My First Summer as a Pro

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 7^th, 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 2^nd 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!