University of Minnesota Athletics
Leaving Adversity in the Dust; Gopher Distance Runner Andrew Carlson
4/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Having missed both the 2004 cross country and indoor track seasons due to a sports hernia, Carlson entered the outdoor season with the reasonable goal of progressively getting back into competition shape. His initial results, however, have been above and beyond this modest expectation.
"I only started training February 1," Carlson said. "I think now, I'm 100 percent, but it takes a while to get back in shape. If I can stay healthy, I know I can run pretty well."
Perhaps an adapted training regimen has contributed to Carlson's immediate success this season. He normally ran between 100 and 125 miles per week in the summer, an approach he isn't certain has been too effective, thus he took a different direction for the 2004 season.
"Training like that doesn't work if you end up injured all the time," he said." So this spring, we're trying to be more conservative with our training and be a little more fresh for competition."
The new strategy appears to be working. Thus far in the 2004 outdoor season, Carlson has competed in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs, and has managed to set career-best times in each, clocking times of 8 minutes, 9.11 seconds in the 3,000 and 14:05.89 in the 5,000, the latter good enough for his third-career NCAA Regional qualifying time in that event.
Perhaps more impressive is how Carlson handles his off-track concerns. Having competed at a self-described disappointing level in 2003, Carlson admitted that concern for his mother, who is battling cancer, may have negatively influenced his 2003 performances.
"This year, I'm using her as more of an inspiration. I figure that no matter what I'm going through, it can't be as discouraging as what she's going through," Carlson said, adding that he has essentially turned what was a negative influence on his performance into an effective motivator.
This is Carlson's third season at Minnesota, having transferred from the University of Arizona after one year. "I guess I needed more cold weather," the North Dakota native joked. While he's certainly encountered that, Carlson has also come into his own with a talented track squad that has lofty yet reasonable goals for the 2004 season.
"We have a talented team from top to bottom," he said. "We expect to win the Big Ten and do well on a national level." Anchored by veterans Mitch Potter and Adam Steele, the 2004 version of the Gopher outdoor track team is indeed a force to be reckoned with, and it is team success where Carlson's concerns lie.
"I don't really have any individual goals," he said. "We have a great team, and I just want to contribute. What I'll remember after this is all over is my team. We are a close-knit group, and that's what I enjoy the most."
Carlson's favorite event, which he scoffed may seem a bit odd for a distance runner, is the shorter 5,000-meter run. "It's shorter, though it may not seem too short to a non-runner," he joked. It is also an event that Carlson has excelled in year in and year out. He also plans on competing in 1,500- and 10,000-meter runs this season.
Carlson will be back next year for a fourth season as a member of the Gopher men's track and field squad, and beyond that, the kinesiology major aspires to be a college cross country coach.
And what if he wasn't a runner? Which sport would he play? "I'd play basketball," he said. I'd play it badly, but I'd be on the court." His Gopher track teammates and coaches, as well as Minnesota track fans, are glad that Carlson chose track over hoops-and cold weather over Arizona sunshine.
Written by Chad Caruthers, Minnesota Media Relations Assistant No matter which way you cut it, Gopher distance runner Andrew Carlson has left the starting blocks for the 2004 outdoor track season in fine fashion. Carlson, however, is still looking forward to hitting full stride, a statement that-given his to-date performances this outdoor season-indicates Carlson's upcoming opponents may be spending a lot of time looking at his back as he heads down the track.
Having missed both the 2004 cross country and indoor track seasons due to a sports hernia, Carlson entered the outdoor season with the reasonable goal of progressively getting back into competition shape. His initial results, however, have been above and beyond this modest expectation.
"I only started training February 1," Carlson said. "I think now, I'm 100 percent, but it takes a while to get back in shape. If I can stay healthy, I know I can run pretty well."
Perhaps an adapted training regimen has contributed to Carlson's immediate success this season. He normally ran between 100 and 125 miles per week in the summer, an approach he isn't certain has been too effective, thus he took a different direction for the 2004 season.
"Training like that doesn't work if you end up injured all the time," he said." So this spring, we're trying to be more conservative with our training and be a little more fresh for competition."
The new strategy appears to be working. Thus far in the 2004 outdoor season, Carlson has competed in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs, and has managed to set career-best times in each, clocking times of 8 minutes, 9.11 seconds in the 3,000 and 14:05.89 in the 5,000, the latter good enough for his third-career NCAA Regional qualifying time in that event.
Perhaps more impressive is how Carlson handles his off-track concerns. Having competed at a self-described disappointing level in 2003, Carlson admitted that concern for his mother, who is battling cancer, may have negatively influenced his 2003 performances.
"This year, I'm using her as more of an inspiration. I figure that no matter what I'm going through, it can't be as discouraging as what she's going through," Carlson said, adding that he has essentially turned what was a negative influence on his performance into an effective motivator.
This is Carlson's third season at Minnesota, having transferred from the University of Arizona after one year. "I guess I needed more cold weather," the North Dakota native joked. While he's certainly encountered that, Carlson has also come into his own with a talented track squad that has lofty yet reasonable goals for the 2004 season.
"We have a talented team from top to bottom," he said. "We expect to win the Big Ten and do well on a national level." Anchored by veterans Mitch Potter and Adam Steele, the 2004 version of the Gopher outdoor track team is indeed a force to be reckoned with, and it is team success where Carlson's concerns lie.
"I don't really have any individual goals," he said. "We have a great team, and I just want to contribute. What I'll remember after this is all over is my team. We are a close-knit group, and that's what I enjoy the most."
Carlson's favorite event, which he scoffed may seem a bit odd for a distance runner, is the shorter 5,000-meter run. "It's shorter, though it may not seem too short to a non-runner," he joked. It is also an event that Carlson has excelled in year in and year out. He also plans on competing in 1,500- and 10,000-meter runs this season.
Carlson will be back next year for a fourth season as a member of the Gopher men's track and field squad, and beyond that, the kinesiology major aspires to be a college cross country coach.
And what if he wasn't a runner? Which sport would he play? "I'd play basketball," he said. I'd play it badly, but I'd be on the court." His Gopher track teammates and coaches, as well as Minnesota track fans, are glad that Carlson chose track over hoops-and cold weather over Arizona sunshine.
Written by Chad Caruthers, Minnesota Media Relations Assistant
