Pat Rizzo ran for North Central College. After graduating from NCC, Pat made his way out to Rochester Hills to train with the Hanson/Brooks distance running team. In college, Pat ran the 5k and 10k races often so it was no surprise to see him take to the marathon. Pat qualified to the Olympic Trials with his 2:20.12. Read on to find out more about Pat and his outlook on the Trials.
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?PR: I am very excited for the Trials. It will be a great opportunity to show the work and dedication that I've put into the last year- and I'd even go as far as to say the last 10 years- of my training. It's been a journey to get here and I'm looking forward to all of the effort coming to head.
That said, I try to approach all races the same way mentally and emotionally. I try to simulate that in my training on the hard days as well. I try to really put my mind on the race course and it seems to keep me more relaxed come gun time. I know in my head that I've raced this race about a hundred times in the last year and that it is no more or less than any other race I've ever run.
To me, the trials are both a test and a stepping stone. It is a test of where I stand at 24 against the "big dogs." Yet at the same time, it is a stepping stone to making myself that much closer to becoming a "big dog" myself.
RM: What were you training for at the time of the last marathon trials (Feb 04') and did you see yourself toeing the line of marathon trials 4 years down the road?PR: In February of 2004, I was a junior in college at a D3 program running indoor 5ks. I had no intentions of pursuing what I am doing right now. It was something that I thought the other guys were good enough for, but that coming from a D3 school, I didn't have the exposure to go on to the next level.
RM: What is your biggest advantage to doing well going into the Trials and why?
PR: I think that my patience is going to be my biggest asset going into the Trials. I didn't exercise it enough at Chicago last year, but I've been training with a little more discipline now and focusing more on trusting my own game plan. It has served me pretty well and kept me out of what would have been some trouble.
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?PR: The only way I would be disappointed in my performance at the Trials is if I were to not finish. Unless I was leaving on a stretcher or a body bag, I would be letting my teammates, friends, and family all down if I were to voluntarily not finish. As long as I walk away from the Trials with a better experience and set of lessons from the marathon, I got what I need to be content. The benefit of being the youngster in the crowd is that I can come back in 4 year, 8 years, 12 years, and God willing 16 years and still be able to make a go (hopefully being successful at least once).
RM: What are your thoughts on the level of competition that is going to be toeing the line for the Trials?PR: I think that the level of competition is going to be very strong all across the board for this field. That said, I think that there is no given in a Trials race. Everyone there is going to have to bring their "A-game" because there are a lot of kings to be dethroned in that field and many who are capable of doing such a deed. The reason we race is to see who had it on that day; that's the biggest thing that excites me about the field. Nobody is out of it and nobody is a given either.
RM: How many more Olympic Marathon Trials do you see yourself competing in down the road and why?PR: If all goes well, I'd like to be in at least 3 more marathon Trials. I am 24 now, so my 4th Trials would be when I'm 36. I don't think that's unheard of, especially seeing guys like Hussein, Culpepper, and even Gebrselassie doing just fine in that age range. It is good reinforcement for those of us who are younger to believe that a long career can still be filled with success, even in its later stages.
