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Josh Spiker competes at the 2006 Big Sur Half Marathon. (Photo courtesy of Josh Spiker.)

Interview with Josh Spiker

Posted on December 9, 2006, Interview conducted December 8, 2006

By Alison Wade

Former Wisconsin All-American Josh Spiker will begin a new chapter of his life in the new year as he takes over ownership of Inside Track, a running store in Ventura, California. Spiker is currently sponsored by New Balance and will balance his professional running career with his new job.

As a senior at Ventura High School, Spiker ran a 4:06.3 mile and was one of the top runners in the country. He qualified for the 2001 World Junior Cross Country Championships in his freshman year at Wisconsin and went on to finish 24th at Worlds. Spiker's career at Wisconsin was highlighted by a ninth-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Cross Country Championships, a runner-up team finish in the distance medley relay at the 2002 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships (in addition to a third-place finish in 2003), and a third-place finish in the 1,500 at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He holds personal bests of 1:49 (800m), 3:40 (1,500m), 14:40 (road 5k), 30:15 (road 10k), and 1:06:28 (half marathon).

You're been racing on the roads throughout the fall, at everything from the 5k up to a half marathon. What are you building towards right now, training-wise, and what are your running goals for 2007?
I am going to give track at least one more year and aim to qualify for U.S. Nationals and go race in Europe. Last track season was a huge disappointment due to injury and I considered getting into triathlon or cycling. I did a sprint course triathlon in September, which was a lot of fun but realized running is my true passion and decided to give racing on the track at the elite level another shot.

How has the transition to post-collegiate running gone for you? Is there any aspect of the process that you would like to see made easier for runners like yourself in the future?
It has been rough, although I have come to realize how much I enjoy running. The opportunities to excel were there but injury and clarity of purpose were limiting factors. I feel USATF is on the right track in terms of elite development but it will be a long process due to budget constraints. Elite development programs such as the Hansons Distance Project are proving to be a great success and provide amazing opportunities for those who don't get big contracts out of college. With time and money more opportunities will arise for aspiring runners. Historically some of the world's best runners worked full time while training, so in a way, we all have the opportunity to succeed.

On January 1st, you will become the owner of Inside Track. How does this fit with your goals as an athlete? How do you plan to balance your training with your work?
My goals have not changed, although my daily schedule is going to change dramatically. The store does not open until 10:00 a.m. so I am going to start doing workouts in the mornings, which will take some getting used to. Its going to be hard but I have to set time aside for training. I think the structure will actually help. The current owner of the store, Gary Tuttle, had a long and successful career with New Balance including a seventh-place finish at the 1976 World Cross Country Championships and a second place finish at the 1985 Boston Marathon.

How does one prepare to become the owner of a running store? What kind of training do you have and what have you had to figure out either with the help of others or on your own?
I have wanted to own Inside Track since high school and went into college with that in mind, which is why I majored in marketing and management (also in real estate but thats just because I enjoyed the subject). When I would do course assignments such as writing a business plan they were almost always on a running shop. In terms of experience, I worked at Inside Track in high school and at the award-winning Colorado Running Company in Colorado Springs this past winter. I have talked to running store owners and have read countless books on marketing and management. Gary has shared 32 years of experience with me and has perfected the work-life-training balance. I realize its going to be hard and you can't prepare for everything so the initial year will be full of surprises.

What will be unique about your running store?
As much as I would like to say I have a radical new idea for Inside Track, its going to be based on the knowledge I have gained as an employee and consumer at various running shops and general retailers. The store will reflect who I am and my experiences. I am going to be very involved with the community and redesign the interior while maintaining the traditional specialty running store feel. I will take feedback very seriously and work to stock what runners want and need. I created the Inside Track Running Club, which is where I really feel I can make a difference in people lives.

What kind of training are you doing right now? You mentioned being injured last track season.
Right now I am running 50-60 miles a week and the majority of my runs are eight miles at 6:00 pace. I am just starting to incorporate hills and fartleks into my training and will gradually build into speed work. Last year I was running about 75 miles a week but did not build into speed work, which led to injuries. I jumped straight into sub-60-second pace work and repeatedly strained my hip flexor. I feel this was because I jumped into faster intervals without a proper build-up and some major inefficiencies in my hip area. I recently went to see a sports medicine specialist who is very experienced with biomechanics and sure enough I had some major imbalances in my hips and had a lift in my left shoe removed. (I was diagnosed with a severe leg length discrepancy in high school and it is now gone.) I have been doing various exercises, which seem to be working.

Looking back on your collegiate running career, what are you most proud of? Is there anything you wish had gone differently?
My ninth-place finish at the 2001 cross country nationals. It was a true breakthrough performance for me. I wish I had continued to improve through college but I didn't, which was really hard. I don't know why I started sucking in cross country, because I was just as dedicated and running similar mileage. I know I started overthinking everything, so that may have had something to do with it.

Many of your college teammates are still training in Madison. Was that ever a consideration for you?
No. I really wanted to come back to California. I loved Madison and my teammates and coach, but five years was enough...I wanted a break. Now I really miss it, just as everyone predicted, but at the same time am very excited about next year. Hopefully I will have enough money to visit the guys more often. I have only been back to Madison once since I graduated and that was for Matt Tegenkamp's wedding in October. If I was unable to take over the running store, I would seriously consider going back to Madison to train. They have an amazing group out there and [Jerry] Schumacher is an awesome coach.

Are you back to being coached by your high school coach, Bill Tokar? If so, what about his approach works for you, and why have you chosen him as your coach?
Right now I am just doing everything on my own but after the Las Vegas Half-Marathon (December 10th) I am going to ask Bill to start coaching me. I need someone to make training decisions for me. Although I feel I can coach someone else to reach their full potential, I need someone else to coach me. Very few people can coach themselves, no matter how knowledgeable they are. He is very methodical in his training and understands my strengths and weaknesses. I feel I have had two of the best coaches in the nation with Tokar and Schumacher.

You've become the race director of the Lasse Viren 20k and 5k. What inspired you to get involved with this, and what has been the biggest challenge so far?
The previous race director came to me about a month before and stated he did not want to do it anymore because of the time involved. I really wanted to direct the race but did not have the upfront money, about $5,000, to get started. A longtime friend, Steve Doll, volunteered to co-direct the race and cover the upfront costs. Its been a fun but very time-consuming process. Nothing has been all that challenging but I'm sure the last week will be a lot harder and more stressful.

When you're done with your career, what do you hope to have accomplished, both as a runner and in your running-related work?
I want to be able to say I had fun, experienced and achieved everything I wanted to, and inspired thousands of people to start running.