Portland two-time cross country All-American and U.S. 10-mile track record holder Nick Hauger, representing HOKA ONE ONE Northern Arizona Elite, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss his team competing Nov. 17 in the second Michigan Pro Ekiden at Stony Creek Metro Park. NAZ Elite won the inaugural event last year, but Hauger shares how excited he is over the expansion of the event, which includes Bowerman Track Club, Roots Running Project, Minnesota Distance Elite, Team Boulder and the host Hansons-Brooks ODP competing in a co-ed competition. Each team features three men and three women, with the relay consisting of a pair of 6-kilometer legs, a pair of 5-kilometer legs and a pair of 10-kilometer legs. Joining Hauger on the NAZ Elite lineup will be Scott Fauble and Sid Vaughn, along with Lauren Paquette, Dani Shanahan and the team debut of Katie Wasserman, a former Columbia and Notre Dame standout and NCAA Division 1 5,000-meter runner-up in June. Hauger shares how much team competitions mean to him following his career at Portland and leading the Pilots to a pair of podium finishes at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships. He also analyzes Portland finishing third Nov. 12 at the NCAA West Regional and advancing to the national final Nov. 20 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla. He also revisits his recent experiences at the USATF 25K Championships, where he placed 10th on Oct. 23 in Michigan by clocking 76:31, as well as his first half marathon in April in Nebraska, finishing fifth in 65:36, and explains how the preparation has been going for his debut at the 26.2-mile distance Dec. 5 at the California International Marathon. Hauger expresses his gratitude not only for his collaboration with NAZ Elite coach Ben Rosario, but also for the wisdom and experience shared by Scott Smith, Kellyn Taylor and Stephanie Bruce, all marathon veterans on the team. He also explains how a plant-based lifestyle has worked well for him and how cooking for himself during the pandemic really put an emphasis on providing the right fuel for his body during training, competitiion and recovery. Hauger also reflects on the creation of the Running Rivals podcast with NAZ Elite teammates Rory Linkletter and Matt Baxter, both All-Americans at Brigham Young and Northern Arizona, respectively, and the platform they have created for athletes and coaches to share their stories throughout the pandemic, He also talks about both his friends recently becoming fathers for the first time and still balancing training and competing at an elite level.
