Races

Now look people, I'm not trying to be racist but there are some events that I just like better than others. Get it. Racist.

Yeah forget it.

But I've been trying to broaden my scope a little bit. Obviously I'm a huge 800m guy. It's my main event and I love to run it and love to watch it be run by guys like Andrews, Greer, Wheating, Loxsom, etc.

I have, however, been introduced to some other events over the years, I'd like to think that I am a little more open minded than in my younger days. Just yesterday I hopped on the track and raced a 200m (I ran 24.8 hand time in case anyone was wondering). It was a fun race and it's over before you know it, but I definitely tied up at the end and kind of just had to let my momentum pull me through to the finish. I give those sprinters some credit, you have to be in good shape to run fast, it's not just pure talent.

And how about the 3k? I raced it a bunch over the summer and really started to like it. When I was in solid XC shape, it was a blast. Well, most of the time. The first 3k I did it was in the dead heat of the mid afternoon, I went out way to fast, and suffered through a painful last mile in the wrong distance spikes with burning feed and cotton mouth. The second time around my good friend Mike Fuery helped me pace things beautifully and once I was in a rhythm it was a great feeling. The last time I pulled a Francis Ferruzzi and ran negative splits under the lights to a big PR of 9:17. The 3k can really be a fun race, and after watching my boy Chris Derrick and roommate Charlie Kline in the 5k, that continues to look better and better.

My senior year of high school I finally was able to hop on the 4x4 squad and ran some legs on there. It was pretty fun. Nothing closes out a meet like a 4x4, and being in one to boot is awesome. I still have fond memories of the Cheltenham guys catching me every single 4x4 (besides Penn when I had to lead off against Gilmore which didn't go so hot). I can make an argument the 4x4 is the most exciting event in track and field. And I'm a distance guy, so you can see how my impressions have changed.

So this outdoor season, maybe go watch the pole vault or the long jump or the hurdles or the 3200 or something new for you. You might like what you see.

But probably make sure you watch one of those races with someone you know in the race like a teammate or something.

Otherwise, I'm not gonna lie to you, it will probably be boring.

Don't be a race-ist.

Gets me every time.