Coping with injuries is always difficult for athletes because all we want to do is, basically, to have our best performances unhindered.
After asking questions about current recovery techniques, the conversation prompted me to ask myself, 'Why does it feel good after running to pour a bottle of water over your head?' I don't know the physiological answer, but the fact that it does feel better makes me perform better.
The decathlon is exclusive company.
I do the whole 10-event thing, but at the end of the day, it's still track and field.
My local newspaper, the 'Bend Bulletin,' interviewed me while I was at high school after I had just signed with the University of Oregon. I remember I wore a University of Oregon hooded sweatshirt, and they took a picture of me in the long jump pit. I was freezing!
I'm just happy to be part of the family, the decathlon family.
When I see my mom in the stands, it always pushes me to succeed.
I'm not maximized yet.
There's never going to be a decathlon that you're going to have 10 events that your satisfied with. You're always, always going to be dissatisfied in something, and that always draws you back to try to retry that the next time you do a decathlon. It's like you go for the perfect 10.
My goal in Korea is to win. There's no timetable when to set the American record.
The thing I like about decathlon is also the thing I dislike: It's the maximum challenge, but also the maximum frustration.
The desire definitely comes from within. There are only a few people who make it to this level and those are the ones who have that innate desire.
When I'm on the track, I like hearing the fans cheer me on.
I was one of those kids who, everything I tried sports-related, I liked.
You see somebody on a football field make a great, athletic 70-yard run, but the athleticism is immeasurable. It's undoubtedly athletic, but compared to somebody else who did something else, how do you compare it? That's the great part of track and field. It's a test, but with results that you can compare to others.
I was never interested in golf until someone brought up the Get Golf Ready program to me.
Track and field is tougher physically, but golf is tougher mentally.
I haven't played a full round of golf yet, but I did make two pars my first time out on a golf course.
Nike came to me and said, 'We're interested in the decathlon and interested in seeing if we can help you get as close to 10,000 points as we can.'
Know that even when you want to give up or throw in the towel, in the end it will all be worth the hard work.
