Qualifying for Footlocker Nationals was the greatest running accomplishment I have ever had and one of the greatest times I have ever had! At Footlocker, every single person I met was there for the same exact reason I am there for. They trained just as hard as I did for 6 or 7 months. Also, the people who put on this meet do an amazing job. All that they do to put on this meet, they find ways to treat us like kings and queens. When I walked off the coach bus to arrive at the Hotel Del Coronado being at Nationals instantly hit me! I then checked in and they handed me two shoe boxes and a backpack full of clothes. Being at a National meet I was expecting for the officials or coordinators to be very strict about what we did, but they let us have a lot of free time.
The first thought I had when I was about to meet an Olympian was, "I feel like they are going to be mean, or stuck up." But once again, I was wrong. Adam Goucher and Jorge Torres were some of the most respectable athletes I have ever met. They were there to make my experience a great one. They answered any questions you asked them with the most honest answer. To be honest, it was kind of hard to believe that they were National Champions and Olympians because they never bragged about their accomplishments.
Balboa Park was just how I expected it to be. Knowing that I was on the same course that many Olympians and National Champions had been on, running up the huge hill that everyone has talked about, and the perfect San Diego weather made it live up to expectations. My race was not what I was looking to do. I felt like I ran relatively flat. Even though I was not satisfied with how I ran at Nationals it was hard to let myself down knowing that I made it to Balboa!
Our Olympians were asked at a meeting we had, "How did the Footlocker experience change you?" And they were dead on! There answer was "Friendship." Like I said earlier, everyone at this meet is there for the same reason I was. I got along with all the runners and am definitely going to keep in touch with the ones I got close to. I now have good friendships with runners from Texas, South Dakota, Massachusetts, California and many more!
Overall, the experience was amazing. I felt like running the race was only a small part of being in San Diego. Footlocker treated me like a King. They put me in an amazing hotel right on the beach and showed me respect in every way. I was very thankful to make it my junior year. Hopefully, I can stay healthy and qualify again next year.
Personal Bests
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1600 Meter Run4:38.58 -
2.x Mile Run (CC Short Course)14:25.00
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Three Mile Run14:30.00
5000 Meter Run
15:23.00
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