David Krummenacker's Journal VII:
Early European Meets, Training, and the Trials
It's early July and the Olympic Trials are just around the corner. Last
fall when I began base training it felt like Athens was decades away. It's
amazing now to think the Games will begin in about a month's time.
It seems to me time doesn't wait.
My training has been going very well. I have been doing a little more endurance
work than previous years and holding off on the speed sessions in order to be
reaching top form in late August. Arizona summers and working out don't
exactly go hand in hand. We hit the trails and track at early hours in order
to dodge the blistering heat. We're often out of the cold whirlpool, finished
with breakfast, and back in bed by 9:00 am.
There's nothing in the world like being a runner.
I went to Europe for three competitions in June in order to get the race rhythm
going again. The first race was an 800 in Italy and I felt really smooth. The
first competition of the season is always a little wacky. You think to yourself,
“I feel like I've been training hard and all is going well but I
won't actually know that until a minute and forty ‘something'
seconds from now.” Once you have the first one squared away then you can
make your assessment. After the 800 in Turin I was really happy and I knew good
things were on the horizon.
The next race was a 1500 in the Czech Republic. I knew I would be in for quite
a ride because my focus in training this year has been geared solely for the
800. I ran 3:38, which was one of my best season openers for a 1500 but I felt
like I was running up hill the last 300. The great thing about that race was
seeing Webb step to the front and lay the hammer down with his 3:32. There's
no better feeling than beating a world class field. Webb and I talked after
the race about how great it will be for America to have two or three more guys
in the middle distance events making waves in Europe.
My third race was an 800 in Norway. I felt a nice rhythm once again, but on
the last straight I was reminded that I had some speed sessions to attend to.
I've been back in Arizona for the last 3 weeks training hard and preparing
for the rest of the summer. I'm very excited about the trials getting
under way next week. I think so many of the events are going to be thrillers.
Thanks for reading,
David
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