00:00Yeah, it felt pretty good considering, you know, it's early, so it kind of takes the legs a little bit
00:05to get into it, a little bit warm up.
00:07When did you arrive?
00:08I arrived on Sunday morning.
00:10Sunday from the States directly or from Taipei?
00:12Yes, from the States.
00:13From the States, I implemented in Manila on Sunday morning, yeah.
00:16So, at this point, you're feeling any jet lag?
00:21Not really.
00:22No, I mean, it's like, I think I've gotten better at adjusting slowly and with all the travel, like racing
00:27in Asia a good amount.
00:29So, I think I've tried to do my best.
00:33Gentleman, can you tell us about more of your preparations?
00:36Yeah, it's been a good season, I think.
00:40I mean, really, as a whole, the season started in the fall, 2025, getting ready for SEA Games.
00:45And then, after that, prepared for a little bit more of a spring season.
00:49So, maybe that April, April-May timeline to race a couple times in the United States and then as well
00:55as in Japan.
00:57And, yeah, so, like today, so as far as the preparation, I feel pretty healthy, which is, I think it
01:04was a little bit better than last year.
01:05I showed up with a little bit of an injury last year here, so I feel good to be healthy.
01:14I'm done for the week, yes, yes.
01:16There's 5,000 this week.
01:18So, this was only your one and only?
01:21Yes, yes.
01:22So, and so you considered, gave your all for this?
01:25I tried to, yeah, that's definitely, I think I talked to my coach and we said it was a good
01:29time to really come here and try.
01:32And I think, you know, I think that was my best time here in the Philippines, to put it up
01:37against, I think it was better than the one that I ran in 2024 here, so.
01:42Or in Boston, I should say, so.
01:45So, yeah, I just want to say emotionally.
01:48What's your national record here again just for you?
01:51In general?
01:52In the 5,000.
01:5313 minutes, 28 seconds.
01:5513 minutes, 28 seconds.
01:56And you lowered that.
01:58Oh, no, I mean, you were very near that.
02:01I wasn't near that today, to be honest, no, no.
02:05Like I said, yeah, yeah.
02:06So, what was the game plan for today?
02:08I think I tried to, you know, to be honest with you, I feel like I operate well when it's,
02:13being up front early is not a strength of mine.
02:16So, I wanted to work on that a little bit today.
02:20And, yeah, so that was the game plan.
02:21I wanted to be as relaxed as possible.
02:23You could say if I split it into three parts, I wanted to make sure part one was pretty relaxed.
02:28And then, I mean, the 5,000, I'm sure, for all of us, it gets really hard in the middle
02:32towards the end.
02:34So, just, you can prepare so much for that, but you have to kind of navigate it and battle through
02:39the end.
02:40So, after the National Open, what will be your opportunities for competitions?
02:46TBD, I have some opportunities to look at in, both in Europe and the United States in July.
02:51This, I probably won't race again in June.
02:54I'll go back and train a little bit.
02:56Like I said, it's been trying to pace myself a little bit for the year.
02:59Sorry, going since C Games.
03:01So, and the big goal for this year's Asian Games.
03:04Later this year in Japan.
03:05So, I want to do my best of balancing, working hard, but also pacing myself so that I can make
03:12it healthy to that.
03:13Where are you basically training right now in the States?
03:16I train in Virginia, in the East Coast.
03:19Where in Virginia?
03:20Blacksburg, Virginia.
03:21Blacksburg?
03:22Yes.
03:22What team, what university?
03:24Yeah, I train with a couple other post-collegiates, mostly Americans.
03:28Probably featuring the Olympic champion in 2024, over 1,500, Cole Hawker.
03:33So, I train in Cooper Teer and then a couple other individuals there on the men's and women's side as
03:40well.
03:41Hello.
03:42Thanks.
03:48So, I'm not worried.
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