T&Fn Interview

T&FN INTERVIEW Evan Jager by Don Kopriva aking the most of his brief steeplechase career, of the sport caused me to think about MEvan Jager debuted in the splash-and-dash getting a college athletic scholarship. race at 8:26.14 in ’12, set an American Record of Because I enjoyed it so much, I prob- 8:06.41 in just his fourth final ever, lowered that to ably just wanted to do that the rest of my 8:04.71 in final No. 12, and then to 8:00.45 in No. 15. life but I didn’t know what that meant It was that No. 15 that really opened eyes, as he because I definitely did not follow the came close to joining the sub-8:00 club—and beat- sport at all. I was pretty much set on ing the No. 1 World Ranker—even though he fell being a professional soccer player until while leading at the final barrier in Paris in July. I found running. I just assumed that if A 3-time All-America in the mile/2M as a prep, you could be a pro soccer player you he had one successful year at Wisconsin before could be a professional runner. heading west to join coach Jerry Schumacher in T&FN: As you look back on your decision Oregon and run for cash. to leave Wisconsin and run professionally His early pro career found him making Team under Jerry, was it a difficult one? USA in the 5000 in ’09, but was then derailed when Jager: It was extremely tough making he broke a navicular bone in his right foot in ’10 the decision. Initially it sounded so cool and it had been a dream of mine for so long to run professionally that Jager In A Nutshell immediately I told myself that that was •Personal: Evan Reese Jager (“jay” as in the bird) what I was going to do and didn’t re- was born March 8, 1989, in Algonquin, Illinois; ally think about it. But after I had some 6-2/145 (1.88/66) time to realize what it would mean I PRs: 800—1:50.10i (’10); 1500—3:32.97 (’15); Mile— took a step back and really weighed 3:53.33 (’14); Steeple—8:00.45 AR (’15); 3000—7:35.16 my options and talked to some people. (’12); 5000—13:02.40 (’13) (8, x A). It took me a good month of going Schools: Jacobs HS (Algonquin) ’07; Wisconsin 2007–08; now represents the Bowerman TC back and forth between staying at Wisconsin and moving out to Portland, Coaches: Jason Borhart, Kevin Christian, Rob Piercy (HS); Jerry Schumacher (Wisconsin); Schumacher, because I would be giving up so much Pascal Dobert (professional) in terms of collegiate running, leaving Major Meets: 1500—8)NC, 1)USJr, 8)WJr ’08; 12)US behind that experience, being a little bit ’11. Steeple—1)OT, 6)OG ’12; 1)US, 5)WC ’13; 1)US closer to home and losing all the guys ’14; 1)US, 6)WC ’15. 5000—3)US, 11h)WC ’09 on the team at Wisconsin. Those were World/U.S. Rankings: 1500—x/7 ’09; ?/? ’15. Stee- hard things to give up. ple—10/1 ’12; 10/1 ’13; 2/1 ’14; ?/? ’15. 5000—x/5 I wanted to run under Jerry’s coach- ’09; x/5 ’13; x/7 ’14. ing after college, so that was my plan if things went well, and I wanted to be and needed most of ’11 to recover from surgery. the best runner I could be. But ’12 brought a new year and a new event, T&FN: You had great success quickly as and with it, status as one of the best in the world a pro with the 5K, making the World team, in his new discipline. And with a 3:32.97 in the but the steeple has really changed everything 1500 this year, evidence of pure speed that few other for you. How did that come about? steeplers can match has been added to the mix. Jager: We all landed on it about the We caught up with Jager as he wound down from same time. I don’t think Jerry or Pascal a 2015 campaign that brought mixed emotions and had brought it up before I came to them prepared for the Olympic year to come: with the idea, although they had been sport F O talking to each other about it. It kind of T&FN: When did you begin running? came at a little bit of a weird time because Jager: I started with cross country in 7th it was less than a year removed from my IIMAGE grade. I grew up playing soccer and I realized surgery [July ’10] and it was in spring I could run up and down the field the entire of 2011 when we had this conversation. game and never feel that tired, so I kind of was I honestly couldn’t tell you what JIRO MOCHIZUKI/ intrigued with distance running and thought sparked it, but Jerry said since I wasn’t it sounded cool and knew that I was looking yet running pain-free yet from surgery, he we’d give steeple training a try. forward to doing it. didn’t think it was a smart thing to do. Being By October, I started doing steeple drills. I T&FN: When did you realize that you could be able to jump and land is huge. took to it really fast and felt comfortable doing really good at this running thing? We decided that if I was able to resume it after just two weeks of going over barriers. Jager: It was my sophomore year when I training in the fall after the 2011 season and It just got easier the more I practiced and it really thought I might have a chance at being be training and running pain-free we’d give it seemed more natural. I looked on it as being pretty good, but I’m not sure I knew what that a shot and start doing some steeple drills and so much fun, and trying something new, just meant. At that time, my level of understanding going over barriers. If I took to it well, then having so much potential in front of me that 26 — January 2016 Track & Field News “When I started running steeplechaser. I want to be one T&FN: Since your 2010 surgery, how have you the steeple, I wanted it of the best all-around distance stayed injury-free? runners in the U.S. I know how Jager: I think it’s a lot of things. I’ve been to be taken seriously as I feel about it but I want to prove able to stay on top of physios pretty regularly, to everyone else that I can run at least once or twice a week, pretty much every an event and not looked fast times over the flat distances. week. I’ve gotten into a good routine, knowing at as one that guys I’ve been looking toward sub- what I need after workouts as far as recovery 13:00 for a long time now but I goes. We’ve had an extremely consistent—con- would go to if they don’t get too many opportunities sistently good—program to help take care of to run a fast 5K. Obviously, I’m the body and keeping the entire body strong. were not fast enough looking at sub-8. After the surgery year my high weeks of for the 15 or good T&FN: Fewer than 3 months mileage have been pretty much between 80 and after your first steeple, you were the 90, mostly 85–90 miles a week for the last 4–5 enough for the 5K” American Record holder in the event, years. I’ve found what works for me. on the Olympic team and then 6th in In that first year of the steeple, I was trying the Olympics. Did it kind of boggle to hit 85 miles and everything went so well for your mind a bit? me that year that I’ve tried not to change too Jager: Yeah, a little bit. I think much. It’s a lot of work but my body handles it was just really exciting. I think it really well and I’ve been confident in not what really shocked me was being pushing the envelope too much. I’m just try- one of the favorites going into the ing to improve fitness by staying healthy and Trials that year. I kind of went into getting in consistent work. that season hoping to be one of I just let the mad scientist that is Jerry do the top guys in the steeple and his thing and come up with the workouts and if everything went well possibly try to do whatever he tells me to do. being the No. 1 guy. T&FN: How has your relationship with Jerry I definitely did not expect to be changed as you’ve gone from age 18 to 26? 6th in the Olympics. I don’t know Jager: There’s more of a discussion now if I had really even thought past when it comes to training than when I first the Trials. came out here. I knew so little about training When you have a race and and what it meant to be a professional runner things go well, you set your that I wouldn’t have wanted that discussion.

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