scrunners: What were you initial thoughts when you heard about being entered in the elite mile?
hudgins: I was shocked. My coach (Ben Paxton) had known for over a week before it hit the Internet and the papers. He was trying to keep me from finding out before our indoor conference meet to keep me focused but it slipped out and he had to call me because he wanted to be the one to tell me. When he called I was kinda speechless for a second. Every runner dreams of running these types of races with their heroes and I never thought that I would be given this opportunity this soon in my career.
scrunners: How did your training prepare you leading up this event?
hudgins: My training did not really change. My training all year has been geared towards running 800s and 1500s. We had been planning on running a fast 1500 at either Duke or Florida that weekend so this worked out perfectly. Since this race is mid season we couldn’t afford to peak and back off the training so we treated the three weeks leading up to the race like a normal mid season cycle. There was not any “special” works that we did.
scrunners: What were your thoughts going into the race the week of and race day?
hudgins: As it turned out I had an easy week of classes and had too much time to think about the race. I found myself just sitting around going over all these crazy scenarios. We found out that week that the rabbit was scheduled to go through 800 meters in 1:56. Coach and I decided that we would like to be around 2 minutes at halfway and then concentrate on racing bodies over the last half. The whole week I was feeling all sorts of emotion. I was nervous, scared, excited, and anxious all at once.
scrunners: Did you have a strategy going into the race?
hudgins: Coach and I decided that the best strategy would be to try and be at 2:00 flat at 800 and then put myself in position to race people to the line the last 300 meters. I also knew that Adam Van Nortwick (Appalachian State) was in roughly the same shape as I was so I was going to kind of key off him. Our goals were to qualify for regionals (4:03.75) and hopefully place well.
scrunners: Did you talk to many of the elite milers? If so, what did you discuss?
hudgins: A lot of the talking I did with the other milers was the night before at the banquet when Olympic Gold Medalist Dave Wottle spoke. We talked about all kinds of things, nothing real specific. Most of the conversation Friday night was about the weather and such Saturday and what all of them thought that they could do. I sat at a table with the Zap Fitness guys, Dan Wilson, Ryan Kleimenhagen, Adam Van Nortwick, and our two coaches. I did get to talk to Alan (Webb) for a few minutes after the race. We talked about Winthrop and how his first collegiate race was here and how that felt like it was just yesterday.
scrunners: Following the race, what did you think of your performance and being a part of the field for the first sub 4-minute mile on a track in South Carolina?
hudgins: Standing on the starting line when the crowd went crazy was one experience I will never forget. It sent chills down my spine. On the first start I got off the line well and was positioned on the inside of lane two about midway through the pack. Then the rabbit and Dan Wilson collided and went down. It was crazy to have to go through the whole thing again, but we got restarted and I ended up in the back almost immediately this time. I went through 400 meters around 60 seconds and moved up to the back of the pack on the back stretch going past a few other runners. I went through 800 around 2:03. The pack slowed as Webb and the rabbit were way out front and the race was now for second so the pack jumbled a bit. I remember on the back stretch with 600 meters to go coach yelling that I was still in the race to not let them go we they made their move. Approaching the bell lap I was at 3:06 with 400 meters to go and was thinking about making my move down the backstretch. As I rounded out of the turn and moved out to start passing people my legs felt heavy and I just could not go no matter how hard I tried. I tried again with 200 meters to go and it wasn't there and I almost started to panic.
Coming down the home stretch I managed to pick off Sam Burley, who was tying down real bad. Crossing the line I felt a rush of disappointment because I did not accomplish what I had come to do and that was to compete well and qualify for regionals, but I did not have it on that day and there was nothing that I could do about it. The lessons that I learned that day far out way the disappointment of the race. I can now go to any big meet and not be as intimidated. I got my first big meet experience out of the way and can only move forward from here.
scrunners: What kind of goals do you have for the rest of this season and future?
hudgins: As far as the rest of the season goes, my goals are to qualify for regionals in both the 800 (1:50.4) and the 1500 (3:47.8) and make a decision just before regionals as to what my strongest race will be. As for the future I hope to break 4 minutes in the mile within the next year (qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the process). One of my top priorities is making Nationals and hopefully earning All-America status before I graduate and then seeing where running can take me in the future.
