By Lincoln Shryack

If you ask Alberto Salazar what Jordan Hasay has been working on this season, he will tell you that it’s been a combination of both speed and strength. But please don’t ask him that question, since all runners do that. What all runners don’t do is run workouts after races, but under his system they serve a significant purpose. Just the same, Hasay will just be getting started when she runs the 1,500-meters this weekend in Portland. 

 

While Hasay has run PBs in both the 5/10k since turning pro, her focus this season is improving her finish. Once her specialty, the metric mile is now used as a workout for Hasay as she prepares for the longer distances this season. Salazar and Co. will be paying especially close attention to her last lap, which has become a glaring weakness for Hasay. 

 

Back in 2008, Jordan Hasay was the darling of the Olympic Trials. That year, she made the final and set the national high school record in the 1,500-meters. Her success in the distance continued at Oregon, but her future was in the longer distances. In her first U.S. Championships after turning pro, she qualified for the team to Moscow. 

 

This is great and all, but Jordan wants to win races. It’s not enough to just run a PR, to be competitive internationally she has to be able to close with the best in the world. Salazar is keenly aware of her mechanical issues, and as Jordan said, “I tend to over stride as I become fatigued so we are trying to correct that and the shorter race is a great opportunity to practice Every time Hasay runs a 1,500-meters, it’s a little trip down memory lane. Sunday will be her first in over a year, but more important than a dose of nostalgia will be practicing the finish that has eluded her recently. Just don’t forget about that workout afterwards.

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