On The Podium.....

When it comes to the 800m at Masters Nationals I'm no rookie,Charlotte 06,Orono 07,Spokane 08,Sacramento 10,Lisle 12,Winston Salem 14.
W/ the notable exception of my debut season in Charlotte 06 I'd made the podium everytime and carried a 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze record coming into Jacksonville....it was a record I was desperate to continue......w/ the key word desperate.

Due to Worlds  3weeks after Nationals this year I had to switch things up this year,normally my M O for Nationals is 6 races leading upto Nationals{if possible 3 x 800m 3x mile/1,500m} and a three week taper......however  that wasn't possible this time out and I arrived in Jacksonville a little leg weary and low on confidence.
My lone 800m race was a disappointing 2.13.6 back on June 20th and learning a valuable lesson from last years 800m debarcle I went w/ my "best time in the last two years" last years 2.09.8 and submitted that as my seed time......I wasn't getting screwed and put in the non seeded heat this year......though in fairness w/ hindsight my 2.13.6 would've gotten me into the seeded heat.however "once bitten twice shy"....

Conditions were hot and sunny for the 9.30am race,my one concern was racing that early,I'd already fared badly once this season w/ an early morning race but that was in fairness a local rinky dink road mile.....this was USATF Masters Nationals,in a non WMA year the apex of the season in my humble opinion......
An eight man final,it's been a while since I've had that experience,I drew lane 3 w/ Bill Mason in 1,David Bailey in 2,David Bynoe in 4,Derek Ferman in 5,Jim Watts in 6,Derek Larner in 7 and Dan Bergeson in 8.
I last raced Bill Mason in Lisle in 2012,David Bailey in Winston Salem last year,David Bynoe in Winston Salem indoors in March,Derek Ferman was new to me,Jim Watts in Sacramento 2010,Derek Larner last year in Winston Salem and finally Dan Bergeson indoors in Winston Salem in March.

From the gun Bill Mason made up the stagger on me and by the time we broke at the top of the back straight Dan Bergeson had worked his way onto Bills shoulder,then came a gap b4 Watts and Bynoe followd by me and Larner.
Going in my plan was to lay off the opening pace given my acute plack of confidence but at 200m I knew IF I didn't get off the rail and around Watts,Bynoe and Larner Mason & Bergeson would be in another zip code so rather than wait for a gap to open up I cut my stride,swung wide into lane 3and swept by Jim,Davis and Derek......third at the bell.
I had no idea of my split or the pace,post race I discovered the leaders went through in a staggering 61 seconds so my guess would be 62/63 seconds.

Down the back straight I closed the gap on the leaders,based on our Indoor 800m battle this year my guess was Dan would make his move at 200m....
As I tried to wrestle second away from him Dan had other ideas and then made his move....which forced the long striding Bill Mason to  make his move around the turn w/ 150m to go the medals were decided......
Gold for Bill Mason in 2.06.80,silver for Dan Bergeson in 2.08.13 and bronze for yours truly in 2.08.78.
Not only had I gotten on the podium I'd also ran my fastest 800m since Lisle 2012 when I ran 2.06.12 to win silver,no too shabby for a guy low on confidence and w/ only one sub par outdoor 800m under his belt all year!!!.

Outside of the Greater Philadelphia Track Club Pentathlon on Aug 30th I probably won't do another 800m this season but rest assured come Sept 29th when I resume repeats and begin the long haul for the 2016 season I'll be doing my best to get 800m sharp,when it comes to Grand Rapids Michigan next summer I hope to challenge for Outdoor 800m medal #7......