Ben Rosario has been a man on the move of late. After leaving Rochester Hills Michigan a few years, Ben headed back to his hometown St. Louis. Ben took some of the knowledge he learned working in the shoe business while in Michigan and opened up his own store, Big River Running. In 2005 he traveled to the U.S. Marathon Championships where he placed 2nd overall and qualified to the trials with a 2:20.41. Ben than joined up with McMillan Elite training group. He was doing their training while in St. Louis, even though the group is based in Flagstaff. Recently he took a few weeks to train in Flagstaff with the group.
RM: How excited are you for the Olympic Marathon Trials and why? Do you look at the Trials as just another marathon? What do they mean to you?BR: I am very excited for the Trials and for several reasons. I think the biggest reason is that the nature of our sport is that it is based on four-year cycles that all lead to this one event. From that day In February of 2004 I have looked forward to this race as have almost all of my competitors. That alone gives the race a feel and a special sort of atmosphere that cannot possibly be matched in any other Marathon. To me personally, the race is a culmination of not only the last four years but the last 14 years of hard work and dedication that I have given to my running. I hope to show that those 14 years were worth it and I want to put on a good show for all those who have supported me over that time.
RM: What has changed with your running since the last Trials? What changes have made the biggest difference in your fitness?BR: First of all I think I have made some major advances in my fitness since the last Trials. I was barely 24 at that time and since then I have set new personal bests at pretty much every distance including the marathon. I do not think there have been than many changes that have led to those performances. It was just a matter of continued hard training over four more years.
I will say that Greg McMillan of McMillan Elite has been coaching me for the last year and I think we have figured things out pretty well for this race. So hopefully that is one thing that has helped.
RM: What is your biggest advantage to doing well going into the Trials and why?BR: My biggest advantage is the fact that I do not have to do anything new to compete well and place high at this race. If I run like I did at Cal International in 2004 or like I did at Twin Cities in 2005 then I will place well and that is really my only goal. To me, time is irrelevant in a championship race. In both of those races I went largely by feel and used the watch only as a guide.
RM: What would it take to make you walk away from the Trials disappointed and why? What would it take to allow you to walk away content from the Trials and why?BR: If I do not finish strong I will be disappointed because that will mean that I ran stupid and I do not consider myself a stupid runner. Unlike my last three marathons where I came in over-trained and tired this time I am fresh and ready to go. There is no reason that I shouldn't run well. To walk away content I need to be passing people over the last 5 miles and running my fastest splits near the end of the race. I can only control what I do and I have no control over what others do but I would like to finish in the top 20. That's just a number though so technically as long as I run to the best of my capabilities on that day I'll be happy.
RM: What are your thoughts on the level of competition that is going to be toeing the line for the Trials? BR: This will be the best Trials field ever without question. No offense to the guys in 1984, which until now was widely considered the best Trials, but this race features the Silver Medalist from the 2004 Olympics and he might not even finish in the top five. I could see five or six guys running under 2:12 on what is really a pretty tough course.
RM: How many more Olympic Marathon Trials do you see yourself competing in down the road and why?BR: As of right now I am treating this as my last Olympic Trials. I own a running store in my hometown of Saint Louis, Big River Running Company, and my new passion in life is to make my store one of the very best in the country. If I can figure out a way to do both I might try but right now I think my own running will take a backseat to growing my business and helping people of all ages and abilities in Saint Louis achieve their goals and dreams. I have already achieved more for myself than even I thought possible.
