The U.S. Olympic Trials – Track and Field take a lot of work and preparation for many individuals. As a Local Organizing Committee, we have been working hard for years to make TrackTown12 the Best Meet Ever. The athletes have also been putting in a lot of time, sweat and effort to get themselves ready. For some athletes that means working hard to get a qualifying mark and for those who already have it, it is making sure they are ready, come June 21-July 1, to perform at their best. We want TrackTown12.com to be the website you come to get all your Olympic Trials information, including information about your favorite athletes who will be Eugene this summer.
One way to do this is to check out Oregon Track Club Elite Steeplechaser, Bridget Franek’s weekly blog, ‘Preparing for the Best’ , where she has some some Q&A with athletes who will be coming to Eugene for the Trials.
For a different kind of preparation, be sure to check out the Andrew Wheating and Russell Brown collaboration Behind the Stands to see what two local TrackTown USA athletes do with their spare time.
TrackTown Tuesday
Come out to our next TrackTown Tuesday tomorrow from 7pm-8pm at the Oregon Electric Station. Sponsored by Deschutes Brewery, Dutch Bros. Coffee, Mercedes Benz/Eugene, Dari Mart stores and Lochmead Dairy. “TrackTown Tuesday” is free and open to the public. Come hear from Ashton Eaton and six-time NCAA champion Brianne Theisen, as will 2008 Olympian Andrew Wheating and the Ducks’ Dakotah Keys and Trevor Dunbar. Click here for More Information.
Everyone who attended the Olympic Trials in 2008 seemed to have a different ‘favorite moment’, whether it was the Oregon sweep in the 800, the showdown in the last few laps of the 10K, or the falling records in the sprints. Or maybe it was participating in the All-Comers Meet, or watching the fireworks on the Fourth of July.
You can be rest assured that the athletes and races this coming summer will bring all the same excitement and passion, but “The Best Meet Ever?” While it may seem like a bold claim, it was precisely the one set forth by the TrackTown12 Local Organizing Committee at a planning event on Wednesday, February 22 in Eugene.
Representatives from the US Olympic Committee as well as USA Track & Field were in attendance to provide insight, suggestions, and encouragement. Oregon Track Club Elite athletes Cyrus Hostetler, Lauren Fleshman, and Bridget Franek were also there to give their valuable perspectives as competitors. While this particular meeting was focused on the athlete and media experiences at the Trials, the excitement it sparked could be carried over to spectators and proved that there are some great plans in store for everyone involved!
So while we are preparing for the biggest track event on U.S. soil this year, we would like to know…..”What are YOU most excited about as you prepare for the Olympic Trials?
In the next few weeks we will be interviewing all kinds of people involved in every aspect of the meet to find out what they are looking forward to most: athletes from out of town, college athletes, community runners, coaches, officials, and fans. With so much in store, we are pretty certain everyone will be getting excited for completely different aspects of TrackTown12!
To preview the possibilities, we will also be talking to the committee leader in charge of each area of TrackTown12 for the most up-to-date developments in preparation and even some insider information.
In the upcoming months, follow the stories and let people tell you about their favorite parts of the upcoming meet. What will YOUR new ‘favorite moment’ of 2012 be? We can’t wait to find out!
The Oregon Track Club held its annual dinner this past Tuesday inside the The Club room at Autzen Stadium for its ever-growing membership. About 350 of the club’s 1,800 members were in attendance.
The first part of the program included new president Bill Kelly leading the club updates and Tom Jordan updating the group about the Prefontaine Classic. The second part of the program featured Vin Lananna giving a look into what to expect for 2012 and beyond as TrackTown USA becomes an internationally known track and field venue. Lananna also brought up his Oregon staff and athletes Travis Thompson and English Gardner.
OTC Elite coach Mark Rowland talked about the 2011 accomplishments of his team and highlighted the world-medal winning performances of Jesse Williams, Ashton Eaton and Sally Kipyego (Watch OTC Elite 2011 Highlights).
Tuesday’s keynote speaker was OTC Elite athlete Lauren Fleshman and her motivating message was for everyone be a dreamer. Fleshman, who resides in Eugene with her triathlete husband Jesse Thomas, said she has been a lifelong dreamer and without it, she wouldn’t not be where she is today.
“When you’re a dreamer, heart break and failure come with the territory,” said Fleshman. “But I can definitely tell you it is still worth it, because it is a way of living that is that is both moving and memorable.”
Just in case you need more motivation, here are some quotes about being a dreamer.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable” – Christopher Reeve
Be sure to be in the stands to watch many dreams come true as athletes chase after their dreams of being an Olympian during TrackTown12, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track and Field. Get your Tickets.
To get a sneak peek of your favorite athletes competing this weekend, check out the Millrose Games, with headliners like LaShawn Merritt; the Flotrack Husky Classic, with Ashton Eaton and many other Pacific Northwest stars in attendance; and the USATF Classic in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with the likes of Galen Rupp and Jill Camerena-Williams highlighting the field.
**Update Tuesday 2/7/12 10:45am** The University of Oregon released a statement about the passing of Geoff Hollister, who was part of the “Men of Oregon” starting in 1965 and lettered as a steeplechaser in 1966 and 1968.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a great friend not only of the University of Oregon, but of the entire running community,” said Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. “Geoff was not only a visionary, but also one of the indelible spirits in our profession.
To read the rest of the statement, click over to goducks.com
**Update 4:15pm** Since posting this blog Monday morning, the sad news came about Geoff Hollister passing away after a long fight with cancer. Our condolences go out to his wife Wendy and the rest his family. His influence on our sport and the track and field community goes unparalleled. TrackTown USA is what it is today, largely, because of the him. Thank You Geoff. Rest in Peace.
This past Friday (February 3rd), the University of Oregon track team and Oregon Track Club Elite members stopped to dedicate their workouts to the very influential and esteemed U of O Alumnus Geoff Hollister. Mr. Hollister played a pivotal role in the success and growth of Nike with his business expertise and a true understanding of the core goals Bill Bowerman wished to build the company on. Their objective was to encourage America to get excited about running by helping athletes chase their athletic dreams. The company provided material and financial assistance by producing and selling state-of-the-art equipment and Hollister was their first salesman. During the first few years, he could be found at track meets and road races throughout Oregon selling running shoes from the back of his car. The other way Nike planned to help athletes was through the support of the community and team environment. Mr. Hollister, along with Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight were the ‘Founding Fathers’ of the American running team, Athletics West which has evolved into what is now the Oregon Track Club Elite. Though currently fighting a long, hard battle with cancer, he has continued to be an advocate for Bill Bowerman, Nike, and all things running. To learn more about his life and journey, check out his personal account in the video interview below.
The beautiful weather on Feb 3rd drew many runners to Hayward Field and many of them took a moment away from training to participate in a video ‘Birthday card’ for Mr. Hollister!
Happy Birthday Geoff from TrackTown USA!
Weekend Recap
This weekend saw another crop of Indoor Meets and stellar performances. Most notably, Oregon runners Matthew Centrowitz, Russell Brown, Mo Farah, Galen Rupp and former OTCElite member Ben Bruce laced up for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Centrowitz and Bruce raced a tough field in the Mens 3k placing 7th (7:46.19) and 9th (7:59.10), respectively. Brown, Farah, and Rupp appeared in the Mens Mile. Rupp ran 3:57.10 for third place immediately followed by Farah and Brown who crossed the line in 3:57.92 and 4:00.79.
Oregon Track Club Annual Dinner
Tuesday night will be the annual Oregon Track Club Dinner and Annual Meeting. It is set to take place at 5pm in Autzen Stadium and will feature a small program including TrackTown USA updates and Prefontaine Classic meet information. There will also be representatives from the University of Oregon Track Team and the OTC Elite to summarize how preparation is going for upcoming events. OTC Elite Runner Lauren Fleshman will be the events keynote speaker.
It sounds like it’s been a whirlwind (or perhaps a tornado) of crazy amounts of training and injury-scares and blogging and interviews and Picky Bar-making for you — ever since you announced your intention to debut at the 26.2 distance in the Big Apple.
On Sunday we got to watch you become an official marathoner at the prestigious ING New York Marathon. From what you said in post-race interviews, it sounds like you may have hit the wall really hard in those last miles, but you ran 2:37 on your first go-round and were the second American female. That’s insane!
It’s about 36 hours since you finished, and we just got done reading a great article in none other than the New York Times. Wow! What can we say, Lauren? We’re proud.
So we decided to dedicate our weekly Monday Matters’ blog is to you, Lauren Fleshman. You’re a 5k runner who made a huge leap up to the marathon and survived it in impressive fashion. And more than that, you’re a great person who makes our community a better place to be (and a better place to run). We hope your husband is feeding you grapes and expensive cheese right now.
The focus and determination you’ve shown this season has been inspiring, and we can’t wait to see you race back at Hayward Field during the 2012 Olympic Trials. We’ll definitely be tuning in to your always-entertaining blog as you prepare for this next adventure.
On September 18th, Olympian Adam Goucher ran 1:04:53 at the Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia – to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon. Winning at the Olympics has been a dream of Adam’s since he was a young runner. He will pursue his dream on January 14th on the Houston Marathon course as he competes for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team in the marathon. You can hear him talk about his race plans on Competitor radio.
Adam’s wife, Kara Goucher will also compete for a place on the U.S. Olympic team – but on the track at the 2012 Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field which will be held right here in TrackTown USA from June 22 – July 1, 2012. If you don’t have your tickets yet, you should get on that as they are selling out quickly!
If it is cross country that you look forward to every fall, this Saturday (October 1st) the University of Oregon Ducks will be hosting the annual Bill Dellinger Invitational as its only home meet during the 2011 cross country season. The meet will be held at the Springfield Country Club. The Duck men will take on teams from UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton, Idaho, Portland State, Southern Utah, Wichita State, and Wisconsin. The women will compete against Oregon State and Portland as well. The women’s race will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the men will run at 11:15 a.m.
This meet is named for legendary University of Oregon men’s track and field coach Bill Dellinger. The Springfield, Oregon, native and two-time NCAA champion for the Ducks was a three-time Olympian, the 1964 Olympic bronze medalist at 5,000 meters, and holder of two world indoor and six American records. In cross country, he took pride in the fact that he never lost a race as a high school, college or post-collegiate athlete. As the Oregon men’s cross country head coach from 1968-1998, Dellinger guided the Ducks to four NCAA team titles and 12 top-three NCAA finishes. Athletes under his mentorship received 45 cross country All-America honors. His squads also stockpiled 13 conference and four district team victories, and Duck individuals scored eight Pac-8/10 championships and six regional crowns.
What Competing at the World Championships Looks Like (if you are Lauren Fleshman)
Ever wonder what it is really like to race at a World Championship event? Oregon Track Club Elite’s Lauren Fleshman ended up competing in Daegu after some incredibly lucky breaks — and some very hard work and incredible races.
Here’s her description of what it was really like for her on race day in Daegu:
The Day of the Race
Korea Time (16 hours ahead of PST)
8am: wake to heart exploding out of chest with realization that today is the World Championships FINAL of the 5000 meters, and that I’m actually in it.
8:01 am: put the covers over my head, count to 100, and try to relax.
8:10 am: calmly head down to breakfast, intent on keeping things chilled out since I have TWELVE HOURS to kill before my race.
8:30am: In the dining hall (which is an amazingly converted subterranean parking garage 400 meters long) pickings are slim. I select a big mug of “brown rice green tea,” some questionable yogurt and cornflakes, 2 hard boiled eggs that are impossible to peel, and some legitimately amazing french toast. One out of four ain’t bad.
8:35-9am: Most days I plop my tray down at a table full of American athletes of various disciplines, most of whom I’ve only seen on TV, and proceed to join in a table discussion, but today its a table for two with Leo Manzano. Despite pulling his hamstring and missing out on making the final yesterday, he balanced his honest disappointment in his situation with encouragement for my upcoming race. It was like the whole spectrum of athletic experience was encompassed in our little bubble, and I left breakfast with a new friend and a compulsion to stretch my hamstrings.
9am: decide to make a schedule for the day and pack up my things for the race so I can relax. The idea is to let the schedule tick itself off item by item so I don’t have to think about it or make any decisions throughout the day. When you are a ball of nerves, even deciding what time to take a nap can make your head explode. Better to get all the thinking done at once.
10:30am: still thinking.
11am: finished packing and planning after a having a horrendous OCD episode which involved switching bags 3 times and quadruple checking that all my items were indeed in the right bags (one for race time, and one for post race since you can’t have certain things in the call rooms that you will want after you are done, etc.) Its really not that complicated, and I’m actually embarrassed I just shared that.
11am-1pm: Called Jesse with skype and we simultaneously watched “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and laughed way harder than the first time we saw it. Actually got worried I was tiring out my abs. Afterwards we talked and Jesse didn’t say one thing about my race, just like a good little husband.
1pm: Tried to nap. Mild heart attack instead. Decided it was better to be around people. Hung out with the roomies and had some good laughs, painted nails, etc.
2:30pm: Made Coach Row come down to lunch with me so I could chill. The buffet was my worst nightmare; one side dish was mashed up soggy tater tots from breakfast, creatively renamed “potato saute.” Barf. Can we say emergency back-up lunch? PBJ.
3:30pm: Showered, primped, and headed over to Coach Row’s for the final wait.
5:50pm: final snack: my last Picky Bar (All-In-Almond) and green tea with Eugene honey sticks (a gift from the runners back home, thanks guys!)
The Trip Over
6:00pm: Check out with the USA Team Staff where they visually check to see that you have everything you need. I passed the checkpoint thanks to my diligent packing and repacking and repacking. Boom.
6:10pm: board the magic bus for the Stadium, full to the brim with athletes and coaches, and plop down next to coach Row where we proceed to discuss the musical career of Luther Vandross.
6:15pm: drive past a breathtaking view of the stadium at sunset, set into the lush, rolling, Jurrassic Park-like mountains like a giant, white, glowing space ship. Both of us silenced by the sight of it.
6:20pm: arrive at the high security mondo practice track, which is 400 meters from the stadium. There are jumbo screens on the infield showing the races, athletes executing various stages of their warmups, and tents surrounding the perimeter filled with coaches and medical staffs and support crews. We set our stuff down in a tent by the USA staff and I get horizontal, passing the time with idle chat.
The Warmup
6:50: get loosened up with the help of Jack Magic.
7:10pm: warm up for race WAY earlier than normal because we have to be in the first call room 40 minutes before the start of our race (most races call you in 15-20 minutes before the gun goes off.) Due to the warm conditions, I only jog nine minutes, with seven of it extremely slow, and the last two minutes at tempo. My focus is my breath, using discipline to re-direct my mind to my affirmations whenever it strays. Basically I ran around telling myself I’m awesome.
7:20pm: stretch, do some activation exercises, fluids, bathroom for the fourth time in an hour, etc.
7:40pm: stride a 200 and grab my belongings.
7:45pm: Hugs and final words from Coach Rowlando, and high fives from the USA Team staff on the way into Call Room #1.
Being Called in to Compete
7:45-8pm: All the women in the race are in a booth together, waiting while the officials check our numbers. Many of us go into a separate room to change out of our soaking wet warmups into dry racing uniforms so as not to get cold while sitting around for 30 minutes in the air conditioning.
8pm: we are driven on golf carts from the warmup track to Call Room #2 underneath the stadium.
8:05-8:15pm: All of us plop ourselves on benches while officials call us up one at a time. For all 15 of us, they distribute a special timing chip bib with our name on it for the front of our jerseys, and check our spikes as well as rifle through the contents of our bags for who knows what. We have to sit there for 10 minutes until everyone has been checked. Then we are (finally) allowed to go into a little area with a 50 meter straightaway for a couple last minute drills and strides.
8:17pm: We are lined up and led single file through various tunnels and small passageways through the belly of the stadium to a ladder that will pop us up 100 meters from the 5k start. Music and cheering gets louder as we approach the ladder until the sounds from up there make us forget we were chit chatting with the woman next to us, and the vibration of the arena seduces the performer in most of us and paralyzes a few with fear. A Japanese girl next to me starts shaking, pulling her hands to her face and groaning quietly, and I am distracted for a moment with empathy for her. I’ve been there and its awful. But in this moment, I look up towards the source of the vibration with wanting.
8:20pm: As I climb up the steps, the small rectangle of bright light expands until my head emerges above the mondo track and the massive stadium engulfs me. I am a fleck of dust in the Universe. Catniss Everdeen in the Arena. Light flooding in all around me and I squint and bury my head to avoid being overwhelmed by the crowd. My knees wobble for a moment, and I repeat my affirmations. The crowd roars in response to some performance, so loud that I want to cover my ears, and I decide to ignore it…all of it. Its just me and this track. Me and this track.
8:22pm: Two strides
8:23pm: Lie on my back and soak in the field until I feel grounded. Step towards the line.
8:25pm: TV camera rolls across us. The gun explodes.
The Race
First 3k: I’m all focus. I lose myself in the laps and relax as much as possible. Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency.
5 laps to go: The Africans come swinging around the outside, and I pretend I am one of them: the rookie. Having learned from the prelim that they work together, I try to read their pack dynamics and body language to anticipate when a move will be made.
4 and 3 laps to go: I cover all moves smoothly. I attempt to better my position, but once I do, they go back around me. Its what they do anytime a non-African breaks into their pack, so I adapt my strategy and try to relax once again right behind them.
2 laps to go: The pain is barely endurable, and then 200 meters later, the leaders take off and the pack strings out. I latch on as much as possible with the knowledge that I could easily fall apart at any moment.
1 lap to go: My physical limits are very near, but so is the finish line.
200 meters to go: I am barely surviving, reaching into the corners of the toothpaste tube to squeeze out just a little bit more, and I catch one more woman right before the finish line.
I didn’t know who won, who got medals, who I pipped at the line, what time I ran, or what place I finished. Complete immersion into maximum effort drowned out all my senses. It wasn’t until passing through the mixed zone with the media that I learned how I placed and all I could think about was this:
June 24th: 8th in the USA
September 2nd: 7th in the World.
Just goes to show, you never know what awaits you. Believe in turnarounds. Believe in yourself.
Thank you husband. Thank you Nike OTC. Thank you Eugene. Thank you family. Thank you friends.
Lauren
Read more about her amazing experience at Worlds on Lauren’s blog.
OTC Elite’s Jesse Williams Wins A Gold Medal in the High Jump!
What a day in Daegu! Jesse Williams jumps 2.35 meters (7′-8.5″) with fewer misses to edge out Aleksey Dmitrik of Russia for the win. Two other Americans also won gold: Jennifer Barringer-Simpson came from behind to win the 1,500 meters in 4:05:40 and LaShinda Demus grabs gold with her 400-meter hurdle time of 52.47.
Williams’ performance is the first men’s high jump title since Charles Austin won gold at the 1991 worlds in Tokyo, on the same exact day: September 1. Barringer-Simpson’s victory is the first for an American woman in the 1,500 meters since Mary Decker-Slaney thrilled the crowd with her win in 1983. Demus’ time is a new American record — as well as the fastest run in the world this year and the third fastest time ever (only .13 off the WR)!
And great performances from a couple of University of Oregon athletes in the qualifying heats: Matthew Centrowitz won his semi-final to breeze into the 1,500 final, and Mike Berry was part of the Team USA 4×400 relay team that won its heat to advance to the final – in a world-leading time of 2:58.82 (Berry’s ran a blazing 43.83 for his relay leg !)
Other Americans did well today too — Bernard Lagat won his heat in 13:33:90 to qualify for the final in the men’s 5000 meters. Galen Rupp also qualified with a 5th place finish in the heat. Carmelita Jeter, Allyson Felix and Shalonda Solomon all qualified to move to the next round in the 200 meters. All four American shot putters (Reese Hoffa, Christian Cantwell, Adam Nelson and Ryan Whiting) qualified to move on to the final round, and Brigetta Barrett will move on to the finals in the women’s high jump. Dwight Phillips and Will Claye both qualified in the long jump and all three Team USA women will run in the next round of the 800 meters (Maggie Vessey, Alysia Johnson Montano, Alice Schmidt.)
Less than a year from now, all eyes will be on London as the Olympic Games unfold. This weekend, some TrackTown USA used the IAAF Diamond League meet at Crystal Palace as an opportunity to showcase their talents.
Oregon Track Club Elite’s Lauren Fleshman lit up London with a breakthrough performance on Saturday afternoon – winning the 5,000 meters in the second-fastest time of her career: 15:00:57. Lauren has had a difficult spring as she slowly recovered from a foot injury. Fleshman is also one of only three Americans (who raced in the 5k at the USA Outdoor Championships) to have dipped below the IAAF ‘A’ Standard (15:14.0) this season, and will await a decision from USATF on the outside chance she may be able to represent Team USA at Worlds.
“I knew Lauren was rounding into good shape, she just needed to be patient and let her fitness surface,” OTC Head Coach Mark Rowland said from London. “I know the selection for Team USA is a little complicated, but I would like to think that she would be considered to run in Daegu. Regardless, we’re happy to be where we are at this stage.”
Another outstanding performance in London came in the men’s 800 meters, where OTC Elite Nick Symmonds took fourth behind the fabulous trio of David Rudisha of Kenya, Abubaker Kaki of Sudan and Boaz Lalang of Kenya. Rudisha clocked a meet-record setting time of 1 minute, 42.91 seconds, Kaki ran a season-best 1:43.13, Lalang also recorded a 2011-best of 1:44.13, and Symmonds was just behind him in 1:44.40.
“That was a solid performance,” OTC Elite head coach Mark Rowland said from London. “Nick’s training is going well and we know that Worlds will be completely different to the Diamond League series.”
Two other OTC Elite members who were competing on their home soil represented the OTC Elite well in the 5,000 and the 800 respectively. Chris Thompson and Jemma Simpson are a pair of Brits who live and train in Eugene. Thompson managed fourth in the 5k, with a mark of 13:34.31, while Simpson was ninth in a deep 800-meter field in 2:00.69.
Chasing the Standard
This was the last weekend of meets for those athletes “chasing the standard” — trying to meet the needed IAAF standard to be able to compete at the World Championships in Daegu at the end of the month. Here’s a chart of who stands where in that chase (click on the chart to view a larger version):
As soon as USATF announces the final choices for Team USA, we will post them here. Best of luck toall the athletes who have qualified and will be traveling to Daegu, Korea to compete.
The 
