Issue 33

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

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Relentless Pursuit

Interview with Sam Parsons

Today we welcome the one and only Sam Parsons to The Hammer! Sam is a German-American distance runner, co-founder and Creative Director of Tinman Elite, and former standout for the NC State Wolfpack. During his collegiate career, he earned multiple All-Conference and All-Region honors in cross country and track, capping it off with a Second Team All-American finish in the 10,000m at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

As a professional athlete, Sam has competed on some of the sport’s biggest stages— from German National meets and European Championships to Diamond League races and the World Championships. He holds impressive personal bests of 13:12.78 in the 5000m and 3:54.08 in the mile.

With a strong community behind him and a smile on his face, Sam approaches each day with a relentless pursuit to reach his fullest potential. Today, he shares insights into his current training and racing plans, reflects on his 2024 season, college journey, and pro career, and talks about what he’s looking forward to in 2025.

To learn more about Sam, follow along on social media @hammerandaxetraining this week as he shares behind-the-scenes content, training tips, and more!

Hi Sam - Welcome back to The Hammer! How is everything going with fall training, life, etc? Any races coming up soon?

Fall training has been consistent. I went from 0 miles on Sept 13th to 102 miles this past week so it's been a slow and methodical build back up… I’m excited to have this foundation heading into this year. I really wish fitness came back to me really quickly so I could run European XC Championships but I think it proves what I already knew that last year I was running most of the year on what I call now “fake fitness.” It’s also been a stressful one navigating my own future personally and in the sport but hey that’s life if all came easy it’s probably not worth it, right? 

My focus is qualifying for the European Indoor Championships in the Netherlands in March.

As you’ve reflected on your 2024 season, what stands out? Anything you’re particularly proud of, favorite races, or things you wish you did differently?

I’m not gonna sugarcoat this answer.. 2024 was a huge letdown year for me. I fell just short of basically every goal I set out to achieve and I didn’t have any power to compete when it mattered at the end of races. What stands out? Probably the two trips I had to take in ambulances after pivotal races (both from heat exhaustion one at the Shanghai Diamond League and the other at the German National Championships). Both were humbling experiences that I will never forget. I think those hospital trips are symbolic in a way. I wanted to accomplish my goal of becoming an Olympian so badly that I was willing to risk so much in pursuit of those goals but this sport owes you nothing no matter what. Okay here is the bright side: I ran more miles weekly, experienced some amazing new places, stayed healthier than I ever have, and enjoyed so much of the process with my teammates. Would I do anything differently? Of course, I could say I wish I went to this race or that race because it had better weather or better pacing but at the end of the day I think that is cheap talk that doesn’t do any good to move forward with my career so no I wouldn’t do a damn thing different! (just kidding I actually realllllly wish I did heat training to prepare for some races hahah)

I’m a firm believer that failure only becomes a failure when you allow it to define you. So here’s what I’m doing to prevent that from happening this year: 

1. Building a strong fall foundational base with more miles and of course more threshold. 

2. Weekly Hill sprints - need to have the power to kick in races. 

3. Challenging myself with new races.

Rewinding to your college days at NC State, what is one of your favorite memories from your time there? Are there any major lessons that still stick with you in your approach to training and racing today?

One of my favorite memories from college is holding hands with my teammate Meron Simon across the finish line en route to winning Regionals my senior year. It was the only cross-country race I ever won as a team and getting to do it side by side with one of my best friends was just so special. All I ever wanted in college was cross-country team success. That’s all that I ever cared about. I always kinda checked out for a while when track season rolled around because it always felt like such a selfish and unfilling endeavor for me. 

I do think I need to have some of that irrational confidence I had in college for sure. I think being almost “dumb” can be your ally in this sport. I feel like it’s so easy to get caught up in the numbers game and analyze everything ie “This is the pace/mileage I need to run to qualify/ run this time” instead of just letting confidence be your guide. So instead, having a pure racer “dumb” mindset like I’m just gonna go out there and try to win the damn thing no matter what.

You’ve been a pro for over 7 years now - what do you think the biggest difference is between the athlete you are now and the athlete you were in college? What has remained the same?

I was so naive in college about what being great really required. I have always been able to push myself way harder than my true fitness probably is on paper. The biggest thing is I just gave up all the partying and let's call it the shenanigans. I’m the same passionate person when it comes to being a leader, being a good teammate, and enjoying the sport.  

Looking ahead to 2025, what goals and expectations do you have for yourself? What are you excited for?

Expectations are the enemy. When goals become expectations they become your enemy. I have no expectations for myself only opportunities to seize. My main focus right now is getting back in a German national kit and competing at the European Indoor Championships in March. In order to accomplish that I will need to be in PR shape in the mile, 3000m, and 5000m so that’s what I’m working on.  

Any advice for athletes dealing with performance anxiety and looking to better their mental game?

Address head-on what your fears are... Talk about them with your coach, teammates, or in a journal. (whatever you are comfortable with) Get off your phone and actually spend time with the fear.. learn to embrace it. If you ignore it then all of a sudden, you are on the starting line or in the race starting shutting down then it's a failure. You need to spend time with your anxiety/ mental struggle to learn how to combat it and live those moments mentally far far before they ever happen in a race. 

Find a good book on mindfulness and become a student of this practice. One book that introduced me to the topic was “The Miracle of Mindfulness” 

Training Tip: Reframing Your Goals

Often as runners, we set ‘expectation’ goals. I have to run a personal best…I have to qualify for regionals…I have to be top 5 on my team…you get the point. This mindset is very limiting and only focused on the outcome. Reframe these “I have to” statements to “I get to”. Example: I get the opportunity to see how fast I can go…I get the opportunity to compete against the best in my conference…I get to work hard and train with my teammates every day. These statements are freeing, focused on seizing opportunity with gratitude. It’s a small change, but it makes a big difference in releasing some of the pressure of expectations we put on ourselves.

Sam now offers one-on-one coaching. Reach out today if you’re interested in working with him!

⚒️ Stay Tuned Next Week ⚒️

We’re bringing on Anthony Camerieri to hear more about his journey to the pro level, cross training tips and tricks, plans for 2025, and more! Watch your inbox on December 16th for our last issue of The Hammer for 2024!

🚨Our Biggest Sale of The Year: 25% Off All Training Plans 🚨

That’s right - All Hammer & Axe training plans are 25% off through this Friday, December 13th! We have a variety of plans available for everything from the 800 to the marathon, each tailored for different experience levels and goals. If you’re not sure what plan is right for you, feel free to DM on Instagram!

🗣️Don’t Forget to Claim 10% off ROLL Recovery’s SUPERPLUSH™ Footwear Collection with code thehammer10