Interview: Client Wells
Finding New Motivation in Old Friends
By: Carl Kinney
Clint Wells and Brad Hudson have shared some memorable weekends
together over the years, and this past Memorial Day weekend was
no exception. Wells’ finish as the top American in Bolder
Boulder is an enjoyable highlight of his return competitive racing.
His Coach, Brad Hudson, says that they derive inspiration from each
other. Both seem to be enjoying their recent successes, yet remain
realistic, and consciously aware that there is more work to be done.
Wells in the 2005 Bolder Boulder running for Team Colorado. Photo © Jarrod Weaton
What does it mean for you personally to be the top U.S.
finisher at Bolder Boulder this year?
I’m excited about my progress, and excited to be able to compete
again in the elite field. I’ve run for the USA team in the
race before, but it was nice to at least get to run this time for
Team Colorado. Essentially, it allowed me to see where I stacked
up against the guys that were chosen for the USA team this year.
Were you surprised in your fitness or ability during the
race?
No – I wasn’t surprised. I had a general idea of where
my fitness was, and what I needed to do to finish well. I think
having run the race three times before helped me come up with a
plan to maximize my potential with my fitness on that day.
How did those prior experiences with Bolder Boulder help
you in the race?
I knew based on my history and the history of the elite race, essentially
running 3 minutes per kilometer will place you in the top 7, so
I was trying to base my race off of that. I wasn’t sure if
I was going to be able to hold that pace, but it was what I was
trying for – I’ve run 29:51 in ’01 and 30:06 ’02.
How much injury-free training have you consecutively strung
together before this Bolder Boulder?
I’ve been training 6 months after a 4 month layoff, so I am
not as fit and strong as I normally am coming into this event.
So what has that training been like with Brad Hudson?
Training with Brad has been a very positive experience for me both
mentally and physically. With the hours that I have been working,
we’ve been sort of forced to take a long, slow approach. I
am unable to run as much as I could or should be, so we need to
take more time to progress through the phases and develop my fitness.
However, I know that this long term approach will be beneficial
because I don’t feel rushed. I can take my time and let my
fitness dictate when I race. The last few years I felt I was running
races before I was physically ready which lead to bad racing experiences,
which diminished my confidence.
Are you looking for sponsorship at the moment?
Currently, I don’t have any sponsorship, so I guess you can
say it would be nice if I had a little financial help so that I
could work less and concentrate more on training. I haven’t
necessarily been searching extensively for sponsorship, but I feel
in the next few months, my performances should warrant some sort
of assistance in whatever form it may show up – travel, equipment,
money, etc. It’s not that I mind working some, but I would
just like to be able to work less than the 40-50 hours a week I
have been doing. I am a little anxious to see if I can return to
the form I was in during 2002. With Brad and I working together,
I think I can do it.
When you made the decision in December to return to competitive
racing, what inspired you to make that decision?
I started to miss all the things that come along with running and
competing. I missed the feeling of having a good workout or race,
traveling to compete against friends and former teammates, and the
hope and excitement of achieving a personal record. Really, I missed
the way that running and competing would challenge me. Brad was
eager to help me, which was great.
What would you like to accomplish with your running this
year, and what achievements would you like to check off before your
competitive career comes to a close?
I would just like to return to the form that I was in during ’01
and ’02, and hopefully, if all goes well, even surpass it.
My main goal is to try and make the World Cross team again in ’06.
I’d like to be able to be competitive again at the national
level, and possibly at the world level. I also would like to PR
again in the 5,000m or 10,000m on the track in ’06. As for
long-term, I just want to keep improving each year into ’08,
and give myself one more shot of making the Olympic team.
With Brad Hudson
Hudson and Wells. Photo © Carl Kinney
Clint was thrown onto his Bolder Boulder team with less
than a week’s notice – how did the training he was already
doing prepare him to finish as the top American?
Clint has been doing a lot of strength training, and as far as the
Bolder Boulder is concerned, it is a race that requires strength.
Clint has a lot of years behind him and is very experienced in racing
at altitude. Even though Clint wasn’t super-ready, it was
the perfect opportunity, because pursuing the limits of your endurance
is what Bolder Boulder is really about; it is for people that want
to participate and push themselves in athletics – they don’t
want to just watch. What the Bosley’s have brought to Boulder
is probably the greatest gift you can give to a town – an
event that everyone can enjoy and people can feel proud of.
You have been friends with Clint for a long time how –
did you begin to coach him?
Yeah, we’ve shared a couple houses. He is a very good friend
and someone I care about. I enjoyed watching him over the years
and saw that he was struggling and wanted to help him. I’ve
seen what can happen in older athletes and it is my passion to learn
how I can help them and that is my goal in life right now. Coaching
is all I really want to do with my life and I feel like I’ve
found my calling. I love the sport of professional running, and
I want to be a post-collegiate coach that can hopefully take some
U.S. athletes to the highest level of the sport. Most people would
have retired in Clint’s position when they weren’t getting
the results, but shows you the kind of person that Clint is that
he can persevere even with odds against him. Clint’s result
and his progress is exactly the sort of thing that I am coaching
for.
What is Clint’s potential this season, and what do
you think he is capable of in the future?
He’s run 27:56 and 13:28 – obviously, he is suited towards
longer distances, and maybe next for him is the marathon, but right
now the important thing is to get him back to competing at a very
high level. Clint’s performance is another part of the group
doing well – I want the athletes in the group to compete well
not just in U.S., but on a global level. I’m planning on building
a marathon women’s group that I’m actually recruiting
athletes for right now. Also, I’m planning on building a men’s
marathon developmental group – these are athletes that want
to go sub 2:12 in the marathon. I’m talking to people that
are still in college that have potential in the next 4-8 years to
become great marathoners. But I also want to coach many different
people in many events from the 800m on up.
How can it be that someone of Clint’s ability is
currently without sponsorship or funding right now?
The sport in the US is a top-heavy sport and the companies don’t
owe anybody anything. The stars have good contracts and are taken
care of, but there is not a lot of developmental money – there
is no decent club system set up. But that is my goal here for Boulder
– I’m lucky that I work for such a great company (Parsec
Time & Distance). They give me a lot of flexibility with my
coaching and my athletes. I hope at some point to get some sort
of corporate sponsorship so that hopefully I can sponsor athletes
right out of college – something similar to Hanson’s
program, but less team-oriented, with a more individual focus. You
know, it is good to see the rebirth that is going on right now,
and luckily, there are race directors like Mary Wittenberg and Jim
Estes that have great vision in our sport that can propel it to
the level where it deserves to be. With it will come an explosion
of youth running and a professional level that has never been seen
in long distance running. I think we will soon see a more rewarding
future for the young talent that is developing.
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Former CU All-American Clint Wells ran for Team USA in 2001,
2002, 2003 and Team Colorado in 2005 with a best time of 29:51 in
2001.
