Interview with Rod Koborsi

By Duncan Larkin

Last year, when the Washington Post profiled Rod Koborsi, one of the best runners in Georgetown’s history, the 2006 alum and Washington D.C. resident was training on an old, five-laps-to–the-mile track—hardly the expected facilities for the owner of three Georgetown school records (3000, 5000, and 10,000 meters) and an Olympic “A” standard qualifying time of 13:30.65 for 5000 meters. While running at Georgetown, Koborsi, 24, was an eight-time All-American and won five Big East titles. Going into the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field, he is seeded 11th in the 5000 meters.

Koborsi, a native of Houston, Texas, is still coached by Georgetown’s Pat Henner, and he is now an assistant coach at Georgetown himself. New York Road Runners caught up with Koborsi a few days before the 5000-meter semifinal race.

New York Road Runners: You’ve got a big semifinal race coming up Friday [Editor’s Update: Koborsi ran a 14:30.41 and unfortunately did not qualify for the 5000 meter finals]. How are you feeling going into it?

Rod Koborsi: When I look at it, I don’t think I could have prepared any differently this past year—I had no serious injuries, no setbacks. My mileage is the highest it’s been. It hasn’t gone better in the past. I’m excited for it.

NYRR: You mentioned that your mileage is the highest it’s been. What specifically have you been running?

RK: Probably about an average of 10-15 miles [per week] more than in past years. I probably had six months in there where I was averaging 90-95 miles a week. It all depends on the person. Each year you expect to maybe increase a little bit. I was able to do that without any injuries. Coach Henner and I were very smart about it. I’m really excited about that. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.

NYRR: So you feel you have a good base underneath you?

RK: Exactly. The way we set it up is that from September on, I just gradually increased my mileage. I made sure I ran two half-marathons and that was something I’ve never done. I really liked them. They helped me stay focused and move on to the track season. In college, I wasn’t able to do that. I’m proud of running them and am excited to see the results of doing them.

NYRR: Since you liked the half-marathons, have you ever considered moving up in distance and competing in the longer events?

RK: I would definitely consider it, but at the same time I wouldn’t make it my focus yet, because I have a lot that I haven’t shown in the 5K/10K. I still feel like I want to focus on them this year and next year, because I feel I can run faster in those events. I enjoyed the half-marathons, but I wasn’t specifically training for them. I ran them in 1:03-something. I’m proud of that, but I feel I can run a lot faster if I focus on that. I left running them thinking that I could do big things in that event, but also excited at what they could do for me in preparing for the 5K/10K on the track.

NYRR: Back to the 5K: How do you see the semifinal unfolding? How are you visualizing that race, as well as the final?

RK: I feel like everyone in the field has to approach it the same way: You can’t think about the final because you have to get through the semi. I’m looking at Friday. I’m not thinking too much about Monday. Hopefully I won’t expend too much energy getting through it. For Friday, I’m hoping I make it through, running smart. I will then have three days to focus on the final. I can’t overlook Friday. There are 24 guys in the race and all of them are very good.

NYRR: What’s your experience running at Hayward Field?

RK: You know what? I’ve never been to Eugene. Just after dinner, we drove and walked around. We couldn’t get too close to the stadium--they’d closed the roads and we couldn’t get in--but it looked cool. Obviously, I’ve heard a lot stories about how big a deal it is. Even being in Eugene for the past day, people seem really excited about the Trials. They are really excited to see the athletes. So far it’s been a great experience. That just adds to the excitement. But if the Olympic Trials were in Alaska it would still be a big deal for us.

NYRR: How does the traditional Hayward Field crowd factor in? How do you think it will influence the race?

RK: For me, standing on the starting line, seeing all these fans that want to see a distance race, it makes me feel good; it makes me feel excited; it makes me want to try my best. It’s definitely great to be a part of. Whenever I finish the race, I’ll know that I will turn around and say that it was a great experience no matter what the results are.

NYRR: Is Coach Henner out there with you now?

RK: Yes. He also has a couple of guys running the 1500.

NYRR: You’re an assistant coach at Georgetown. You have a professional relationship as a fellow coach as well as a personal, athlete-coach relationship. Can you describe that relationship?

RK: I wouldn’t be an assistant coach if it hurt my ability to be a professional athlete. They definitely compliment each other. As far as coaching at Georgetown, I love working with the athletes, but the main stuff I do is administrative so that other coaches can focus on individuals—I’m in the office like three to four hours a day. I’d either be at home or sitting in an office. During my off-season I do help out with some other stuff. During my main season, like I said, they do compliment each other. I love the relationship that I have as a coach at Georgetown, but my priority is always “Let’s make sure to do everything I can to run fast.” This year that’s the Olympic Trials.

NYRR: You train on an old, five-laps-to-a-mile track; you have to deal with the sweltering heat and humidity present in a D.C. summer. Most athletes that you’re racing against this weekend train in different, less difficult environments like Flagstaff, Mammoth, Boulder, or Eugene. Why did you choose to train in the D.C. area?

RK: I truly believe that as the collegiate athlete and as a professional athlete, there are certain things that every runner needs to be successful. You need a great coach that you have a good relationship with. You need facilities. For distance running you need a track and soft surfaces and a training room. A lot of times you need people to train with, but some people like to train by themselves. Those are the core things that all runners need. I definitely have that in D.C. I’m sure there are other places in the country that are accessible to me. But if I’m happy and comfortable in D.C., why should I run anywhere else? I have a great relationship with Coach Henner; he’s the best for me. I have a five-minute walk to Georgetown. I see Georgetown athletes all the time and I do stuff on my own. I do stuff with Chris [Lukezic]. He’s ready to run fast at the Trials. I also run with Alan Webb once in a while. These are people in the greater D.C. area that I don’t train with every day, but we are sharing the same experiences. We know all of us are working very hard to achieve our goals.

NYRR: You have [Matt] Tegenkamp, [Bernard] Lagat, and [Chris] Solinsky as the Tier 1 favorites going into the race. Your qualifying time puts you in the second tier. You are clearly an underdog. Does that bother you?

RK: It doesn’t bother me. First, there’s nothing that I’ve done publicly, as far as times this year, that would make me a Tier 1 athlete. Second, I look at going into this race as an underdog as a positive. I have nothing to lose. I’m going into this putting myself in a position where I think I should be. When the last mile hits, I’m going to tell myself that I have nothing to lose. That’s what an underdog needs to do: give myself the possibility to do something great. I feel like every runner trains like an underdog. I’m not going to tell myself that I can’t run with these people. I’m going to tell myself to stay positive. Toward the end of the race, I’m going to do everything I can to finish as high as possible. Whether that means I have a chance to be in the top three or the top eight, it’s fine. You just have to hope for the best and get better each year and then hopefully something great happens.

Interview conducted June 25, 2008, and posted on June 29, 2008.