Scherer Speed - Europe 2007

2008 Season

:: 3/15/08 :: Indoor Recap ::

Just to give a recap of my short indoor season, I ran a total of 3 races and didn't do particularly well in any of them. Of course I ran my hardest in all 3 races but after each I felt like I could or should have done better. My first race, an 800, I messed around in the back of the pack and barely squeeked out a qualifier for the indoor national meet in Boston, which was my second race. There I actually ran a very good tactical race. I finally did some thing in the early part of the race that I had been having trouble with. So I was really happy with that but just didn't have much in the gas tank the last 200m. I finished 8th overall in the country which is the highest I have ever placed at a US National meet. Then I thought my indoor season was over but ended up going to Seattle one more time and running an open 400, my first since I ran 2 of them in Europe last season. I ran in lane 2 the whole way around and still ran a 47.3. I was happy to be in the mix but knew that 46 slipped through my fingers.

I was training through the indoor season to focus more so on the Olympic Trials, and that is how I felt. There was not much of any excitement or an urge to compete which is why the short season was so blah. But I have to remember that if I were to try to peak for indoors it will take away a little edge at the end of outdoors.

Rolling into Outdoors

After a few days off mentally and physically from indoor, I feel energized and ancy. I wait patiently all week for our speed workouts and get pumped up for them. I sat down with my coach during my break and planned out my outdoor meet schedule and I have several 400's in there. I am super excited about that for two reason. One, by running alot of 400's and 4x400's I will be able to really get some good speed work throughout the season. Second, running 400's are/were my thing. I think its going to help me get that bit of swagger back that I had in college and help to boost the old self-confidence level.

I am still very much excited about the 800. Last year at this time I was doing workouts that would seem like a warm-up to me now. I am so much stronger and have a much better base than last year. And last year I ran 1:47.08 so right now I don't have any limitations in my mind. Just looking at things like I've been mentioning it seems almost for sure that I could run 1:45 this year. But of course 4x 26 sec 200's sounds pretty easy to most any sprinter.. haha.

Oregon Preview

My upcoming meet is next weekend, March 22, in Eugene. I'll be running the 800m and 4x400m relay, most likely in some cold windy rain. But that's Eugene in March and I love it. It has to be better than the 25 mph winds on the backstretch of the tracks in IL where I grew up. My goals for this weekend: WIN! I don't know anyone else as of now that will be running but I know that I need to get used to winning. It is contagious and if I start now it can only be good. Time-wise I would like to go under 1:49. Last year I ran my first race at 1:48.8 so I think it would be nice to do that again. I had a great, tough week of practice that included (throughout the week) a 23 sec 200 and a 64 sec 500. I won't tell you what I run at longer intervals, I came from a sprinter background so lets keep to the positives..lol.

:: 2/17/08 :: Indoor Nationals Update ::

I am officially qualified for and entered in this year's USATF Indoor National Championships. Here is a rundown of what is going with me and with this meet:

Event Website: http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/USAIndoorTFChampionships/
Location: Reggie Lewis Center - Boston, MA
My Prelim Race: 2/23 - 2:50pm (full schedule)
My Final Race: 2/24 - 5:13pm
Results Link: http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/USAIndoorTFChampionships/schedule.asp
Television: The meet will be televised on Sunday 2/24 at 5pm ET on ESPN2
Travel Plans: I'll be flying to Boston on Thursday and returning on Monday

:: 1/31/08 :: Pre-Race Blog ::

This year I want to try to write a blog before and after every meet. This weekend I am running in the UW Invitational in Seattle, WA. It is my first meet of the 2008 season and will hopefully the beginning of a very special season for me. It is also my first indoor race as a professional. Last year I was injured and not running all of January and February because of a torn calf and achilles tendonitis. Everything this year has been great so far. In December I had to take a week really light because of some tightness in my calf that was similar to what I felt last year. Other than that I have been 100% healthy and am excited about opening up my season.

:: Weekend Schedule ::

Friday: Distance Medley Relay – I am running the 400m leg
Saturday: 800m and 4x400m relay leg

:: Pre-Race Thoughts ::

I have been trying not to think about my 800m race very much this week. It is a little bit different situation than I’ve ever been in. I’m starting off the season with everyone else in a strategic event. When I ran the 400m, all I had to worry about was myself because I knew my event and I knew my body. I knew that no one was going to affect my race enough for me to worry about. Now I am in this world of strategy, pacing, and thinking. I have seen the heat sheets and know who the competition is, and we have a rabbit (pace setter). But what I realized as I was riding the Oregon team bus up from Eugene is that I’ve been so focused this season on my training on and off the track that I don’t even know what kind of shape my training partners are in. two or three of them are in my heat. As the season gets going I won’t even think twice about this because I will know how everyone is racing. This week I don’t have any recent history to strategize off of except for the fact that I know what pace the rabbit is supposed to go. So I feel a sort of blindness going into the race, but I’m going to stick to what I know and what I feel. That’s why I brought along my sunglasses. They always put me in my own little world on the track and help keep me focused.

I’m running the 400m leg of the DMR, which should be both fun and a good warm-up for the next day’s races. In that race we are up against a good Oregon team and last year’s NCAA champions, Stanford. The 400m leg is not very significant in the final time of the race but will be important for positioning. (the four legs are 1200m, 400m, 800m, and 1600m) I plan on being in the lead when I get the baton and keeping the lead, but if I happen to not be in the lead it will be my job to get it.

The 800m I’ve already talked about but the goals of the race are to run 1:49 or better, which would be a qualifying mark for the US Indoor Championships in Boston in February. I also want to get off to a good start competitively so will also be gunning for the win this race. The 4x400m relay is coach’s way of finishing the day with some more speed work. I think I’m running the second leg but that could change several times before the race gets under way. And really, a speed work is all I’m after in this race. I have no idea who we are running against or how good they are, but the other two races are what I’m focused on this week.

:: Final Thoughts ::

In college I would often run 3 or sometimes 4 events in a meet. At the NCAA meet my senior year I ran 7 races in 4 days, and at Pac-10’s that year I ran 6 races in 2 days. I thought after turning professional that those days were over but here I am again running multiple events. But I loved it in college and I’m ready to tackle it this weekend. Wish me luck and check back Sunday to see my Post-Race blog