"I wanted to prove to everyone that all the sacrifices I'd made and dumb decisions I made were worth it." Nick Symmonds was a professional track and field athlete for 12 years, specializing in the 800 meters. He made two Olympic teams — the first when he was just 22 years old — and represented Team USA in Beijing and London. Nick, who lives in Eugene, OR, and is the CEO of Run Gum, retired from professional racing last year, and is now a proud, self-professed "hobby jogger." He made his marathon debut at the 2017 Honolulu Marathon, and is now training to break three hours in the 26.2-mile distance this spring. Here's what you'll get in this episode: — How Nick got into running (3:20) — When he realized he could make a career out of running and the life-changing training decision that launched his professional career (5:20) — Nick's advice for mastering the 800m (8:45) — What it's like competing at the Olympics (11:00) — When he was "the most nervous he's ever been for a race" (12:35) — How Nick developed his mental strength and overcame "the rollercoaster of emotions" (14:00) — The sacrifices he made to become an Olympian (16:45) — How he made the decision to retire in 2017, and how he felt the day after his retirement (17:45) — Why he wanted to run a marathon (20:45) — Why he says the Boston Marathon pisses him off and "is B.S." and that running it would be going against his core beliefs (26:00) — The Run Gum story (30:00) — What Nick sees as the biggest problems in professional track and field (35:00) — Nick's take on doping in professional sports and lifetime bans (37:00) — The latest on Nick's love life — plus how he ended up on a date with Paris Hilton (40:40) Follow Nick: Instagram @nicksymmonds: https://www.instagram.com/nicksymmonds/ Twitter @nicksymmonds: https://twitter.com/NickSymmonds Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nick.symmonds/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeXJQ2GQh4BoRuAEkteU0Wg Website: https://www.nicksymmonds.com/ Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliontherun/ Twitter @aliontherun1: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!