OTC  Two-Lapper Looks to Bring the Heat in Sacramento 

By Scott Bush 

I caught up with two-lap star Elijah Greer, the former University of Oregon national champion and current Oregon Track Club Elite standout, discussing his fairly quiet start to his season, his expectations heading into the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week, the transition to being a professional athlete and much more.

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Scott Bush (SB): You've had a successful start to your 2014 racing season. How are you feeling about your training and races at this point? 

Elijah Greer (EG): I’ve been very encouraged by my races. My coach and I agreed we wanted to open up the year when we thought I would be in 1:46 shape. So we decided to hold off racing at the Twilight meet, have me rabbit that instead. So when I raced at Oxy, hitting 1:45.8 was a surprise and encouragement.

I struggled with injuries this past year, from breaking my wrist over the summer and needing surgery. And then spraining my ankle on a training run in January that inhabited me wearing spikes till April. The mantra of this season has been making the most with what I have. My workouts have been nothing special. Just trying to get the training in.  

SB: Outside of your win at the USATF HP meet at Oxy and your runner-up effort at Pre, you've had a relatively quiet 2014 racing season thus far. How come? 

EG: Coach Rowland and I agree when we go out to compete, we want to represent OTC and Nike well, we want to win. I’ve been quiet because I haven’t been ready.

SB: With USAs right around the corner, and the men's 800m field wide open, what are your goals heading into Sacramento? 

EG: The 800 won’t have some of the big names that headlined 2013’s impressive championship. My goal will be to seize the opportunity and make a claim as one of the top American middle distance runners. I want to be cold like ice, tough like leather, and garnish a reputation as an impressive racer. If it isn’t my day to win, I want to fight for it.

SB: You're part of a fantastic training group right now with the OTC. What's it like being surrounded day-in and day-out by so much talent?

EG: It makes you feel average. Andrew Wheating is 6’5 and built like Michael Phelps. Charles Jock is basically the next Rudisha. And my friends joke that I don’t even look like a professional athlete. I’m highly competitive and I want to win in every way at everything.

Training with these guys in the Fall I absolutely made it my goal to be the hardest worker every day at practice. But it’s not healthy to be like that, it breaks you down and doesn’t make friends.

SB: Graduating from Oregon this past year, what's been the most difficult part of your transition to being a professional track athlete? 

EG: The toughest part of my transition has been finding consistency. I want to be the biggest and “baddest” name in Track & Field. But I haven’t found the discipline to rise to the goals I set for myself. Coach has already told me, I’m not where he wants me to be. My struggle has been striving to be where Coach Rowland wants me to be as an athlete.   

SB: Stepping back a bit, if you had to list your greatest strength as an 800m runner at this point in your career and your greatest weakness, what you would say? 

EG: I’m a dreamer. In high school I told myself I would run 1:47 every day on all my training runs. And eventually I ran 1:47, and then I stayed up all night because I was so pumped. My goal was to break 1:46 the following year, I never did that. But I set big goals and I worked to achieve them.

I feel track is so much about rhythm. Running the 800m I would just relax and press, I try and define the pace in my head, see how easy it’s going to feel. And then execute it in the race. My weakness stems from my strength. I’m very emotional, I can let my feelings guide my actions. That may show up in practice when my emotions are telling me I’m tired, my body language changes. I may in reality have another gear but I can give up on myself and listen to the doubt in my head.

SB: Obviously nationals is a focus, but what comes after that? Will we see you jump overseas and get some racing experience there? 

EG: Nationals will set the path I take for the next few meets. If I do well coach has set up an opportunity for me to shine in some meets over in Europe. And if things don’t go well, Coach and I will reevaluate and work on finding another way to achieve success. I’m excited and scared to test myself. I want to achieve some goals and make proper use of my time.