonna say that's exciting
• 4:52
  for Paris.
• 4:55
  Yeah. Tell us about the the lane assignment
• 4:57
  and, like, what that feels like because I'm
• 5:00
  not super familiar with racing the 400. So,
• 5:03
  like, where do you wanna be?
• 5:05
  Ideally and typically the preferred lanes are, like,
• 5:08
  5 and 6. Okay. I'm not really sure
• 5:11
  why this meat was so different, but they
• 5:14
  said that the preferred lanes were
• 5:16
  going to be, I think
• 5:18
  7 and 8.
• 5:20
  I don't I don't know why. I don't
• 5:21
  know how that works, but in every other
• 5:23
  track that I've been on, like, the preferred
• 5:25
  lanes are 5 and 6. Sometimes 7 if
• 5:27
  it's, like,
• 5:29
  bigger track or
• 5:30
  additional lanes. But, yeah. I mean, I wasn't
• 5:33
  too upset about it because I've been running
• 5:35
  in, like, the outer lanes all season long.
• 5:37
  And so it wasn't anything new for me.
• 5:40
  It wasn't anything that, like, really threw me
• 5:42
  off as far as I was concerned. If
• 5:44
  I'm in the outer lane, let me just
• 5:45
  get out. And as long as I don't
• 5:47
  see anyone that I must be in good
• 5:48
  position. So kinda just focusing on, like,
• 5:51
  I get to run this race
• 5:54
  not on anyone else's terms. I'm all the
• 5:55
  way out here, so I just get to
• 5:57
  run at how I wanna run, and I
• 5:58
  think that played out to my advantage at
• 6:00
  the end of the day.
• 6:02
  The 400 is so challenging. Like it. I
• 6:05
  feel like there's so much calculation there because
• 6:07
  it is a sprint, but it's also distance,
• 6:09
  and so how did you even decide... How
• 6:11
  do we even decide going into that final
• 6:12
  like, how am I taking this race out?
• 6:14
  When you know some of the women are
• 6:16
  known to take it out fast? And whatnot?
• 6:18
  What... How... What's your game plan?
• 6:21
  Yeah. I think Coach Watson I kinda have
• 6:24
  a similar race pattern for every every single
• 6:27
  race. We don't adjust it too too much,
• 6:29
  but there are times where we're look at.
• 6:30
  Who's in their race? What lane I'm in,
• 6:32
  and we know personnel. We're like, okay, We
• 6:34
  know this person likes to run a really
• 6:35
  hard first hundred. And it's, like, don't panic
• 6:38
  over that. It doesn't you to go with
• 6:39
  them, but it is something to be aware
• 6:41
  of and just know you're positioning.
• 6:43
  So I think really
• 6:45
  just getting into, like, the nitty gritty of
• 6:48
  who's in the race? I've been running for
• 6:50
  so long at this point. You kinda know
• 6:52
  everyone on the circuit at this point. You've
• 6:54
  seen them race multiple times. And so
• 6:57
  going off of that, also playing to my
• 7:00
  strengths. Knowing that I'm a strong finish. So
• 7:01
  it's like, okay, You can
• 7:03
  you can go out a little faster with
• 7:04
  them because we know that your endurance and
• 7:07
  your stamina is gonna allow you to finish
• 7:08
  better than most people are able to. So
• 7:11
  really just doing the research, knowing who's in
• 7:13
  the race, knowing what they're
• 7:16
  historically what they've done and then tapping into
• 7:18
  my strengths as well.
• 7:20
  Now I've heard you talk a lot about
• 7:21
  also the, like,
• 7:23
  like, focusing on what you can do and
• 7:25
  focusing on, like, what your training is and
• 7:27
  what you're doing like listening to all the
• 7:29
  noise, But like you were just saying you
• 7:31
  kinda have to do the research a little
• 7:32
  bit and pay attention so you know what
• 7:34
  to do. How do you balance that?
• 7:37
  A lot of times, I coach Watson I
• 7:39
  have had this conversation. We worked together for
• 7:42
  what
• 7:43
  10 years at this point, if we count
• 7:45
  college. So We have a very good understanding
• 7:47
  of each other in the way I like
• 7:49
  to work and the way he likes to
• 7:50
  work and we've come to an agreement of
• 7:51
  being like, okay. I don't like to look
• 7:53
  at who's in my heat beforehand. It
• 7:56
  caused me a lot of stress. I'd rather
• 7:57
  not know. But so I'll send it the
• 8:00
  link to him to look at the heat
• 8:01
  sheet and, like, I'm like, it's something I
• 8:03
  need to know. Like, tell me what lane
• 8:04
  I'm in. If there's something I need to
• 8:06
  be aware of. He'll let me know. If
• 8:07
  not, he's like, you're good. Do this, Brat.
• 8:10
  So kinda just having a nice balance of
• 8:13
  a coach who understands his athletes and no
• 8:15
  no knowing how they operate and adjusting to
• 8:18
  that. So that's kind of the the balance
• 8:20
  that we've
• 8:22
  agreed upon, and then, you know, I end
• 8:23
  up saying who's in my heat when I
• 8:25
  go to check in any anyway. So it's
• 8:26
  not a complete shock or anything. But
• 8:29
  I don't need to know any earlier than
• 8:32
  right before I get out to the onto
• 8:34
  the track ultimately. Oh, that's so interesting. I
• 8:36
  don't know how... I would be so attempted.
• 8:38
  Would be so tempted to look. I wonder
• 8:39
  how many other people are able to just
• 8:42
  not look.
• 8:43
  It's taken a lot.
• 8:45
  Of discipline over the years. I think,
• 8:49
  you know, people say, like, a glut for
• 8:51
  pain. So there were times our wood, like,
• 8:52
  in high school. I would go through who's
• 8:54
  in the heat. I would look up their
• 8:56
  past race. I would look up their P,
• 8:58
  and it just became so
• 9:00
  consuming. That, like, I was spending way too
• 9:02
  much time and energy and effort in what
• 9:05
  everyone else in the heat was doing instead
• 9:07
  of being like, okay, what, what am I
• 9:08
  gonna do? And so now I think I've
• 9:10
  just matured and grown enough to be like,
• 9:13
  I'm gonna know what I need to know
• 9:15
  and everything else is just extra information that
• 9:17
  is really none of my business.
• 9:20
  Gosh. We should all take that advice. That's
• 9:22
  a good size. Good life advice right there.
• 9:25
  Now you in 20 21 had that, like,
• 9:28
  fourth place finish, which is, like the dreaded
• 9:30
  finish.
• 9:31
  And a lot of people
• 9:33
  listening or a lot of athletes that I've
• 9:35
  interviewed have been there before, and there's a
• 9:37
  lot of people right now who are sitting
• 9:39
  in that space.
• 9:41
  Who are like, I was right there.
• 9:43
  And now you've come back and not only
• 9:45
  made the team, but 1
• 9:47
  and got your national title,
• 9:49
  What is your message to someone who's finishing
• 9:51
  in that fourth place spot right now?
• 9:54
  Yeah. I don't want to say
• 9:57
  hold on to that feeling for the next
• 9:58
  4 years and, like, use it to fuel
• 10:00
  you because I just
• 10:02
  seems really draining.
• 10:04
  But I think
• 10:05
  for me, it was kind of... I remember
• 10:07
  that moment. I was so
• 10:09
  heartbroken. And
• 10:11
  I don't think I took it as
• 10:14
  I didn't do enough or I didn't do
• 10:15
  everything I could of, or I should've have
• 10:17
  done this and that it was like, this
• 10:19
  just isn't my time. This isn't for me.
• 10:22
  And you know, that was the year that
• 10:23
  was Allison Felix last
• 10:26
  Olympics. And so I also kinda look at
• 10:28
  it as... This was this was her time.
• 10:30
  This was her moment. This was
• 10:32
  It's okay that it didn't happen for me.
• 10:34
  I'm disappointed and I'm sad, and I wish
• 10:36
  I would have gone in those top 3
• 10:38
  positions, but
• 10:39
  Maybe it just wasn't it wasn't my time.
• 10:41
  That wasn't my year. And
• 10:44
  remembering those feelings of like, how devastated and
• 10:47
  sad I was. And recognizing, like, okay. I
• 10:49
  don't wanna if you like that again. And
• 10:51
  so
• 10:53
  it's a it's a fine belt. I don't
• 10:55
  wanna myself and say, like, now I'm gonna
• 10:57
  do everything I can to never experience that
• 10:59
  again because you just don't know. But I
• 11:01
  think approaching each year as This is a
• 11:03
  new year. This is a new moment.
• 11:06
  Maybe this is my time and kinda just
• 11:10
  operating from that, not not holding on to
• 11:12
  this
• 11:14
  4 year long feeling of of grief for
• 11:16
  sadness, but being able to move through each
• 11:18
  year.
• 11:20
  Okay. Let me let me see if it's
• 11:21
  my time now and
• 11:23
  And just taking the little wins, I think
• 11:25
  along the way, You know, there's there's 4
• 11:27
  years between each Olympic gains and world every
• 11:30
  other year, but really honing in on
• 11:33
  those wins at practice, those wins at other
• 11:36
  competitions and and finding other
• 11:38
  joyous moments in the sport. That don't make
• 11:41
  the super big moment
• 11:43
  feel like the only moment.
• 11:45
  When I hear you talk and when when
• 11:47
  I think about making these teams, you know,
• 11:49
  worlds or Olympics, it's just like in life,
• 11:53
  there's uncertainty. Right? And when you line up
• 11:56
  in the start line of a race, there's
• 11:58
  uncertainty, even if you're like, I am in
• 12:00
  the best shape of my life.
• 12:02
  Yeah. You just don't know what's gonna happen.
• 12:05
  And so
• 12:06
  talk to us a little bit about, like,
• 12:07
  the mental training. Like, how have you been
• 12:09
  able to
• 12:11
  be strong mentally.
• 12:13
  When this time around, you're like, I don't
• 12:15
  want that fourth place spot again. I think
• 12:18
  part of that.
• 12:20
  It's it's just so similar to what I've...
• 12:23
  I've been saying, like you said there's so
• 12:24
  much uncertainty,
• 12:26
  and I can't control
• 12:27
  anyone else in the is gonna do. I
• 12:29
  can solely only control what I'm going to
• 12:32
  do. So it's my job to give myself
• 12:34
  the best chance to place top 3. It's
• 12:37
  my job to
• 12:39
  follow the race pattern that I trust that
• 12:41
  my coaches has given me the best I
• 12:43
  can. If he said go out in this
• 12:44
  time, then it's my job to try to
• 12:47
  do that. And the cards are gonna fall
• 12:49
  where they may fall, and that's something I
• 12:51
  have to
• 12:52
  accept the result or accept the potential result
• 12:55
  before it even happens because
• 12:58
  I can only control what I can control
• 13:00
  and I can only do whatever it is
• 13:02
  that I can do. So
• 13:04
  I think just
• 13:06
  controlling the controllable at the end of the
• 13:08
  day and and giving yourself at least that
• 13:10
  fighting chance. I think when I get to
• 13:11
  the line
• 13:12
  in the past there have been times when
• 13:14
  I've beaten myself
• 13:16
  hours, days before the race has even started
• 13:19
  because I just... Haven't even given myself a
• 13:22
  fighting chance. I decided the race was over
• 13:24
  before it even started. And I think at
• 13:26
  trials, a lot of it was me being,
• 13:28
  like,
• 13:30
  I
• 13:30
  I told myself a few times before the
• 13:32
  race. Why not me? Somebody has to win.
• 13:34
  Why why can't I be the 1 to
• 13:36
  win? And so giving myself at least of
• 13:39
  a chance to be in the fight and
• 13:41
  whoever wins the fight. We don't know, but
• 13:43
  I'm gonna make sure I'm at least in
• 13:45
  there.
• 13:46
  So when you finish the race, you like,
• 13:49
  kinda, like, sat there for a second. I
• 13:51
  was like, I was, like staring at your
• 13:53
  expression. I was like, what is she thinking
• 13:55
  right now? Because you were clearly, like, very
• 13:57
  out of breath. Then you kinda laid down
• 13:58
  on the ground, and then
• 14:01
  you smiled. And I was like, why isn't
• 14:03
  she, like freaking out right now? What was
• 14:06
  going on in your brain as you process
• 14:07
  this?
• 14:09
  1, they weren't putting up the times, like
• 14:11
  in a place the athlete could see them,
• 14:13
  And so I was kinda just listening first
• 14:15
  to the announcer. Like, I think I won,
• 14:18
  but, like, what was the time? Like, I
• 14:20
  don't... So it's a little bit of confusion
• 14:21
  just kinda sitting there and waiting to, like,
• 14:24
  see a time or here a time or,
• 14:25
  like,
• 14:26
  they also didn't have, like, the
• 14:29
  the the ribbon or whatever ever for you
• 14:31
  to, like, run through. And so I was
• 14:33
  expecting that too. And I was like, hey,
• 14:34
  I didn't get to run through like, the
• 14:36
  tape line I'm thinking you. They forget it?
• 14:38
  Why didn't they have that?
• 14:40
  I don't know if some had it and
• 14:41
  some didn't And so I don't know what.
• 14:43
  I was really looking for to doing that,
• 14:46
  but
• 14:47
  didn't happen so partial confuse confusion, and then
• 14:50
  when I did hear this time.
• 14:52
  It was just
• 14:53
  relief and peace because, like I said I
• 14:56
  had accepted the results before the race even
• 14:58
  happened in terms of it's gonna be whatever
• 15:00
  it's gonna be. And so I think to
• 15:02
  actually win and then to hear APR again
• 15:05
  on top of just P yesterday, It was
• 15:07
  like,
• 15:08
  we can take a deep breath now. Like,
• 15:10
  we have accomplished
• 15:12
  the goal for now,
• 15:14
  and
• 15:15
  Now I can breathe easy. So I as
• 15:17
  happy and excited as I was, I don't
• 15:19
  think it really resonated with me because it
• 15:20
  was, like,
• 15:21
  wow you've been waiting for this moment for
• 15:23
  so long and you've been trying to P
• 15:25
  for so long. And
• 15:28
  now it's now it's all happening, like at
• 15:30
  once. So kinda just... Kinda it this overwhelmed
• 15:33
  and and soaking it all in?
• 15:36
  Yes. 6 years.
• 15:38
  6 years for that P.
• 15:41
  And that's a long time.
• 15:43
  How do you... How were you patient through
• 15:45
  all that time? And
• 15:48
  then, you know, like, you know what workouts
• 15:50
  you're doing. You know what you're
• 15:52
  Probably capable of, but to wait for it
• 15:54
  to happen and for it to happen,
• 15:57
  at the most perfect time.
• 15:59
  Right.
• 16:00
  I think for me, it was...
• 16:04
  1 seeing what was happening in practice didn't...
• 16:07
  I think for some people might discourage them
• 16:09
  because it's like, I'm running these fast times
• 16:10
  that practice. Like, why is it not translating
• 16:12
  in But for me, it was like, okay,
• 16:13
  It's in there. Like, I know this isn't
• 16:16
  some pipe dream of me. Like, I hope
• 16:18
  I run this time 1 day. It's like,
• 16:19
  it's it's there. When it's gonna show up,
• 16:21
  I don't know, but I'm glad, like, I
• 16:23
  know that it's in my tank. And then
• 16:26
  throughout these 6 years,
• 16:28
  I've had so many other wins.
• 16:30
  And so I think that was also really
• 16:32
  encouraging because
• 16:34
  I went professional in 20 18, and then
• 16:37
  I made the 20 19 world team. I
• 16:40
  made the Olympic team in 20 21. I
• 16:42
  made the world team in 20 22. I
• 16:44
  made the world relay team This year. So
• 16:46
  there were so many other wins and successes
• 16:48
  within these 6 years that kept me going
• 16:51
  because it's like, okay, I don't necessarily have
• 16:54
  to P r in order to make these
• 16:55
  teams. I don't necessarily have to p art
• 16:57
  to win the race. And I think in
• 17:00
  professional track and field,
• 17:02
  I could be wrong, but
• 17:04
  I don't think P r's come as often
• 17:07
  as they do
• 17:08
  in c track field. And so also understanding
• 17:11
  that being like, professionals aren't P every other
• 17:14
  week. That's not common. That may happen in
• 17:17
  college, but that's not necessarily the case as
• 17:20
  a professional. I was, like,
• 17:22
  I'm not
• 17:24
  an extreme
• 17:25
  anomaly or something. Like, this is this is
• 17:27
  kind of okay. But in the back of
• 17:29
  my mind, every season I go into, like,
• 17:32
  Man, I hope this is the season Ip.
• 17:34
  Like, I really hope this is this is
• 17:35
  the time that Ip. And so
• 17:38
  just
• 17:39
  Like I said, a lot of wins along
• 17:41
  the way that that made the weight.
• 17:43
  Okay. That made the weight not as unbearable
• 17:46
  as you would think it would be without
• 17:48
  P because it wasn't
• 17:50
  quite necessary
• 17:52
  at at the time. And
• 17:55
  Maybe I just wasn't ready ready to P
• 17:57
  r, just yet. Maybe I wasn't
• 18:00
  in a place to handle running 49
• 18:03
  twice or consistently and now I'm finally in
• 18:06
  that place. So I'm just... I'm really glad
• 18:08
  that it came when it did, and then
• 18:10
  for it to come back to back was
• 18:13
  something I didn't expect to at all for
• 18:16
  sure not, and that was really exciting for
• 18:18
  me to, like, do it once. People are
• 18:20
  like, oh, okay. Like, It could be a
• 18:22
  fluke, like whatever. But then I backed up
• 18:24
  again the next day and did it even
• 18:26
  better and faster and it's like, oh, 0
• 18:28
  this is for real.
• 18:30
  Yeah. How do you prepare for that, like,
• 18:32
  when you run that huge p in the
• 18:34
  semi finals? And then you're like, okay,
• 18:36
  I know I can do it now. I
• 18:38
  have to do it again. And I know
• 18:40
  there's, like, such a balance with you all,
• 18:41
  like,
• 18:42
  pacing your your rounds and making sure you
• 18:45
  don't like,
• 18:46
  put it all out there before the final.
• 18:48
  So how did you manage that?
• 18:50
  I even think about it. It truly didn't
• 18:53
  even cross my mind. They're looking back.
• 18:55
  I think I I know the way we
• 18:58
  train with Coach Watts, and we are set
• 19:00
  up to get better round by round. Mh.
• 19:02
  So for me, it wasn't necessarily a concern
• 19:04
  to being, like,
• 19:06
  I saw, you know, some comments and I
• 19:07
  hate looking at comments anyways, but they're gonna
• 19:10
  come across you at some point and people
• 19:12
  are like, Oh, I don't know. Like, I
• 19:13
  don't know if she can do it again
• 19:14
  tomorrow. I don't know if she can go
• 19:16
  faster just as fast, and I'm like,
• 19:18
  well, I know I can. Like, yeah. And
• 19:20
  I it wasn't my goal to run a
• 19:22
  certain time. I was just there to win.
• 19:23
  And so whatever time came with the win,
• 19:26
  then that's the time that I was gonna
• 19:28
  run. And so
• 19:29
  I approach the race as just trying to
• 19:32
  win. And I knew what I did yesterday.
• 19:34
  I was like I got out a lot
• 19:35
  harder than I, like, have in the past.
• 19:37
  And so I just
• 19:39
  did what I felt like I needed to
• 19:41
  do to win the race. I set it
• 19:42
  up that way and didn't bother looking at
• 19:45
  a time didn't bother considering a time. So
• 19:48
  it didn't even...
• 19:49
  That's why when I finished, and I was
• 19:51
  just waiting for so long to hear what
• 19:54
  the time was because it was just curiosity.
• 19:56
  I was like, oh, did I do, like,
• 19:57
  what I did yesterday or was this a
• 19:59
  50 point raise? Like, I don't know. I
• 20:01
  don't really care. I'm glad I won, but
• 20:05
  I didn't let the previous day get in
• 20:07
  my head about, oh, I have to do
• 20:09
  this again, and I have to replicate it,
• 20:10
  or I was just there to win the
• 20:12
  race.
• 20:13
  Man, you were pumping those arms.
• 20:15
  And if you were going.
• 20:17
  I was like, there is nothing. Those arms
• 20:19
  if those arms are working with those legs.
• 20:21
  I mean, Know in the spreads, like, you
• 20:23
  didn't use your arm so much anyway, but
• 20:24
  I felt like you were all in there,
• 20:26
  and that was strong. Yeah. It's that has
• 20:29
  been drilled in at practice. If you come
• 20:31
  to a workout, there's an assistant coach there
• 20:33
  and he is constantly saying arms, arms, arms,
• 20:36
  arms because I have a tendency to kinda
• 20:38
  celine, side to side. U. And he was,
• 20:40
  like, to get down that last hundred, you
• 20:42
  need to pump them. So Yeah. I'm glad
• 20:45
  I did it. It worked.
• 20:47
  Hey, friends. Did you know I have training
• 20:49
  plans on my website, lindsay hi dot com.
• 20:52
  If you are looking to run a half
• 20:54
  marathon or marathon this fall I've got some
• 20:57
  great training plans. There's 4 options for the
• 20:59
  half marathon,
• 21:01
  very beginner all the way to advanced, and
• 21:03
  the marathon we've got beginner,
• 21:05
  intermediate and advanced. If you're not sure which
• 21:07
  1 to purchase, you can do the bundle
• 21:10
  and just get them all. And that might
• 21:12
  work out in your favor because you might
• 21:14
  wanna use They beginner this time in the
• 21:16
  intermediate
• 21:17
  next time.
• 21:19
  They've also come with pay charts to help
• 21:21
  you get an idea of what to hit
• 21:24
  your training paces at if you have a
• 21:25
  specific time goal in mind, or it'll just
• 21:28
  give you an idea like, oh, I'm hitting
• 21:29
  these paces, this might mean I can run
• 21:32
  this at the race.
• 21:33
  I always say, listen to your body.
• 21:36
  Don't be glued to paces, be glued to
• 21:38
  how your body feels.
• 21:40
  And these training plans can help you do
• 21:42
  that and also reach your goals. We've had
• 21:44
  a lot of success with them. A lot
• 21:46
  of Boston qualifier coming out of them. A
• 21:49
  lot of first time marathon
• 21:51
  and numerous P set. So just go to
• 21:54
  lindsay hi dot com to check those out.
• 21:57
  Alright. Back to the show.
• 22:02
  I noticed and I listened back to the
• 22:04
  to the race and watched it again, and
• 22:06
  I noticed that Sonya Richards R ross is
• 22:08
  like, this is a wide open 400, more
• 22:10
  wide open than it's really ever been, and
• 22:12
  she said there were 4
• 22:14
  women who could potentially win this race.
• 22:16
  And I didn't know which 4 women she
• 22:18
  was talking about, but is that... Did you
• 22:20
  have that thought in your mind at all?
• 22:23
  I knew that it would be
• 22:25
  an
• 22:26
  fairly open race. I wanna give credit where
• 22:29
  credit is due because there were
• 22:31
  incredible women in that race and con... Including
• 22:34
  the college women who had
• 22:36
  been grinding 49
• 22:38
  all season long. It absolutely killed it at
• 22:41
  Nc double,
• 22:42
  but also as a professional,
• 22:45
  I know that it's a different...
• 22:47
  It's a different sort of meat when the
• 22:49
  professional athletes are in it. Like, we have
• 22:51
  contracts on the line. We have health insurance
• 22:53
  on the line. Like, this is
• 22:55
  no longer for fun or, like, play playtime.
• 22:58
  Like, it doesn't matter what a professional athlete
• 23:00
  season looks like. When it comes to trials,
• 23:04
  something shifts. There's a different
• 23:06
  gear shift mind shift that, like,
• 23:09
  I'm here to make this team, and you
• 23:11
  guys are not gonna take my contract from
• 23:13
  me. And so
• 23:15
  I knew that they were talented women in
• 23:16
  the race, but
• 23:19
  I I
• 23:20
  felt like I was 1 of the talented
• 23:22
  amongst them as well. And so it was
• 23:24
  like,
• 23:25
  it wasn't a matter of of approaching the
• 23:28
  race like, oh, I have to beat so
• 23:29
  and so or, like,
• 23:30
  I can get third going off of of
• 23:32
  this time or like, this result. It was
• 23:34
  like,
• 23:35
  no. You guys have to compete against me
• 23:37
  too. Like, the same way I'm competing against
• 23:39
  you. I am all also a competitor and
• 23:41
  you have to compete about me. Keep compete
• 23:43
  against me. And so, yeah. It was it
• 23:45
  was fairly open because I think the 400
• 23:47
  and, at least in the Us this time
• 23:49
  doesn't have, like,
• 23:51
  a reigning front woman.
• 23:54
  You know, Sydney has has run it at
• 23:56
  and has ran incredibly so, but decided to
• 23:59
  focus on the hurdles, and so I think
• 24:00
  that kinda left the 400 pretty pretty open
• 24:03
  for for anyone to step up.
• 24:05
  Wow. You that's crazy the the c women
• 24:08
  were running 40 nines. I,
• 24:11
  okay. Talk to me about that a little
• 24:12
  bit though. You graduated in 20 18. That
• 24:15
  when you me in? Okay. Yes. Because so
• 24:17
  was that before super spikes? Like, did... Were
• 24:19
  you running a different season then?
• 24:22
  Yeah. I wasn't in the era of super
• 24:24
  fight because that's so funny.
• 24:26
  So is that... I mean, is that... Would
• 24:28
  you think that's 1 of the reasons the
• 24:30
  c are running so much faster than they
• 24:32
  used to.
• 24:33
  I think
• 24:34
  so much is changing
• 24:36
  in track and field as a whole and
• 24:38
  just athletes are getting
• 24:40
  faster, better, stronger. I think, partially,
• 24:42
  the equipment they have now, like, we didn't...
• 24:46
  I remember growing up an Aa asu wearing
• 24:48
  like, hand down spikes and spikes I found,
• 24:51
  like, Marshall and Ross that were on sale,
• 24:52
  like, it wasn't
• 24:54
  going to the Nike store and getting, like,
• 24:56
  the latest brand new spikes. That wasn't my
• 24:59
  experience. And a lot of the people around
• 25:01
  me experience. And I think we are getting
• 25:04
  so much smarter and learning so much more.
• 25:07
  And so athletes are training differently. Now we
• 25:09
  have high school athletes who are training, like,
• 25:12
  professional athletes. I didn't lift a single weight
• 25:14
  until I got to college. Wow. And so
• 25:17
  so many things are changing now that... Yeah.
• 25:19
  If you're training like a pro and you're
• 25:20
  already you... You already have this level of
• 25:22
  talent. You're gonna be running, like a pro
• 25:24
  as well in terms of time.
• 25:27
  And so I think it's just a shift
• 25:29
  that we're seeing in Track fields
• 25:31
  from
• 25:32
  7 year olds to 18 year olds, and
• 25:35
  things are just changing and people are getting
• 25:38
  faster because they're fully using the research and
• 25:41
  the knowledge and the equipment,
• 25:42
  that we have.
• 25:45
  And so also, just
• 25:47
  when you have such talented people who come
• 25:50
  into the space, like,
• 25:52
  let's say, Sydney, for example,
• 25:54
  when you have people come into the space
• 25:56
  who are running so incredibly fast, you automatically
• 25:59
  make everyone else around you better. They have
• 26:01
  to they have to level up. They have
• 26:03
  to run faster. So if you have 1
• 26:05
  athlete in college who is killing it and
• 26:07
  running 40 nines,
• 26:09
  anyone else you wants to get on the
• 26:10
  podium or even touch it, they simply have
• 26:12
  to elevate and be better as well. So
• 26:15
  I think we're is... It's really fun. Like
• 26:17
  seeing what what we're seeing. I'm glad I
• 26:18
  graduated when I did, but I'm I'm not
• 26:21
  in that, but
• 26:23
  it is an exciting shift we're seeing in
• 26:24
  the sport. Like but you might have elevated
• 26:27
  as well. You know, you would have yeah.
• 26:30
  Yeah.
• 26:31
  But that's interesting and I wonder...
• 26:34
  Some people, like, a Sydney can handle that
• 26:37
  for so many years, but I just wonder,
• 26:39
  like, how many people
• 26:41
  we'll get burnt out if they're doing all
• 26:44
  of those, like, extra things from the age
• 26:46
  of, like, 13 years old. Like, you think
• 26:48
  if you started that then,
• 26:50
  Yeah. I definitely
• 26:52
  not to wish Ill on anyone, but I
• 26:54
  do think that at some point there is
• 26:56
  going to be a fall off because it's,
• 26:58
  like, how much...
• 26:59
  Faster can you get your body hasn't even
• 27:01
  fully developed yet, And
• 27:04
  it'll be...
• 27:05
  I'm so curious to see how this plays
• 27:07
  out over the years, especially when. You go
• 27:09
  pro straight out of high school and you
• 27:11
  don't have that c
• 27:13
  development, and it's it's hard. It's it's very
• 27:15
  difficult. I think to be
• 27:18
  professional, and I think a lot of times
• 27:19
  you overlook that, and it's just... Oh, if
• 27:21
  you're running the times, then, yeah, you should
• 27:23
  go you should go pro. But there's so
• 27:25
  much more to it. They're such a different.
• 27:27
  There's a transition period. There's a coaching,
• 27:31
  transitional period and your body changes and things
• 27:34
  like that. So
• 27:35
  I definitely think there's... There has to be
• 27:37
  some sort of a little bit more care
• 27:39
  pertaining to it.
• 27:41
  Yeah. Can you imagine not getting your college
• 27:43
  experience becoming an Nc double champion and just
• 27:46
  like, I'm sure there's so many
• 27:48
  amazing memories from
• 27:49
  running in college.
• 27:51
  For sure. That's such a special time. And
• 27:53
  I even say like, just
• 27:54
  socially, like, it's so important to learn how
• 27:56
  to be on a team and how to
• 27:58
  work with different personalities
• 27:59
  and it's it's important for your social development
• 28:03
  as well as, like, your athletic development.
• 28:06
  So you you are an Olympic gold medal,
• 28:08
  am Bronze Medal in in the 4 by
• 28:11
  4 relay and mixed relay.
• 28:13
  What does it mean going to Paris
• 28:15
  as an individual this time. This one's special
• 28:18
  because
• 28:20
  I've made
• 28:21
  every team that I have made
• 28:23
  I've made individually
• 28:25
  except for the 20 21 Olympic olympics team.
• 28:28
  And
• 28:29
  I think sometimes
• 28:31
  that gets
• 28:32
  overlooked when it comes to me and people
• 28:33
  can see me as a sort of relay
• 28:35
  specialist, and I do run incredible relay relays,
• 28:38
  but I'm also an incredible open 400 meter
• 28:40
  runner.
• 28:41
  And I'm glad that
• 28:44
  even though I have made it in the
• 28:46
  open 400 in the past and that's kind
• 28:48
  of been overlooked because I haven't progressed well
• 28:50
  throughout the rounds, and I can acknowledge that
• 28:53
  and and admit that. But
• 28:55
  I just feel, like, right now, I'm in
• 28:57
  a place of
• 28:59
  making a statement. And so not only did
• 29:01
  I win, but I won an incredible fashion,
• 29:04
  and not only did I win, but
• 29:06
  I ran P yard back to back. And
• 29:09
  so I think
• 29:11
  that sets me up nicely going into Paris.
• 29:13
  And kind of being like,
• 29:16
  okay. She's
• 29:17
  she's finally coming into her own. Like, I'm
• 29:20
  finally
• 29:21
  being the candle that I knew I could
• 29:23
  be that my coaches knew I could be
• 29:25
  that my parents knew I could be
• 29:27
  in
• 29:28
  entering the space of
• 29:29
  I want to show that I am so
• 29:31
  much more than just an incredible relay runner.
• 29:34
  I can also replicate it in the open
• 29:36
  400. So I'm really excited for that and
• 29:39
  to get the chance to
• 29:40
  showcase it.
• 29:42
  Oh, I'm so excited for you. Yeah. Earlier
• 29:45
  you had mentioned when I said, like,
• 29:46
  they didn't mention your name until, like, you
• 29:48
  were, like, about to win, and you're like,
• 29:50
  yeah, I don't mention me unless I win.
• 29:52
  And I... I've been thinking about this a
• 29:54
  lot lately. I interviewed Michael Johnson and we
• 29:56
  were talking about, like,
• 29:58
  track personalities and, like, contracts and all this
• 30:01
  thing, all these things. And
• 30:03
  it's like, you can't
• 30:05
  just have this, like, big, loud,
• 30:08
  exciting personality if that's not who you are.
• 30:11
  And I wonder, like,
• 30:12
  you seem like a little bit of an
• 30:14
  introverted person. I wonder do you feel like
• 30:16
  that's 1 of the reasons.
• 30:18
  It seems like people don't talk about you
• 30:20
  as much as they probably should.
• 30:22
  Yeah. I am certainly an introvert, but
• 30:25
  I don't know. I think I I say,
• 30:27
  like, this is my job. My job is
• 30:29
  to run fast and towing win races. My
• 30:32
  job is not to
• 30:34
  be a source of entertainment outside of that.
• 30:37
  I don't... I shouldn't have to
• 30:39
  dance and and do all these things and,
• 30:42
  like, be funny on Twitter. Like,
• 30:44
  that's not what you're paying me to do.
• 30:46
  You know if you want me to do
• 30:48
  that, put a little extra dolly in there.
• 30:50
  But my job as a contracted athlete is
• 30:54
  to run fast and win races make teams
• 30:56
  and get medals.
• 30:58
  And that's what I'm doing. And the 400
• 31:00
  or so tiring. I don't have
• 31:03
  energy before the race to be doing too
• 31:05
  much. I have to conserve everything I have
• 31:08
  to run the race well.
• 31:11
  But, yeah, I don't know. I think even
• 31:13
  with being an introvert, like, if you have
• 31:16
  a history of success of winning and of
• 31:19
  making teams then you ought to be mentioned.
• 31:22
  And
• 31:23
  I'm not necessarily offended by it because I
• 31:25
  don't care for a lot of the attention
• 31:26
  that's not really my style, but
• 31:29
  I've made
• 31:30
  individual teams numerous times.
• 31:33
  I
• 31:33
  was the American and c record holder in
• 31:36
  the indoor 400.
• 31:38
  I was running 49 in college at the
• 31:40
  time. I think it was like, number 4.
• 31:41
  On the list. It's definitely gotten bumped down,
• 31:43
  but
• 31:44
  I have always been in the mix. I've
• 31:47
  always been in the top 3 mix.
• 31:49
  And so that just hasn't been reflected in
• 31:51
  the case of when discussing me because I
• 31:53
  think it gets forgotten. Mh. Because I get
• 31:55
  associated with
• 31:57
  relay running only,
• 31:59
  despite
• 32:00
  making it
• 32:01
  individual more often than not. But
• 32:04
  Yeah. It's it's a really interesting
• 32:07
  thing that
• 32:09
  I don't necessarily understand, but
• 32:12
  I don't hold it against anyone. I'm gonna
• 32:14
  keep being
• 32:15
  quiet because that's what I prefer. And
• 32:18
  not what I get paid to do. So
• 32:21
  Yeah. I, like, I like, didn't know how
• 32:23
  to word that question. I was like, I
• 32:24
  don't wanna be offensive when I say that
• 32:26
  this.
• 32:27
  No. You're it's... I mean, it's literally just
• 32:29
  the truth. I remember when I won. The
• 32:31
  indoor 400,
• 32:32
  and the article was written about second place.
• 32:36
  Instead of me. And so
• 32:38
  it's like, what more what more can I
• 32:40
  do? I don't know. I don't know what
• 32:42
  else I can do. And so it's fine.
• 32:44
  I'm I'm here to Run. I'm here to
• 32:46
  win. I'm here here to make teams and
• 32:48
  get medals I'm not not necessarily here to
• 32:50
  be an announcer favorite, and that's perfectly fine.
• 32:53
  Well, the other thing too,
• 32:55
  and I think part of what Michael Johnson's
• 32:57
  is trying to do with the the track
• 32:58
  leak, G slam track leak, it's like, I
• 33:00
  feel like outside of the, like, very
• 33:03
  tight knit running media and running space, like,
• 33:05
  people don't understand worlds. Like people. Yeah. They,
• 33:09
  like,
• 33:10
  Olympics are on this pedestal and, like, they
• 33:12
  don't understand Oh, she made a world team.
• 33:14
  What does that mean? Does that mean she's
• 33:15
  an Olympia? So like, if we can, like,
• 33:17
  mainstream that a little bit more, that would
• 33:19
  be hugely helpful. For sure. For sure. People
• 33:22
  only
• 33:23
  understand Olympics every 4 years. I remember when
• 33:25
  I first graduated,
• 33:27
  and I was looking for an apartment
• 33:30
  and trying to show people like, oh, I'm
• 33:32
  professional athlete, like, here's how works. I remember
• 33:34
  this this 1 leasing agent. She was, like,
• 33:37
  you on track. And I was, yeah, She's
• 33:39
  like, how are you gonna pay rent The
• 33:40
  Olympics are only every once every 4 years.
• 33:43
  And I was like, no. It's not quite
• 33:45
  how it works. I'm not I'm not getting
• 33:47
  1 check every 4 years. And, yeah, we
• 33:50
  just certainly have to... Have to get more
• 33:53
  into the mainstream so that people can understand
• 33:55
  the sport. So you've been sponsored by new
• 33:57
  balance for a while? And how is that
• 33:59
  going? And and what is that looking like,
• 34:02
  I love it. I love the New balance
• 34:04
  family so much. Part of the reason, a
• 34:06
  large part of the reason why assignment them
• 34:08
  in the first place is because I didn't
• 34:10
  wanna be just a number. I didn't want
• 34:12
  to be just another athlete and looked at
• 34:14
  as...
• 34:15
  Oh, well, like, whatever. Just going through the
• 34:18
  check marks of things, but They have been
• 34:20
  so supportive when I have made teams. Mh
• 34:23
  and the 1 time I didn't make a
• 34:24
  team. They were still just a supportive of
• 34:26
  nothing changed.
• 34:27
  And so I can really appreciate from them
• 34:31
  for that. Like, I
• 34:32
  appreciate how
• 34:34
  supported they all are when we
• 34:36
  sign someone new or on by onboard someone,
• 34:38
  like, everyone knows and it's a celebration of
• 34:41
  that person and it's so much excitement.
• 34:44
  I was so grateful that, you know, I've
• 34:45
  met the person who signs my checks. A
• 34:47
  lot of times you go don't get to
• 34:48
  have that experience, but I know him face
• 34:51
  to face. Like, we've met. He's met my
• 34:52
  parents. My siblings, and it's just such a
• 34:56
  such a
• 34:58
  great experience from a shoe brand because I
• 35:00
  know a lot of people don't have that
• 35:01
  experience. And so
• 35:03
  I'm, I'm always proud to represent them.
• 35:06
  I wanna take a quick break to think
• 35:08
  2 before for supporting this podcast.
• 35:11
  If you're looking to increase your endurance,
• 35:13
  manage inflammation, support immunity and promote
• 35:17
  adaptation in your body,
• 35:19
  check out 2 before. I love taking 2
• 35:21
  before. Before an intense workout. It stimulates vas
• 35:25
  dilation, increasing blood flow to working muscles.
• 35:29
  And what they use is the New Zealand
• 35:31
  black current berry, which helps fuel athletic efficiency.
• 35:36
  It's a natural pre workout and it contains
• 35:39
  these unique and high levels of antioxidants called.
• 35:45
  Black current
• 35:46
  are science backed and benefit pack to deliver
• 35:49
  an athletic punch. So you just combine it
• 35:52
  with 4 to 8 ounces of water,
• 35:54
  stir it up, shake it up, drink it
• 35:56
  30 to 40 minutes before you work out,
• 35:59
  and you're gonna be feeling good. Go to
• 36:01
  2 before dot com. That's the number 2
• 36:03
  and use the code Lindsay LINDSEY
• 36:06
  for 30 percent off your order of a
• 36:09
  20 pack. 2 before the number 2 dot
• 36:12
  com use the code Lindsay for 30 percent
• 36:14
  off. That's a big discount. Back to the
• 36:16
  show.
• 36:18
  Just a couple more questions.
• 36:20
  Who is the first person you talked to
• 36:23
  after you won? Who is the first person
• 36:25
  you called on the phone? Oh,
• 36:27
  First person I talked to
• 36:29
  was
• 36:30
  Ryan Coach watts because they were right at
• 36:32
  the finish line, and so I gave them
• 36:35
  both big hugs and
• 36:37
  they were the first 2 people I saw.
• 36:39
  And the first person I called, I
• 36:42
  facetime my
• 36:45
  high school coach, but he's been my coach
• 36:46
  since I started running at 7 years old.
• 36:48
  Oh. So from 7 to 18, I had
• 36:50
  the same coach, and I facetime him and
• 36:52
  him and his wife in the living room,
• 36:54
  and they were screaming and cheering, and that
• 36:57
  was just a really special moment. He's like,
• 36:58
  we're coming to paris. Like, we already booked
• 37:00
  the flights. And so
• 37:02
  that was really special because he's
• 37:04
  quite literally
• 37:06
  the reason Even started running track or and
• 37:08
  even stayed with it. And so it was
• 37:10
  just a really special moment. For us to
• 37:11
  have and get to see their faces. So...
• 37:14
  And what I coach Wat say to you?
• 37:17
  He that's your crying.
• 37:21
  Yeah. I think, you know, a lot of
• 37:22
  people have been asking me
• 37:25
  a little bit offensive if I'm honest, but,
• 37:27
  like, Oh, like, where did that come from?
• 37:29
  Like, what happened? Like, what change? And I'm
• 37:32
  like, if you are my coach, your my
• 37:35
  training partners.
• 37:36
  You even come to a practice of mind.
• 37:38
  Like, if you
• 37:40
  have been around and seen
• 37:42
  the last few years,
• 37:43
  this is not shocking. Mh. This is not...
• 37:45
  I've ran 49 before. I was always able
• 37:47
  to do it again. So nothing, like,
• 37:50
  where did it come from? It's always been
• 37:51
  who I am. Like, I've been a 49...
• 37:54
  Hopefully 48 second runner. Like, this isn't anything
• 37:58
  brand new. I know it's seen shocking from
• 38:00
  the outside just because you're, like, oh, you've
• 38:02
  been running, like 50 point and blah blah
• 38:04
  blah, but it's like,
• 38:07
  Ko Watson, how much to say? Because he's
• 38:09
  like, yeah. Like,
• 38:10
  I I knew all... He always says, he's
• 38:12
  like, I know I have the best dog
• 38:14
  in the race. He's like, I'm just waiting
• 38:16
  for you to get on board with that
• 38:17
  as well. And so there wasn't a whole
• 38:19
  lot to say.
• 38:20
  In the conversation because this is what he's
• 38:23
  always seen for me regardless, and he's just
• 38:26
  glad that now. Now we're on the same
• 38:27
  page.
• 38:29
  And what about your family? What did they
• 38:30
  say?
• 38:32
  My mom lost her voice.
• 38:34
  She... I heard was screaming and crying in
• 38:37
  the stands and They were both just so
• 38:40
  happy for me. You know, granted the win
• 38:42
  is great. The P is great, but they're,
• 38:44
  like, just to watch you go out there
• 38:46
  and run with so much confidence. Like, This
• 38:48
  is all we've ever wanted for you. Like,
• 38:50
  this is just so exciting that. Like I
• 38:52
  said, everyone knew it before me.
• 38:54
  Everyone knew what I was capable of. They're
• 38:57
  like, we're just so glad to 5 and
• 38:58
  least see you step into, like, who you've
• 39:00
  always been.
• 39:01
  And so everyone was just really really excited.
• 39:04
  And really happy for me. And really proud
• 39:05
  of me. We're what did that take for
• 39:07
  you to step into who you've always been?
• 39:09
  Like, what what what was waiting on that
• 39:11
  for that confidence?
• 39:12
  That's such a good question.
• 39:15
  I don't know if it's just...
• 39:17
  If it was just some a matter of,
• 39:19
  like,
• 39:21
  yeah. I'm tired. I'm tired of not being
• 39:23
  I said for the last couple years. I
• 39:24
  was like, Don't know. I'm waiting to get
• 39:26
  back to me. I'm waiting to feel, like
• 39:28
  me again.
• 39:29
  And
• 39:32
  I finally just feel like me. I don't
• 39:34
  know if there was something specific that
• 39:37
  shifted or something that really changed, but
• 39:40
  just
• 39:41
  meta
• 39:42
  realization of being, like,
• 39:45
  how long am I going to
• 39:48
  sit back and not not be who got
• 39:51
  created me to be? Like, how long am
• 39:52
  I gonna... I don't know how much longer
• 39:54
  I have in this sport? And so do
• 39:56
  I want to leave my career
• 39:58
  being, like, Man. What if or, like, what
• 40:01
  what could I have accomplished if I just
• 40:03
  gotten out of my own way. And so
• 40:06
  maybe it comes with maturity and being older
• 40:08
  and knowing that, like,
• 40:11
  I I will be retiring
• 40:13
  probably before the next Olympics, I don't know.
• 40:16
  But
• 40:17
  kinda of being, like, I don't I don't
• 40:19
  wanna leave any stone un unearned.
• 40:21
  I want to make sure I go out
• 40:23
  on my own terms and
• 40:26
  leaving the sport,
• 40:28
  the best...
• 40:29
  Leaving the sport with my best not still
• 40:31
  on the table. I wanted... I wanted to
• 40:33
  have used everything.
• 40:35
  Do you pray before your races? I do.
• 40:38
  Every single time. I think the last
• 40:40
  before semi finals,
• 40:42
  I had said, like,
• 40:44
  I had to smile on my face which
• 40:45
  just so rare for me.
• 40:47
  I smiled and I was like, you know,
• 40:49
  god, like show me how good it can
• 40:50
  get. Like, show me how good Can get
• 40:52
  and blow my mind.
• 40:54
  Then he did, and I was like, oh,
• 40:56
  like,
• 40:56
  okay. So when I go into finals,
• 40:59
  I was so just grateful. I told myself
• 41:01
  I was like, you know what? If nothing
• 41:03
  else gets done for me, if I don't
• 41:04
  make this team,
• 41:05
  if yesterday was as good as it's gonna
• 41:07
  get, I'm okay with that. And I just
• 41:09
  went into the race with so much peace
• 41:11
  because it was like,
• 41:12
  I have already accomplished something that I haven't
• 41:14
  been able to accomplish in the last 6
• 41:16
  years. And so at this point, everything else
• 41:18
  is icing on the cake, like,
• 41:20
  I get to run so freely and peacefully
• 41:23
  because
• 41:24
  it was already enough. And so I up
• 41:28
  blow my mind, and so it got blown
• 41:30
  twice back to back. So it was just...
• 41:33
  Yeah. It was it was just such a
• 41:35
  special a special thing.
• 41:37
  Okay. I have to ask you what more
• 41:38
  question about the race and then I'm gonna
• 41:39
  have you set us off with your paris
• 41:41
  thoughts.
• 41:43
  Like, were you thinking at all?
• 41:45
  You know what I mean? Like, in these
• 41:46
  distance races, like, there's time to be in
• 41:48
  your head, but like, you have 49 seconds.
• 41:50
  Like, Right. Was anything going through your mind
• 41:52
  in this race. I think the only time
• 41:54
  I had a conscious thought was
• 41:58
  the last, like, 01:20 or so where, like,
• 42:01
  I really start moving.
• 42:02
  And
• 42:03
  it was just...
• 42:06
  Okay. Go. I was kinda just, like,
• 42:09
  arms. Again, I couldn't exactly tell my position
• 42:11
  because of the I was in, but I
• 42:12
  was like,
• 42:14
  I think I'm I think I'm, in front
• 42:15
  or like I think I'm here. Like, I
• 42:17
  think I'm I'm close... I'm close enough within
• 42:19
  striking distance to either win this thing. Or
• 42:22
  or get second. I was, I think. I
• 42:24
  think I'm gonna win. And so it was
• 42:27
  just like arms, arms, arms.
• 42:29
  And go. The last the last 01:20 or
• 42:32
  so.
• 42:33
  Go. I love that. I I cannot get
• 42:36
  my boys under mean, they understand how the
• 42:38
  lanes are, like, you're up, you start further.
• 42:41
  They get that your... The track is shorter
• 42:43
  on the inside and stuff, but, like,
• 42:46
  they... It still looks so. Yeah. Spread out
• 42:49
  that they're like, but but she's... That's not
• 42:51
  fair. I'm like, no. No. I promise you
• 42:52
  it's equal distance.
• 42:54
  They cannot wrap their heads around it. I
• 42:56
  don't blame them. It doesn't always feel like
• 42:58
  it. It feels like they're really far ahead.
• 43:00
  So that's why you want those middle lanes
• 43:02
  feel better.
• 43:03
  Yeah. Yeah. Just a little more security and
• 43:05
  you're able to see everything better. So...
• 43:09
  Okay. Well, send us off with your feelings
• 43:11
  leading into Paris and how you're
• 43:14
  mentally
• 43:15
  mentally and physically preparing. Are you getting a
• 43:17
  little rest right now?
• 43:19
  Little bit of rest, but not too much
• 43:20
  Had it to monaco
• 43:21
  to run in the diamond league. So just
• 43:23
  1 race before I head to Paris. K.
• 43:26
  And
• 43:27
  I'm excited. I keep telling people when I'm
• 43:29
  excited for the shopping because I love
• 43:31
  I love shopping. I am a fashion girl.
• 43:33
  So I'm really excited to do that out
• 43:35
  there,
• 43:35
  and
• 43:37
  I'm excited to have a full olympic experience
• 43:40
  this time. You know, I went to Tokyo,
• 43:41
  but it was, like, Covid and so
• 43:44
  didn't have
• 43:45
  the traditional experience since I'm excited to get
• 43:47
  you see
• 43:48
  what the Olympics are really, really like because
• 43:50
  now we'll have a full stadium, we'll get
• 43:52
  to interact more and
• 43:55
  I know they're going 10 times harder for
• 43:56
  this 1 because of the experience we had
• 43:58
  in 20 21. So I'm just excited for
• 44:01
  all that.
• 44:02
  And what will your prayer be before this
• 44:04
  race?
• 44:05
  Oh, I don't know. I'm gonna have to
• 44:06
  sit down and and
• 44:08
  and think of that wide in journal and
• 44:10
  and meditate and and see. See what comes
• 44:13
  to the surface.
• 44:14
  I'm gonna think about it when you're on
• 44:15
  the line. I'm gonna think I wanna what
• 44:17
  that prayer ended up being. Maybe we could
• 44:19
  talk it after the race.
• 44:21
  Yeah.
• 44:23
  Alright, Kendall. Well, thank you so much for
• 44:24
  your time and
• 44:26
  congratulations and best of luck. Thank you. Thanks
• 44:28
  for having me.
• 44:31
  Thanks so much. Everybody for joining us today
• 44:33
  on this post Olympic trials
• 44:36
  interview. So excited to send Kendall off to
• 44:39
  Paris with lots of support and love, can't
• 44:43
  wait to see what she does. You can
• 44:44
  find Kendall on Instagram. She's kindle underscore kendall,
• 44:48
  I hope you'll find me as well. I'm
• 44:50
  Lindsay Hi 626. I'd love to connect with
• 44:52
  you over there. Learn more about this show
• 44:54
  and all the shows in our network
• 44:56
  at sandy boy productions dot com,
• 44:59
  and don't forget you can check out my
• 45:00
  training plans at lindsay hi dot com for
• 45:03
  the half marathon or the marathon.
• 45:06
  Alright friends. Thanks for being here, and we
• 45:08
  will see you next week and I'll have
• 45:10
  another.