Forys ready to put summer training to test
Ex-Cougar star ready for sophomore season at UM
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
On the surface, it was a typical summer for Craig Forys. Work as a lifeguard at Bradley Beach during the day (with the occasional participation in lifeguard competitions) and, of course, running in the evening.

Forys was back on his old stomping grounds this summer, running around the Manasquan River Reservoir or on the Allaire State Park trails. To those familiar with the former Colts Neck High School national champion, it was a familiar site, Forys running solo or with friends. Just like old times. Only, it wasn't.

What was not so visible to an onlooker was the volume of Forys' workouts. He was doing those 12- and 14-mile runs more often than before. He was also putting in tempo runs at a fast 5:10-5:15-permile pace. The reason? He was getting ready for his sophomore year at the University of Michigan (UM).

At this time last summer, Forys was unquestionably one of the finest high school distance running talents to ever grace New Jersey. As he put down his training miles, the challenge ahead was the unknown. Yes, running is running no matter where you are, but the task for the multiple state champion was what he would do at the next level, running for one of the nation's top programs.

Forys answered any doubters with an outstanding cross country season. But, there was a price to be paid. It was no longer in high school. The races were five miles to 10,000 meters and the workouts were more intense.

"It's the quality of every run," Forys said, talking about the difference between college and high school. "The long runs are farther and the workouts longer. It's both bulk and quality.

"The longer races and longer workouts took a toll on me," he added. "There are no easy days."

That's the reason Forys upped his mileage and the tempo of his workouts. He wants to handle the punishing cross country season better so as to avoid the hamstring injury that limited his indoor and outdoor track seasons. He still laid down a 2:59.3 1,200-meter leg for Michigan's distance medley relay team at the Penn Relays, and lowered his 1,500-meter personal best to 3:49.69 and mile time to 4:04.3. Very encouraging marks, but he wants better and the only way to do that is to steel his body for the rigors of running at the highest collegiate level.

As he heads back to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the 2008 cross country season, Forys is anxious to test his fitness following the best summer of training he's ever had. His legs, he noted, have gotten through the wall and "feel better." Those long runs that used to be a struggle are so much easier now.

One of the highlights of the 2008 cross country season will be the Big 10 Championships on Nov. 2. That's because the Wolverines are hosting it this year. Forys is confident that Wolverine coach Ron Warhurst is going to make the hilly UM course as difficult as possible.

It was at last year's Big 10 meet where Forys made a stunning debut. Running in his first official race in a Wolverine singlet, he finished seventh overall, earning All-Big 10 First Team and was the first UM harrier across the line.

"I was running pretty good," he recalled of the race held on the Ohio State University's five-mile layout. "I was thinking 'Why am I so high up?' Then [teammate] Mike Woods dropped out [injured ankle] and I was looking around asking, where is everyone else?"

Forys was the first Wolverine frosh to make All-Big 10 since a fellow named Allan Webb. Warhurst said that Forys "ran fantastic."

Forys followed that up with a strong run at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, where his 11th place helped the Wolverines capture the co-championship and qualify for the NCAA championships. He added All-Region to his frosh résumé.

At the NCAA, he was 96th and got his first taste of the wealth of talent in college distance running.

"You realize everyone in college is good," he explained. "One good day doesn't do it. You've got to keep doing better."

That's typical Forys, who is driven to do better. Again, another reason for those long miles. He'll take on any challenge.

His first year at Michigan wasn't successful just for his running results. Forys comfortably made the transition from high school to college life and living away from home. Every day, he noted, he knew that he had made the right college decision

"It's the best place I could have gone," he said. "I get along with the guys [teammates] so well. They're my closest friends."

Just as importantly he found Coach Warhurst approachable.

"It worked out well," said Forys. "He's an old-fashioned guy who believes in hard work. He really understands [running]."

The running environment around Ann Arbor couldn't be more productive for someone like Forys with serious goals. Assistant coach Nate Brannen is a Canadian Olympian who ran the 1,500 meters in Beijing. Warhurst still trains New Zealand's Nick Willis (a UM alum) who reached the 1,500 final at the Olympics. It doesn't hurt having runners like that to influence you.

Michigan will be coming east on Sept. 20 for the Iona Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park (VCP), the Bronx, N.Y. Forys mastered both the 2.5-mile (course record) and 5,000-meter (state record) courses during high school and now faces the challenge of conquering the college 8,000-meter course that includes the climb up the famed "Cemetery Hill." Forys noted that now that he had finally mastered the high school course, VCP had something new to throw at him.

Forys' training partner at times this year was his former Cougar teammate Mark Leininger. Forys noted that the Colts Neck senior is in good shape and poised for a big season. It's the same thing Forys is planning for this fall.