It's Not The Winning,It's The Taking Part That Counts.....But The Winning Is Pretty Neat

Now that the dust has settled on this years edition of Outdoor Masters Nationals....aka "Track camp for grown ups" I can look back on my 6th Nationals w/ mixed emotions.
I went in hoping for two medals in my individual events and hopefully another in the relay,I said a week b4 leaving for Lisle I'd pull someones arm off if they offered me a pair of bronzes in the 800m and 1,500m b4 I ran them.

I'm thrilled w/ my 800m silver,I always knew I was better than my 5th ranked seed time and truly believed I could run faster than my 2.09.5 seed time and 2.08.8. seasoms best and did just that w/ a 2.06.1 to add a third silver at 800m to my 07 gold in Orono.

I'm gutted about missing the podium in the 1,500m the first time that's happened since my 06 debut in Charlotte in the 800m.
Again w/ the 5th ranked seed time I wasn't expected to medal but again I believed I was capable of running faster than my 4.23.7. seed time and seasons best 4.21.2. and were it not for a tactical error at 400m to go I may well have added a bronze to my pair of silvers from 07 and 10 and my gold from 08 instead I had to settle for a seasons best 4.18.6.

Relays at the end of Nationals,should be fun a nice way to round off the weekend and if you can medal that's an added bonus.....
My attempts just to run were filled w/ more obstacles than a cross country steplechase race and in the end I should be happy I was just able to get out on the track much less bitch about it not being at my prefered distance 4x800m or that I didn't win a gold.

So that's a rap for the 2012 Outdoor Masters Nationals,a new experience in some areas no gold,kept off the podium etc but it's not just about the battles out on the track it's about hanging w/ friends and teammates and making new friends and creating new memories,one of my favourite memories from Lisle will be the fact that six years on from my debut in Charlotte 06 four of the eight finalists from the M40 800m were still competing,myself and Chris Yorges in M45 and Dave Bynoe and Rodney Zook in M50 proving I'm not the only one nurotic enough to keep pushing the envelope.
Looking forward to Olathe Kansas next summer.....and the work for that begins now