The race went out quick with a rabbit setting a quick pace in front of the field. I settled in towards the back of the pack staying connected but not overextending myself in the first 400 meters. One of the keys to racing is patience. Through the 400 I remained in the 2nd half of the pack with my eye on the leaders. I was watching for the leaders to make a move to pick up the pace so that I could respond quickly. With just 1 lap to go I found myself in a box (surrounded by other runners) without a clear lane to move up, so I moved to the outside of the pack. Feeling strong I made a gradual move along the backstretch and settled in again around the curve. I saved my energy around the curve using the momentum of the pack. Slingshot-ing around the end of the curve I positioned myself in the second lane allowing a clear lane to the finish line. I moved to my final gear, feeling smooth and strong and pumping my arms hard. I was still several places from the front but I began to sail by the other runners who were feeling the burn of the race in their legs. With about 10 meters to go I sailed into first place and secured a win.
I feel blessed for a strong race and a great start to the season. I thank God for giving me health and strength to compete at this level. Thank you to my family, friends, and fans for cheering me on and making this such a wonderful experience for me as an athlete! Cheers to the start of a great 2013 season!! See you next weekend in New York City for the Millrose Games! | Running Tip #3: Use the buddy system. Run with a friend or a group of friends to take your training up a notch. Running with friends requires you to adapt to different paces and is also a lot of fun! Happy running! |