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Contents
By
Randy Mayes
As
a child Tom Jeffrey participated in many organized sports including soccer,
baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and wrestling. While growing up in a military
family, he moved around to Georgia, New York, Germany, Springfield, VA, and
Hawaii. After his freshman year at West Springfield High School, his family
moved to Hawaii, where Tom became the 1990 Hawaii State Cross-Country Champion
at the Punahou School in Honolulu.
He
returned to the Virginia, enrolling at James Madison University. While majoring
in political science and economics, he earned all-conference honors in
cross-country and track. In 1996, he was All-East in the 3000 meter
steeplechase. He took advantage of the coaching at JMU, which has produced many
post–collegiate national class runners. Patiently developing his skills as a
long distance runner, he says, “I learned how to train."
Upon
graduation he worked as a sales representative. “I had a very hard time
training at the level that I wanted and did not run very well." After
devoting more time to training while working part-time, he was voted the 1996
and 1997 Charlottesville Track Club Runner of the Year. He has also been
consistently ranked as one of the top open runners by the Washington Running Report.
“I
feel that I have a very good understanding of what it takes to be a good
distance runner, both from the point of view of an athlete and coach."
While finishing his MBA at James Madison University, he is a graduate assistant
coach. The job includes assisting with recruiting, coaching the younger
developing runners, and supervising workouts. Next year he will be an Assistant
Coach on a part-time basis.
With
impressive track times (14:32 for 5000m, and 30:24 for 10,000m), he began
training for longer distances. By running 2:20:06 and placing second at the Las
Vegas Marathon, he qualified for the 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials in Pittsburgh,
PA.
While
training for the Trials he ran 1:06:40 at the 1999 Philadelphia Half-Marathon,
was first at the 1999 GW Parkway 15K (46:04), and placed second at the
Georgetown Classic 10K (31:20). In 2000, Jeffrey was fourth at the Ukrop’s
Monument Avenue 10K (30:21), and third at the GW Parkway 15K (46:02).
He says the Olympic Marathon Trials in Pittsburgh went better than expected. His plan was to go out conservatively and beat as many people as possible. “I knew that a lot of guys would be in trouble if they went out too hard in the heat. I was very patient and it paid off.” He finished nineteenth in 2:22:41 on the hilly course on a warm day. His immediate future plans include improving his track times and lowering his half-marathon PR.
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