United States Olympic trials

Um, here's a hack that I'll share with everyone.

I learned this from one of my college rivals, a guy named Nate Jenkins, who finished seventh at the Olympic trials in 2008.

Seventh or eighth.

He was in the top 10, I can't remember exactly.

It was a great day.

But yeah, when I was thinking about this podcast and reflecting, like, on my OTQ experience, 'cause that was my second Olympic trials qualifier, it's like wow, that feels like forever ago, and also yesterday.

And I will say, I'm so happy this cycle that they opened the window earlier-

Mm-hmm

...

in terms of that.

I'm like, "Okay, we have to get through there, and then what are we gonna do after that, and where are we moving?" So I think I'm, like, the next year's already 2027, and wherever we move is where I'm gonna be training for the Olympic trials in spring of 2028.

So to me, it doesn't feel that far away [laughs] when I'm thinking of-

Today, we're joined by Amalia Dorian, who was at Suffolk for her grad years.

She was a two-time national qualifier in track, and now she's trying to qualify for the Olympic trials.

She takes us through her running journey and why she's so excited about an OTQ and why it's something that she is more fired up than running, you know, a personal best in the 5k or the mile.

She ran her first halfway marathon in 118 which gives her confidence she can go out and run under 237.

She started as a 3:04, uh, marathoner.

We got her down to a 2:46 marathoner in about two and a half years, and she never would've thought this, but we're, we're talking about getting her ready for the Olympic trials.

Wow.

Getting her to qual- qualify for the Olympic trials.

And she was the girl in high school that hardly made the cross-country team.

Okay, not, not hardly made the cross-country team, but hardly made the top seven, okay?

So the conversation is happening when it's supposed to.

I wanna start somewhere that, um, you would not expect whatsoever, and, and that is the 2020 Olympic trials, not even the race itself, which we could get into, but the kit you wore.

I-- There are so few Nike athletes-

Oh

That's a fun story.

Whether intentionally or just by coincidence or by fate, um, you and Galen sort of seem to have these similar journeys in terms of these, these prodigies growing up and then having these really illustrious, uh, collegiate careers, and then ultimately, you know, having successful careers on the track and then in the marathon and the roads.

Um, that race even in 2020, I think there's a sort of iconic photo where Galen has this massive comeback win, comeback in terms of, like, I think he had struggled with injury leading into it, uh, wins the Olympic trials in the marathon.

You don't have, you know, the best day, and there's a picture of him giving you a big hug, sort of people equated it to, like, you know, s- uh, siblings, right? It's kind of what it looked like, especially with how much you guys had, you know, grown up and trained together.