Nick Symmonds: Teammates
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #11)
Posted April 22nd, 2008 at 12:45 PM by Nick Symmonds
Section: Elite Athlete Blogs, Nick Symmonds
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Most mornings I wake up excited at the physical challenges I have planned for me that day. Whether it is an intense set of 200s, a grueling day of mile repeats, or just an easy jog followed by some lifting, I usually roll of out of bed anxious to start my workout. Today however, I woke up and was literally dreading my morning session. On the schedule I had a 5 mile tempo run averaging 5:05 pace. As an 800 meter runner this is a difficult workout, but I’m usually able to key off my teammates and literally let them drag me down the marked bike path that runs along the Willamette River. Today however, I did not have the pleasure of working out with any of them and was left tackle this 5 mile monster by myself.
I am part of a very unique training group here in Eugene, Oregon; there is no other running team in the United States as talented or as deep as the Oregon Track Club Elite. It is a group that has been carefully selected by the great coaching minds of Frank Gagliano and Vin Lananna as well as the higher ups at Nike. We have guys who have run 45 seconds for 400 meters, guys who can run well under 13:30 for 5000m and guy who can race the lights out of any distance in between. It is an honor to be part of this group and sometimes I forget just how important my teammates are to me and how much more difficult and less enjoyable my life would be without them.
To some who know me well that may sound strange, as I’ve always proclaimed that one of my favorite things about track and field is the individuality in the sport. However, this morning as I warmed up, worked out, and cooled down, by myself, I once again realized that as individual as our sport is, almost everyone is part of something much greater. At times for me that has been being part of a USA team, a group that is thrown together just weeks before competing against the rest of the world. But, for the vast majority of my year, it means being a part of the OTC. I depend on my teammates to physically help me through workouts as well as helping me stay mentally fresh through the constant grind that is warm-up, cool down, lifting, eating meals, traveling, or even just finding a life on a Saturday night here in Eugene.
The men and women of this club, as well as our close friends and training partners on Team XO have made life very enjoyable for me over the last two years and I thank them all for that. It’s hard to say what will happen to our current roster at the end of 2008; people often retire or move after an Olympic year, but the friends that I’ve made here in Eugene will always be important to me. They are what keep me coming back to the track each morning to hear about who is dating who, which Idol contestant got kicked off, how fast this guy or that guy ran (along with much speculation as to whether they will ever run that fast again), anything that has to do with The Hills (embarrassing, I know), and myriad other topics, both running and non-running related. So, as I prepare for my outdoor season I fully anticipate that I will have many more solo workouts this year, and these days help me to fully appreciate just how much I enjoy the days when I am with my TEAM.
-Nick
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Tags: 800 meter run, 800 meters, 800m, elite athlete blog, elite athlete blog series, elite athlete nutrition, eugene or, indoor track & field, middle distance, Nick Symmonds, olympic games, olympic hopeful, Olympic Trials, oregon track club elite, professional running blog, race prep, thefinalsprint.com elite athlete blog series, track and field, training, World Indoor Championships
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