WEBVTT - ‘It’s Just Racing’ with Nikki Hiltz 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:02.920 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're in 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.600 New York City for the Business of Women's Sports Conference, 0:00:05.960 --> 0:00:09.800 trying not to totally fangirl Chelsea Clinton and Laurie Hernandez. 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:12.880 It's Tuesday, April twenty second, and on today's show, we're 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:14.960 skipping the need to know and jumping straight to my 0:00:15.000 --> 0:00:18.080 interview with the American mile record holder and twenty twenty 0:00:18.120 --> 0:00:20.840 four Olympian, Nicky Hilts. I caught up with them last 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:22.840 week to hear how things have been since our last 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:25.959 visit pre Paris Olympics, chat about why they joined the 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:28.640 inaugural season of Grand Slam Track, get a peek at 0:00:28.680 --> 0:00:32.760 the behind the scenes competition between competitions, and talk about 0:00:32.800 --> 0:00:35.280 the impact of music and pop culture on their training. 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:43.559 That conversation's coming up right after this. We've got a 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:46.080 repeat champ here joining us for a second time here 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:48.159 on Good Game. They're the American record holder in the 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:50.800 mile and the two time reigning US outdoor fifteen hundred 0:00:50.840 --> 0:00:53.440 meter champion. At the US Olympic Track Trials last year, 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:56.240 they clocked the second fastest time ever recorded by an 0:00:56.240 --> 0:00:58.680 American in the women's fifteen hundred meter race and went 0:00:58.720 --> 0:01:01.280 on to take seventh and the fifteen at the Paris Olympics. 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:03.640 They're part of the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:06.920 founded Grand Slam Track and at the first event in Kingston, 0:01:06.959 --> 0:01:09.119 Jamaica earlier this month, they won the eight hundred meter 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:12.600 race with a personal best. They competed collegiately for Oregon 0:01:12.640 --> 0:01:15.080 and Arkansas. They founded the Pride five k charity race. 0:01:15.120 --> 0:01:17.600 They've done the Charlie XCX Apple Dance on a bigger 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:20.360 stage than any of y'all, and they should not be 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:23.200 trusted with the vouvuzela. It's Nicky hilt. 0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:27.279 Hey Nikki, Hey Sarah, how's it going good? 0:01:27.360 --> 0:01:30.200 I think you've got enough charisma and enthusiasm that we 0:01:30.280 --> 0:01:32.360 do not need to hand you a horn. Based on 0:01:32.400 --> 0:01:35.240 your Instagram and the voove azelas in Jamaica, I think 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:36.880 that was a bad idea for whoever did that. 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:41.000 I know I didn't they were loud. I didn't know 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:42.800 they were going to be that loud. But no, that 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:45.920 was so fun. I love that thing. I still have it. 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:48.240 Actually, do you do you remember? Are you old enough 0:01:48.240 --> 0:01:50.280 to remember that there was a World Cup that they 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:52.520 started banning them because it was so annoying. 0:01:53.400 --> 0:01:55.480 Oh I didn't know that, but that makes total sense. 0:01:55.560 --> 0:01:58.040 Yeah, yeah, yeah, Like during the soccer games, it was 0:01:58.080 --> 0:02:01.000 the entire crowd was using the and it made it 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:03.640 like insufferable to watch and they ended up banning them 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:06.360 from being in the stands. So somehow they slipped back 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:08.280 into the track world, at least in Jamaica, which I 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:11.120 guess makes sense. So we spoke to you before the 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.519 Olympics last year. You were one of our first guests 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:15.240 on the show, and I just want to start there. 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:18.200 How has life changed for you? That felt like, you 0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:20.400 know phrasing, but a coming out party for you on 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:23.400 the national and global stage of a different kind. How's 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:24.240 life been since then? 0:02:25.000 --> 0:02:28.360 Oh it's been great. I mean definitely was like, yeah, 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:32.240 Paris was incredible. It felt like a ten day fever dream, 0:02:32.400 --> 0:02:35.639 you know. But yeah, I think I definitely kind of 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:39.440 hit the post Olympics like I wouldn't say depression, but 0:02:39.560 --> 0:02:43.040 just like low, like whoa like. And I think it 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:45.440 was because so much of last year was spent thinking 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:47.560 about the Olympics and then it happened and then it 0:02:47.600 --> 0:02:49.960 was like what do I think about now? You know? 0:02:51.360 --> 0:02:53.960 But it's been good. I mean I made some changes. 0:02:54.040 --> 0:02:57.480 I have a new coach, which is awesome, but a 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:00.320 lot of things have stayed the same. Just it's like 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:02.440 I feel like, yeah, I'm entering a part of my 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:08.600 career where I'm really excited to compete more globally now. 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:11.400 And you know, I was seventh at the Olympics and 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:14.360 that was awesome for me. But I want to just 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:16.600 keep improving as athlete and I want you know, the 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:20.040 medals or are right there, and I want to within 0:03:20.080 --> 0:03:23.040 the next four years the next Olympics cycle will be Yeah, 0:03:23.280 --> 0:03:25.560 have kind of my eyes on the medals, so kind 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:28.320 of making the changes and little tweaks here and there 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:30.760 to kind of element my game a little bit. 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:33.240 We love all of our guests here, but I have 0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:36.320 to admit you're definitely one of our favorites. And I 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:38.680 don't think it seemed like anyone was having more fun 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:41.760 at the Olympics than you. Like you obviously were ready 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:43.920 for your race and prepping, and you went out of 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:46.160 you know, the area of Paris to train and make 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:47.560 sure you were in the right head space. But once 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:49.880 you got back, like just the selfies with everyone in 0:03:49.920 --> 0:03:52.320 the dancing and everything, you really managed to bring your 0:03:52.360 --> 0:03:55.200 whole self and your unique style to it instead of 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:57.280 getting too like tight, which was so fun to watch, 0:03:57.640 --> 0:04:01.080 But that letdown is really common say that about things 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:03.960 like their wedding or things like the Olympics. Right when 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:07.480 there's that giant build up? Do you reset goals for yourself? 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:10.080 Because that dream of making the Olympics is such a 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:12.600 big one. Now is it about finishing a certain place 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:15.440 or continuing to just get better? Like what what have 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:16.960 you reset post Olympics? 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.120 Yeah? I think the way I set goals, they're very 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:26.360 like process focused and like not really focused on the outcome. 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:29.400 Like my my goals for Paris were to number one, 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:32.320 have fun, and I think you saw that ye nailed it, 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:36.839 and then number two was run three fifteen hundreds that 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:39.560 I was proud of, Like that was just like my goal. 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:41.160 So it's not like I want to medal at the 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:43.400 Olympics or I you know, like it's kind of more 0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:45.919 things that I can do. And so I think I 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:49.400 still have that same framework. Now it's just like a 0:04:49.440 --> 0:04:52.200 new season and there's no Olympics on the line, but 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:56.080 we still have a World Championship and this fall in Tokyo, 0:04:56.680 --> 0:05:00.160 and so yeah, I think just similar like I just 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:01.840 want to keep having fun. I want to grow and 0:05:01.880 --> 0:05:05.320 I want to you know, get better. And like when 0:05:05.720 --> 0:05:09.320 I think, like for me, when there's an area i'm 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:11.880 weak at or like there's room for improvement, I get 0:05:11.880 --> 0:05:15.000 really excited because I'm like, oh, cool, I find master that, 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:18.360 then maybe that's what's gonna help getting to the next level. 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:20.599 Like I get really excited about kind of where I 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:23.800 can find inconsistencies or room for growth. 0:05:24.560 --> 0:05:26.279 Yeah, because then it's like, oh, I'm going to unlock 0:05:26.320 --> 0:05:29.799 something new and maybe do something else. You posted recently 0:05:30.000 --> 0:05:33.200 just such an unhinged distance runner thing. You were like 0:05:33.200 --> 0:05:35.320 when the thing you love doing is also your self care. 0:05:35.440 --> 0:05:37.200 So I probably just needed a hug, but instead I 0:05:37.279 --> 0:05:42.120 ran twenty two four hundred meters. It grows ghost but 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:45.680 obviously that's that's what makes you great. Okay, So tell 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:48.159 us about Grand Slam track. How did you get involved? 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:50.640 Was it like a phone call from Michael himself? 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:56.120 I wish no. It was an email from Kyle Murder 0:05:56.240 --> 0:05:58.320 and he's the he's the one that like signs all 0:05:58.320 --> 0:05:59.160 the athletes and. 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:00.840 The lesser representative. 0:06:00.960 --> 0:06:04.440 Yeah, Chris, you know, but I was shocked. I mean 0:06:04.520 --> 0:06:07.040 because I knew the format, and I was like, oh, 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:09.600 I hope that one of them I could be a challenger, 0:06:09.680 --> 0:06:12.159 you know. But to get that email to be like 0:06:12.200 --> 0:06:14.120 do you want to be a racer? Was like awesome, 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:16.640 and I my agent, you know, emailed it to me. 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:18.480 It was like he knew that there was something that 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:20.800 I really wanted and I was just it was just 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:23.000 immediately yes, like yes, I want to be a part 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:25.640 of this league. And yeah, that was back in like 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:28.040 I think it was October, so a couple months after 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:30.440 the Olympics, and I was I was just on board 0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:30.919 right away. 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:33.720 Can you tell us about the format the racer versus 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:35.400 challenger in the two events? 0:06:35.680 --> 0:06:37.760 I think a good way to explain it is that 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.240 this Michael Johnson says this, but it's like the Olympics 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:44.320 is the best going head to head once every four years, 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:46.880 and Grand Slam track is the best going head to 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:51.320 head four times a year. And so the racers are 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:53.400 people who are signed on for all four of the 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:56.880 Grand Slams, and there's four per event category and then 0:06:57.000 --> 0:07:00.720 each Grand Slam four new people will come in as challengers. 0:07:01.880 --> 0:07:05.159 So the one we just had in Kingston, you know, 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:07.560 the event group that I'm in is the short distance, 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:10.160 and so we all run an eight hundred and a 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:14.000 fifteen hundred, and then you know, challengers of racers race 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:17.760 each other and then the combined score the highest points wins, 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:20.000 and so I was I won the eight hundred, and 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:22.280 I was third in the fifteen hundred, and so that 0:07:22.400 --> 0:07:24.679 was enough points to get second overall in my event 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:28.240 category and which was awesome. Like, so that's kind of 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:30.720 I think the breakdown. I feel like if you follow 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:33.520 Grand Slam Track on social media, they have a lot 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:35.560 of ways where they break it down that's probably probably 0:07:35.560 --> 0:07:37.560 like more well spoken than I am, but that's like 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:38.320 the gist of it. 0:07:38.760 --> 0:07:41.040 Yeah, so that's great for folks like you that can 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:45.320 excel at multiple distances. Do they have any plans for 0:07:45.360 --> 0:07:49.160 the field event folks that aren't multi events, because you can't, 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:50.920 you know, if you're a shot put or you're not 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:54.440 just gonna like randomly throw a Jav'm planning on just 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:55.800 keeping it on the track for now. 0:07:57.160 --> 0:07:58.720 I don't know. I mean, I know right now this 0:07:58.840 --> 0:08:02.280 season is it's great slam track, like it's very track focused. 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:05.600 But yeah, I do think in the future there's there's 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:08.480 definitely like a possibility to get field events involved, because 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:10.440 you know, that is the beauty of track and field, 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:13.240 like we have both. But yeah, no, I think I 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:15.880 think just now the focus is on on racing on 0:08:15.920 --> 0:08:16.320 the track. 0:08:16.720 --> 0:08:20.520 So you're saying there's an opening for Grand Slam field axactly, 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:25.920 all right, there's an opportunity obviously. You know, this is 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:27.520 one of a couple things that have started up in 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:30.600 the track space. Michael Johnson a name that people will 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:32.560 follow and people will get on board with. Did you 0:08:32.600 --> 0:08:34.640 look up to him growing up or did you mostly 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:36.960 stick to watching and idolizing the middle distance folks. 0:08:38.360 --> 0:08:42.360 Yeah, I mean I obviously knew of him, and yeah, 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:45.360 the legacy that he has in our sport, and I 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:48.320 think it's just really cool, Like I feel like he's 0:08:48.360 --> 0:08:51.080 really brought whatever made him a good athlete, you know, 0:08:51.600 --> 0:08:55.600 an Olympic gold medalist like multiple time. Like he's bringing 0:08:55.600 --> 0:08:58.760 that same intensity and focus and drive to Grand Slam 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:01.640 and like it's just cool to see a fellow athlete 0:09:01.679 --> 0:09:04.320 like and a lot of the people on you know, 0:09:04.360 --> 0:09:07.679 the leadership of Grand Slam track are former athletes as well, 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:09.880 and it's just like, oh, this is why this is 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:13.240 so well done. You know, these people are good at 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:15.520 their craft and they're you know, maybe to some extent 0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:18.040 like perfectionists or whatever it is that makes someone a 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:20.600 good athlete, Like they're bringing that same intensity to it. 0:09:20.640 --> 0:09:24.360 And I really really admire his not only just like 0:09:24.640 --> 0:09:27.319 entrepreneurship and like we're gonna do this, but like after 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:30.960 our inaugural Grand Slam and Kingslam, he tweeted, like, hey, 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:33.240 give us feedback, like how can we be better? And 0:09:33.240 --> 0:09:34.880 it's kind of like what I was just talking about 0:09:34.880 --> 0:09:37.200 of I just I just think that's a really admirable 0:09:37.280 --> 0:09:39.920 quality of like where is their room for growth and 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:42.360 how can we do it? And I think that you're 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:45.679 gonna see Grand Slam evolve and grow because of that, 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:49.080 and like because of the athletes in charge. They just 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:51.199 like they just care so much and they know what 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:52.720 they're doing, you know well. 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:55.199 And there's obviously exceptions where the ego gets in the way, 0:09:55.200 --> 0:09:57.280 but I think in general, across a lot of spaces, 0:09:57.360 --> 0:09:59.960 that's a through line for athletes is give me feed 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:01.959 back and make me better. And so they're going to 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:04.360 apply that to themselves, like you said, where you're looking 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:06.199 for little things you can fix in your own racing, 0:10:06.600 --> 0:10:08.800 and they're going to apply that after they're done competing 0:10:08.920 --> 0:10:10.920 to whatever business they're in. So not only is he 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:13.200 bringing the excellence that he brought to the track, but 0:10:13.280 --> 0:10:16.080 also now he wants to, like an athlete, be coached 0:10:16.160 --> 0:10:20.120 up by everyone and hear how to make things better. Okay, 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:22.000 so you talked about the format. One of the most 0:10:22.040 --> 0:10:25.240 striking things about it is the money. A total of 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:28.240 three point one five million dollars in prize money was 0:10:28.280 --> 0:10:31.720 awarded just at that Jamaica event. Last place in every 0:10:31.760 --> 0:10:34.360 event there took home as much as the regular season 0:10:34.400 --> 0:10:37.640 Diamond League winners in the past. A couple Diamond League 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:39.280 events are paying a little bit more this year, I 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:41.760 think because Athlos kind of gave him a nudge and said, hey, 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:45.040 spend more money on the winners. But still the opportunity 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:47.600 to go to races like this and make a ton 0:10:47.679 --> 0:10:50.400 more money than you're making elsewhere. Even if your last 0:10:51.040 --> 0:10:53.880 no wonder you said, I'm in right away to be 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:57.320 a racer, right, that's four guaranteed paydays if you if 0:10:57.360 --> 0:10:58.319 you compete right. 0:10:59.040 --> 0:11:01.920 Yeah, no, exactly. The money is definitely a huge draw 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:04.440 for the athletes, especially in a sport like track and 0:11:04.480 --> 0:11:08.240 field where we're not football players. Or basketball players like, 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:13.120 we don't make these huge incomes and so prize money. Yeah, 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:17.800 it's incredible, and the prize perse is it's hard to ignore. 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:21.040 And I think you're gonna see a lot of athletes like, shoot, 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:22.440 I want to be a part of this. I feel 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:25.440 like I think I was talking to Kyle murber A Browde. 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:28.680 He's like, I want really good athletes to be watching 0:11:28.720 --> 0:11:30.839 at home and then be like, oh, I could have 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:32.840 won that, and then they come be a challenger the 0:11:32.840 --> 0:11:33.520 next time, you know. 0:11:33.880 --> 0:11:37.600 Yeah, so Miami is the next one. It's happening in May. 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:39.960 Will you run the same races there? Are you a 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:42.360 racer in your two events for the entire circuit? 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:47.080 Yeah, I'm a racer for the short distance event category 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:50.320 for the whole thing. There's a few athletes like Gabby 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:52.560 Thomas who can kind of jump event groups. You know, 0:11:52.920 --> 0:11:54.920 she can run a one to two and a four. 0:11:55.080 --> 0:11:56.959 Right now, she's in the two four event group. But 0:11:57.000 --> 0:11:59.200 I think for some she'll switch to like the one too. 0:11:59.320 --> 0:12:02.120 But for me, yeah, I don't. I don't want to 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:03.400 move up. I don't want to be a part of 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:04.600 the three K five G group. 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:07.920 No, And that was an interesting element of that first 0:12:07.960 --> 0:12:10.000 event was and I'm forgetting the guy's name, but he 0:12:10.080 --> 0:12:12.520 had such a lead in the first race that by 0:12:12.520 --> 0:12:14.160 the time he got to the second he just had 0:12:14.160 --> 0:12:16.679 to finish like top five or something to win. So 0:12:16.720 --> 0:12:18.520 he coasted a little bit. And we're used to seeing 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:20.560 that in maybe like the Tour de France, where there's 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:23.800 multiple stages, maybe not so much on the track. So 0:12:23.840 --> 0:12:26.280 something to think about in terms of the excitement. Also, 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:28.760 if you're better at the first event than the second, 0:12:29.160 --> 0:12:31.360 it's harder to celebrate when you win the first one 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:33.320 because you still don't know how many points you might 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:35.720 need in the second one to win, Whereas if you're 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:37.760 leading in the first and then you perform well in 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:39.920 your second event, you kind of can celebrate the win. 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:43.040 How did you feel about that? That feeling of I mean, 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:45.400 of course you're going to celebrate your race and your time, 0:12:45.720 --> 0:12:47.839 but when you finish being like, I don't know, was 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:50.600 that enough to get me enough when I get to 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:53.080 the next race. It's you don't usually pair things up 0:12:53.120 --> 0:12:55.880 like that in racing totally. 0:12:56.000 --> 0:12:58.920 Yeah, it's a brand new concept for a track, but 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:01.320 I really like it because I think it keeps the 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:04.839 focus on competing and not like oh, let's chase these 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:07.679 pace lights and run a fast time, like it's about 0:13:07.760 --> 0:13:09.840 just head to head racing and like, Okay, what do 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:11.640 I have to do to be the overall champ? What 0:13:11.640 --> 0:13:13.080 do I have to do in this race? What about? 0:13:13.120 --> 0:13:14.600 You know, like who do I have to be? And 0:13:14.640 --> 0:13:17.080 I think it's just people picked it up pretty quickly, 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:19.360 like yeah, you're talking about Grant Fisher, like he won 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:21.440 the five k and then I think he only had 0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:23.800 to be third in the three k to secure the win. 0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:25.840 And I think it's I think it's fun. I think 0:13:25.880 --> 0:13:28.320 it's a new stratagy. It's something new for track, but 0:13:29.120 --> 0:13:31.360 it's not new at the same time, it's just racing. 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:34.520 And that's the whole thing I think. You know, you see, 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:38.319 there's so many in all sports, but like track right now, 0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:43.079 there's so much development in like technology, like the shoes 0:13:43.120 --> 0:13:46.560 are insane. There's like we just have more knowledge than 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:49.160 ever on how to recover and like the training. Because 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:50.480 of the shoes, you can put in a lot more 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:53.760 training and recover quicker, like and so you're seeing and 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:57.000 the tracks are better surfaces right, like you're seeing the 0:13:57.000 --> 0:13:59.880 fastest times we've ever ran. Of course, we are, like, 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:03.400 we're setting world records because we have the best technology. 0:14:03.640 --> 0:14:06.800 So it's kind of like I hate that that's kind 0:14:06.840 --> 0:14:09.080 of been the focus for the past few years of like, 0:14:09.880 --> 0:14:12.200 you know, who can run the It's like, guys, the 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:14.920 point is racing. You don't ask the Olympic gold medalist 0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:17.079 what time did you run? You're like show me your medal, 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:20.280 you know, Like, and I think that that's why I 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.720 was so attracted to Grand Slam, because that's how I've 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:27.840 always approached it, Like you can't compare our era to 0:14:28.120 --> 0:14:31.640 like even ten years ago at this point because it 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:33.760 was so different than technology. So let's just stick to 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:36.320 the basics of like who in this era is competing 0:14:36.960 --> 0:14:40.040 against each other and kind of just yeah, keep the 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:42.640 focus on competing, not chasing fast times. 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:46.040 Well, and that's like what racing always starts at is 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:48.640 in the backyard on the school track, Like who's faster 0:14:48.720 --> 0:14:51.080 than who? That's what it is. Yeah, right, and you 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:53.480 get to have that feeling again. Also, by the way, 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:55.800 as a heptathlete, we've been doing that whole did I 0:14:55.840 --> 0:14:57.680 do enough in this event to have to do enough 0:14:57.680 --> 0:14:59.640 in this event? To do enough in this event? The 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:02.360 entire so now you guys are just understanding what it 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:04.920 feels like for us, For me, for instance, to suck 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:06.600 at the eight hundred and be like, it's all right, 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:08.600 I did enough in the javelin, I did enough in 0:15:08.600 --> 0:15:12.160 the hurdles. What about the other racers. Obviously there's a 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:14.720 family of people you train with, people you see at 0:15:14.880 --> 0:15:18.240 World Championships, Olympics. But is it a nice feeling to 0:15:18.240 --> 0:15:21.840 have more of these events during the regular, like off 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:24.360 season of those major internationals so that you can hang 0:15:24.360 --> 0:15:26.760 out with them. Are there racers that you're like, oh, 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:28.680 I'm so excited they signed up. I really wanted to 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:30.920 meet them or get a chance to hang out with them. 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:35.000 Yeah. I mean the racers in my event category are 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:37.160 the like the best in the world, and it's really 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:40.080 cool that I get to go up against them four times. 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:44.080 And you know, Jesshole is someone that I've competed against 0:15:44.400 --> 0:15:46.720 for a very long time. We were I think a 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:51.200 year apart in college, and so you know, my senior year, 0:15:51.320 --> 0:15:53.600 her junior year, she won and I was second by 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:56.440 like point oh two at the NCAA Championship. So we've 0:15:56.480 --> 0:15:59.440 had like a long career of like, yeah, just going 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:03.200 head to head racing and and you know, Mary Morrow 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:07.320 is world champ in twenty twenty three, you know, in 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:09.560 the eight hundred, so it's really cool to I'm going 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:12.280 to be racing eight hundreds against a world champion in 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:16.640 that event, Like that's really special. Well, Tedgi is a 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:20.320 twenty two year old Ethiopian who is like just coming 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:22.680 into her own and she's you know, she's competed. I 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:24.480 think she's the only one that's competed out of world 0:16:24.560 --> 0:16:27.240 champs in both the eight and the fifteen. So it's like, 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:30.560 I'm in really good company and I'm I really really 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:32.360 am excited that I get to race them, and then 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:34.440 the challengers that are going to come in are also 0:16:34.440 --> 0:16:37.360 world class, so I'm just excited, Like this is just 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:41.240 what I love. And the people I think they're only 0:16:41.280 --> 0:16:43.600 going to make me better because I'm I'm trying to 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:45.800 beat them and I'm like, well, shoot, I gotta get 0:16:45.800 --> 0:16:46.680 better if I want to win. 0:16:47.280 --> 0:16:50.400 Yeah, we got to get like remember the old Mike 0:16:50.520 --> 0:16:53.480 versus Mike. We need like a Hall versus Hilts. We 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:56.760 need like people to know your stats and how many 0:16:56.760 --> 0:16:58.640 times you've raced and who's got the lead in the 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:01.760 heads ahead. We need to start marketing those rivalries the 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:03.640 way that we used to in the old days. Even 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:05.879 though I guess that one or was it Dave versus 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:08.440 Dan that was the one I'm thinking of, right. 0:17:08.880 --> 0:17:11.200 Yeah, yeah, I think Grand Slamchack has made a couple 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:15.480 graphics of those key matchups for sure. So yeah, we'll 0:17:15.480 --> 0:17:17.560 see if there's a Hilts first whole one coming out. 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:21.040 So well, tail of the tape, if you will. The challengers, 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:24.320 are they different every race or might someone come around 0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:26.600 in Kingston then be back again in Philadelphia. 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:28.679 I think for the most part, they'll be different for 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:31.560 each Slam, but if someone comes in and wins the 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:34.800 Grand Slam, then they get invited back if they want to. 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:37.320 We got to take a quick break more with Niki 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:47.080 right after this. So Grand Slam Track, as I mentioned, 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:49.280 not the only circuit that has been added to this 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:54.080 elite racing opportunity world. We saw Alexis O'hanian's Athlos event 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:57.400 just for women and sprinters last year. Meg the Stallion 0:17:57.560 --> 0:18:00.200 was performing you want to Tiffany Crown as part of 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:02.399 the winnings, like they made it really kind of a 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:06.600 cool event. And then Grand Slam Track arrives and for 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:09.440 such a long time. The Diamond League was like the thing. 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:12.200 Can you speak to how the pro running space has 0:18:12.320 --> 0:18:14.760 changed and what that means for elite runners? 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:19.000 Yeah, I mean it's really exciting. I love what Athlos did. 0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:22.119 I think, you know, they raise the bar in prize 0:18:22.119 --> 0:18:25.919 money and then also, hey, we could have like a 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:29.199 really cool musical performance, like you know, why not have 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:31.720 Mega selling there? And I think it's it's a really 0:18:31.720 --> 0:18:34.639 cool that that track is like finally I think having 0:18:34.680 --> 0:18:38.679 its moment and growing. Yeah, and it just makes me 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:41.600 really grateful to be an athlete during this time. And 0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:44.640 I think it's only going to keep growing. Like we saw, 0:18:45.240 --> 0:18:47.919 you know, the Olympics, Like I don't know the exact 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:51.040