Q&A With Hoka One One NAZ Elite Craig Lutz
NAZ Elite, Craig Lutz Bio:
Hometown: Highland Village, Texas
College: University of Texas
Professional Team: Hoka One One Northern Arizona Elite
Personal Records:
1,500m – 3:44.88
3,000m – 8:01.71
5,000m – 13:40.30
5k Road – 13:51
10,000m – 28:33.14
At what age did you start running?
It was in elementary school, at the age of 7, I was part of a group called Marathon kids which promoted health and wellness to fight obesity. The goal was to run the equivalent of a marathon distance (26.2 miles) over a season. It has now expanded into a national program that challenges kids to run the equivalent of four marathons in a season.
When did you decide to take running more seriously?
During my freshman year of high school. I realized that were is stiffer competition in high school and I had to start taking it more seriously. When I first started running I didn't have a structured program, it was my dad and me trying to figure it out as we went along. It wasn't until I got on the high school running team that I was on a structured plan which helped me to compete at a higher level.
Why did you decide to join the NAZ Elite Team and coach Ben Rosario?
I really like Ben's coaching style and the vibe of the Hoka One One NAZ Elite Team in Flagstaff. Ben helps you take a smart approach to your training and schedule of races to help get you to your goals. He's also really great at marketing the team and athletes so we can get the most exposure possible.
How do you fuel for your workouts?
Pre-workout: I will generally wake up at least 2 hours before the start of my workout and immediately have a cup of coffee and toast with peanut butter. I go light on the PB to make sure I'm not tasting it later on.
During: I haven't had to worry about this factor just yet as most of my training has remained short enough where refueling isn't a major concern. I am excited to have the electrolyte replacement now to mix with my bottle of water to quench my thirst during workouts.
What accomplishments are you most proud of so far in your running career?
- Qualifying for the World Junior Championships in XC
- Being a 4 time All-American at University of Texas
- Winning USATF 10k Cross Country Championships
What are your goals for the rest of this season?
My goal is to shoot for the USATF road title for the road circuit, currently I'm in 2nd place behind Christo Landry, with Jared Ward, and Olympians Galen Rupp and Meb Keflezighi all in the mix.
I'm also focused on making the U.S. Cross Country World Team in 2016.
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