“Nick Symmonds” has long been a household name in the running world. He is a two-time Olympian, six-time U.S. champion, the 2013 World Championship silver medalist, and the fourth-fastest American of all time in the 800 with a time of 1:42.95. He’s one of America’s best track athletes ever, and, at the age of 33, he’s retiring. Well, at least from the track. Nick’s passion for running and his relentless desire to do more has him turning his sights to a new, slightly different challenge: the marathon. Nick will toe the line at the Honolulu Marathon this December 10th, 2017, and he admits that he’s going to have quite a few barriers to overcome in the months ahead (barriers many of our listeners know too well). Listen in as Nick reflects back on his incredible career, discusses his objectives for both the Honolulu Marathon and his company Run Gum, and shares his insight on the art of setting goals and working towards them.   P.S. Make sure you enter the RunAloha Sweepstakes for a chance to win an all-inclusive, 4-day trip to run with Nick Symmonds at the Honolulu Marathon! Questions Nick is asked: 3:48 What would you say have been a couple of career defining moments for you in retrospect?   4:52 When you started running in High School, did you ever envision the career you had?   5:37 What about a low point and how did you get past that?   6:56 What led you to start Run Gum?   8:35 Had you been thinking about this type of product for a while before you started your own company?   10:15 How long does it take for Run Gum to deliver a caffeine peak?   11:28 What led you to decide to retire and has that decision been bittersweet?   12:48 Having retired from the track, but not from running, what made you choose to run a marathon?   14:45 What difficulties do you anticipate as you train for the marathon?   16:57 How have you used visualization in the past?   18:44 Can you tell us about the RunAloha Sweepstakes?   19:40 Can you tell us a little more about Run Gum? 23:18 How smoothly has the Run Gum company launched?   24:29 How has starting your own business impacted your decision to retire?   26:22 Why did you choose to sit out the 2015 World Championships?   28:51 Do you have any regrets about it?   30:06 Will you continue fighting for athlete’s rights in the years to come?   31:44 Do you anticipate Run Gum’s antitrust lawsuit against USATF and the USOC will be resolved in time for the next qualification trials?   35:50 How can listeners help facilitate improvement of athlete’s rights?   37:06 What has been your opinion of doping and cheating in the running world?   39:13 How did you continue to compete knowing you were running against runners who were likely doping?   42:31 What is your favorite flavor of Run Gum?   Quotes by GUEST: “I didn’t love running; I actually hated it at the time, but I enjoyed practice, I enjoyed the team.”   “I wouldn’t necessarily advise athletes to start a brand or company while their still competing.”   “I’m going out on my terms. I’m not being forced out for financial reasons or due to injury, my body just doesn’t do what it used to do and that’s OK.”   “If you take the time to visualize every single scenario unfolding, then when you’re in the race and you only have a ¼ second to make a decision, you’ve already made it. You’ve already played that out in your mind.”   “I’m not saying that Run Gum is for everybody, but if you’re in need of energy and focus in a lightweight, affordable, easily consumed package this is for you.”   “As an athlete, you NEED to have an exit plan.”   Take a Listen on Your Next Run   Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel   Mentioned in this podcast: The RunAloha Sweepstakes Rungum.com The Honolulu Marathon Nick's YouTube Vlog NickSymmonds.com Follow Nick on Twitter Follow Nick on Instagram Follow Run Gum on Twitter Follow Run Gum on Instagram We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top. The best way you can show your sup