Mead Aims To Cap Uneven Year With Strong NACAC

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

EUGENE -- Hassan Mead has been through a rocky 2018, so there is something satisfying about getting to wear the U.S. uniform this weekend in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 

The North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships don't hold the same prestige as an Olympics or World Championships, but in an off-year from those events, it's something. 

"The criteria (for NACAC) is to do well at U.S. Championships and that puts you in a position to accept or deny the opportunity," Mead said. "For me, it's tough to deny a chance to wear the USA uniform. It means a lot to me and shows you are doing something right."

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Mead, 29, is about to wrap up his sixth year as a member of Nike's OTC Elite training group. The Somali immigrant is a 2016 Olympian and 2017 U.S. 10,000-meter champion. 

He'll race this weekend in the 5,000 meters by virture of his third-place finish in that event June 24 in Des Moines at the USATF Outdoor Championships. 

For Mead, it's a chance to end the season healthy and positive heading into the fall. 

Last December, Mead suffered a painful iliotibial (IT band) strain and was forced to rest and rehab the injury into February. 

After that issue was resolved, he later ran into a problem with his rib cage. That caused training to halt again as Mead underwent X-rays and testing. 

Coach Mark Rowland referred to the injury as "twisted ribs" and said the issue is likely related to the collapsed lung that Mead suffered in September 2010 while he was on a training run when he was in college at Minnesota. 

"I have a tendency to get more side stitches (on my right side)," Mead said. "It's always part of the game. It's about how you bounce back and handle yourself."

Mead has battled through adversity before. After dropping out of the Olympic Trials 10,000 meters as one of the pre-meet favorites, he came back and battled his way onto the U.S. team in the 5,000 to qualify for the Rio Games.

After Tuesday's workout at South Eugene High, fellow OTC Elite Olympian Ben Blankenship said Mead's bounce-back at the 2016 Trials impressed him. 

"That takes a lot of toughness, to line up the next (day) and to move past it," said Blankenship, a fellow former Minnesota Golden Gopher. 

As for the recent issue with his right side, Mead said he is not worried about the injury and knows how to work around it. 

"It happens when I'm not relaxed and the muscles are not moving fluidly, and they get tangled up or whatever," Mead said. "It's nothing new to me and it comes and goes."

Despite a couple of setbacks, Mead has proceeded through a 2018 campaign that was built around the idea of getting into more races, particularly at shorter distances. 

At USATF nationals, Mead entered the 1,500 as well as the 5,000, but didn't advance past the first round in the shorter race.

Mead seldom runs miles, but he ran a new lifetime-best 3:55.91 at the fifth annual Sir Walter Miler in Raleigh, N.C. last week. 

"I enjoyed going all out from the gun," he said. "If I can get out into a good position I'm likely to hang on rather than fall back."

Any evidence of improved turnover is welcome news. Training to run fast is the icing on the cake of the 10,000. 

"If you want to be relevant (in the 10,000), it's an absolute fact that you have to run inside 54 seconds on the last lap," Mead said. "I don't thave the natural turnover, so getting faster, that is my objective."

This was the year that Rowland and Mead had intended on even more race opportunities.

"We were playing and experimenting in some says, but haven't been able to do it quite as we'd like to," Rowland said.

In the early fall, Rowland and Mead will take what they've learned and plot out training that will lead up to the 5,000 final in Des Moines next July, and hopefully to the IAAF World Championhips in Doha after that. 

In 2020, Mead will likely return to the 10,000 and try to lock down a spot on his second Olympic team.

He welcomed the news last week that Eugene had been awarded the 2020 Olympic Trials. 

"It's always nice because it's a home-court feel for us, just to sleep in your own bed and be in your own environment," Mead said. "I (already) can't wait. It's going to be awesome."