I planned it as a big weekend family trip. The only problem is the only one in my family who was excited about spending a weekend in Des Moines watching track and field, was me. So, I ended up solo. But they missed out. It was really an incredible experience.
I wasn't completely solo. I was with a couple thousand other track fans like me, all of us feeling blessed to see the country's greatest athletes up close at the national championships. The USATF outdoor championships chose Des Moines, and Drake University to host the 2010 event several years ago. And as a Drake Alum, I marked it on my calendar, and waited. I checked on tickets months ago, and kept expecting a sell-out. Surprisingly though, the stadium was only about a third full.
Neverthless, It was worth the wait. A lot of people might not relish the idea of spending all weekend at a track watching atheletes go around an oval, leap over hurdles, jump, vault and throw. For me, it was a little corner of heaven. I've never been to the Olympics, or even a national championships track and field meet before, but I've always watched them on television, dreaming of being there.
Several of my college teammates were on hand as well, including Henry Hamilton, and Sterling Martin, who still holds the Drake school record for 800 meters. We watched in amazement as the best runners in the U.S. rounded the track we used to practice on.
Drake is used to hosting big track meets, being home to the Drake Relays every year. As a result, the stadium records are pretty impressive. Michael Johnson, for instance, holds the 200m and 400m records there. Those records stood, but many others were obliterated over the weekend, as the prospect of a national championship inspired some great performances.
I was especially excited to watch some of the distance and middle distance events. Seeing
Bernard Lagat win the 5000 meters with a great kick was a lot of fun. The 1500 meters was also a great race with a tight pack for the first 1400. Then Lopez Lamong came up with a great kick to pull away from Leo Manzano and win.
But all of that it was just a warm-up for the 800 meter final on Sunday afternoon. That's when I got to see one of the most exciting runners in the country perform his magic. As a former (mediocre) 800 meter runner, I've always followed that event closely. I've watched Nick Symmonds career explode from some of his first races after college, when he burst on the scene with the most amazing kick I've ever seen. He had a somewhat dissappointing Olympics in Beijing, failing to make the final, but he is back in top form this season.
Symmonds was solidly in last place as they crossed the 400 meter mark. He started to move up over the next 200 meters but was still in about 4th place as they entered the final turn. Then he found another gear as he turned on his blazing 100 meter final kick, and made everyone else look like they were standing still. This was the third straight national championship in the 800 for the 26 year old Symmonds. I took the picture above with a little camera from my seat which was just behind where the professional photographers were lined up on the track.
My friend Henry was busy snapping some incredible pictures with his professional grade camera. And he captured one of the best shots I've seen of the best moment of the entire meet. This picture on the right is of Lolo Jones crossing the line as she won the 100 meter hurdles. Lolo is the sweetheart of U.S. track and field, but is especially revered in her hometown of Des Moines.
Jones has had a star-crossed career. Growing up in Des Moines, she survived a difficult childhood. At one point she lived in the basement of a church, and later lived with a series of host families while she finished high school. She was the favorite for gold in the Beijing Olympics, but tragically hit one of the final hurdles in the Olympics, tripped, and finished 7th. She also failed to win her event at the Drake Relays this year. But she made up for it at the National Championships. It was a thrilling event, and it revealed me as the geeky track fan that I am.
Here is a link to a short YouTube video of the race from the infield. Look closely after she is interviewed when she throws her sunglasses into the crowd. Yup, that's yours truly grabbing them. They will soon be sitting in a trophy case at my house. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-D09cpX9pc Yes, I even got an autograph afterward. Now I have to explain to my family and many of my friends who she is! And I have to tell my wife that, no, she can't wear the sunglasses on her next run!
Anyway, after spending all weekend watching the meet in person, I came home and watched the network coverage of it all over again (on DVR). Yes, I am a track geek. And I am ok with the fact that I cannot relate to running anywhere near as fast as any of the athletes I watched. But it was inspiring.
See you on the roads....
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