Despite how much I try to deny it…I know it’s true. Not even
Seattle’s Indian Summer or the fact that people were still running mile PRs
last weekend can fuel my denial any longer. It’s time to accept it. The
greatest season of the year is officially coming to an end. Adios sports bra
tan lines. Sayonara high-waisted jean shorts. So long to Lana Del Rey’s
Summertime sadness on radio repeat.
Perhaps my aversion to letting go of summer has something to
do with the uniform response of experienced Seattlites doing what they consider
to be their civic duty of warning me that “Seattle isn’t always like this.”
(sunny, beautiful, and 80 degrees). But I think my resistance to letting the
summer chapter close stems equally from the fact that I’ve had so many epic experiences
this summer. What were said epic experiences, you ask? Well I figure now is as
an appropriate time as any to reflect on my first summer as a professional
athlete- namely my first European racing experiences.
So what comes to mind when you think EuroTrip- techno music?
Partying in packed clubs until well after it’s light? Taken and Liam Neeson? Deep V’s and fohawks? Although I did see a
lot of that last one, the other stereotypical Euro experiences aren’t very
descriptive of my month in Europe. However, if you want to hear about some
awesome track meets that make even the best meets in the US look unspectacular
then you’ve come to the right place.
On July 7th, fellow Brooks teammate, Katie Mackey
and I took off from Seattle and arrived at London Heathrow 18 hours later,
looking like hot messes. Upon arriving, we headed to Teddington- a suburb about
15 mile outside of London which was our home base while we were in Europe.
The Teddington Lodge acted as our home away from home for the month with the Beasts
pretty much taking over the entire building. Representing the ladies were Brie
Felnagle, Phoebe Wright, Katie and myself. The fellas included Matt Scherer,
Mark Wiczeroick, Cas Loxsom, and Riley Masters. We also experienced guest
appearances in the Lodge from Ben True, Chelsea Reilly, Jackie Areson, and
Chanelle Price.
I can confidently say that Teddington is a runner’s haven.
All within a 5 minute jog is
BUSHY PARK- the 2nd largest royal park in all of
England and trails for days. And in case you need some extra stimulation to get
you through your run, there’s a giant castle and a couple hundred antlered-deer
that are the lucky descendants of the deer that King Henry VIII used to hunt in the
park.
SAINT MARY'S UNIVERSITY: Equipped with a track which on any given
day you could see things like Nick Symmonds and Leo Manzano knocking off
intervals together, St Mary’s often drew a crowd of onlookers appreciative of
all the foreigners invading their track.
THE SWEATSHOP: No I don’t mean a factory where children
without shoes work for 12 hours a day for $1. This is the name of the UK’s
version of Fleet Feet. Mo Farah apparently worked here while he attended St.
Marys. I’m proud to say Brooks shoes were well represented.
About 10 days after arriving in Europe, the Beasts departed
to Dublin, Ireland for the Morton Games where I was to race the mile. This
would be my first race since the Olympic Trials over a year earlier. At this
point I had been training for approximately a month and a half as a result of
my 4 month hiatus from exercise due to overtraining syndrome/ adrenal fatigue.
I could count the number of workouts I had done on one hand. Needless to say I
was expecting a lot of pain. The pain definitely came, but more surprisingly so
did a time I had not expected- 4:35. Now don’t get me wrong- 4:35 is nothing
special when you compare it to the 4:20 equivalents that Jenny Simpson could
clip off on any given day. But for how horrible my last collegiate season- or
lack thereof- had been, this felt a lot like a victory. Even more fun than the
race, was the post-meet banquet. Hosted at the trackside clubhouse equipped
with a full bar, the amount of Guinness that American distance runners from all
different training groups consumed that night was impressive. Obviously it was
a great time.
The next week found us heading to Karlstad, Sweden for the
Karlstad Grand Prix. Possibly one of the most beautiful towns I’ve ever
encountered, Karlstad is situated around a river paralleled by bike paths. The
people are all absolutely gorgeous and friendly. Although my ongoing battle
with recovering from Overtraining Syndrome reared its ugly head during our visit and was
reflected in my less than ideal race result, I still was able to appreciate the
beauty Sweden has to offer. Perhaps the best part of the meet was the hammer
throw competition that was held the night prior to the meet in which the
throwers attempted to lob the hammer across the river while being cheered on by
what seemed like the entire town of Karlstad.
Upon returning to the UK, the Beasts were fortunate enough
to attend the London Diamond League Meet to cheer on our teammates Katie Mackey
(1500), Matt Scherer (800 pacer) and Brie Felnalge (3k). This was beyond doubt
the greatest track meet and possibly the greatest sporting event to which I
have ever been. It started with going to the swanky meet hotel only to watch
first hand as David Oliver got giddy at the sight of Mo Farah. Regardless of
your feelings about Mo, I think this should give hope to nerdy distance runners
across the world. You know you've made it when David Oliver thinks you’re the
man.
After leaving this haven for the who’s-who of track and field, we
proceeded to force our way onto a train jam packed with thousands of other
sports fans also heading to the Olympic Stadium to watch the meet. It’s hard
for us in the US to comprehend a city the size of London shutting down for a
track meet- but that’s exactly what happened. It wasn't until I entered the
stadium and saw the other 70,000 people completely filling the giant stadium
that I fully grasped the magnitude of the event. As the meet progressed it
became apparent that many of the spectators were not your quintessential “track
nerds” but were general sports fans in search of a great entertainment
experience. With the help of fireworks, bumping
music, beer, and kiss cams, the meet certainly didn't leave them disappointed.
I couldn't help but think that this is what track and field is missing in the
US. Obviously easier said than done, but I now understand what people like
Nick Symmonds and David Torrence are talking about when they speak of making US
track and field more spectator friendly.
To conclude our European adventure, we made a quick stop in
Gent, Belgium which resulted in my first professional win in the 3000 meters. But possibly even more memorable than the race was discovering that Stella is cheaper than water and finding the most delicious waffles you can imagine.
So although the summer is officially over, not all hope is lost. Even as the weather gets progressively colder and rainier here in Seattle, I secretly can’t wait to jump into base training that sees me running more than 40 miles per week- all with the best teammates I could imagine. Not to mention, with the recent arrival of Phoebe Wright from Tennessee, I think it’s safe to say that I may be living in the fastest female house in the US. With Phoebe, Erica Moore, and Brie Felnagle, our house is sure to be full of good times. Watch out 2014- the Brooks Beasts are coming for you!
