As this is a national championship race, there was a press conference for the top runners in the field. I sat in on the press conference to glean whatever small insight I could into how highly successful athletes like Meb and Abdi prepare for a race. As I sat there, I couldn't help but think of Coach Piazza speaking about opportunity. This race really is a huge opportunity for me to gain valuable experience racing at the national level, and on a more personal level, it is just a chance for me to travel across the country to a beautiful city I otherwise never would have visited all to do something I love. Then the press conference began, and one word peppered the sentences of the elites - opportunity. To them, races are an opportunity to do their job and get paid to compete, but even though they are competing for a living and I am competing for enjoyment, the message is all the same.
Races really are opportunities for us as runners and I am glad that I am finally starting to understand that. They are opportunities for us to measure out progress after months of training and set tangible goals moving forward. When you see a race as an opportunity to test yourself and prove to yourself that you are capable of great things rather than an chance to fail, it gives you a sense of confidence and anticipation. I have trained hard for months and there is nothing I can do about my fitness at this point. I know what I am capable of, and I can't wait for the opportunity tomorrow morning to let it all hang out for 13.1 miles!
Here we go! |
Meb is excited about the opportunity to race for $12,000. |
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