I’ve always been fascinated by the elite field of marathon runners. For me, I could care less about movie or TV stars. What really interests me are the best of the best in my sport, the “elites”. If you’ve seen footage of the Boston Marathon or New York City Marathon in the past, you’ve probably seen the fast guys or gals finish 26.2 miles in an inconceivable time. The elites are the immortals of marathon running. One of those individuals is 32 year old Nicholas Arciniaga.

Nick Arciniaga, along with other professional marathoners, toed the line at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles to compete for a chance to be on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team. He is one of the fastest American male marathon runners. I was one of many who closely watched the Olympic Marathon Trials. I wanted to chat with him about running and gain some insight on what it’s like to be elite. I was also curious about his experience running the World Marathon Majors, and the Boston Marathon specifically. In addition I wanted to ask him some questions about stuff that I think about, and what I think other runners would curious about, like “Do you like beet juice?”, “Where do you keep your finisher medals?” or “Do you get injuries?”

I learned more about Nick after reading his cover article in Running Times (Nov/Dec 2015 issue). Nick Arciniaga was born in Fountain Valley, California; he currently resides in Flagstaff, Arizona. He graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2006 with a degree in accounting. He works part-time at a specialty running store, Run Flagstaff. He also is a coach for Team Run Flagstaff. Arciniaga is sponsored by Under Armour®. His debut marathon was the 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, where he finished in 2:16:58, qualifying him for his first Olympic Trials. He has since run 19 marathons. His personal best marathon was the 2011 Houston Marathon with a time of 2:11:30. For those of you who want the pace breakdown for that, he ran an average of 5:01 min/mile (12mph) for 26.2 miles. That is incredible! In 2014 he finished the Boston Marathon in 7th place with a time of 2:11:47. He has run several World Marathon Majors including: Boston Marathon four times (2015, 2014, 2012 DNF, 2008), Chicago Marathon two times (2010, 2006), and the New York City Marathon four times (2015, 2014, 2009, 2007).

Nick was one of the favorites to watch when the gun went off at the Olympic Trials in February. I remember seeing a picture of his race singlet from Under Armour® on Instagram, so I knew what to look for. At around mile 2 Nick took the lead, and my husband and I went crazy! Nick finished at a very impressive 10th place at the Olympic Trials. I had a chance to catch up with Nick over the phone the other day. 

LOS ANGELES MARATHON: U.S. OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS 2016

Q: What was your favorite moment or memory from that race?

A: Being in front and leading the race early on; I was kind of just feeling it out and setting my own pace. I ended up having a 5-10 meter lead on the entire field at such an early point. It’s encouraging in knowing that I’m doing everything I can to run as easy as possible and I’m still running away from these guys; that made me feel good. Even though it was short lived, it was an exciting moment.

TRR: If you’ve watched the lead pack of a marathon before on TV or been in the crowd at a race, you’ve probably appreciated how focused the lead runners are. It doesn’t appear as though they’re talking, or even paying attention to the crowds. They don’t stop at aid stations and have their own form of fuel on the course.

Q: When you’re running a marathon and you're in the lead (or in a pack even), do you see the crowds? Do you see what goes on around you, outside your immediate surroundings? What are you focusing on? 

A: I personally am very into, not only the crowds and the cheering and everything, but I’m focused on every single one of my competitors as well. I’m trying to see what movements are being made, who’s where. I’m sizing up the field, getting an account of how many guys are there. If we make a turn, I’m looking over my shoulder to see how big of a lead we have till the next group. I’m just always looking around, and taking in the environment around me, not necessarily looking at landmarks, but using the energy of the crowd and everything. I see who’s out there and who’s cheering for whom, and I get a feel for all of that. I’m always alert of what’s going on around.

Q: Are you training for a specific marathon (now that the Trials are over)?

A: There’s a few I would like to get to. I want to go after one in the near future within the next few months, but I haven’t really nailed down which one I want to pursue yet. I may kind of just jump in one and see how my legs treat it and make a race out of it. Then go for an actual fast, flat time trial race, and hopefully Berlin or Chicago next fall.

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TRR: The Boston Marathon is the second event of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors, and it will take place on April 18th, 2016. This year marks the 120th running of the Boston Marathon. As many of you know, I am an Ambassador for the Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM); I wanted to ask Nick about his experience running Boston, and other WMM.

BOSTON MARATHON

Q: What is your favorite thing about running the Boston Marathon? 

A: I always like that it’s an actual race. It’s a thinking man's race, it’s competitive. It’s more of a real competition rather than a time trial. The way the course is, leads to the best marathoners running really well over the last few miles after the Heartbreak Hill. The whole competitive aspect of it inspires me to go back there year after year.

Q: You were the first American to cross the finish line at Boston in 2008. Tell me a little about that. Was that a breakthrough moment?

A: I expected myself to be the first American on that day. After the Olympic Trials I didn’t think very many marathoners would be going to Boston; so finishing top 10 was a real breakthrough type performance for me at that point. It was a PR on what should have been a much tougher course; it helped me realize that tougher courses might be what I am better suited for. So it was kind of a good, eye opening, and encouraging day for my marathon career

Q: With Boston, what is your favorite part of that course?

A: I’ve always favored the downhills. So the first half marathon, I’m just kind of flying pretty easily, just through the rolling downhills. Then especially the last 4 or 5 miles coming off Heartbreak Hill is where I have made significant improvement in both position and time when I ran in 2008 and 2014.

NEW YORK MARATHON

Q: I read your blog on the NYC Marathon in 2014, where you described your experience and pre-race dinner. I saw a picture of a large plate of seafood. Is that your typical pre-race meal? Do you go crazy with carbs?

A: My general dish is a seafood pasta the night before a race. The seafood tower like on that night is out of my norm, but I’ve never had any bad reactions or bad race after having seafood. I felt pretty safe doing that. It has worked out in the past. 

Q: What is your favorite part (section or borough) of the NYC Marathon course?

A: Going through Brooklyn has always been my best portion of that race. At that point I’m feeding off or getting the energy from the crowds there while going through the different neighborhoods, I’ve always remembered that a little bit better than any of the other boroughs.  After you get further on past Brooklyn the race gets tougher and tougher, so I’m not really paying as much attention to the crowds.

Q: In 2014 you mention you had another “moment of glory” where you were in the lead around mile 9-10. What did that feel like?

A: I never actively pursue the lead of a race, it only just happens. Like when the other competitors hit the brakes, or they’re coming off a turn where they’re grabbing their water bottles and things just end up that I happen to be in the lead. And I consciously try not to change pace, not to think about it too much. Just be out there and enjoy that.  And particularly that year (2014), at that moment that I took the lead, the wind was at our back. I know I was not doing damage in that I was breaking the wind because it was pushing us along. So I wasn’t hurting myself or helping anyone else. It was very low risk at that point. A mile later, the group threw a surge and left me behind a little.

TRR: I ran the 2014 New York City Marathon as well. That was a pretty painful race for me. The cold temperatures and 20+ mph winds made for a long day. I wasn’t running nearly as fast as Nick, so I can only imagine what it felt like to continuously battle the elements that day while racing all out. 

WORLD MARATHON MAJORS

Regarding the World Marathon Majors, I wanted to ask which one Nick liked racing the most. Without asking him to pick a favorite, I phrased it to him like this:

Q: If you could only run one WMM over and over again, which one would it be?

A: Boston

Q: Have you ever thought about the Tokyo marathon?

A: I went out to Tokyo a year ago to do a 30k; it was one week before the Tokyo Marathon. The people who organize the 30k also organize the Tokyo marathon. And we were talking about how it would be a great race for me to do. I definitely want to get all the WMM checked off. I’m hoping to do the Berlin, Tokyo, and London Marathons in the next couple years.

Q: What’s been your most memorable race?

A: 2013 Twin Cities Marathon, the U.S.A. Marathon Championships. Despite having some difficulties during the middle of race, I was able to come out and get the victory.

TRAILS & ULTRA-MARATHONS

TRR: In addition to all the road marathons Nick has run, I was curious what an elite marathoner felt about trail running and ultra-marathons. I train for both marathons and ultra-marathoners year round. I wondered if the elite marathoners had any desire to tackle longer distances.

Q: How do you feel about training on trails? Do you incorporate them in your training?

A: I run on trails 90% of the time, up here in Flagstaff. They are easy trails most of the time and some technical stuff as well. I use them as training type runs. Sometimes I do races up here that will be a tempo run on those types of courses. Where I am visualizing them, using them as leg strengthening type races. I’m using stabilizers in my ankles and my legs a little bit more often. I'm able to use muscles that I don’t normally use just running on roads or flat trails all the time with trail running. So I definitely incorporate them into my marathon training. However, this past summer I did get injured. I do believe it was from all the trail running that I was doing. And I adjusted my training and made sure I’m not overdoing it going forward.

Q: What’s the longest you’ve run?

A: 28 mile long run, a few times

Q: Have you ever thought about an ultra-marathon? Like a 50k?

A: I’ve definitely thought about a 50k. I was actually talking to some of the trail runners and ultra-runners  in Flagstaff the other day. We were talking about heading out to maybe do Comrade’s one year or trying out a 50 mile race or some other trail type race. I want to kind of dabble with it, and see how my body holds up.

TRR: My ears perked up, I immediately wanted clarification to his answer. The Comrades Marathon is a 56 mile road race in South Africa. It is run annually in the KwaZulu-Natal Province between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. As a child I lived in both of those cities. Besides completing all the WMM, it is the only other race on my bucket list that is of utmost importance to me. Traveling back to South Africa to run the world’s largest and oldest ultra-marathon in history would be like winning the gold medal for me. So naturally when Nick said Comrades I got excited.

Q: Do you mean the Comrades Marathon in South Africa?

A: Yes. A lot of elite marathoners know Comrades pretty well. It’s something that all the guys in the 80's used to go out and attempt. More recently some of the trail runners and ultra-runners have been going out there from the U.S. It’s one of those really well known races.

INJURIES

Q: What the worst injury you’ve had as a runner?

A: The worst one I had was a hip injury. It really only persisted for 2 months, but it was about 5 years ago, in the 2 months leading into the previous Olympic Trials. It inhibited my running. I wasn’t really able to use my right leg to push off very well. I was running off that leg at 50% capacity. That took a little while to rehab. Ever since then I haven’t had anything that’s lasted longer than a week.

TRR: I personally have suffered from various running related injuries, and a major part of maintaining my fitness when I have been injured was with aqua jogging. I fractured my ankle in December 2014 and I was able to keep training thanks to aqua jogging. I didn’t miss out on any of the races I had signed up for. I was curious what the elites do when they get injured.

Q: Have you tried aqua jogging?

A: Yeah, I did a lot of that in college and in high school. More recently, I’ve been using the Anti-Gravity treadmill. So if something pops up, I go in there for a couple days or a week.

MISCELLANEOUS:  COSTUMES, MEDALS

TRR: Nick won the 2015 and 2016 Disneyland™ Star Wars Half Marathon. Before he crossed the finish line his wife handed him a lightsaber and he broke through the tape with it.

Q: Have you ever run a race in a costume?

A: I’ve done the Bay to Breakers 12k past couple years. I’ve used the Under Armour® Alter Ego clothing/costumes. Two years ago I ran as Spider-Man. And this past year I ran as Iron Man. 

Q: Do you have a special place for your finisher medals?

A: There is a special place, but it’s up in my attic right now. They're all just in a box. There are a few medals that mean a bit more to me, like the U.S. Championship medals that I’ve gotten. I’ve also seen the World Marathon Majors six star finisher’s medal, and that’s something I’m going to be striving for.

Q: What’s the coolest medal you’ve gotten?

A: There are a few medals. One that actually popped in my mind was the Surf City Half Marathon in Huntington Beach, CA. It’s a surfboard with a wave going over it.

TRR: I wanted to know how Nick felt about a few common things in the running world, so I decide to ask a few simple questions by phrasing this Q&A “Take it or Leave it” and "Would You Rather", and here are his answers: 

Take It or Leave It

Would you rather?

Foam roll or use The Stick? Foam roll.

Race a 5k or just run a marathon? Marathon.

Do a Fartlek or Tempo training run? Equal.

Run a flat marathon, or one with elevation? Elevation, a little bit tougher.

Be Han Solo or Luke Skywalker? Han Solo (TRR: Nick is a big Star Wars fan. We have that in common).

ADVICE/WISDOM

Q: With Boston being major focus for a lot of people since it’s next month, many people are training for it, or are trying to PR, what piece of advice would you offer?

A: “Listen to your body in training. It’s always safer to be just a little bit undertrained than to over train. I know a lot of people when they’re training for a marathon have a strict regimen that they follow, and they have all their workouts and training plans that they feel they need to stand by. What I’ve learned from personal experience is that you can give up a day to be able to gain a few extra minutes at the end of the race. Basically just don’t run yourself in the red too often or else you’re not going to be able to achieve what you want to.”

TRR: After all the serious Q&A about running, marathons, training and injuries, we talked about board games, Ethiopian food, the weather year round in Flagstaff, etc. It was really neat to realize that Nick and I had a lot in common. I may not be nearly as fast as he is, but he’s a runner just like I am, with similar goals and thoughts about training. He’s down to earth, friendly, intelligent, and all around a good guy. Plus, he likes Star Wars and board games; you can’t get cooler than that. Professionally, he is continually improving and finishing in the top 10. Keep an eye out for Nick Arciniaga, he is someone to definitely follow, and root for. 

Run Fast, 

-Jill M. 

Follow Nick on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.  Nicks Under Armour Ad

***COMING SOON:  TEAM KEVIN interview. One Team's Inspirational Journey to Boston! You will not want to miss this post. A mobility impaired duo team is headed for Boston. Read about their journey. After that I interview National Best Selling author of Born to Run, Christopher McDougall. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest!! Also subscribe to my blog so you don't miss any posts! See link below to subscribe. 

A big THANK YOU to Nick Arciniaga for allowing me the opportunity to interview him for my TRR blog. Good Luck Nick on your future races!