A Dozen Questions with Ben Malone

Ben Malone has already accomplished a lot in his young career.  Only a soph, he was second in his group at the Bergen County XC championships, 4th in the Bergen Meet of Championships, 2nd in the group 3, north 1 sectionals, 6th in the group 3 state meet (behind some very big names and ahead of some other big ones) and PRed by 18 seconds in 14th place in the Meet of Champions.  Oh, this was his first year running XC.

 
On the track he was no less proficient.  His 1:54.0 at the Varsity Classic made him the 4th performer in the state in only the second time he ran the event.  He ran 3200 meters once and went 9:24.8 at the Big North Championships for the win in the Patriot division.  But the 1600/mile was the event where he really excelled, going 4:16.56 for 4th in the New Balance Games invitational mile at little more than a week after his 4:22.24 effort at the Millrose Games Trials.  His 1600 meter efforts started with a 4:23.5 at the Spiked Shoe Festival on 12/20, 4:24.18 in the sectionals, 4:18.46 at groups and finally a 4:17.62 for third at the Meet of Champs. 
 
Pretty decent year already and it seems the best is yet to come.
 
 
1.  What caused you to start running and at what age did you get interested?
 
Well, in middle school I started out with the sprints, my favorite race was the 400. Then once I got into high school I started with winter track. My coach told me I was doing the 1600 my first race and I was put into distance workouts. After my first practice (I thought I could handle 4 miles after never having done more than 1 before) I wasn’t to happy with distance running, but I ran my race not knowing what to expect, I ran a 4:52, and I’ve been hooked ever since. 
 
 
2.   Last year as a freshman you ran 4:33.49 for the full mile in May and here you are in February of the next year, 8 months later and you’ve run 16:02 at Holmdel, 1:54.0, 4:16.56 and 9:24.8 in the span of a very short high school career.  What the heck is going on here?
 
Ha ha. well I think a lot of factors were put into the dramatic jumps in my times. My freshman year I didn’t run XC so I didn’t have much distance work. During the indoor and outdoor season I probably was doing no more than 20 miles a week, and got hurt before the big races like sectionals and counties. After I recovered I built up my mileage and started really running.  A hard week at Bennett Camp completed my summer.  That was really the first time I had worked hard at running.
 
 
3.    What are your coaches’ (three different head coaches, one for each season right?) philosophies with you with respect to mileage, speedwork and racing?
 
It isn’t easy having three different coaches, especially when all three have different coaching philosophies. In general I like keeping a good amount of mileage per week. In cross-country there are usually more distance runs and strength workouts such as hills and mile repeats. In winter I don’t get as many miles in and there’s a lot more fartleks and speed work.  This spring I hope to keep my mileage up while getting on the track 1-2 times a week, mixing in strength and speedwork.
 
 
4.    Are you a fan of the sport?  Do you know the history and the players from back in the day?
 
I love the sport, and as far as history goes I know more modern day runners compared to ones back in the day.  I know the big names and the important races from back then but I keep up to date on who is running now. Every day I look at Milesplit, Tracktalk, and ESPN Rise, and of course I get Track & Field News. I know there’s a lot for me to learn.
 
 
5.    How much did your Dad encourage you to get involved in running?  (John Malone ran at Bergen Catholic in the mid-70s on some very good teams including a 10:07.4 DMR in 1978 at Penn and a 4:14.7 mile at MOC that year.  He eventually recorded personal bests of 1:49 and 4:04).
 
Well he’s always supported what I wanted to do, such as picking soccer over XC freshman year. Now that I’m involved in running he always gives me input and has useful information. Whenever a problem or question comes up he always has someone he can call for an answer or help.
 
 
6.    Do you have goals for this year and beyond, a feeling about what you can achieve in high school and college or is it too early for that?
 
I have goals but there always changing depending on what’s going on.  I have longer-term goals but they don’t go past this year. I like to take things one step at a time and make sure I stay on track.
 
 
7.    What is your favorite subject in school and your least favorite?
 
I think history is my favorite because the subject matter is very black and white but you still get to develop your own opinion on it.  My least favorite is math because I find it boring and pointless.
 
 
8.    Which do you like better – XC or track and why?
 
I love both but if I had to choose I’d say track because it gives me a chance to run fast and use my speed. Cross country is fun and different but I don’t get to run at top speed and that’s what is the most fun for me in running.
 
 
9.    What is your favorite track event?
 
This is a tough one. For a while it’s always been the mile but this season I’ve really come to love the 800.  I have to say that for now the mile is my forte but the 800 is a more fun race because it’s quicker and it usually lets me run at the fastest gear I have.
 
 
10.   If you had to pick one workout that you would eliminate from your training plan forever, what would it be?
 
Ha ha not sure if this counts but lifting. I just hate going into the weight room after a hard day of running.  After I finish my run or my workout I’m usually really exhausted and feel like my work has been done for the day so going into the weight room after seems like such an inconvenience.
 
 
11.   Which one would you fight to keep in there?
 
10 x 400 at mile race pace with 1 min rest. It’s a nice simple workout but it can make you hurt. Every time I finish this workout I walk away more confident about my limits and I know I get better every time I do it.
 
 
12.   What do you do when you’re not running?  What holds your interest?
 
Usually I just hang out with my friends, girlfriend, or just relax.  If I find myself with a lot of free time I’ll have no problem lying down on the couch and just resting.