Welcome to episode 162 of the Final Surge Podcast. Every spring the track world watches as high school boys chase the elusive sub-4 minute mile club. This year with the quarantine lockdown that chase looked more elusive than ever. In late May a group of elite runners got together for the Quarantine Clasico. In that race Leo Daschbach unleashed a 56 second last 400 to become the 11th American high school boy to break 4. We talk to Leo’s coach Dave Montgomery about his career and that race.
1:10 How did you get started in running?
3:36 Leo ran a 4:44 1600 which is good for a Freshman, but not what points to a sub-4 miler someday.
5:54 With his interactions with other kids Leo seems like such a good kid
6:42 Did he run before he was a Freshman or just soccer?
8:14 Was it the Sophmore year that you really saw the potential?
11:25 Some kids are great at the 800 and some are great at the 5k, not many have the range he does. Is that something you try to develop?
12:30 He had a great cross country season obviously, was there talk of chasing 4 at the time?
14:00 Where is he committed to college?
15:23 At the point it was clear there was not going to be a season did he ever back off?
17:15 During cross at Desert Twilight he was far enough behind Cole with 600 to go I didn’t think he had a shot, but he unleashed a kick that was amazing.
19:14 When did the idea for the Quarantine race come about?
21:33 Pick a week 3-4 weeks out, what did a week of training look like?
23:42 Was 10-miles the typical long run?
24:32 Do you run by time or miles?
25:06 Things looked good going into the race, what was your conversation before the race?
27:14 With 250 left to go he is in a group of 3 of the best runners in the country and he just takes off from the group
28:28 Knowing he finished with a 56.6 do you think he could have gone even faster?
29:07 What do you think his ceiling is when he goes off to college?
30:50 What do you think his race will be in college?
32:34 What is your situation right now, how are you dealing with what is going on?
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