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DyeStatCal Boys
Athlete of the Week
Mikel Thomas
(Clovis)

Week of 10/09-13, 2006
California

Photo Clovis HS
Mikel Thomas one of the State's Best!!

Already one of the most decorated runners in Central Section history, Mikel Thomas (Clovis) is sailing into his senior year in fine style, with a series of good efforts in our sport, most recently a 15:10 effort at Woodward Park in placing second to Michael Cybulski in the Clovis Invite a week ago. Second in last year's State Cross-Country Meet Division II (to Riley Booker of University City), he was the Central Section champ at that level, with 4:16.39 (1600 in winning the Section title) and 8:59.81 (3200 8th at Arcadia) clockings last spring. He is another back in the Golden State with a ton of big-meet experience, with the background and confidence in his abilities to go far in the championship level races come November and December!

Congrats and best of luck!!!
Doug Speck
DyeStatCal.com

1) Describe generally how the season has gone for you so far?

The season has gone way better than I ever could have hoped. The first race of the season (4 miler at Fresno State) I ended up finishing 2 minutes faster than the previous year and since then most races have ended in PR's.

2) Looked like you put in a good summer with the times at the Watermelon
run in late August--how much running did you do this summer and how fast
did you think you could run at that meet beforehand?

I didn't put in as much mileage as i had wanted. I got around 36-45 miles a week. I had gone into the meet thinking i could maybe hit under 21 minutes but i hadn't thought I would get under 19:30.

3) What parts of your running did you want to work on as you approached
your senior year?

Well I wanted to work on pacing alot more because at the bigger meets I would blaze out front like at Arcadia when i tried to lead the first mile and faded. Also learning to run in pain because my sophmore year at the XC State Meet I had dropped out because of a cramp.

4) What is your favorite workout during cross-country season that you think
gets you ready best for races?

My favorite workouts are repeat 2nd miles at Woodward Park. I love running that second mile with that big hill. That workout makes it seem easier to race on the flat courses that make up most of our meet schedule.

5) What are some of your goals for this year in cross-country and track?

My xc goals are to win the Central Section finals and state, run under 15 minutes at Woodward Park, and qualify for Footlocker Nationals. In track i would like to give Cybulski a run for his money in the 3200 at state and run under 8:50, hit 1:55 for the 800, and 4:10 for the 1600.

6) What distances do you see yourself focusing on in your running in
college?

I see myself as a 3k, 5k, 10k, and maybe steeplechase runner. My speed isn't outstanding so I don't think the 1500 and below would work for me. I would say the choice depends on how i close this coming track season out.

7) Some quick answers:

--last movie you saw?
Scary Movie 4

--last book or magazine you read that was not assigned school work?
National Geographics ( i was in a waiting room)

--in ten years I'll be------
running marathons, coaching xc and track, and afterwords coming home to post on Dyestat.

P.S. UNBAN ME RICH!!!