Monday, June 2, 2008

Berlin Golden League Recap


I ran what I easily classify as the most ragged race I have run to this point of the season. It took us quite a few starts to get going as people were raising their hands at the start due to noise in the stadium. I think I lost a lot of my nervous tension but I just did my best to focus and refocus for the start.

I really have no idea what I was doing for the first half of the race. My trail leg was very sloppy at the beginning, I killed the second hurdle which caused my third hurdle to be off balanced as well. I believe I got caught up in trying to keep pace with Robles because at the first hurdle, he was the only person I saw in the field and I got away from what I needed to execute. I finally hit my rhythm around the fifth or sixth hurdle, my lead leg was snappy and my trail leg wasn't as late. Out of my peripheral vision, I kept seeing Robles getting closer and closer. The last hurdle was where I believe the race was won and lost. I cleared it about as good as I could have and Robles smashed it. He leaned and I leaned, but who won was a mystery at the finish line.

I was upset with myself at the race I had run. I thought I lost the race and I had no one to blame but myself. They showed the replay in the stadium and I was thinking that I might have won at the tape, but they gave him the flowers and I relegated myself to second place.

I didn't know I won the race until the drug testing people came up to me with my name and a 1 on the paper. I asked the woman if I had won she said yes, then Alphonse came over and told me I had won too 13.19 to 13.20. I was excited, but I was like I am going to wait until I see it posted on the big screen. They posted the result and I was excited and finally did my victory lap, which only lasted about 150 meters. I managed to make it further this time than I did when I won here in 2006. In '06, I was so happy I won, I threw the flowers in the stands where no people were sitting and ran about the fastest 80 meters I had ever run and tapped myself out. That year Aub, Joel and Hughes were all making fun of me for my lack luster victory lap. Winning Golden League events don't come that often, this was only the second one I have won thus far in my career.

This was only the second time I had ever beaten Robles in my career, I have a record of 2 wins and 13 loses to him, man I didn't know I had been getting my ass kicked that much by him until I looked it up on tilastopaja.net just now. I have a long way to go to even that matchup at .500! I'm glad to get the win, running the type of race I did, I dominated the critical zone like my coach preaches all the time. Like I told the reporters at the meet, I ran 13.19 and it wasn't one of my best races top to bottom, I have nothing to complain about.

I had a great time in Berlin, they broke out the royal treatment for me from the time I got there and I can't wait to go back next season. I'm off to Prefontaine in Eugene, Oregon for my next competition this Sunday. I have never performed up to my expectations the two times I have run there, this time will definitely be different.

2 comments:

Brianna said...

LOL @ an 80 meter victory lap! congrats on the victory.

Booker Nunley, Malcolm Nunley, Justine Nunley, Alex Nunley said...

What is like to run at that level? The competition in berlin was crazy.