STUDENT OF THE SPORT, AMERICAN PARKER STINSON PREPARING FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom
(c) 2015 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - Used with permission.

BOSTON (23-June) -- With a light rain falling and back-of-the-pack runners still crossing the finish line at the B.A.A. 10-K last Sunday, Saucony's Parker Stinson took a few moments to reflect on his race. The 23-year-old had just finished as the top American in ninth place, splashing his way to a road personal best of 29:24. On a day that saw torrential downpours plague most of the event, Stinson walked away smiling. It wasn't necessarily his time or place that got the University of Oregon graduate excited. Rather, it was the ability to soak up the experience and use it as a learning tool going forward.

Spending ten minutes speaking with Race Results Weekly, Stinson clearly showed that he is a student of the sport. After completing his NCAA eligibility last indoor season, the native of Texas turned professional, signing with Saucony. Since then, he's thrown himself full tilt into learning what it takes to be a successful athlete on the elite stage.

"Personally, this was a nice way for me to come out and get one under my belt," said Stinson. "It will definitely help me going forward."

Transitioning from the indoor season, Stinson focused on racing the 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford in May. There he ran 27:54.98, a very solid time and personal best by nearly 40 seconds.

Shortly thereafter, Stinson took a step back and thought about where he wanted to be over the course of the next two years, and what he wanted to accomplish. High up on the list was improve in the 10,000m, run a fast half-marathon, and compete at every stage of the 2016 USA Running Circuit series of races.

Rather than force a lengthy spring track season, Stinson competed only a handful of times after his 10,000m at Stanford, racing to a 16th place showing at the Bolder Boulder 10-K, traveling to Kodiak, Alaska, to compete in a fun Dream Mile, and then racing here in Boston.

Once he crossed the B.A.A. 10-K finish line, it was time to shut it down for the summer. 

"I'm trying to transition to have a really big fall. I want to debut at the half-marathon in Philly [at the AACR Rock 'N' Roll Philadelphia Half-Marathon on October 31] and then do all the U.S. Road Circuit races. Because I have those kind of goals, I had to be careful about getting too excited this spring," he explained.

Methodical in his thinking, Stinson wanted to accomplish one thing racing in Boston: getting out of his comfort zone.

Throughout college, Stinson was always a contender, racing to nine All-American finishes and three NCAA team national titles at Oregon. The collegiate style of racing is very much championship-focused: tactical races, running for place, and scoring the most points as possible at events.

Stinson knows that to make it on the professional scene he cannot relax and race with a collegiate mentality. Here in Boston, lining up with Kenyans Geoffrey Mutai, Stephen Sambu, and Daniel Salel, Stinson knew the pace was going to be hot from the get-go. Instead of settling early, he split 4:29 for the first mile and tried hard to hold on.

"I think it's nice to come out here and do some of these races and go out with those guys and try to be tough in the middle of the race," he said. "If people catch me, I need to make sure I compose myself, and finish well. I want to run that way so I'm ready for the U.S. Running Circuit. I need to be able to respond and keep in it."

Indeed, when American Griff Graves caught Stinson, and Japanese runner Takehiro Deki came up on his shoulder, Stinson responded promptly. Though he was hurting, he was able to embrace the pain and fight through it. He was developing his elite racing mindset.

Using phrases like "staying engaged," "being mentally focused," and "handling the highs and lows of the race," Stinson has clearly put a lot of thought into his development stage as a professional. Looking ahead to his training over the next twelve months, Stinson says it will be half-marathon-oriented. He will still train in Eugene under University of Oregon coach Andy Powell.

"I think to be good nowadays at your event you have to train above it," he said, explaining that to run a fast 10,000m you need to be able to handle half-marathon type training and intensity. "You see that a ton with people now -- Dathan [Ritzenhein] a few years back, [Stephen] Sambu now."

He continued: "I've been pretty happy with what I've done in the 5000m [off of 10,000m training], but I think that's just a little foreshadow of what I hope to do in the 10,000m. But to do that I need to get stronger and tougher. The U.S. Road Circuit is a great opportunity to do that."

The USATF Running Circuit will give Stinson a chance to test the waters from the mile to 25-K, even the marathon if he wishes to do so.

"I'm excited to get away from the shorter distances, working more toward my strengths and progressing," he said. "The idea is to do half-marathon stuff and get strong, learn some things, then come back down to the 10,000m, and I'll be more experienced for it. I need to at least start the process [in the next few months]. Ultimately the goal is to make World teams." 

Stinson will watch next week's USA Outdoor Championships from the stands at his home track, Hayward Field, soaking up any bit of information that may help him in the future. Like a football player watching game film, or a baseball player taking batting practice, Stinson is preparing for the future by studying now.

As the legendary stock car racer Bobby Unser once said: "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet." Stinson is preparing now, ready to grab hold of the opportunities that lay ahead.

"I've trained hard and always want to do well," he said. "It was really important for me to not get dropped [here in Boston], and for me to just compete. You're out here to race, to learn, to get better."

PHOTO: Saucony's Parker Stinson after finishing as the top American at the 2015 B.A.A. 10-K, placing ninth in 29:24 (photo by Chris Lotsbom for Race Results Weekly)