BITTERSWEET EXPERIENCE

I have been in Eugene, Oregon for the USA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships aka World Trials since this past Tuesday. After a few days of reflection upon my performance on the first day of competition where I participated on the senior women 10,000m race, I came to the conclusion that the experience can be best describe as a "Bittersweet Experience"

I came to the national meet expecting to to leave the track with a personal best. Instead I left the track with tired legs, last place finish, and a time that was 2 minutes slower than predicted. The question is, how and why did this have to happen on the most important day of the season? The answers can be many, but after putting the puzzle together Im sure I overworked myself (overtrained) the last two weeks leading to the championships. Looking back, I know that in the previous 12 days I was very excited to be back to sea level and have a training partner that Im sure I over did it on my easy days. As much as I would like to blame someone else, I know it was my own decisions that led me to such a poor performance. A performance that I never expected to have on my first ever USA Outdoor National Championships.

At TrackTown Pizza with Coach Martin and his Family

As you can imagine, my spirits were not in good shape, but after a few days of reflection there is only one thing that I can put into practice "Live and Learn" and "Make the best out of the experiece" after all, that is what life is all about "Experience". Even tough this was the bitter part of my experience in Eugene, I get to go home with a much sweeter outcome.

With the fastest man in the USA~Second fastest in the World

~ Tayson Gay~

Thanks to Kara Goucher who finished 2nd place in the 10,000m and in the process hit the A standard for worlds, I get to be on the USA World Championship Marathon Team for Dageu South Korea on August 27th. Yes, my 3rd World Championship Marathon Team! One of the main reasons that keep me in the sport is this~ The oportunnity to represent the USA in the second major event in athletics and hopefully in the near future the Olympics.

With Abdi at TrackTown Pizza

Many great things came out of my stay in Eugene. Enjoyed being and spectator and a fan. Seeing everyone compete and giving it a shot to earn a spot on the world team is simply inspiring. As a fan I enjoyed yelling and screaming my heart out. As an athlete I feel for the ones that came up short of reaching a dream. Im excited to go back home to prepared for the next challenge: a very hot and humid marathon at the World Championships in Dageu, South Korea.

~Men's 800m 1st and 2nd place finishers~

Nick Symmonds and Khadevis Robinson