by Randy Mayes

One athlete who has certainly paid his dues, benefitted from coaching and training with The Reebok Enclave, and achieved national class stature is Andre Williams. Reflecting on his past, through his inner city upbringing in Richmond, VA, to his being a three-time All-American at the University of North Carolina, to his decision to postpone a professional career and focus on being a full time runner, he says with emotion, "It is all finally coming together." With breakthrough wins at The Deschamps Senior Bowl 10K and The USATF National Cross- Country Championships (beating Dan Browne), he is training with a new level of confidence and self-esteem.

Originally a basketball player who was encouraged by his coach to run track to get in shape, Andre ran in high-top basketball shoes. In his junior year of high school he took track more seriously as he dropped basketball and won the state titles in cross-country and the indoor and outdoor two miles. Offered a full scholarship to UNC, he received a B.A. in History in 1992. He considered a Wall Street job with financial security. With college times of 14:03 for 5000m and 29:50 for 10000m, and cross-country experience, he was confident he could run with the best in the country with proper coaching. In 1994 he moved to Arlington, VA and joined The Reebok Enclave.

At one time, Andre was a familiar face at local road races. He won the 1996 Georgetown Classic 10K in 30:26, the 1997 & 1998 Rockville Twilight 8Ks in 24:56 and 24:29, the 1998 Pike’s Peek 10K in 29:40, and the 1996 Potomac Mills 10K in 29:36. He also ran 4:05.2 at the 1998 Pennsylvania Avenue Mile. I thought his performance at the Rockville Twilight 8K was impressive until I saw him do a five-mile tempo run on the track in 24:00 as a routine weekly workout.

After leaving the special experience that Chapel Hill offers, Andre has found a new home with a supportive group with a team chemistry. The Reebok Enclave is a club of talented runners with potential to be developed into the top American runners. Americans have had success in the past with the club system. The Colorado base of elite runners is their main competition. Many of those runners have major shoe contracts and can dedicate full time to training. Under the coaching of Matt Centrowitz, former American record holder in the 5000m, Andre has lowered his 5000m time to 13:34.74 and his 10000m time to 29:16 (1996). Recently, he ran 28:59 at The USATF National Cross-Country 10K.

Just physical talent alone is not enough to compete at the national level. The added mental edge from group training, the belief in yourself, and the self-control to stay focused on set goals are equally important. It is easy to lose focus on National Championships and Olympic Trials and their required qualifying times with the opportunity to make thousands of dollars at road races. You have to determine your priorities and balance the two. For those dedicated athletes who invest the time it takes to be a top middle-distance runner, the financial rewards are there. USATF bonuses are better than shoe contracts, and for those who make a World Championship Team, The Grand Prix Circuit is a potential source of income.

In 1997, Andre was eleventh in the 3000m National Indoor Championships. That same year he was eighteenth in the 5000m National Outdoor Championships. He recalls going through the first mile in 4:14 trying to stay with Bob Kennedy and Todd Williams. Todd Williams eventually collapsed on the track and Andre finished dead last (18^th). He says his inexperience kept him from running his own race.

In 1998, Andre was fifth in the 3000m National Indoor Championships and fifth in the 5000m National Outdoor Championships. This year he placed fifteenth at the Winter Cross Country National Championships, which were changed to February. So, he skipped the 3000m National Indoor Championships and will concentrate on the 5000m and 10000m at The National Outdoor Championships in June. He has a realistic shot at making these National Championship Teams. He says his training is going great. He says he has been extremely lucky that he has not been injured as he was logging up to 120 miles per week in the fall. Also, he has been very healthy and makes sure he gets plenty of rest and is eating right. However, no special diet is followed.

The qualifying times for The National Outdoor Championships held in Eugene, Oregon this year are 13:51.5 in the 5000m and 29:00 for the 10000m. Andre has the 5000m qualifying time and is scheduled to get the 10000m qualifying time out of the way in April at The Stanford Invitational. For those who make the National Championship Team, the world qualifying standards are significantly more selective. The 2000 Olympic Trials will begin in July 2000. We hope we will see Andre and his club members there.

So few Americans are making the lifestyle sacrifices and taking the time to develop into top middle-distance runners. It would be easy to make the comparisons to Steve Prefontaine. The sacrifices of lifestyle, the years of development, focus on national teams and not money, morning runs despite the weather, hard runs with the group in the afternoon, and the part-time jobs to pay the rent. His racing style is similar in that he pushes the pace early, and he is outspoken on the current issues of professional running.