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The much-anticipated U.S. Olympic Trials men’s 1500 meters finally started today with three action-packed qualifying races.
Jordan McNamara of the University of Oregon led the first heat, with Steve Sherer close behind. McNamara stumbled in the third lap, but reacted quickly to hold his front position. However, he did not have enough gas left in the end as he ended up last. Sherer finished strongly in second-place (3:44.71) after Gabe Jennings‘ outstanding kick for first (3:44.39).
The second heat had Lopez Lomong (3:43.38) and Leonel Manzano (3:48.41), who finished first and second. The most exciting moment was Andrew Acosta’s fall. He fell hard, did a back flip and got back up to finish the last laps despite having no chance to catch the rest of the field.
In case you were worried, Webb is back. Alan Webb had a lot to prove after recent performances, but he did well tonight with a 3:41.27, the fastest time of the quarterfinals. Behind Webb were Said Ahmed (3:41.92) and Christopher Lukezic (3:42.10). Bernard Lagat, who already made the Olympic team in the 5000 meters, looked relaxed in the back for most of the race, but eventually finished fourth (3:42.11).
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Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of The Final Sprint’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Be sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry at http://jonrankin.thefinalsprint.com/
I’m a very emotional guy. There is no denying that. If any of my friends or family members were to be asked to describe me in one word I would venture to say that emotional would be the most popular word used. And so, as I write this final blog entry prior to the Olympic Trials, I write the following words with a hazy view of the computer screen. Why? Well, I’m dually overwhelmed by the feelings of anxiety and gratefulness. I know how lucky I am to be heading the Olympic Trials both healthy and positively motivated. Don’t get me wrong, I’m terrified because I realize how momentous the occasion will be. And yet, I am more terrified because I believe I’m ready and I believe I have a real chance . . . . Holy cow, I might be an Olympian!!
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Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of The Final Sprint’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Be sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry at http://jonrankin.thefinalsprint.com/
As I sit on the bench by the track today and I start to prepare for my training session, I find myself staring off into space. I stare at the trees that surround the track as they rhythmically sway back and forth with the quietly blowing wind; my mind dances from one thought to the next, seeming to follow their oceanic pace. My thoughts are daydreams of a grand performance that I hope to have this coming Sunday in Eugene at the Prefontaine Classic.
These thoughts that I have are often so vivid because I’ve convinced myself a long time ago that they are real moments that have not yet happened. I can’t imagine continuing to pursue what are seemingly pretty wild goals without the belief that they are possible. Honestly, I think that it would make the task of achieving a goal that much harder if I didn’t believe deep down inside that I could really make it happen.
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The below video segment, entitled “Olympic Hopefuls Add Weights To Workouts”, was originally aired on NBC affiliate KCRA-3. It was filmed at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA and features rising American middle distance star and TFS Elite Athlete Bloggger Jon Rankin.
Learn more about Rankin as he gets ready to compete in the Bowerman Mile at this weekend’s Prefontaine Classic and continues his quest to become an Olympian by checking out his bi-weekly blog entries at: http://jonrakin.thefinalsprint.com
Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of The Final Sprint’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Be sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry at http://jonrankin.thefinalsprint.com/
Every time I step on the track I ask my self this simple question: why? I ask my self again and again why I put my body and mind through all this trouble and pain. And before I know it I hear Coach Cruz yell ‘GO!’ and I’m off without a second thought or answer. I just start running. Occasionally I’ll hear the voice of a teammate as I run by or the sound of the wind howling past my ears as I put one leg in front of the other as fast as I can. All the while hoping I don’t cave in before they give out. And before I know it the workout is a blur or the race is over, my erratic heart beat has slowly subsided to a subdued pitter-patter and I come to eventually find that I’m still in one piece. And as I cool down I think back to the question that always plagues my mind before every race and every workout: why? And the only answer, in the midst of all the heavy breathing, drowned out voices and splits that have no meaning, which seems to unveil itself to me, is that running is the one thing I love most. And that’s why I’ll never stop.
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Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of The Final Sprint’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Be sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry at http://jonrankin.thefinalsprint.com/
Before I took a nap this afternoon I thought about how tired I was from what turned out to be a very challenging interval session I had earlier this morning. Basically, as I sat on the edge of my bed I wondered why it was so hard. I mean, I was running pretty hard and quite fast, but I didn’t think that the workout warranted the type of reaction that my body exhibited. One of the first thoughts that I had as Coach Cruz described the workout to me was ‘this could be a great workout if I could hit the times.’ In retrospect that would be asking a lot more of my body than it was willing to give me on this day.
To say the least the workout wasn’t a great workout. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. So, what if the workout had been the ‘great workout’ that I was hoping to have? Would that have changed anything? . . . . . . Maybe. Maybe not. No matter the case, I did learn that, to have the type of expectations I had about my ability to execute a great workout upon hearing what the session would be, I had some clues as to my mental state:
1. It didn’t matter to me that I was tired coming into today’s training session.
2. It didn’t matter what I had done in the days prior to this day.
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Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of The Final Sprint’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Be sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry at http://jonrankin.thefinalsprint.com/
It’s the end of April and the weather here in San Diego is getting hotter and hotter. I’m grateful for the warm weather, but boy, anything over 90 degrees makes things a little tough for training. However, as hot as it has been I do believe that it must be a blessing in disguise because I’ve been told that the weather in Beijing, China is particularly warm . . . Well, all of the athletes living here at the ARCO Olympic Training Center here in Chula Vista, California are adjusting and making the most of everyday no matter the weather conditions.
I’ve actually been on the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to weather conditions. For nearly eight days a small group of track and field athletes from the Chula Vista ARCO Olympic Training Center travelled to Eugene, Oregon for a sneak peek at the Olympic Trials venue at Hayward field on the University of Oregon campus.
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Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of The Final Sprint’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Be sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry at http://jonrankin.thefinalsprint.com/
I often think about the moment when I will stand on the line before a packed stadium of people and I wonder what that moment will feel like. I imagine the silence of the crowd as the starter asks us to stand ready, to get set and then fires a gun following a single moment that will seemingly last an eternity. I imagine that moment everyday in the midst of the space between now and then. But that moment is still far away and so I have to remind myself often that I must not get too far ahead of the present.
I’m fearful that if I look way beyond the moment right in front of me that I will become lost. So I’m trying to find a good balance between that moment and right now. To be honest some days are easier than others because I’m so anxious and nervous about the outcome, but I’m finding a way to balance it all in my own way.
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Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of The Final Sprint’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Be sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry at http://jonrankin.thefinalsprint.com/
“Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.”
- Benjamin Franklin
I really don’t know how to interpret the above quote from Benjamin Franklin. Without a doubt it’s tax time. Yikes!! Honestly, I think that it’s kind of funny because it would be a very dreary life if death and taxes were the only things truly certain in life. What about love? What about running? What about the sweet smell of freshly cut grass in the early morning hours prior to a cross country race? If death and taxes are the only things certain I thank God for every day that I do get to run because I’ve been injured way too many times not to realize how lucky I am to be where I’m at today, just a few months away from make one of my biggest dreams a more certain part of my reality.
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Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of The Final Sprint’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Be sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry at http://jonrankin.thefinalsprint.com/
The warm sun of San Diego can spoil the most hardworking of souls.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been drenched by rain a handful of times. Outside of those few days of showers I’ve been lucky enough to experience arguably the best weather in the world. I would describe the type of good-weathered days San Diego’s been having as “beach days.” With the constant shining of the sun my soul has been rejuvenated. Although my last entry was a little depressing I didn’t want to hide from everyone the tough times we athletes experience on occasion. It’s a challenging life we lead. On a daily basis we ask the most of our hearts, bodies and spirits. Some days it can be very depressing when your best isn’t that good. This “depression” I mention is the price we pay for our love of our sport and our dreams. We’re never satisfied with anything less than all we’re capable of doing.
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