My Journal
Okay, I know I have been absolutely terrible about updating this site. Kevin and I just got high speed internet at our house so you really can expect some more updates from me as we move through this year. However, I also know that a number of you have no idea what I've been doing for the past year or two so this will be a quick catch up for you all :-)
August 31, 2002 was a big day for Kevin and I. I had decided that I needed to give my running one last shot and that I needed to put myself in a position to reach the goals I had set for myself. I had raced horribly throughout the 2002 track season and was extremely frustrated. I called a good friend of mine, Nicole (Teter), who was training with the Nike Farm Team, and running very well, to talk to her about my frustrations and the thoughts I was having about hanging my spikes up. Instead she convinced me to visit the Nike Farm Team to see if I thought Coach Gagliano and his team could help me reach the goals I had set for myself. So I hopped on a plane, along with my mom, in mid-July of 2002 and went to meet with Coach Gagliano. The visit went extremely well and confirmed for me what I had thought all along - that I needed a change in environment where I could focus 100% on my running - the Farm Team seemed the perfect fit for me.
So back to August 31, 2002 - Kevin and I arrive in California and move me into an apartment with one of the girls on the team. We had decided that Kevin would remain in NJ, at least for the first 6 months until I was sure I would stay, and that I would focus on my running. It was much harder than we thought and so Kevin ended up moving to California to be with me at the end of the year. Training was great, Gag's more than I could have asked for (he's a wonderful man and a fantastic coach), and the team very supportive.
Training was going so well. I think by November of 2002 I was more fit than I had ever been in my life and so excited about the upcoming season. Unfortunately the upper hamstring issue I had been dealing with for some time cropped up again toward the end of the year. This forced us to take quite a bit of time off and really caused me more of a set-back than we expected. It was tough from that point forward to get fit and back into workouts, especially with the track season in full force.
Racing was tough - I was trying the infamous 1500m again. Gags had asked me upon my arrival what my event was. I told him I thought the 1500m only b/c that's what all my previous coaches had said. My love - the 800m - it is and always has been to this day !! So we raced 1500m after 1500m but with not much success. My heart wasn't in it and b/c of that my body wasn't either. My frustrations arose again right before we headed off for CanAm so Gag's suggested I go to CanAm to have some fun and just race a couple of 800's. What do you know - I went, I had fun, and I ran 2 PR's back to back in the 800m (2:05's). All this on no speedwork whatsoever !!!
So I am moving back down to the 800m for the 2004 season and am really excited about what I will be able to run. If I can run 2:05 off no speedwork then I have to believe I can run so much faster with some specific 800m training :-)