A Day in the Life of One of the Nation’s Fastest Milers – Runner’s World

Here’s a movie pitch for you: A late-blooming high school state champion goes to college, gets arrested, flunks out, labors as a landscaper, gets a second chance, earns his degree, and becomes one of the country’s elite milers. Interested? Great. There’s only one catch: Eric Avila’s story is still unfinished.

“I think I’m a national caliber runner. I can ‘fill the field,’ I guess,” Avila, 29, told us from his home as his cat, Simba, looked on, half awake. “Now we want to be on the start line to win.”

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“We” refers to Avila’s coach, Terrence Mahon, and recently new teammates at The Mission Athletics Club, an elite team sponsored by adidas and based in San Diego, just a (traffic-contingent) stone’s throw from Avila’s childhood and current home in Chula Vista. With his father retired, his brother settling down, and himself searching for balance, the decision to move back was an easy one.

Now settled into a routine, Avila took Runner’s World through a day in his training life.

(Ed. Note: This conversation has been edited for length and clarity)

7:30 a.m. Wake up, don’t talk to me

I wake up at 7:30 or 8, depending when we’re meeting. It fluctuates because of traffic.

I make my Aeropress coffee and have my breakfast. Yogurt, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, and chia seeds that I put in the fridge overnight. In the morning I throw in some frozen fruit, peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon powder. If I’m really hungry I’ll also make some toast and marmalade just because I’m a sucker for toast and marmalade. Right after that I have my coffee, take some vitamins, maybe some supplements. On a workout day, just a protein shake.

Michael Marquez for Runner’s World

Sometimes I take my roommate’s dog out and hang with him. Sometimes I hang with the cat. Usually I have my headphones on, listening to a podcast or reading a book. That’s kinda my thing, like, don’t talk to me.

8 a.m. Start my commute

I grab a water bottle, pack my backpack, head out. I live the farthest away so I’m the one who has to leave an hour-plus before. I’m constantly checking traffic, updating, seeing where I’m at. On workout days I drink my pre-workout drink on the drive.

9 a.m. First run

I try get to practice on time. We chit-chat a bit about news, politics, a lot of banter. It’s like a family, it makes it fun. Makes it a lot less like work than it has to be.

Then we do our run.

Michael Marquez for Runner’s World

Monday and Thursday is an easy run then drills and hill sprints or dynamic stability work. Wednesday is our mid-week long run; 10 or 12 miles in the morning and call it a day. Tuesday and Friday are big days—a long track session or tempo then regroup at Kinetic Performance gym to lift for an hour or two. Saturday is easy. Sunday is long; 14 to 18 miles, depending where we are in training.

Terrence is really good about approaching it from a scientific standpoint but some days you’re just mentally drained. That’s where the team comes into effect. My training partners, these Olympians and amazing athletes, have days when they don’t have anything. It’s nice in a way to see that they’re human.

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All these commercials are like, “Push through the pain! No off days!” We have a different mindset, a holistic approach. We value recovery. If you’re tired, there’s a reason. If you don’t have it today, go home.

12 p.m. Head home

I take care of errands, you know, life stuff, and commute home.

12:30 p.m. What’s for lunch?

Costco is down the street and they have really good acai bowls for like five bucks. If I’m really hungry I’ll grab an acai bowl and a slice of pizza. I do that pretty regularly actually.

Otherwise I make lunch right when I get home. Eggs and tuna, just a bunch of protein, and spinach. Put the tuna in a skillet, crack the eggs over it, stir it up in the pan, put some Cholula or Sriracha on there—dude, amazing. I mean, I think it’s awesome.

1:30 p.m. Family time

My parents live down the road, my dad’s retired and doesn’t have much going on so I sometimes go over and do work and hang out with him. He’s funny. He gets excited about little things and that makes me happy. That brings balance to my day.

Michael Marquez for Runner’s World

2:30 p.m. Hunting calories

On big session days, we finish around 2:30. I’ll grab a chicken wrap or shawarma from the smoothie joint by the gym. There’s also a taco shop with amazing California burritos. At that point I’m just looking for calories.

3 p.m.: Crash

I get home, shower, nap. I’m exhausted at that point.

Michael Marquez for Runner’s World

5 p.m. Second run

Four miles, maybe five. I double almost every day. My friends I grew up with, they have day jobs and they still kind of run so we’ll go jog. Last year once a week I ran with the local high school kids, which was a lot of fun. Their energy’s contagious. There’s a junior college in the area too so sometimes I run with them.

Or I run from my house. The Chula Vista Olympic Training Center Trail is right outside my door. I’m definitely spoiled. I also have a guest room that’s a revolving door of other athletes and teammates so that makes it easy to just step out the door and go.

Michael Marquez for Runner’s World

6:30 p.m. What’s for dinner?

I go to Trader Joe’s or Sprouts and pick up salmon or whatever I’m cooking that night. There are some breweries along the trail too so sometimes I run and then my brother, who also lives down the road, and I will go grab a beer. Or I’ll get Flame Broiler—it’s the healthiest to-go down the road. There’s a really good Thai place that makes amazing curry, so I go there like once a week. Sometimes there’s trivia night with my teammates so I go into town.

7 p.m. Eat up

Most nights I fire up the oven, chop up some sweet potatoes and broccoli. Pretty standard, boring. I have my routine down.

8 p.m. Do some homework

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday nights I have some sort of stability/hip bridge/band exercises for glute activation. I call that my homework.

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9 p.m. Turndown

I’m on lockdown, especially if I have a workout the next morning. Depending on the day I either read or play FIFA in my room.

10-10:30 p.m. Good night

Go to bed. Fall asleep around 11-11:30.