The Track Hack: Olympic Trials Day 3

(Read about Day 1 here)

(Read about Day 2 here)

Early morning walkabout:

Big props to historical fact-checkers Duane and Jack for confirming some vital information. Namely, UO’s Johnson Hall was visited circa 1978 by Bluto, D-Day, and a very unfortunate horse.

Then there’s Gerlinger Hall, home of Otter’s improvised (and falsified) date who died in a tragic kiln explosion.

Gerlinger is also the site of my first ever volunteer assignment here, during the 2008 Trials. Buses would turn around in the circular drive, and I simply direct them not to stop. My engineering degree comes in handy sometimes.

Once breakfast at the dorm is finished, I bike over to Command Center #1, where i get Joan and Ron’s impressions of the first two days. Ron tells me he and his boys do a daily run on Pre’s Trail, so we converge on Command Center #2.

Ok this is David Strang, John Trautmann, a hidden Bob Lesko, and quiet/reserved Ron Harris. All former professional runners with international experience. The conversations are as such:

1) “Do you remember that race we did in in Austria?”

2) “The time Said Aouita (Olympic Gold Medalist) was training with us, and he kept talking by the side of the road while he took a leak in plain view of everyone?”

2) “That other time, I fell two steps after the starting gun. They didn’t recall the runners, and I just laid there. But I got my $1000 in appearance money, so I didn’t care.”

Alex, I’ll take “His Element” for $1,000. The answer: “In where is Nick right now?”

Say it with me, people: I love track! I couldn’t stop grinning or soaking it all in.

David shared a muffin the size of an elephant’s head. I passed (#Winning).

Chuck’s daughter is staying in the house. This will be one LOUD cheering section tomorrow night for her 1500m final.

Track fans: I meet longtime (very, VERY longtime) WSU coach John Chaplin. The man is crustier than 6 month old stale bread.

Former Oregon decathlete Joe Delgado is introduced as attached to the US Naval Academy. Huh? I introduce myself as not quite fossilized; he evidently followed his coach there and now on the coaching staff himself. Later, he rolls in the 1500m and works the field over in a solid performance, moving up to 5th. In their group victory lap, he sees me, we bump fists, and he says…

“GO NAVY!” Indeed.

At the finish line, we’re running behind schedule due to some false starts in the sprints. Now i see NBC’s Lewis Johnson walking down the homestretch….barefoot, shoes in hand. What?

While switching positions on the track, i walk past the exclusive catered section below the tower. A meet official is in there taking a break; even though I don’t drink beer, his frosty Coors Light looks pretty good. He offers me a sip.

Women’s 400m final…..174 year old Allyson Felix is trying for her 59th Olympic team. As she comes past my post with a half lap to go, she’s buried and way back. Game over, she’s done. But not yet….she enters the homestretch around 600 yards down, hits the jets, and steals 2nd place! The NBC executives are quite relieved at their cash cow bringing the goods….and Nike, who screwed her on contract terms and ran her off, hopefully is enjoying that big plate of crow.

I find out why Lewis was barefoot. NBC decides he should do an explanatory piece on the steeplechase, so he dunks his feet in the water pit on camera. Commence eye roll.

Women’s 400m victory lap is held up for a bit. I see Allyson sitting on the track with a tired but happy look on her face. Then i look at 3rd place Wadeline Jonathas who is positively giddy; she took the final spot by 7/100s of a second. She sees me and starts blushing, then says, “You know how when you think you did it but you don’t know?”

Men’s 400m final….hoping for NC A&T phenom Randolph Ross, but he’s had a full season and is tired. Go to the women’s 400m description paragraph, replace ‘Allyson’ with Randolph, and you’ll see that he ran the exact same race. With the same result: an Olympic berth. Later, I find his dad (and coach, same person)…

Umpire Lynn with high jumper Inika McPherson, who just made her 2nd Olympic team. She’s shorter than me, but with much better hops: she cleared 6’4” for a podium slot.

Speaking of good wheels: Texas native and Univ of Georgia frosh Matthew Boling. Look up his HS 4x400 relay leg, it’s otherworldly. 19 years old and in the Olympic Trials 100m final; the lad is building a good resume. My man Jason in San Angelo sent me a link awhile ago about MB burning up the track.