Scott Bauhs started 2012 off with a bang, finishing the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in 3rd place with a 1:01:30 clocking, putting him the ballpark of the top 10 US men’s marks all time. Growing up in Danville, California, Bauhs was recruited by Chico State in Northern California. He graduated in 2009 with eight All-American honors, a sub 4:00 mile, and qualification for the 2008 Olympic Trials under his belt at 10,000m.
Since turning pro, Bauhs has trained with the Mammoth Track Club, slowing working towards the kind of breakthrough he enjoyed last summer, when he finished third at the USATF Outdoor Championships 10,000m. His finish qualified him for the 2011 IAAF World Championships team in Daegu, Korea, at which he earned 14th place.
Bauhs took a few minutes to visit with Focus-N-Fly as he prepares in Mammoth for the NYC Half Marathon in March.
FNF: Your progression at Chico somewhat mirrored the emergence of that school as a Division II player. How was your experience there?
SB: Chico let me develop at my own pace. Gary [Towne, the coach] does a very simple program that just builds year to year. I just ran 10-20 miles per week more than the year before. When I first got there, I felt like there were a few kids [who chose other schools] I was comparable to who ran 14:00 in the 5K, while l ran 14:50. The next year, I broke 30:00 [in the 10K] and slowly got closer to them. A lot of Division I schools try to maximize their scholarships and you can’t improve at a more slow, but normal rate while keeping an eye on the future. I was able to focus on things that I eventually achieved down the road, like qualifying for Olympic Trials and winning a national title in Division II.
FNF: Do you still keep in touch with your college coach and your Chico teammates?
SB: I talk to Gary pretty regularly, and I’ve got some friends I keep in touch with. I try to go back and meet the new recruits when I can.
FNF: How did the decision to train with the Mammoth Track Club come about?
SB: I went to Mammoth for a high school training camp with my team every year, so I was familiar with it. I wanted to stay in California, and I thought it was kind of an easy decision. I saw the marathon in the future, with Deena [Kastor] and Ryan [Hall] training there. I contacted Terrence [Mahon, Mammoth TC coach] and met him at the Trials. It all worked out pretty easily.
FNF: So, now, you’ve had some time to explore the longer distances. We have a bunch of Houston trainees working with us at FNF. How did Houston go from your perspective?
SB: Things went well. Ever since I tried the half marathon in college, I have adapted well to that distance. I have been inching more toward the marathon, but every time I do these long tempos or do the really long runs, I can’t quite handle them yet, the same way Meb, Deena, and Ryan would. But, I am getting closer. I knew I had a lot of untapped potential, and being able to train with Pat Smythe, Meb a bit, and all the marathoners worked out well. I was pretty burned out after Daegu, so I could train with those guys, just with a little edge taken off. I tapered with them too, so I was really well rested.
At the race, the pacing went well. There was a guy from Minnesota who was aggressive early and then the Ethiopian guy started coming back to us, so I was never by myself. The weather was good, I had people to run with, and it all panned out really well. Hopefully I can improve on that, as I didn’t have any races leading in.
I’m doing the NYC Half Marathon. I just did a small 10K [Coronado 10K in San Diego], and I’m hoping to be able to attack the New York Half and be able to compete.
FNF: Tell us about qualifying for the World Championships 10,000 meter team as a bit of an underdog.
SB: I wasn’t doubting myself, but I actually didn’t even bring my passport for team processing. I’ve been running better and better workouts, but not necessarily better races. I’ve been super-confident and for some reason I just haven’t had it on the day. Either I’ve kind of been tired or not quite there yet - not able to handle the training yet. So, I just kind of went into the race, telling myself to compete with whoever was in there.
The race went perfectly for how my training was going. My training was going well, but my speedwork was really clicking, and the race ended up being really slow until about a kilometer to go. I wasn’t afraid of trying to beat anyone specifically, but I was kind of gunning for top three. So, obviously I was happy with it. Actually, I was in a little bit of shock, realizing that goal. I knew I was capable of running better than I had run and it was great to have it come together.
FNF: How is your approach different this year with the worlds team qualification under your belt?
SB: It hasn’t been much different, although it is kind of a whole new ballgame. There will be some guys in there that weren’t there last year, and who knows how the college guys will be or if a younger pro will be putting things together. I just want to race everyone I can to the finish line.
FNF: Obviously the Olympic Trials are the goal this year, but what do you have in mind over the next couple of years?
SB: I’m definitely going to do the marathon, perhaps this fall or maybe a bit later. I’m excited about the marathon, but will definitely come back to the track and cross country. The move to the marathon, will leave my options really open. Mostly, I kind of want to let my running take me to exciting places. Money is an issue, but I don’t want it to be more of an issue than it needs to be. I want to do some of those fun road races that I have skipped every year because I am focused on the track. I do want to make sure I leave the track with some PRs I am happy with, but more than anything, I just want to take advantage of the opportunities I have, and not get stuck doing the same races every year. I’d like to have some stories to share.
