The Next Step: An Interview with Dorian Ulrey
With so much talk surrounding the young up-and-comers of the distance running movement, often times it is easy to overlook one or two of the athletes that are making strides in the American elite. One of those athlete is Dorian Ulrey, who took a giant leap forward this past summer, qualifying for Team USA, competing in the 1,500m in Berlin at the World Championships.
For many young runners, success at the World Championship level redefines a career, and that seems to be the case with Ulrey as well. Run the Roads had the opportunity to speak with Ulrey, talking about his amazing 2009 track season, the upcoming fall season and how he’s changed as an athlete.
Run the Roads (RtR): You had quite the busy summer. What has your training looked like since getting back from the World Championships?
Dorian Ulrey (DU): Since arriving back in the States following my trip to Berlin, my training has been unlike any other training I have done to date. I took two solid weeks off before jumping right back into base training. My weeks have been long, with four morning runs a week with either an eight or ten mile run to follow in the afternoon. My main source of speed work has been barefoot strides on the infield of our track. It helps me to feel fast without really doing any extra speed work.
I wasn’t planning on doing any workouts until after conference but that all changed this past Friday. Repeat miles with the team sounded like a great way to knock the rust off and put on spikes for the first time in over a month, the times follow, (4:50, 4:39, 4:29, 4:32) these were followed up with an 800 in 2:10. All of this was done on our cross course with around 3 minutes rest in between each rep. I will be randomly jumping into workouts over the course of the next few weeks, but for the most part I will be logging miles until conference.
RtR: Some people speculated during the summer that you might turn professional. Did you give that any thought after qualifying for Team USA?
DU: Becoming a professional athlete is something that every kid in America dreams to do one day, but for me turning professional isn’t the only goal. For me to feel like I have really earned a pro status I need to win a national championship. I have dreamed about being a NCAA DI Champion ever since I started running in 7th grade. I love the team here at Arkansas, and I love being a Razorback too much to leave it behind after only one short year. I think by the time I am done with my eligibility here at the U of A the Hogs will once again be a prominent force in track and field and cross country, and that is something I don’t want to miss.
I will be running cross country as a Razorback for the first time this year, and let me tell you, I am excited! It took me a bit of convincing to come back from my longest season ever and almost immediately begin training harder and logging more miles than ever, but once I got started there was no turning back. I have a dream of standing on the podium in Terre Haute with my team, and it just may happen this year.
RtR: Arkansas seems to have a fairly young squad this year, but has a lot of upside. What are the expectations heading into this year as both a team and individually?
DU: This team is the youngest I have ever been on, but also the most talented. With guys like Solomon Haile, Lane Boyer, and myself leading the way, there is a great amount of upside. We talked about the team expectations once: get on the podium. After this the training has been great with the younger guys stepping up big time in races and workouts, as the older guys (Patrick Russell, Rio Reina, and myself) have been trying to teach the young guns some new lessons. The individual prospects are up in the air. I would like to say that I can be on the podium, but my lack of cross country experience (2 years) compiled with my experience in Terre Haute (0 years) could prove to be tricky. Solomon is rounding into great form and should be poised for an All-America honor as a true freshman.
RtR: Not a lot has been mentioned about your training program. Can you give us a look into your year-round training cycle?
DU: My training schedule is very simple, as Coach Buck and I learned early on what works best for me. In the fall I try and get my mileage around 70 miles per week. I have never tried high mileage, but this number seems to be the magic bullet for me. Usually the only speed I will do during cross will be barefoot strides, and hill work.
The strength work we do sets up a great base for a long track season. These workouts usually consist of 400’s on our golf course, repeat k’s, miles, two miles, or steady states which are all done on our great cross course. During track we usually get in two really good workouts a week, and these usually hover around cut down 800’s, 600’s,300’s, 200’s, and then every now and then some great really great stuff, but I will leave that my little secret.
RtR: The World Championships must have been quite the experience for you this summer. What did you take away from all of it?
DU: The world champs were hands down the greatest learning experience ever, and also a dream come true. To be able to race the world’s best is the only way to get hands on experience for future European circuits, and hopefully the Olympics. The big key in these races is patience and confidence. Neither of which were my problem before Berlin, but apparently getting boxed in was a big problem for me as it happened in both my races. As everyone says, all milers believe they can out kick Usain Bolt if they need to and this creates a big problem, with everybody waiting to kick, who is leading?
Being able to run from the front or back of the pack is certainly something that I will have to work on. Also being open minded is a big factor. I saw too many athletes keeping themselves locked in their rooms waiting until after their races to get outside the hotel and live a little. It keeps the mind and legs fresh to get out and see the sights.
RtR: Do you feel like a different runner now that you’ve made a World Championship squad and proved you can compete among not only the best in the U.S., but some of the best in the world?
DU: I feel like the same runner, but with some different qualities. I feel like I can take a step up in my training come track season to really elevate my racing to the next level. To enter the season as a 3:41 guy and leave it as a 3:35 World Champs qualifier gives me loads of confidence, confidence that can be used in racing and training. I also feel like there is a bullseye attached to my back, and I like it. This gives me an edge, one that I will use to my advantage.
RtR: Obviously running and school take up a majority of your time, but what are some of your other areas of interest?
DU: My most recent addiction is the Wii. I swore off video games long ago, deeming them a waste of time and money but the Wii sucked me right in. If I ever have free time you can usually find me in my living room playing tennis, or bowling in my boxers. I also really love the outdoors, so any chance I get I get out and hammock for a couple hours or if I am lucky enough to get a whole weekend I always try to get a camping trip organized with the guys.
Being in Arkansas we are never short on caves and lakes, which also call my name from time to time. Just recently I have found that I love to cook. I try and cook something fresh and healthy every night of the week. Last night was some pan seared talapia (fish), fresh green beans (not that canned crap), some brown rice, and a fresh loaf of bread.
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Photo courtesy of Victah Sailer of PhotoRun
