▁Oregon ▁Project . ▁There ▁he ▁was ▁co ached ▁by ▁Alberto ▁Sal azar , ▁and ▁the ▁training ▁reg imen ▁was ▁very ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁college ▁program ▁as ▁Sal azar ▁was ▁largely ▁influ ential ▁in ▁Pow ell ' s ▁training ▁philosophy ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oregon . ▁ ▁However , ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁his ▁contract ▁with ▁N ike ▁exp ired , ▁and ▁P usk ed ra ▁did ▁not ▁anticip ate ▁continu ing ▁a ▁professional ▁career ▁in ▁running . ▁He ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁wife ▁to ▁South ▁Africa ▁and ▁gained ▁ 2 3 ▁pounds ▁from ▁his ▁race ▁weight ▁in ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁a ▁month . ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁el apsed ▁from ▁his ▁gradu ation , ▁college ▁coach ▁Andy ▁Pow ell ▁remained ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁P usk ed ra ▁and ▁gradually ▁convinced ▁him ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁running . ▁ ▁P usk ed ra ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁he ▁trained ▁briefly ▁for ▁a ▁mar athon ▁debut ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Mar athon . ▁In ▁his ▁mar athon ▁debut , ▁he ▁ran ▁ 2 : 2 8 : 5 4 , ▁but ▁given ▁his ▁half ▁mar athon ▁personal ▁record ▁it ▁was ▁widely ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁disappoint ing ▁result . ▁Although ▁disc ou rag ed ▁by ▁his ▁experience ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁he ▁proceeded ▁to ▁train ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁Grand ma ' s ▁Mar athon , ▁where ▁he ▁ran ▁a ▁significantly ▁faster ▁result ▁of ▁