Interval Session #49 - Charles White By Steve Underwood, April 24, 2008 Charles White has always been in the mix ... but now he's beginning to rise above that so-called mix, and put himself in a position to win an outdoor national title. White has long been a winner, especially in his native New York, as he became a sub-4:20 runner as a soph. Early in his junior year of track, though, his family moved from Long Island to Colorado, as Charles transfered from Garden City NY to Cherry Creek CO. Still, he came back to The Armory and won his first NSIC title in March. Then last spring, he ran a PR 4:09.36 mile for 7th at NON. After a very solid XC season, Charles was up there in some of the big early meets as he zipped back and forth across the country, but couldn't close the deal. But at NSIC, he repeated with a very strong 4:11.77, then in his first big oudoor race took a kickers' battle at Arcadia in 4:13.90. With improved endurance and a kick that he says is the best he's every had, Charles White seems primed to continue to progress in a season he hopes will end at the top of the medal stand. In between an 800 win at Nike Littleton CO and this week's Penn Relays mile, he talked with DyeStat News Editor SteveU.

1. You’re someone who’s been pretty fast and consistent for a few years now, but having wins at NSIC and Arcadia under your belt already this year has to feel pretty good. Can you give me a quick evaluation of how the winter and spring has been so far, in your words? What areas do you feel like you’ve improved the most in? Winter started off a little slow for me. I was definitely disappointed after the Boston Indoor Games, Millrose and Simplot, because I felt like after coming off my best cross country season ever, I should be running better – plus I didn't feel like I had the same kick I had towards the end of last outdoor season. Now though, I feel like my kick and leg speed are the best they have ever been. The thing I improved the most in would have to be endurance, because I've been doing the highest mileage I've ever done and it’s at altitude. 2. Now you've got Penn this weekend. Tell us about your past experiences there and, of course without giving away anything :), talk about your approach coming into this race? I've been running at Penn since my sophomore year and every time it’s been a great experience. The atmosphere is great and it is definitely one of my favorite meets to run at. My approach in this race is just to run really fast. I want to get the all-time Colorado state record and that’s really my only goal going into this race. 3. Can you talk a bit about how you got involved in the sport? Did you start with track or CC … and was it before high school? How did you get zeroed in on the mile as your keynote event? I got involved in the sport purely by mistake. I was running the mile my 7th-grade year, which was part of the tryout at the time for the high school wrestling team. As I was running, the girls head track and field/cross-country coach spotted me. He introduced me to the boys track and field/cross-country coach and he let me run high school cross-country and indoor track. I didn't run outdoor track until my freshman year, because I was still doing lacrosse in the spring. I think I just zeroed into the mile because after doing experimenting with a lot of events, the mile was the one that I was the best at 4. As far as the high school track and XC world goes, your moving to Colorado last year was one of the bigger “transfer” news items in the sport in recent years. Can you tell us how your family wound up moving, what your initial reaction to it was, and then how you’ve come to feel as you’ve gotten used to Colorado? What was the altitude adjustment like? The reason we moved to Colorado was because my dad got a job opportunity out here that we couldn't pass up. My initial reaction was just shock, mostly because I found out on such short notice and I've been living in New York, and more specifically on Long Island, for most of my life. I feel like I’m more used to Colorado than when I first got here, but I'm still not used to some things, especially the size of the high school. My old school had only about 800 students in it; this school now has over 5,000. 5. I have to think that a guy like you, moving from New York to Colorado, has to miss indoor track and running at The Armory a bit. It appears like you try and get back when you can … and you’ve had a lot of success there. Talk about some of your favorite things about indoor and The Armory, your favorite race memories there, and what that adjustments been like? Yeah, I really do miss The Armory, but not the indoor track season so much. I like just being able to get more of a base now during the winter and running a few select big races, instead of having to race sometimes twice a week like I was doing in New York. I just love The Armory because I tend to race well there and the environment around the track is pretty cool. After running at The Armory for the past four years, it has some sentimental value for me. 6. Can you talk about who coached you before you moved and who works with you now? Also, tell us about what kind of support your family gives you as a runner. Coach Bob Busch and Coach George Dreher were my coaches back in Garden City, New York. They really helped me develop a love for running and brought me along slowly during my 8th, 9th and 10th-grade years, which is helping me now going into my final high school outdoor track season (and I believe will help me in the future). Coach Steve Lohman and Coach Brad Barnes coach me now. They are great because they let me keep doing the training that was working for me before I moved to Colorado, and also give advice that they think will be helpful from their many years of experience. My parents are very supportive when it comes to my running. They fly me out to any meet I want to go to, which I'm well aware costs a pretty penny when all the travel expenses are added up. 7. Like we were talking about earlier, you’ve had a pretty good start to the season. On the other hand, it seems like you’re someone who has been in that 4:10 range for quite a while. What do you feel are the keys for you to getting down to 4:05 and faster? Do you have some major goals this season around time and national championships? Well, I've been around the 4:15 range for a while but just got down to the 4:10 range last season. I think the main thing I need to do to get down to the 4:05 range or faster is work on my lactic acid threshold, since I believe that is the limiting factor for all runners. My major goals this season, time-wise, are to go 4:06.xx for the full mile and 1:50.xx for the 800. A national championship is the main goal this season. 8. Please tell us about the recruiting process for you and what sold you on Texas . Have you had a chance to get to know Leo Manzano a bit? What has it been like getting to know him and your other future teammates? You had to be pretty pumped when they ripped that 9:25 DMR this winter. The recruiting process, although hard, was fun. I got my college choices down to three great schools, but I just felt Texas was the place for me. The things that sold me on Texas were the great facilities, the weather, the great team environment, the opportunity to have the chance to win a few national title rings, and the fact that I believe Coach Vigilante can bring my running to the next level. I got to know Leo and my other future teammates a little bit, and they are all great guys and great runners who I am looking forward to training with and getting to know more. Yeah, the 9:25 DMR was great and just reaffirmed I had made the right choice 9. Ok, one more thing. We like to talk a little bit about what guys are like off the track. What are we likely to find you studying in college and what do you like to do when you aren’t studying or running? I'm not really sure what I want to study in college. I think I may want to get into coaching/teaching, but that will probably change. I enjoy eating, sleeping, watching TV and reading. Photo Mark Smith from Arcadia 2008

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