43 Second Wednesday: Natasha Hastings

The 2011 Indoor season was healing. Therapeutic. It reminded Natasha Hastings why she left school a year early to go professional in 2007.

A handful of promising professionals seasons for the former University of South Carolina standout has produced an Olympic gold medal on the 4×400 relay in Beijing, but has not quite reached expectations in the open 400 meters.

That is until now.

Things are changing in Hastings’ individual race. This year, Natasha Hastings is not-so-quietly establishing herself, as one of the most versatile and consistent runners in the world.

She dropped 50.83 in the 400 meters winning the 2011 USA Indoor Nationals and  we sat down to discuss what is next for the New York native.

PRJ: Did it surprise you to see everything sort of come together during the 2011 indoor season?

NH: I certainly hoped for a great indoor, but I don’t know if I expected everything to happen as it did. I’m pleased with the indoor season, and I feel it is a great way to begin my outdoor season this year.

PRJ: What were your fall workouts like? What was different about this years offseason workouts?

NH: This year, I did my entire fall training with Coach Frye. Last year I didn’t begin training with Frye until December. So, this season we got to spend the entire off season working together. We spent a lot of time working on strength and speed endurance. We also did some work on speed development and technique.

PRJ: What was it like going back to your New York roots and running in front of the Millrose Games crowd?

NH: I was very excited to go back to Millrose this year. I hadn’t competed there since my senior year of high school, so it was a special treat to get back to the Garden. It’s always a fun experience to get back to New York, and to compete in front of my hometown crowd.

PRJ: What do your indoor performances say about what you are capable of doing in the 2011 outdoor season?

NH: I’m pretty excited about the outdoor based on the indoor, because when you compare this year to my best season back in 2007, you could say I’m right on pace or maybe even a little ahead of pace to run 49 [seconds] this year. The main focus at this point is to continue training hard, and to stay healthy.

PRJ: You’re mother the former Joanne Gardner was an elite track runner and has been with you at nearly every major meet in your career and now she serves as your agent. What influence does she have on your racing? Does she give you advice or feed back after races?

NH: She’s been very influential from day 1. She’s been to most, if not, all major meets in my career. Having been an athlete herself, she has some valuable advice and knows when to step back or even when to get involved. We do talk about my races, but she does leave the coaching part up to Coach Frye.

PRJ: Has your relationship changed at all now that your mother is also your agent?

NH: The relationship hasn’t changed much now that she is my agent. It is a little different being that she is a lot more hands-on with my career. But so far the transition has been pretty smooth.

PRJ: You are back training with Curtis Frye in Columbia, South Carolina. Why change locations/training programs/coaches now?

NH: The change kind of came about by accident. I was back in Columbia finishing up my last semester of school. I was in the library studying one night, and just thought maybe it would be a good idea to stay in Columbia and train with Frye.

The previous two seasons weren’t the successful seasons that I had hoped for, and I knew this was a situation that in the past did work for me. So, I took about a week to really think through the decision. Then I asked to meet with Coach Frye, and asked that he would coach me again. We started training the following Monday.

PRJ: Looking at your outdoor 400 meters for 2011. What can you and Coach Frye do better this spring and summer to improve your race?

NH: We’ve particularly been working on my speed development. One thing we’ve realized over the years of working together is that the faster my 200 the faster my 400 will be.

When I’m able to run a 22 second 200, I’m way more confident about going out in 23 seconds, so speed is something that is very important to the set up of my 400.

PRJ: You get out pretty quickly in the open 400 meters and recently at the Pepsi Florida Relays you dropped 22.7 - a world leading time. What does it do for your 400, when you can turn it over that well in the open 200 meters?

NH: This as I said before is a great confidence booster for me. It’s especially exciting to be this close to my 200 pr so early in the season. So, for me it speaks volumes for what’s to come in my 400.

PRJ: What is your racing schedule for the 2011 outdoor season?

NH: Tentatively, TX relays this weekend. Next weekend, I will be opening up in the 400 at Auburn University, and then we head to Penn Relays at the end of the month.

PRJ: From top to bottom, describe the depth in women’s 400 meter field?

NH: The 400 is DEEP in the US. We have Sanya Richards, Allyson Felix, Debbie Dunn, and Dee Dee Trotter who have all run under 50 seconds. Mary Wineberg is having a great season so far, and of course Francena McCrory has already run 50.5 for the season.

I honestly think it will take 49 low to make top three at the US Nationals this year. We have some amazing talent here.

PRJ: The last couple seasons have not gone as you’ve wanted and this is a world championship year. What are your goals and do you want to send a message that you still have “it”?

NH: I think I’ve already sent the message that I still have it. I’ve come pretty close to my pr’s indoor, and getting off to a fast start this outdoor. But like I said earlier, I just want to stay focused on my training and stay healthy. With that, everything else should fall into place on its own.

PRJ: You have received attention for dating professional football player William Gay of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Who would win a 400 meter race between you?

NH: I hope I’m not receiving attention because of who I’m dating LOL. But I’d like to think I can take him in the 400.

PRJ: Do you still get prerace jitters?

NH: Before every single race!

PRJ: Thanks for your time and best wishes!

Jay F. Hicks blogs about track and field and serves as PreRaceJitter’s Editor-In-Chief .  You can find him on Twitter.

14 Questions with South Carolina’s Johnny Dutch

PRJ: How did you get started running?
JD: I started running when I was 10 years old. My sister ran on a summer track team at St. Augustine college in Raleigh called the Carolina Eagles. I used to watch her run every evening while I sat in the sand pit and made ant hills and holes.

Her coach would ask me “when you gonna run boi” and I’d be like “never.” Eventually, a few years later I watched her at hurdle practice. I saw what she was doing, so I grabbed a few hurdles and lined them up on the grass and started hurdling.

PRJ: Where did your love of running coming from?
Being around it majority of my life is what really developed my initial love for the sport. At first I hated it because I saw what it did to people at practices, but when I first set up those hurdles on the grass, I saw it was something I’d enjoy doing.

PRJ: Congratulations on winning your first NCAA title and South Carolina’s first 400-meter hurdle title in 48.75. The time was blazing. Did you feel confident after the first two hurdles that you could take home the gold?
JD: I said in a previous interview with our media relations guy, Miquel [Jacobs],that with the right time, circumstances and conditions anything is possible.

Unfortunately, on the backstretch it was extremely windy which caused me to exert more energy going over the first few hurdles than anticipated, but sometimes you have to stay focused and adjust to that circumstance or that condition. So that’s what I did. I wasn’t confident until the last part of the race when I knew I hadn’t yet won an NCAA title. That’s when I went into overdrive.

PRJ: In years past, you have been so close in the runner up position. How does it sound to say NCAA Champion after your name?
JD: It still feels surreal to me. I’ve always admired people who have been NCAA champions in the past because every year it’s just as competitive as the year before and I knew it took patience and hard work to have an NCAA title. I still can’t believe it.

PRJ: Did the win over Washington State’s Jeshua Anderson the two-time NCAA Champion add fuel add to the already budding rivalry?
JD: That’s exactly what it is, a “budding rivalry.” Again, that’s my homie, so I have always been supportive and excited about his NCAA wins in the past. I think it was more than just Jeshua’s NCAA titles that fired me up. It was probably more so of people doubting me and not believing I was capable of winning a title. I’ve even overheard people talk about me not being able to win. I’ve been truly the underdog for three years since I’ve been in college. But I kind of liked that because I knew what I was capable of achieving. It just took time and patience.

PRJ: What has your training consisted of after NCAA Outdoors and USA Outdoor Nationals?
JD: A lot of rest days. I back off more now so I can give my body time to recuperate. But I still have those hard practices a few days out of the week to keep my fitness level up.

PRJ: Speaking of U.S. Championships, you don’t mind going up against the top hurdles even to make a US team, do you?
JD: That’s exactly what I like. I feed off of the other runners presence and the intensity in the atmosphere.

PRJ: You said winning NCAAs that you didn’t run as fast as you wanted to run. How fast do you feel you are capable of running right now?
JD: Well, I just stepped on the scale a few days ago and I weigh the same, if not less, than I did in high school. Therefore, I feel like I can run anything I put my mind too, being I’m small enough to throw myself around the track.

PRJ: After competing the NCAA seasons how fresh do you feel to tackle Europe this summer?
JD: Being that I just finished a long college season, it’s going to be all about heart running over on the European circuit. My heart is what I run with 95% of the race, so regardless if someone thinks I’m too fatigued or still fresh, I know my heart says something else.

PRJ: You have the keen ability to run the 110s and 400 hurdles extremely well. Which race do you see being your bread and butter at the level?
JD: Growing up, coach Aaron McDougal, the man that engineered the beginning phases of my career, told me that the short hurdles were my bread and butter. I was always good in them growing up. When I got to college it took a minute to, again, adjust to another height. So once I fully adjust to the 110s again, no telling which one will be better. As of right now, the 400 hurdles are definitely it.

PRJ: What would you say is the most memorable moment in your career to date?
JD: Making the world championship team in 2009. I don’t think anything beats the opportunity of being able to represent your country and wear the U-S-A across your chest.

PRJ: In contrast, what has been the lowest moment in your career?
JD: I’ve had many. One that sticks out is sitting in the hotel my freshman year while the finals of the 400 meter hurdles went off at the 2008 NCAA championships in Des Moines, Iowa. I was so bitter about the situation, I couldn’t even go out to watch the race. But thank God for getting me through those times when I felt low.

PRJ: You have run on track and fields all over the world, which would you say is your favorite?
JD: It has to be between North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro and the Eugene, Oregon facilities. The reason why I say A&T is because all of my family and friends come out and support me. I feed off their energy and always put something fast down on that track. And I love the blue surface. It’s where I ran Nike high school nationals and all of my states meets.

Eugene is a place where track and field is appreciated and people respect what you do. The weather isn’t always great, but on your way walking to the track you see huge posters and billboards of Ashton Eaton or Andrew Wheating, athletes who run track and work hard. That’s something you don’t see anywhere else in America.

PRJ: Do you get prerace jitters?
JD: Yessir. Most definitely. I get them even before I arrive at the track facility the day of the meet. I’ll be laying in my bed running the race back and forth through my head until it feels right.

2009 NCAA Indoor Championships - Lakya Brookings, South Carolina

2009 NCAA Indoor Championships - LaKya Brookins, South Carolina from PreRaceJitters on Vimeo.

PreRaceJitters.com speaks with Sophomore LaKya Brookins of the University of South Carolina, who won the NCAA title in the 60m dash at a school & NCAA meet record 7.13. After taking eighth in the preliminary round at 7.34 running at the new Gilliam Indoor Track on the campus of Texas A&M University, Brookins lined up in lane eight for the final and made history.