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Race Recap Archives
2007 Outdoors Oregon Invite: Well, needless to say I was pretty frustrated coming out of this race. I was expecting to stick right on Courtney's (the rabbit) heels but from the gun I felt a little flat. I settled for sitting in 4th/5th on the rail. When we hit 59.5 for the first lap and I already felt out of breath I knew it was going to be a tough day. From there I was content to let people come up on my shoulder and leave me on the rail. I was too tired to push may way into position and wasn't able to get around until about 1000m in. I knew if I wanted any chance at a win I would have to get up with the leaders, but as I began to move I could feel the lactic acid surging through my legs and thought it would be better to conserve until the last 100m. I was able to kick past a few people, but finished 4th. Though I hate to lose a race like that, I lost to two very talented freshman and Stephen Pifer (who is now 2-0 against me in the 1500). As frustrating as it was to lose, I am confident that this race was nothing but a dust buster and I will have my legs back under me this weekend at Penn. Also, my time of 3:42.89 is my second fastest 1500 ever and about 5 seconds faster than I have ever opened an outdoor season before. I know I am fit and, with fresh legs, plan on racing with a little more heart next time. Penn Relays: This was a really run race! At first I wasn't sure I wanted to run at Penn because I had to be in Japan four days later, but looking back at the weekend I'm glad I went! Running in front of 45,000 people was absolutely amazing. It was so loud on the infield it was difficult to hear anyone talking. And of course it was an honor to race in a USA singlet! As for the race, I feel like I took control of it and made it my own from the start. I knew that I would be racing Geoffrey Rono (a 3:51 miler) and knew that if the pace was fast on the first lap it would be difficult to catch him in the end. Fortunately, everyone in the race was content to let me lead the first lap in a jog. I think we hit 66 for the first lap! After that I gave up the lead and settled in for a relatively easy 59 sec for the 2nd lap. I knew things were going to really get going in that last lap and made sure to put myself in position going into it. I was right on Rono's heels when he began to take off. I could hear the crowd getting excited as the pace heated up on that last lap. I told myself to just maintain contact until the last 100m no matter what it took. Once I hit that last strait away, I swung wide and flipped the switch. I was able to put .3 seconds on Geoffrey in the last 60 meters to give the USA the lead. Later, I learned that we ran the last lap in 52 which definitely gives me a big boost of confidence going into the Osaka GP later this week. The rest of my team ran extremely good splits. I was especially proud of Chris Lukezic who ran a 3:55 for 1600m. He ran very tough from the front and was able to hold onto 2nd for team USA. Osaka Grand Prix: Let me start by saying that it has been an honor to race here in Japan. The meet directors have taken extremely good care of us and the people here have been so welcoming and friendly. Also, I love how dedicated the Japanese are to running things smoothly and sticking to a time schedule. This was definitely one of the best run meets I have competed at. With that being said, the race went well! It was warm, about 70, and very humid. Not much wind and we got out very fast. Jonathan Johnson, a 2004 olympian, took the race out very very quick. We came through the 200 in 25 and I was right behind Jonathan in second. The pace was fast but I didn't feel panicked; rather I felt very comfortable and excited to be in a fast race finally! However, after we hit the 200 meter mark it was like we stopped moving. No one seemed to want to lead going into the home stretched and we ran our second 200m in a pedestrian 30 seconds. We were right at 55 sec for the quarter mile split. The australian Jeffrey Riseley and the japanese Yoshihiro Shimodaira and I moved past Jonathan and began to open up down the back stretch. I passed Shimodaira with about 150m to go and could feel Jeffrey on my shoulder. I hit the switch with 100m to left and was able to hold off the young australian for the win. We ended up running 1:49.45 which was a bit disappointing, but I felt great and know that off an honest pace I could have run much faster. Also, this was my first win at a Grand Prix event! After a long cool down and a massage I was able to watch some of the other races and sign autographs. Truly a very memorable experience. With some more hard training and a little luck I will be back here in August for the World Championships!! Oregon High Performance: If you had told me that a 1:47.37 would have taken 3rd in this race I would have called you a liar. This race was STACKED with some serious talent. In fact, it was too stacked. There were WAY too many runners in this race and it honestly felt more like cross country than a track race. I got out quick but it didn't do me much good, as I got buried by the pack of 12 runners. We were on pace (25.xx) for the first 200, but then the rabbit slowed and we bunched up pretty bad coming through in 53 seconds for the quarter. My positioning was terrible and there was no where for me to go. With 350m left, Gary Reed and I were out in lane 3 jostling for position and I couldn't help but think "why am I fighting for position in lane 3?? This is ridiculous." SO, slightly frustrated and getting rather upset, I settled back in and sat at the back of the pack. At 250 I was ready kick, but there was no where to go; runners were packed tight all the way out to lane 3. I decided to just sit and wait....it wasn't a matter of being patient but rather just not having any room to move. Burley and Lukezic started to move by me with 150 to go and I found an opening between them and got to the outside before the home stretch. I finally found my way around everyone and with a 13 second last 100m, kicked down all but Gary Reed and Alex Kipchirchir. On paper the race went pretty well. I finished 3rd in a very talented field and beat Khadevis Robinson for the first time in my career, but I cant help but wonder if I could have won this race if I had put myself in better position going into the last lap. Looking back on the race I feel that I have learned a lot on how to race large, quality international fields. I am eagerly awaiting a chance to test myself again at the Pre Classic against a slightly smaller group of 800m runners. Pre Classic: WELL, I'm not even sure where I should start with this one. Its several hours after the race and I'm still speechless. I spent many hours this week trying to visualize myself winning this race, but had so much trouble doing so. Looking at the start list I was just in total awe of the people I was about to race. Fortunately, I was out with two of my best friends from Willamette, Aaron Hollingshead and Nathan O'Brien earlier this week and they were able to put me where I needed to be mentally. As I expressed my doubts to them they just looked at me and said, "where is the old Nick who used to step into any race and say I can beat these guys no matter who they are?" To a certain extent they were right, I had lost that confidence. So, I spent a lot of time before this race telling myself that I can run with anyone in the world. As I stepped on the start line there were still some doubts in the back of my mind and, perhaps that was what held me back in the first 200. I went out conservatively and hit 25.xx for the first 200m while many of my competitors shot out in a blistering sub 25. I was in second to last, but when I saw that 200 split I was excited because I knew the leaders would have a lot of junk in their legs by the end. I passed the half way point in 51.xx, just what my coach and I agreed would be the perfect pace for me. I was content to sit for another 100 meters and then decided it was time to start moving. I tried to focus on VERY slowly increasing the intensity. I knew I would need a lot in the last 100 meters and didn't want to give anything away too soon. As Borzakovskiy began to move over my shoulder with 200 to go I told myself, STAY WITH HIM. I was able to maintain contact with Yuriy going into the home stretch and then hit it. I could feel the energy of the crowd rising as I began to move. I knew I was in contention to place well, but it wasn't until the final ten meters that I believed I had a chance to win the race. All I remember is starting at the finish tape and thinking, "WOW, its so close!" With one meter to go I knew I had it won and I threw my arms into the air. The race was over and I was the champion, but all I wanted to do was congratulate the Olympic gold medallist. He pushed me to a level I never thought I would achieve and I immediately turned around and gave him a huge hug. I've looked up to Yuriy since watching him win gold in Athens in 2004 and it was an honor to race him. Following the race was absolute chaos. I did several interviews, signed hundreds of autographs, and was drug tested for the third time in two weeks. Fortunately, things finally quieted down and I was able to enjoy a fatty steak with my family and friends. It is such a relief to have my World and Olympic "A" standard under my belt, but I realize there is a lot of work left. My first race of the USA Outdoor Championships are in ten days and I am going out there as hungry for a win as I have ever been. USA Outdoor Championships: This meet is always VERY physically and mentally demanding. For the 800m runners it consists of 3 separate 800m races run during a four day period. We began on thursday with 37 runners. I was able to win that fast first heat with a 1:46.17 and felt fairly good doing it. On friday 16 runners were left. Again, I won my heat of 8 that day with another 1:46.xx which secured me a spot in the finals. However, after this heat I felt INCREDIBLE. It gave me a lot of confidence and I felt like I was really ready to race fast on sunday. I woke up yesterday to a rainy morning and smiled knowing that I probably train in the rain much more than any of my competitors. I got a great warm up in and was feeling very confident as I lined up for the race. I knew my most accomplished competition was 3 time USA Outdoor Champion Khadevis Robinson and I expected him to take the race out very fast. My plan was to run my own race and try to be as close to him as possible with 100m left. Just as I predicted, Khadevis shot out and I was left bringing up the rear of the pack. I hit 51 high for the quarter and knew I had to really start pushing the last 300m if I was going to have a chance. I started to move my way through traffic on the backstretch and was picking people off. I wasn't focusing on who I was passing, but rather had my eyes glued to the back of KD's singlet. With 100 meters to go I threw down everything I had left and could feel him start to come back to me, but I didn't quite feel like I had the pop in my legs that I had at the Pre Classic. I was able to hold off the hard charging pack and finished 2nd in 1:45.17. This is the second fastest time I have ever covered 800 meters in and I was pleased with the way I ran the race. I made two good moves and unfortunately, lost to the stronger runner. Khadevis ran a perfectly executed race and the win. Coming away from the race I am ecstatic to have made the World Team and will be representing the USA at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan at the end of August. Also, Khadevis and I are both currently planning on running the Golden League 800m at Rome on July 10th. Should make for an interesting race! Padoa, Italy: The plan in coming over a few days early to run this meet was to shake out the legs and get adjusted to the change in time and location. After racing last night I feel we DEFINITELY made the right decision. Since arriving in Italy I have have felt very jet lagged and have slept through most of the afternoons. Yesterday was no different. With our race scheduled for 9 PM it was difficult to pass the hours leading up to the meet. However once we arrived at the stadium I felt much more at ease. It was a warm, humid night and the lit stadium was gorgeous and had a brand new surface. Warming up I felt pretty good, but my legs felt terribly flat running my strides. This flatness carried over into the race and I found myself struggling to hit 26 for the first 200m. I was next to last at this point and new I would have to start moving up on the first home stretch. I passed three of my competitors during this 100 meters, moving into 6th. The rabbit was supposed to hit 50.5 for the first lap but I believe they were at 51.8. Heading into the backstretch I saw a gap forming between the myself and the lead pack. I told myself to maintain contact and to close the gap, but my legs wouldn't obey what my mind told them to do. With 150m to go I was finally able to wake up and begin closing the gap but it was too little too late. I passed a couple runners coming off the final curve but was unable to really accelerate that final 100m. I finished 4th behind the winner, Jonathan Johnson, a polish olympian, and the NCAA champion Andrew Elerton. Not only was I disappointed with my place, I was disappointed with my time. I clocked 1:47.09 for 800 meters. Certainly not a terrible time, but I need to work on being consistently under 1:45 if I want a shot at winning big races over here. Looking back at some of my previous race recaps I cant help but find many similarities between this race and my 1500m at the Oregon Preview. In both races I knew where I needed to be and what I needed to do in order to win the race, but simply couldn't get my body to go there. Both races were designed to shake off the dust from the legs and hopefully that is exactly what I did. I have four days to train before Rome and I plan on being in the hunt with 100m to go at that meet. Rome Golden Gala: Getting psyched up for this race was really easy given that it was going to be my first Golden League race. The 800m was being held late, at 10:25 PM and the hot day had cooled off a bit by the time I started warming up. I felt great jogging, stretching and striding. We were taken from the practice track to a tunnel that led into the 70,000 person capacity Olympic Stadium. The view from the track was incredible. It was bright as day and there were about 40,000 people going crazy in the stands. I was starting in lane three and got a couple good strides in before we had to get to the toe the line. The gun went off and I settled into the back of the pack. I would soon find out that, for this race, this was the wrong place to be. The pace slowed down considerably after the first 300 meters and I found myself fighting for space in the back out in lane 2. I ended up wasting a lot of energy throwing elbows and not staying on the rail. We were about a second slow at the 400m mark and still the race didn't pick up. I knew we were slow and normally would have been licking my chops getting ready to kick down people in the last 200, but as the pace started picking up down the backstretch it was everything I could do just to maintain contact with the pack. When we hit the last 100m I tried to find another gear but it just wasn't there. It was the same feeling I had in Padova. Rarely have I ever found myself with absolutely zero left in the tank with 100m to go, especially off a slow pace. For the first time in my career I found myself coming across the line in last place. My time of 1:47.55 didn't help to ease my disappointment. I was extremely upset as I crawled off the track. AND to add to it I had to walk off to a corner to throw up about 5 min after we finished. This purging had me surprised because it has been well over a year since I have thrown up after a race. For some reason my body just isn't quite ready to run fast over here yet. I know my body is fit and I know my mind is in the right place, but the two just aren't working together very well right now. I am now at our base in Leuven, Belgium and plan on working out some of the kinks over the next week before I race in Madrid on Saturday. Madrid Grand Prix: I'm finally able to get on my computer and not dread writing a race recap! Tonight's race in Madrid went a lot better than my last two European tests. The day was pretty hot but we were scheduled to race at 9:43 PM and it was pretty cool by the time I began my warm up. I felt good warming up and even better once I was down on the infield doing strides. I kept trying to visualize being tough in the last two hundred meters of the race. The track was very unique; it was only 6 lanes and the railing was low and right at the edge of the outside lane. This made the relatively small stadium seem much larger as we were really able to hear the crowd. The surface was pretty hard but Madrid is located at 2500 feet so I was hesitant to get out too fast due to the slight altitude. However, there was a breeze coming down the backstretch and we actually got out pretty well. The rabbit was 50.7 at the quarter and I was towards the back probably 51 high. I felt good though and moved out to lane two with 300 meters to go. I slowly began to squeeze as I hit this stretch and really tired to use the tailwind to get me going. I was able to pass a couple people and found myself in 5th with 100m to go. I was a few meters behind 4th and with 50 meters to go I was pretty sure I was going to end up 5th. However, its an 800 meter race (thank God) and I was able to kick down two people and ALMOST out leaned my #1 US competitor Khedivis Robinson for 2nd. He ran 1:45.03 for second and I was 1:45.06 for third. This was my 2nd fastest 800m race and it came at I time when I really needed it. This last week there has been this thought in the back of my mind that was bugging me. Ever since Rome I was kind of wondering why I was even over here and maybe I had peaked too early. However, my absolute confidence in Coach Gags has been reaffirmed. He knows exactly what he is doing and after a week of great workouts I really feel like my old self again. Also, I feel like these last few races have really tought me a lot about running over seas. I now know that it takes my body a little longer to adjust to the time change etc. and these kinds of things are what we set out to learn coming into this season. I fly back to Belgium tomorrow morning and the week is hardly over....I have two more races in the next 7 days! Leige is on Wednesday and should be a great warm-up for Huesden. Liege, Belgium: Welp, just got my first European win! Granted it was a low key meet and the boys down in Monaco ran 1:43.xx, BUT hey, I felt great and ran a good race against some solid competition. Conditions couldn't have been better. It has been very windy and rainy here the last few days, but tonight was warm and very still. The track was beautiful, 8 lanes, and the modest sized crowd was able to come right down to the edge of lane 8. The start line for the men's 800m was pretty crowded. I believe there were 13 competitors and a rabbit. I was worried about the size of the pack and wanted to make sure I got out well and established good position. However, as we began to cut in I found myself in the middle of the group. I was boxed in as bad as I have ever been but I tried to tell myself to just be patient. One of the things that hurt me in Rome was that I was pushing and shoving and fighting for position the entire first lap and I wanted to make sure to conserve energy tonight. The rabbit came through the quarter in 50.9 and I was probably a second behind him, still in 9th. The pace really began to slow down after 450 meters and that is when I began to weave my way through traffic. Rather than moving out to lane two and trying to go around everyone, which would have been impossible here, I waited for little openings to form between people and literally zigzagged my way up. It worked out well and I found myself right on Jonathan Johnson's shoulder with 120 meters to go. I moved around him and surged for about 50 meters and then cruised to the finish line in 1:46.34. I was pleased with the time, a bit slow, but I should have a lot left for Huesden this Saturday. Also, I was very pleased with the patience I showed. The 800 is a race where it is very easy to panic and loose your composure, but I always feel like when I keep my cool and stay patient I run my best races. I leave for Heusden in the morning and am excited to run my last European race of 2007! Huesden, Belgium: Coming into this season I never thought I would be disappointed to running a 1:45. However, after this race I left the track mad at myself and depressed in general. This was the race I had been looking for all season. The track was incredibly fast and the field was very deep. Conditions were perfect; a warm evening with rain clouds holding off to the north. I knew the rabbit was going out in 50.0 and I expected the Canadian national champion, Gary Reed, to be right on his heels. However, I did not expect Alan Webb, the new American record holder in the mile to be right there too. As we broke for the rail after 100m I saw these two settle right in behind the rabbit and despite my best efforts, couldn't bring myself to go with them. Rather, I settled into 8th place in a field of thirteen runners. The leaders hit the 400m mark right on pace and I was a little over a second back. When we hit the 500m mark I was at 64 seconds, the fastest I have ever come through 500. I figured off such a fast pace most of my competitors would come back to me as I started kicking. With 200m to go I started moving. I passed two people on the curve, but as soon as I hit the final strait away I was too far from 4th to make up any more ground. I held on to finish 5th in 1:45.49. Though this is relatively fast time for me I left disappointed for a couple reason. First, I was extremely upset that I didn't race more aggressively. If there was ever a race where I should experiment a bit with going out faster this was the race to do it. Second, I couldn't help but feel that no event in track and field was safe from Alan Webb! Seriously, I'm just waiting for him to take up the pole vault or shot put so he can blow those guys out of the water too. I allowed myself to wallow in jealously and disappointment for 30 minutes as I cooled down. This was all the time I needed because as soon as I was back at the track and watching the 5k I found a renewed hunger to work hard and improve. This might have been just what I needed as I head home to train for the World Championships. I have one goal...to make the finals. Once there, I will race with the patience and aggressiveness I showed at Pre. World Championships. Osaka, Japan: So, Osaka has come and gone and I am now home, able to look back on my first World Championship experience. All in all it was incredible. Once again the Japanese ran a very smooth meet and took very good care of us, making us feel very welcome. All of the Americans and Canadians stayed in the same hotel, Hotel Hanshin, in the heart of downtown Osaka. It was awesome getting to know and spend so much time with all the athletes on the best track and field team in the world. I roomed with a pole vaulter named Jacob Pauli and we had a blast killing time watching movies, Heroes, and random Japanese programming. And there was DEFINETLY plenty of time to kill. USATF required us to be in Japan 10 days prior to our first day of competition. SO, for ten days I would eat/relax until it was time to work out at 6 PM. The reason we worked out so late is that it was very very hot and humid during the day and also because we knew all the rounds of the 800m would be run in the evening and we wanted to get adjusted to running at that time. My first workout in Osaka was an easy 45 min run and 6x100m strides; I was unable to even finish the 45 min run. The heat and jet lag caught up with me about 30 min into my run and then I had to return to the track for some fluids. However, as the week dragged on I started to feel like my old self and actually had some extremely good workouts in the days leading up to my first heat. The first round was run at 7:40 PM on August 30. I drew the first heat. Warming up that night I felt incredible. It was warm out, but I was finally used to being drenched in sweat 10 min into my run. As I ran my strides on the practice track I felt great and tired to imagine myself placing top 3 (the auto requirement for advancing to semi finals). We were called to the first of two call rooms at 7:10 PM and spent 30 min trying to stay loose as we sat and waited for our turn to race. When we finally stepped on the track it was a site to behold. I had been on this track before, but under the lights and with a much larger crowd I felt truly inspired. Our race went out in a moderately quick pace, 51.xx for the quarter, and I was settled comfortably in the pack around 5th or 6th. As we started down the back stretch I began to work my way up and found myself in 4th coming off the last turn. I put in a short surge and hit the line in 2nd place in a time of 1:46.17. I felt like I had a ton left after this race and was excited that I had made it through the first round. However, this feeling was short lived. The next day I woke up and and felt a soreness in my legs that I didn't expect to feel. I was kind of dragging all day and felt like I was having trouble recovering from the previous nights race. This feeling followed me into my warm up before the semi-finals. I drew the second of three heats for the semis and there were some very big names in my race. I knew it would take a great effort to advance out of this round. However, I was unable to bring a great effort on that night. I ran the first lap in the same way I did the night before, but when the pack started to string out I was unable to put myself where I needed to be. I saw the leaders breaking away and told myself to go with them, but I just didn't have that POP that I needed. I finished 6th with a 1:46.41. I was extremely disappointed that my season had come to such an abrupt end. I cooled down and iced my legs and wished my competitors the best of luck in the finals. Then I went out and drank several badly needed beers. The finals were won in a pedestrian 1:47.09. The leaders came through the first lap in 55 seconds and then ran 27, 25 for the next two 200s. Kenya's Alfred Yego came in first place, barely out leaning Canada's Gary Reed. Rounding out the medals was Russian Yury Borzokovsky. It is not lost on me that I beat all of these men at the Pre Classic. BUT, its who brings it on the day of the finals that counts....a lesson that I will have in the back of my mind all fall and all winter as I train for the Beijing Olympics! SEASON RECAP!! First of all I would like to thank everyone who has come to my site to find info on my first professional running season. It has been an incredible experience and I have learned so much about running, myself, and life in general. Anyone who knows me well knows that I can be quite a malcontent and I never seem to be 100% happy. I think this is partly what makes me the runner I am. Winning a big race or running a PR is a high that cannot be topped, but living in that moment of satisfaction does not allow one to win more races and run faster times. BUT, I assure all of you that I am truly living my dream. This year I have had the pleasure of getting to know some amazing athletes on the Oregon Track Club. I've also been able to run for the best middle distance coach in the country, perhaps the world. Frank Gagliano is a brilliant coach and a great person and I owe much of my success to him. In 2007 I have been on 57 planes. I have visited Asia twice, Europe once, and the east coast more times than I can count. I was able to PR by 7 seconds in the miles. 1.3 seconds in the 800m, and won several large races including USA indoors, the Pre Classic, and my first international races in at the Osaka GP and in Liege, Belgium. Though it came to kind of a bittersweet ending I am not disappointed with the season at all. In fact, I cant help but sit here, enjoying my two weeks off, and think to myself that everything happens for a reason. The 800m finals at Worlds will be in the back of my mind all fall, pushing me to train harder and live better. Look for me in the finals at Beijing next year. Much love!! -Nick
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Race Recap Archives

2007 Outdoors

Oregon Invite: Well, needless to say I was pretty frustrated coming out of this race. I was expecting to stick right on Courtney's (the rabbit) heels but from the gun I felt a little flat. I settled for sitting in 4th/5th on the rail. When we hit 59.5 for the first lap and I already felt out of breath I knew it was going to be a tough day. From there I was content to let people come up on my shoulder and leave me on the rail. I was too tired to push may way into position and wasn't able to get around until about 1000m in. I knew if I wanted any chance at a win I would have to get up with the leaders, but as I began to move I could feel the lactic acid surging through my legs and thought it would be better to conserve until the last 100m. I was able to kick past a few people, but finished 4th. Though I hate to lose a race like that, I lost to two very talented freshman and Stephen Pifer (who is now 2-0 against me in the 1500). As frustrating as it was to lose, I am confident that this race was nothing but a dust buster and I will have my legs back under me this weekend at Penn. Also, my time of 3:42.89 is my second fastest 1500 ever and about 5 seconds faster than I have ever opened an outdoor season before. I know I am fit and, with fresh legs, plan on racing with a little more heart next time.

Penn Relays: This was a really run race! At first I wasn't sure I wanted to run at Penn because I had to be in Japan four days later, but looking back at the weekend I'm glad I went! Running in front of 45,000 people was absolutely amazing. It was so loud on the infield it was difficult to hear anyone talking. And of course it was an honor to race in a USA singlet! As for the race, I feel like I took control of it and made it my own from the start. I knew that I would be racing Geoffrey Rono (a 3:51 miler) and knew that if the pace was fast on the first lap it would be difficult to catch him in the end. Fortunately, everyone in the race was content to let me lead the first lap in a jog. I think we hit 66 for the first lap! After that I gave up the lead and settled in for a relatively easy 59 sec for the 2nd lap. I knew things were going to really get going in that last lap and made sure to put myself in position going into it. I was right on Rono's heels when he began to take off. I could hear the crowd getting excited as the pace heated up on that last lap. I told myself to just maintain contact until the last 100m no matter what it took. Once I hit that last strait away, I swung wide and flipped the switch. I was able to put .3 seconds on Geoffrey in the last 60 meters to give the USA the lead. Later, I learned that we ran the last lap in 52 which definitely gives me a big boost of confidence going into the Osaka GP later this week. The rest of my team ran extremely good splits. I was especially proud of Chris Lukezic who ran a 3:55 for 1600m. He ran very tough from the front and was able to hold onto 2nd for team USA.

Osaka Grand Prix: Let me start by saying that it has been an honor to race here in Japan. The meet directors have taken extremely good care of us and the people here have been so welcoming and friendly. Also, I love how dedicated the Japanese are to running things smoothly and sticking to a time schedule. This was definitely one of the best run meets I have competed at. With that being said, the race went well! It was warm, about 70, and very humid. Not much wind and we got out very fast. Jonathan Johnson, a 2004 olympian, took the race out very very quick. We came through the 200 in 25 and I was right behind Jonathan in second. The pace was fast but I didn't feel panicked; rather I felt very comfortable and excited to be in a fast race finally! However, after we hit the 200 meter mark it was like we stopped moving. No one seemed to want to lead going into the home stretched and we ran our second 200m in a pedestrian 30 seconds. We were right at 55 sec for the quarter mile split. The australian Jeffrey Riseley and the japanese Yoshihiro Shimodaira and I moved past Jonathan and began to open up down the back stretch. I passed Shimodaira with about 150m to go and could feel Jeffrey on my shoulder. I hit the switch with 100m to left and was able to hold off the young australian for the win. We ended up running 1:49.45 which was a bit disappointing, but I felt great and know that off an honest pace I could have run much faster. Also, this was my first win at a Grand Prix event! After a long cool down and a massage I was able to watch some of the other races and sign autographs. Truly a very memorable experience. With some more hard training and a little luck I will be back here in August for the World Championships!!

Oregon High Performance: If you had told me that a 1:47.37 would have taken 3rd in this race I would have called you a liar. This race was STACKED with some serious talent. In fact, it was too stacked. There were WAY too many runners in this race and it honestly felt more like cross country than a track race. I got out quick but it didn't do me much good, as I got buried by the pack of 12 runners. We were on pace (25.xx) for the first 200, but then the rabbit slowed and we bunched up pretty bad coming through in 53 seconds for the quarter. My positioning was terrible and there was no where for me to go. With 350m left, Gary Reed and I were out in lane 3 jostling for position and I couldn't help but think "why am I fighting for position in lane 3?? This is ridiculous." SO, slightly frustrated and getting rather upset, I settled back in and sat at the back of the pack. At 250 I was ready kick, but there was no where to go; runners were packed tight all the way out to lane 3. I decided to just sit and wait....it wasn't a matter of being patient but rather just not having any room to move. Burley and Lukezic started to move by me with 150 to go and I found an opening between them and got to the outside before the home stretch. I finally found my way around everyone and with a 13 second last 100m, kicked down all but Gary Reed and Alex Kipchirchir. On paper the race went pretty well. I finished 3rd in a very talented field and beat Khadevis Robinson for the first time in my career, but I cant help but wonder if I could have won this race if I had put myself in better position going into the last lap. Looking back on the race I feel that I have learned a lot on how to race large, quality international fields. I am eagerly awaiting a chance to test myself again at the Pre Classic against a slightly smaller group of 800m runners.

Pre Classic: WELL, I'm not even sure where I should start with this one. Its several hours after the race and I'm still speechless. I spent many hours this week trying to visualize myself winning this race, but had so much trouble doing so. Looking at the start list I was just in total awe of the people I was about to race. Fortunately, I was out with two of my best friends from Willamette, Aaron Hollingshead and Nathan O'Brien earlier this week and they were able to put me where I needed to be mentally. As I expressed my doubts to them they just looked at me and said, "where is the old Nick who used to step into any race and say I can beat these guys no matter who they are?" To a certain extent they were right, I had lost that confidence. So, I spent a lot of time before this race telling myself that I can run with anyone in the world. As I stepped on the start line there were still some doubts in the back of my mind and, perhaps that was what held me back in the first 200. I went out conservatively and hit 25.xx for the first 200m while many of my competitors shot out in a blistering sub 25. I was in second to last, but when I saw that 200 split I was excited because I knew the leaders would have a lot of junk in their legs by the end. I passed the half way point in 51.xx, just what my coach and I agreed would be the perfect pace for me. I was content to sit for another 100 meters and then decided it was time to start moving. I tried to focus on VERY slowly increasing the intensity. I knew I would need a lot in the last 100 meters and didn't want to give anything away too soon. As Borzakovskiy began to move over my shoulder with 200 to go I told myself, STAY WITH HIM. I was able to maintain contact with Yuriy going into the home stretch and then hit it. I could feel the energy of the crowd rising as I began to move. I knew I was in contention to place well, but it wasn't until the final ten meters that I believed I had a chance to win the race. All I remember is starting at the finish tape and thinking, "WOW, its so close!" With one meter to go I knew I had it won and I threw my arms into the air. The race was over and I was the champion, but all I wanted to do was congratulate the Olympic gold medallist. He pushed me to a level I never thought I would achieve and I immediately turned around and gave him a huge hug. I've looked up to Yuriy since watching him win gold in Athens in 2004 and it was an honor to race him. Following the race was absolute chaos. I did several interviews, signed hundreds of autographs, and was drug tested for the third time in two weeks. Fortunately, things finally quieted down and I was able to enjoy a fatty steak with my family and friends. It is such a relief to have my World and Olympic "A" standard under my belt, but I realize there is a lot of work left. My first race of the USA Outdoor Championships are in ten days and I am going out there as hungry for a win as I have ever been.

USA Outdoor Championships: This meet is always VERY physically and mentally demanding. For the 800m runners it consists of 3 separate 800m races run during a four day period. We began on thursday with 37 runners. I was able to win that fast first heat with a 1:46.17 and felt fairly good doing it. On friday 16 runners were left. Again, I won my heat of 8 that day with another 1:46.xx which secured me a spot in the finals. However, after this heat I felt INCREDIBLE. It gave me a lot of confidence and I felt like I was really ready to race fast on sunday. I woke up yesterday to a rainy morning and smiled knowing that I probably train in the rain much more than any of my competitors. I got a great warm up in and was feeling very confident as I lined up for the race. I knew my most accomplished competition was 3 time USA Outdoor Champion Khadevis Robinson and I expected him to take the race out very fast. My plan was to run my own race and try to be as close to him as possible with 100m left. Just as I predicted, Khadevis shot out and I was left bringing up the rear of the pack. I hit 51 high for the quarter and knew I had to really start pushing the last 300m if I was going to have a chance. I started to move my way through traffic on the backstretch and was picking people off. I wasn't focusing on who I was passing, but rather had my eyes glued to the back of KD's singlet. With 100 meters to go I threw down everything I had left and could feel him start to come back to me, but I didn't quite feel like I had the pop in my legs that I had at the Pre Classic. I was able to hold off the hard charging pack and finished 2nd in 1:45.17. This is the second fastest time I have ever covered 800 meters in and I was pleased with the way I ran the race. I made two good moves and unfortunately, lost to the stronger runner. Khadevis ran a perfectly executed race and the win. Coming away from the race I am ecstatic to have made the World Team and will be representing the USA at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan at the end of August. Also, Khadevis and I are both currently planning on running the Golden League 800m at Rome on July 10th. Should make for an interesting race!

Padoa, Italy: The plan in coming over a few days early to run this meet was to shake out the legs and get adjusted to the change in time and location. After racing last night I feel we DEFINITELY made the right decision. Since arriving in Italy I have have felt very jet lagged and have slept through most of the afternoons. Yesterday was no different. With our race scheduled for 9 PM it was difficult to pass the hours leading up to the meet. However once we arrived at the stadium I felt much more at ease. It was a warm, humid night and the lit stadium was gorgeous and had a brand new surface. Warming up I felt pretty good, but my legs felt terribly flat running my strides. This flatness carried over into the race and I found myself struggling to hit 26 for the first 200m. I was next to last at this point and new I would have to start moving up on the first home stretch. I passed three of my competitors during this 100 meters, moving into 6th. The rabbit was supposed to hit 50.5 for the first lap but I believe they were at 51.8. Heading into the backstretch I saw a gap forming between the myself and the lead pack. I told myself to maintain contact and to close the gap, but my legs wouldn't obey what my mind told them to do. With 150m to go I was finally able to wake up and begin closing the gap but it was too little too late. I passed a couple runners coming off the final curve but was unable to really accelerate that final 100m. I finished 4th behind the winner, Jonathan Johnson, a polish olympian, and the NCAA champion Andrew Elerton. Not only was I disappointed with my place, I was disappointed with my time. I clocked 1:47.09 for 800 meters. Certainly not a terrible time, but I need to work on being consistently under 1:45 if I want a shot at winning big races over here. Looking back at some of my previous race recaps I cant help but find many similarities between this race and my 1500m at the Oregon Preview. In both races I knew where I needed to be and what I needed to do in order to win the race, but simply couldn't get my body to go there. Both races were designed to shake off the dust from the legs and hopefully that is exactly what I did. I have four days to train before Rome and I plan on being in the hunt with 100m to go at that meet.

Rome Golden Gala: Getting psyched up for this race was really easy given that it was going to be my first Golden League race. The 800m was being held late, at 10:25 PM and the hot day had cooled off a bit by the time I started warming up. I felt great jogging, stretching and striding. We were taken from the practice track to a tunnel that led into the 70,000 person capacity Olympic Stadium. The view from the track was incredible. It was bright as day and there were about 40,000 people going crazy in the stands. I was starting in lane three and got a couple good strides in before we had to get to the toe the line. The gun went off and I settled into the back of the pack. I would soon find out that, for this race, this was the wrong place to be. The pace slowed down considerably after the first 300 meters and I found myself fighting for space in the back out in lane 2. I ended up wasting a lot of energy throwing elbows and not staying on the rail. We were about a second slow at the 400m mark and still the race didn't pick up. I knew we were slow and normally would have been licking my chops getting ready to kick down people in the last 200, but as the pace started picking up down the backstretch it was everything I could do just to maintain contact with the pack. When we hit the last 100m I tried to find another gear but it just wasn't there. It was the same feeling I had in Padova. Rarely have I ever found myself with absolutely zero left in the tank with 100m to go, especially off a slow pace. For the first time in my career I found myself coming across the line in last place. My time of 1:47.55 didn't help to ease my disappointment. I was extremely upset as I crawled off the track. AND to add to it I had to walk off to a corner to throw up about 5 min after we finished. This purging had me surprised because it has been well over a year since I have thrown up after a race. For some reason my body just isn't quite ready to run fast over here yet. I know my body is fit and I know my mind is in the right place, but the two just aren't working together very well right now. I am now at our base in Leuven, Belgium and plan on working out some of the kinks over the next week before I race in Madrid on Saturday.

Madrid Grand Prix: I'm finally able to get on my computer and not dread writing a race recap! Tonight's race in Madrid went a lot better than my last two European tests. The day was pretty hot but we were scheduled to race at 9:43 PM and it was pretty cool by the time I began my warm up. I felt good warming up and even better once I was down on the infield doing strides. I kept trying to visualize being tough in the last two hundred meters of the race. The track was very unique; it was only 6 lanes and the railing was low and right at the edge of the outside lane. This made the relatively small stadium seem much larger as we were really able to hear the crowd. The surface was pretty hard but Madrid is located at 2500 feet so I was hesitant to get out too fast due to the slight altitude. However, there was a breeze coming down the backstretch and we actually got out pretty well. The rabbit was 50.7 at the quarter and I was towards the back probably 51 high. I felt good though and moved out to lane two with 300 meters to go. I slowly began to squeeze as I hit this stretch and really tired to use the tailwind to get me going. I was able to pass a couple people and found myself in 5th with 100m to go. I was a few meters behind 4th and with 50 meters to go I was pretty sure I was going to end up 5th. However, its an 800 meter race (thank God) and I was able to kick down two people and ALMOST out leaned my #1 US competitor Khedivis Robinson for 2nd. He ran 1:45.03 for second and I was 1:45.06 for third. This was my 2nd fastest 800m race and it came at I time when I really needed it. This last week there has been this thought in the back of my mind that was bugging me. Ever since Rome I was kind of wondering why I was even over here and maybe I had peaked too early. However, my absolute confidence in Coach Gags has been reaffirmed. He knows exactly what he is doing and after a week of great workouts I really feel like my old self again. Also, I feel like these last few races have really tought me a lot about running over seas. I now know that it takes my body a little longer to adjust to the time change etc. and these kinds of things are what we set out to learn coming into this season. I fly back to Belgium tomorrow morning and the week is hardly over....I have two more races in the next 7 days! Leige is on Wednesday and should be a great warm-up for Huesden.

Liege, Belgium: Welp, just got my first European win! Granted it was a low key meet and the boys down in Monaco ran 1:43.xx, BUT hey, I felt great and ran a good race against some solid competition. Conditions couldn't have been better. It has been very windy and rainy here the last few days, but tonight was warm and very still. The track was beautiful, 8 lanes, and the modest sized crowd was able to come right down to the edge of lane 8. The start line for the men's 800m was pretty crowded. I believe there were 13 competitors and a rabbit. I was worried about the size of the pack and wanted to make sure I got out well and established good position. However, as we began to cut in I found myself in the middle of the group. I was boxed in as bad as I have ever been but I tried to tell myself to just be patient. One of the things that hurt me in Rome was that I was pushing and shoving and fighting for position the entire first lap and I wanted to make sure to conserve energy tonight. The rabbit came through the quarter in 50.9 and I was probably a second behind him, still in 9th. The pace really began to slow down after 450 meters and that is when I began to weave my way through traffic. Rather than moving out to lane two and trying to go around everyone, which would have been impossible here, I waited for little openings to form between people and literally zigzagged my way up. It worked out well and I found myself right on Jonathan Johnson's shoulder with 120 meters to go. I moved around him and surged for about 50 meters and then cruised to the finish line in 1:46.34. I was pleased with the time, a bit slow, but I should have a lot left for Huesden this Saturday. Also, I was very pleased with the patience I showed. The 800 is a race where it is very easy to panic and loose your composure, but I always feel like when I keep my cool and stay patient I run my best races. I leave for Heusden in the morning and am excited to run my last European race of 2007!

Huesden, Belgium: Coming into this season I never thought I would be disappointed to running a 1:45. However, after this race I left the track mad at myself and depressed in general. This was the race I had been looking for all season. The track was incredibly fast and the field was very deep. Conditions were perfect; a warm evening with rain clouds holding off to the north. I knew the rabbit was going out in 50.0 and I expected the Canadian national champion, Gary Reed, to be right on his heels. However, I did not expect Alan Webb, the new American record holder in the mile to be right there too. As we broke for the rail after 100m I saw these two settle right in behind the rabbit and despite my best efforts, couldn't bring myself to go with them. Rather, I settled into 8th place in a field of thirteen runners. The leaders hit the 400m mark right on pace and I was a little over a second back. When we hit the 500m mark I was at 64 seconds, the fastest I have ever come through 500. I figured off such a fast pace most of my competitors would come back to me as I started kicking. With 200m to go I started moving. I passed two people on the curve, but as soon as I hit the final strait away I was too far from 4th to make up any more ground. I held on to finish 5th in 1:45.49. Though this is relatively fast time for me I left disappointed for a couple reason. First, I was extremely upset that I didn't race more aggressively. If there was ever a race where I should experiment a bit with going out faster this was the race to do it. Second, I couldn't help but feel that no event in track and field was safe from Alan Webb! Seriously, I'm just waiting for him to take up the pole vault or shot put so he can blow those guys out of the water too. I allowed myself to wallow in jealously and disappointment for 30 minutes as I cooled down. This was all the time I needed because as soon as I was back at the track and watching the 5k I found a renewed hunger to work hard and improve. This might have been just what I needed as I head home to train for the World Championships. I have one goal...to make the finals. Once there, I will race with the patience and aggressiveness I showed at Pre.

World Championships. Osaka, Japan: So, Osaka has come and gone and I am now home, able to look back on my first World Championship experience. All in all it was incredible. Once again the Japanese ran a very smooth meet and took very good care of us, making us feel very welcome. All of the Americans and Canadians stayed in the same hotel, Hotel Hanshin, in the heart of downtown Osaka. It was awesome getting to know and spend so much time with all the athletes on the best track and field team in the world. I roomed with a pole vaulter named Jacob Pauli and we had a blast killing time watching movies, Heroes, and random Japanese programming. And there was DEFINETLY plenty of time to kill. USATF required us to be in Japan 10 days prior to our first day of competition. SO, for ten days I would eat/relax until it was time to work out at 6 PM. The reason we worked out so late is that it was very very hot and humid during the day and also because we knew all the rounds of the 800m would be run in the evening and we wanted to get adjusted to running at that time. My first workout in Osaka was an easy 45 min run and 6x100m strides; I was unable to even finish the 45 min run. The heat and jet lag caught up with me about 30 min into my run and then I had to return to the track for some fluids. However, as the week dragged on I started to feel like my old self and actually had some extremely good workouts in the days leading up to my first heat. The first round was run at 7:40 PM on August 30. I drew the first heat. Warming up that night I felt incredible. It was warm out, but I was finally used to being drenched in sweat 10 min into my run. As I ran my strides on the practice track I felt great and tired to imagine myself placing top 3 (the auto requirement for advancing to semi finals). We were called to the first of two call rooms at 7:10 PM and spent 30 min trying to stay loose as we sat and waited for our turn to race. When we finally stepped on the track it was a site to behold. I had been on this track before, but under the lights and with a much larger crowd I felt truly inspired. Our race went out in a moderately quick pace, 51.xx for the quarter, and I was settled comfortably in the pack around 5th or 6th. As we started down the back stretch I began to work my way up and found myself in 4th coming off the last turn. I put in a short surge and hit the line in 2nd place in a time of 1:46.17. I felt like I had a ton left after this race and was excited that I had made it through the first round. However, this feeling was short lived. The next day I woke up and and felt a soreness in my legs that I didn't expect to feel. I was kind of dragging all day and felt like I was having trouble recovering from the previous nights race. This feeling followed me into my warm up before the semi-finals. I drew the second of three heats for the semis and there were some very big names in my race. I knew it would take a great effort to advance out of this round. However, I was unable to bring a great effort on that night. I ran the first lap in the same way I did the night before, but when the pack started to string out I was unable to put myself where I needed to be. I saw the leaders breaking away and told myself to go with them, but I just didn't have that POP that I needed. I finished 6th with a 1:46.41. I was extremely disappointed that my season had come to such an abrupt end. I cooled down and iced my legs and wished my competitors the best of luck in the finals. Then I went out and drank several badly needed beers.

The finals were won in a pedestrian 1:47.09. The leaders came through the first lap in 55 seconds and then ran 27, 25 for the next two 200s. Kenya's Alfred Yego came in first place, barely out leaning Canada's Gary Reed. Rounding out the medals was Russian Yury Borzokovsky. It is not lost on me that I beat all of these men at the Pre Classic. BUT, its who brings it on the day of the finals that counts....a lesson that I will have in the back of my mind all fall and all winter as I train for the Beijing Olympics!

SEASON RECAP!!

First of all I would like to thank everyone who has come to my site to find info on my first professional running season. It has been an incredible experience and I have learned so much about running, myself, and life in general. Anyone who knows me well knows that I can be quite a malcontent and I never seem to be 100% happy. I think this is partly what makes me the runner I am. Winning a big race or running a PR is a high that cannot be topped, but living in that moment of satisfaction does not allow one to win more races and run faster times. BUT, I assure all of you that I am truly living my dream. This year I have had the pleasure of getting to know some amazing athletes on the Oregon Track Club. I've also been able to run for the best middle distance coach in the country, perhaps the world. Frank Gagliano is a brilliant coach and a great person and I owe much of my success to him. In 2007 I have been on 57 planes. I have visited Asia twice, Europe once, and the east coast more times than I can count. I was able to PR by 7 seconds in the miles. 1.3 seconds in the 800m, and won several large races including USA indoors, the Pre Classic, and my first international races in at the Osaka GP and in Liege, Belgium. Though it came to kind of a bittersweet ending I am not disappointed with the season at all. In fact, I cant help but sit here, enjoying my two weeks off, and think to myself that everything happens for a reason. The 800m finals at Worlds will be in the back of my mind all fall, pushing me to train harder and live better. Look for me in the finals at Beijing next year. Much love!!

-Nick