Hometown Glory

Running the Penn Relays never gets old for me,I still get a thrill from seeing my name in the program and frankly where else will I get to run infront of 47,000 fans?
Being a Philly native helps,it's a 40 minute walk from my front door to Franklin Field and lest we forget long b4 "The Top Cat Bowl" Franklin Field was my home track,and will be again after Penn Graduation.
It'll come as no great surprize I listened to Iron Maiden on the walk to Franklin Field,I felt it set the table for me,I've been low key and quiet all week leading upto today, I sensed a pr was on the cards for me and a club record was there for the taking for the team, in 2007 todays same foursome of Ray,Scott,Daryl and myself ran 4.42.90.,I honestly felt a 4.40 was on today but to a man if we ran a second faster than 2 years ago a 3.38.
Given the heat we sought shade in the top part of the east stand b4 making our way to Bower Field behind the stadium to warm up,I don't think I've ever been as focused for Penn Relays as I was today,nor do I think I've ever been as well prepared,over the last three years here at Penn I've ran 54.10 in 06,54.58 in 07,and 55.1 in 08,like I always say running in front of 40,000 will do wonders for your times.
We got a tough start,lane 1 but Ray kept us in contention of the 9 teams compeating w/ a 56.9 lead off,Scott always a gutsy runner and for once running illness and injury free moved us up to either 7th or 6th w/ a 53.4.
Daryl who braved the rain two weeks ago at Germantown Friends to nail the final spot on the relay team by a second ran a 55.4,now it was on me to bring it home.
We were 6th 2 seconds behind 5th,3 seconds ahead of 7th,I wasn't worried,all week I'd focused on me,what I was going to do not concern myself w/ who was running for which team,my game plan was get out of the exchange zone run that first turn hard,cruise down the back straight and kick at 200m,I've been guilty of running the first half too hard in the last three years and not having enough in the tank over the closing half,not today.
Down the back straight I felt comfortable I wasn't focusing on the anchors of 2nd Wind or Southwest Sprinters B or too concerned w/ what was going on behind me,when I hit 200m to go I found that other gear and began to focus on my form,I've ran that final turn at Franklin Field so often in repeats period but I've also ran it tired at the end of considerably more laps,this one was for all the marbles...............
53.6 a pr......3.38.93 a club record...........NICE!!!!
I want to give"Dib" his props,he got me ready for this race w/ attention to detail this week,I also want to dedicate my performance to a very good friend, J confided in me yesterday she may have a serious illness,I told her pre race this race was for her,in running as is in life I gave my word,promises are made to be broken but when I give my word on something I try to deliver,today I did.
W/ Penn Relays behind me I can now turn my focus back to the 800m and 1,500m/mile as was evident by my post race 5 miler at ''The Top Cat Bowl"I don't expect there to be any more 400s this summer....unless our Olympic Development 4x400m want to challenge us,they ran 3.35.73.yesterday,technically that's the club record now but us old geezers on the Masters team aren't going away quietly,or anytime soon!