The Boys 3200 race at Mike Long Track has been described as the deepest field ever in the history of Florida Track and Field. The pre-race build-up and eventual race didn't disappoint as the strategy, tactics and emotions played out in wonderful fashion in oh so many ways, it's easy to gloss over the huge achievements of those middle packers with huge PR's. Boone HS Junior Phil Duncan is a prime example. Anytime a runner drops a 25 second PR over a mere 8 laps, it's time to check in and see what transpired.
According to Phil's distance Coach at Boone HS, Matt Scott, Phil has been extremely focused after the cross-country season "preparing both mentally and physically" for this track season. With lofty goals and a renewed emphasis on strength training, Phil is described as the type of kid you literally have "to pull off the track" !
- DB: How has your training being going since the end of cross-country season?
- PD: Overall, it has been going fairly well but not without any trials and tribulations. I missed running the first week of the year due to IT Band Syndrome, but bounced back from that pretty quickly. There have been some other small problems but nothing major. Mainly, this year has seen a lot of changes in my training. I've been at 55-60 miles a week and have been doing a lot less traditional speedwork and more longer, strength-oriented work. This is probably why I ran slower than expected in the first few meets, but it's paying off now. Also, I'm taking my easy days a lot easier than I have in the past. But, I think the main thing has been consistency.
- DB: Was the FSU 3200 circled on the calendar for a good while?
- PD: Definitely. It was just in the back of my head last year after the fast times from 2009. After fracturing my tibia in early July, that's when I really became focused on it. I knew that my anticipated breakout season would not be cross, and that the FSU two mile was going to be where I would have the best chance at running a fast time and really breaking out.
- DB: How did you prepare specifically for the race?
- PD: There wasn't really anything specific that I did training-wise for FSU. That being said, I did visualize and plan mentally for the race a lot.
- DB: Did you have a race plan in mind?
- PD: Yeah. We had planned that I was just going to sit in the back of the pack and go through the mile somewhere between 4:35 and 4:40. After that, the plan was to move up as much as possible depending on how I felt and the leaders' pace, then close with a good last 400.
- DB: Once the race started, did you make any adjustments?
- PD: I actually completely forgot the plan after the race started. I just raced how I felt. Luckily, it just played out perfectly. I specifically remember really pushing it with 600 meters to go and being near the front and thinking that everyone else was just running slow and would just drop me on the last 400. When I went through at 8:06ish, I realized that it was actually very fast and that I would have to seriously die to not go under 9:15.
- DB: What were your feelings once you finished with such a fast time?
- PD: It felt amazing to say the least. It was the great, breakout race I knew I was capable of for so long but couldn't get. The best part was that a lot of the other guys had awesome races as well, and we all were happy for each other. I was hoping that 9:15-20 would be an awesome run for me, and to beat that is just indescribable. It took a while to really sink in.
- DB: Which races do you plan on running for the remainder of the season?
- PD: I'll be running the mile at UF and the Winter Park Elite Classic. After that is Metro Conference and state series. I might double at those meets, but my concentration at states will be the deuce.
- DB: What are your end of season goals?
- I'd like to run at least one really fast mile. The main goal, though, is to run well at states, go for the win, and hopefully go under 9:10. The time would be nice, but the gold is much more important and with Mark and Brian, maybe someone else, it'll be a great race.
- DB: What are your goals for your senior year?
- PD: For cross, I'd definitely like to take a shot at winning states. Hopefully, a sub-15 and contention for making Footlocker will come with that. In track, I want to get all of the school records: 1:55.66, 4:13.34, 6:14.9(SC), and 9:10.01. I really want to run a 5k on the track, probably at Arcadia, and get at least mid-14's. That's over a year away, though, so we'll see how that goes.
- DB: Favorite Athlete?
- PD: I don't have one favorite, but Dathan Ritzenhein and Matt Tegenkamp would top the list.
- DB: Favorite Hobby?
- PD: I like to weight-lift a lot and watch movies, if you consider those hobbies. Playing sports like ultimate, football, basketball is cool, too.
- DB: Favorite Website?
- PD: Facebook, Flrunners, and Flotrack. The three F's.
