Matt Baum (flrunners.com): So, how's your training been, JP?
JP Cook: It's been going very well. After setting my PR at the Fl Relays I took a break for about two weeks and I went back to the base training. Then I came back doing some longer speed and now were into the short speed work and I feel good. This is also one of the first seasons i am staying injury free.
MB: Districts and Regionals are right around the corner. Are you ready?
JC:Oh yeah, I haven't really raced hard in the two mile since FL Relays and that was almost a month ago now. I want to see what I can do even though I will be training though districts, but I'm ready.
MB: What events do you plan on doing throughout the post season?
JC: I'm concentrating all my efforts in the 3,200. I don't want to wear myself out doing the 4 x 800 or 1,600 at
states. I want to be fresh and ready to go.
MB: So, you'll just be doing the 3,200 through Districts, Regionals, and State?
JC: That's the plan, but I'll be doing the 4 x 800 at Districts.
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Personal Facts: Birthdate: April 17, 1985 Height: 5'10 Weight: 140 Favorite Band: Linkin Park Favorite Food: Anything served at Thanksgiving Trainers: Asics Kayanos Racers: Asics Gel Magic Racers/ Adidas Neptunes |
JC: FL Relays was a different race for me. Every race up until then I believe I would go through the mile and hear the time and then pick it up and negative split the second mile. At FL Relays we went through the mile in about 4:39, I believe, so It seemed a little fast but I knew I could hang on. That's what I did and coming around with about 150m left I started to kick but we all had about the same amount of kick left, except for Alex who kicked all the way to win it but it was a good race.
MB: So, the race didn't go out as planned?
JC: The only plan I really had for the race was to go out and hang with the leaders and see what I had left for the last 800. It was close to the plan. It was around lap 5 or 6 that Chris [Nickinson] took off I believe and that is when we picked the pace back up again.
MB: You just signed with Florida State recently. How did you decide on FSU?
JC: After going to FSU on my visit I met most of the team and liked how they were actually a team. They all seemed to be friends with everyone else. I met Coach Braman a couple years ago when I went for the winter cross country camp. He's a really good coach and he likes to joke around with the team. Also seeing how much Kevin and A.J. have improved this year from their PRs when they were in high school, it give me something to look towards.
MB: Braman has been doing a pretty good job with this recruiting class. Nickinson, Adler, Walsh...
JC: Yeah, he really pushed this year for a recruiting class from Florida.
MB: What do you plan on doing this summer to get yourself prepped up for your first official college cross country season?
JC: I plan on gradually increasing the mileage. The most mileage I ever really do is about 55 miles a week and I will most likely be increasing that to around 70 or 75 by the end of summer. I always take my time increasing my mileage. After my junior year, going into track where I upped my mileage to much and got a late start to the track season after being injured. I'll run a couple 5k's around town and maybe go to the Citrus Summer Showdown. Otherwise it will just be training with my friend Steve Dibari who was a freshman at FSU this year.
MB: Any idea what event you will be focusing on in college?
JC: I'm not sure but I know in cross country that the team is going to be strong this year. But probably the longer races. As the distance goes up I seem to get better.
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Personal Records: 5,000: 15:50 3,200: 9:24 1,600: 4:26 800: 2:03 |
JC: I would just like to see my time keep coming down, stay injury free and have fun running. When running isn't fun it becomes tedious and focus is lost.
MB: Any idea what you'll be studying up in Tallahassee?
JC: As of right now I plan on studying Business Managment, I'll let you know how much I like business after I finish my economics class, but right now it isn't looking to good. I have a lot of time to make up my mind and find out what I really like.
MB: How and when did you start running?
JC: My freshman year in high school I had heard about cross country. I really didn't know what it was. I talked to a couple of kids in my class who were on the team and after a week I decided to go out. It was really pretty pathetic we would run off campus and take the first shortcut we could and run back. The average run was about 2 miles. Maybe that's why I ran a 21:07 3 mile in my first race. Then the next summer going into junior year I actually did summer training with Steve Dibari. The first race of the year I set a PR by about a minute and fifteen seconds. Ever since then I have been logging in the miles and never looked back. If anyone wants proof of what summer training can do for you I can justify it. I went from about 180th at states my sophmore year to 7th my junior year. As the season went on my time got down to a 19:30 3 mile I think. Then sophmore year practice was about the same and time didn't come down much except we made it to State as a team. We got 23rd out of 24 teams. I ran an 18:00 I think. My coach still says that, "I was almost one of the first kids he ever kicked off the team because I wasn't good enough". I coudn't keep up with the team the first couple weeks of practice.
MB: What else do you enjoy outside of running?
JC: I go out on the boat a lot. Either fishing, tubing, or wakeboarding. Sometimes we even go mudding, but mostly the typical stuff...just hanging out.
MB:Who is your favorite runner past and present?
JC: My favorite runner from the past would of course be Pre. I just got the book and I read some every night. Present I would say Spanish River's, Julia Vola and Kendall Clifford, my teammate, because she is one of the fastest white girls in the state at the 110 hurdles.
MB: Okay, JP. Last question. Now lets tell everyone what happened sophomore year at Disney in the 3,200...
JC:[Laughs] Oh yeah, Disney! Well lets just say if the event was called the 3,600 I would have won. I don't know how that happend. I just remember I was sprinting the final 100m thinking I was finishing, but then I saw a kid who I thought I had passed in front of me going around again. So I followed him around another lap and sprinted in again. Except I happend to look over in the stands as I was finishing and see my team laughing at me and someone said "your an idiot". So yes I ran 9 laps. Thanks for bringing that up, Matt. I still get a good laugh out of it though.
MB: Okay, JP. Thanks for the interview. We appreciate it. Good luck in the post season!
JC: Thanks. Good luck to you, Matt on trying to beat the women of the world.
MB: [Laughs] Jerk...Just kidding.