Well this is it! It is race day. I have made it thru the first day without any real drama now it is time to leave it ALL on the track. I am full of nervousness!! I race at 7:45pm. It is 3:11pm and my heart is racing like I have already completed the warm-up. It is hard but I am trying to keep things in perspective. I cannot tell the future and as much as I like to be able to there is no need because we will all know the result in a few hours.These things I do know….

That for one to be the winner there has to be 7 other losers so one persons joy will inevitably result in many others pain. Life is about both joy and pain and when things don’t go the way you would like them to how you choose to deal with that is what becomes the most important next move. No one likes a sore loser and if takes far more character to hold your head up and conduct yourself in a manner that respectful of others despite how much pain you are in than to celebrate (I don’t know anyone who isn’t good at celebrating).

A loser is going to wonder why it seems they have done everything right and still come up short. They may even begin to believe that they are being punished for somehow not having done enough. This is a crucial moment when you either decide to wallow in self pity or keep on living because life is far from over.

My theme for this games is living. I am dedicating this performance to those who don’t have that privilege anymore mainly my God mother Dr. Sophie Womack who passed earlier this year suddenly. She crammed so much into her time here and I have her example to remind me that no matter how much you think you’re doing or hard you think your working there is always room for more. You only live once so don’t waste time pouting, complaining, whining or making excuses take advantage of each moment and focus on all things wonderful, pleasant and positive.

Tonight I am getting on that track knowing that I am capable of winning. But win lose or draw I am already at peace with myself. I know how far I have come. I know I am going to run my heart out so no matter what happens when I cross that line there is no reason to think the world is going to end. I may not be the happiest person in the stadium but I choose not to be the saddest either.

I have accepted that God has a plan for me and if getting across the finish line first is in it I will be overjoyed. If not, I will hold my head high be grateful for the experience of being here not once but twice in the same lifetime. If you are a fan of mine surely it isn’t just because I run fast. You know that I have some many other hopes dreams and desires that I am capable of great things. I am dedicated to education and helping others. I have far from reached my full potential in any area of life and will continue to grow with the help of those around me.

I know I have told you before but if you see me please don’t wish me luck. Luck is for those who have not prepared their going to need luck to be more successful than me I have worked too hard to depend on luck. I depend on GOD. Hard work and GOD is all I need so when it is time for my races make sure you say a prayer for me and I will be just fine.

It has been an exciting week. I was glad to make the move from Dalian into Beijing so that I could move around freely. I didn’t waste any time either, arriving Sunday afternoon and heading straight to Beijing Normal University (BNU) to check out the training accommodations and food that everyone has been raving about. BNU is set up for Team USA to have a place to train privately. You know me I LOVE to eat and was glad that the food held up to the hype. With an all American staff flown in the USOC outdid themselves. There are smoothies, a pasta station, salad bar and a buffet with a well balanced meal complete with nutrition information. Then there is a grill menu that you can always order from if nothing suits you and if all else fails you can ask for what you want and they will try their hardest to accommodate you. This is also where personal coaches, team alternates along with other stragglers associated directly with team USA but not on staff reside. The 24hr Fitness they have set up for us over here is better than anyone I have ever been into in the states. They definitely did great in finding out what athletes need and making sure that is was all here. It was all brand new and personalized with Olympic rings and USA. I was thoroughly impressed.

The hardest thing I had to deal with thus far in China is getting around. It takes at least 30ming to get everywhere though a cab is very cheap and there is a good chance you’re not going to end up where up want to go. ..

Monday I got to watch the US play Cuba in Volleyball well the third game anyway because my coaches cab brought her to the wrong place so by the time we met up it was almost over. I didn’t get discouraged though as I knew I had time to catch many more events before all was said and done. After a great training session in the afternoon, I grabbed a quick dinner at BNU and headed to women’s basketball. We made it reasonably close to the start of the game but were held up in security because I had a bar of soap and a tennis ball in my bag… (I had showered at BNU and come straight from there with my practice bag in tow.) Apparently I could have thrown those items at the athletes although my bad had all sorts of other contraptions that were could have just as easily gone airborne. Once inside the stadium we head to our seats only the seat on our tickets was in an area that was blocked off. I could see the area where the other athletes were seated and so tried to go sit with them only to be stopped by someone who told me this wasn’t where my seat was. Long story short it was half time before I was able to sit down. I was glad to have seen some of the game and the girls beat china by about 30 points. I thought it was nice to see men’s basket ball out and Dwayne Wade was even mingling with some other countries. So Tuesday I was at it again. Johnson and Johnson scored me some tickets to Gymnastics men’s team final so I departed the village at 9am to meet up with someone who had the tickets at 930. The gymnastics venue is about 15 minutes from the village…. I arrived at 1045!!!! The driver took me to the wrong place and by the time I realized it and we turned around we had to sit in traffic. I did however still manage to catch 4 of the 6 rotations and watch USA capture bronze. In the afternoon I went to the actual track that I would warm up on to get a feel for my surroundings and it officially set off my nervousness. Still not having got enough of attempting to support my fellow members of team USA I rushed to the village showered and ran to the bus for the Boxing competition only there was miscommunication on where we were going and we ended up Workers stadium instead of workers gymnasium!!!! Luckily we were walking distance from where we needed to b. Now late, we sprinted over hoping that we hadn’t missed it. Of course security and finding our seat was no easy feat. We sat down just to see Rau’Shee warren the American world champion who we had come to see exiting the Gym!!!! I was sooo hurt to have tried so hard and just missed him and so that ended my quest to venture out and support other members of team USA until after I have finished competing. With competition just 3 days away it was time for me to wind down anyway so Wednesday I went over and saw my mother who had just arrived Tuesday evening and we headed over to Johnson and Johnson Hospitality which is so nice that I left my mother to go and take care of my body with some much needed massage and when I checked in with her later in the evening she was still there!!

Thursday was my rest day I just milled around the village got so much needed rest and relaxation. I read decorated my room with pictures surfed the web and watched some of the sports on the television.

I am really looking forward to getting on the track and getting this show on the road the last few days leading into a big one are always very hard on me. Well until later….

Our team processing in San Jose last week was an all day event, but everything was easy and breezy. And all in all, it was a good start to what will hopefully turn out to be a great Olympic experience.

Team processing was designed for all members of Team USA to get their necessities before heading to China. After we arrived at San Francisco Airport, we were escorted to a bus and driven to San Jose State University. Once we were there, we were given our keys and meal tickets for our stay on campus as well as a gift bag from Kleenex and Hilton hotels. Dorm rooms were set up as a suite with two bedrooms. Chefs were flown in from the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs to get an idea of what we wanted to eat. There was a variety of food for those of us with nutritional limitations.

Processing began 2 p.m. Each of us received a checklist to help us make sure we went to every station and completed everything. In one room, for example, we were fitted for our leather Olympic jackets and received our per diem expenses on a Visa card. In another room, we were able to pick out our Olympic rings. (Everyone gets a standard ring for free, but you have the option of making your ring even more bedazzling for an extra charge.) Then, we went to another room to confirm with a doctor that our medical information was correct and up-to-date or tell him if any new issues had occurred since we filled out our medical forms.

There was an area where we signed posters for corporate sponsors and others. We also received an information pamphlet on the Bank of America’s Hometown Hopefuls program. (To elaborate on that for just a little, Bank of America has set up a hospitality center in Beijing that is open to all members of Team USA and up to four of their family members. At the center, we can relax, enjoy food, get on the Internet and watch meets during the Games. The BofA will also give tickets to events. All we have to do as a member of Team USA is sign up! I think it is such a great way to show their support for us.)

OK, back to processing. Our last stop was an enormous room full of clothes we can wear while at the Games. Each of us got Ralph Lauren outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as lots of extra Ralph Lauren stuff as gifts. The cool thing about our outfits for the opening ceremonies is that each one was individually tailored to fit perfectly. With something like 500 athletes, this was no easy task. But I appreciated that the company thought enough of us to tailor each outfit. Nike is the official sponsor of the USOC this Olympiad, so the company provided us with uniforms if we win medals at the Games and tons of other apparel to wear while we’re in China. In addition, each team member gets a bag with the proper uniform for his or her event.

I also received two new big rolling bags and a duffle in addition to the big rolling bag, small rolling bag and backpack I brought with me. You can imagine my dismay at the thought of lugging around all this stuff. Luckily, we were allowed to mail one bag home and I managed to fit one bag inside of another. This means I ended up with two large rolling bags and a backpack. I was very worried about toting around all this luggage, because the airlines have so many new rules and charges, but since we were traveling as a group that was all taken care of.

After we finished processing at about 5:30 p.m., we went to a meeting at 6 p.m. After dinner, we packed our bags, so the ones we were taking to Beijing could be loaded on our buses and taken to the airport, and our extra ones could be shipped home. By then, most of us were pooped, especially those of us who had flown in from the East Coast. The next morning, we had a 7:15 a.m. departure. It was our responsibility to make sure we got up, ate breakfast and turned in our keys on time. Our travel group included male and female judo fighters, female gymnasts and various track people. Upon our arrival at SFO airport, we were escorted to a private entrance and taken to a gate area, where snacks and drinks were set out for us. Now that is what I call the life! Finally, at 11:06 a.m. Thursday, we departed.

Twelve hours later, we arrived in Beijing at 2 p.m. Friday!!!! China is 12 hours ahead for East Coast time. On our arrival, we were met at the gate and were directed to a passport control lane reserved for Olympic travelers, which I thought was neat. After we got our bags, we headed for the buses. From the moment we got off the plane to the moment we got on our bus, people were taking photos of us. It was as though we were really famous. We even had to form a human barricade around the gymnast Shawn Johnson. The crowd and photographers were going crazy for her. I had the opportunity to have a few short conversations with her. She is really a genuinely nice girl, who is taking it all in. I think she’s going to LOVE her Olympic experience. I wish her the best.

Once we reached the Olympic Village at about 5 p.m., everyone went his or her separate ways. After the track team members got settled in our rooms, we had a 7 p.m. orientation meeting for our stay in the village. (I have to say that the village is beautiful; our hosts put a great deal of effort into the landscaping and the ambiance. It almost makes me want to be on vacation here with a significant other.) The next morning at 8:15, we were going to travel to our training camp in Dalian. With some many adventures still ahead of me, I finally went to bed.

After a quick departure in the morning, we headed to the airport again. The officials suggested that we get there three hours before our scheduled departure. To kill some time, we were escorted to a VIP lounge with free wireless!!! I was so shocked to have even more VIP treatment. They have already succeeded in spoiling us. When it was time for our departure, we were escorted to the plane and boarded before the other passengers! The star treatment was amazing.

When we arrived in Dalian, our bags were first out at the baggage claim area. Then, we were shown to our bus. During our trip, we had a police escort that seemed to be the equivalent to what they might provide for a head of state! All other traffic was cleared from the roads we were traveling on. In a short time, we arrived at our temporary digs. We will return to the Olympic Village a few days before we set out to win medals in our events. Well, you’re now up to speed on the four days from 7:45 a.m. Wednesday in Miami ending at 3 p.m. Saturday in Dalian, China.

It is now six days later, and I have three more days to go in Dalian. It has been a good stay with first class treatment from all the people here. USATF has a whole hotel for just us in a secluded area with police escorts to and from practice. It has been a good place for focus and reflection as we get ready to head into the commotion of the village, competition, media and friends and family over in Beijing. I have adjusted to the time difference, had 5 solid workouts, and some solid relay practices as well. I am glad to have had the time to unwind from the travel and the building anxiety leading into the games although it is inevitable that it will start to build again soon. Hopefully it will be just enough instead of becoming overwhelming. Life is mostly training and hanging around the hotel but we did venture out once for a day on the town to shop and enjoy our surroundings.

However, Travis Padgett and Abdi Abdirahman, along with a few others weren’t too concerned with the shopping but more with the relaxing as we found some top of the line massage chairs that we spent about 45mins in. Travis and I tried on an eye massager that was pretty neat. I was nervous at first but it only massages the area of your face right around your eyes and was actually quite refreshing.

Not much else to report we eat, train, eat, shower, get treatment, then hang out in the athlete lounge playing cards, ping pong or board games and occasionally venture to the bowling alley or movie theatre which are both here in the hotel. I am a reader and am making my way leisurely thru a book called Delirium right now. As my nervousness mounts I get lost in books and start to plow through them in 2 or 3 days. I am anxious to get this show on the road and just know how things have turned out. I am sure the night before I begin the rounds I will be begging for time to stop. It is just one of those things that come with the territory. Well, that is all for now.

Well with the first half of the professional season out of the way I decided to head back to the states for 65hrs to regroup before beginning my Journey to Beijing and hence my 2nd Olympic experience. I landed at 2pm Sunday rushed home to shower quickly before my guest started to arrive. My mom spent the day between the kitchen and the grill preparing for a coming home/going away BBQ for my inner circle of supporters and friends so I could say goodbye to everyone at once instead of various quick meetings over the period over the short time that I was home. By 430 I was in a pool full of kids surrounded by all my favorite adults and of course my dog and it was all worth the trip no matter how short. It was a much break before heading over. Over the next two days I got in two solid practices on the track that I am most comfortable, got my hair done, a manicure and pedicure and reloaded on food and clothes. I also enjoyed the luxury of using my cell phone freely to chat with everyone who isn’t nearby before I head out. So today Wednesday July 30, 2008 at 7:45 my journey began. As I write I am on a plane to San Francisco for team processing in San Jose, tomorrow I will head 2 Beijing!!! I will keep you posted!!!

I won Stockholm! My first 100m ever on the circuit,  (Great trivia question right?) As excited as I am, I am also very nervous. I don’t know what to do now. I never get on the line with the intention to lose, but somehow I always seem to come up short until the major championship. It has been a major goal of mine to become more consistent and as a result - dominant. Winning against a great field in Stockholm it would seem that I am headed in the right direction. What I am fighting mentally now is if I achieve this consistency what should I expect for the major championship… a WR?? LOL! I know that is very wishful thinking.

What exactly was it that came together for me? Was it that I was warmed up from the 4×100m relay? Everyone says I am better when there are rounds. Was it something I ate? (you laugh but every since I witnessed Asafa Powell drowning his eggs in salt the morning before the world record I definitely don’t think twice about my salt intake as it is not nearly as much as he ate in one sitting) Was it the massage? Was it that my Swedish Aunt and Uncle were present? Was it a inspirational email from Chief Inspirer? Who knows, nor do I have the time to dwell on it hopefully whatever “it” is will continue to keep me FAST!

I would however like to elaborate on the Chief Inspirer I just spoke of. In 2005, I received the Runner’s World Magazine Heroes of Running award and Dottie was one of the other recipients. After hearing the stories of all the other recipients I felt incredibly unworthy of the honor but was grateful for the experience.  Dottie and I kept in touch and I am so grateful to have met her she is such an inspiration. Oh I guess I should tell you who she is… Dottie Lessard-O’Connor is a two-time transplant athlete. In 1994 she underwent a 12-hour, life-saving bi-lateral lung transplant as a result of cystic fibrosis. Twice during the operation her heart stopped. In 2002, after a year and a half on dialysis, she underwent more surgery for a kidney transplant. If you met her today, you would think she could give the energizer bunny a run for its money. Her life is an adventure to say the least and so when she has time to send me an email it is usually long as a book but the message in it is always right on time. The following is an update from a recent competition of hers:

“…I won gold in 200m and took silver in 100m only losing by a really slim margin, I also got bronze for the 4 x 100 relay and that was my favorite…ok, gold was definitely my favorite since I ran a really smart and strong race and was way ahead of everyone else. For the 4 x 100 relay I had a 70-year-old, (yes 70) run the second leg on my team.  She really wanted to and as captain I allowed it because the games are NOT just about winning. It was SO special.  This lady ran her little heart out and although slow, she didn’t quit the whole 100meters.
My first runner handed off in first place but then she ended up handing off to my third runner last - I mentally had to stop looking during the final lengths of her run and concentrate on what I knew I had to do once that baton was on my hand.  My third runner held tight but I was 7th out of 8 when I was handed the baton.  I took off on anchor and just ran hard, determined to get something for this lady.  I passed 3 runners and took third place!
After, she hugged me and cried and thanked me for allowing her to run and getting her a medal - THAT was the BEST part of the runs and when a mom came up to me with the cutest little 14-year-old sprinter that had a heart transplant 10 years ago saying she has watched me at all the games saying what role model I was and that she has prayed her daughter would grow up to be just like me…well that was amazing also.
It was HARD to swallow second place in the 100 but I ran the best I could with the training I had. The girl who won I was happy for she had her heart transplant and first year wedding anniversary that day. I have learned and you have also helped show me the best athlete is the one who gracefully takes her losses as well and learns from them. I stood proudly on the podium for her and raised her hand for pictures-that felt good. Anyway, I am proud of the hardware and got asked to represent Team USA as an elite athlete for the World Games in Australia next August…”

And she calls me her inspiration??? People wonder why I am still smiling even when things go super wrong for me. Well now you know I am surrounded by people like Dottie who keep me grounded and so it is hard for me to lose sight on the fact that is this at the end of the day just a game and as long as I have done the best I can who cares what everyone else thinks. I know no matter how bad I think it is there are situations that could be far worse so I am always grateful for life breath and health. It is ok to whine sometimes but I limit all negative behavior to 24hrs then I MUST move on otherwise you will spend your life being miserable.

I am really looking forward to one more great run in London before I head home for three days then depart for Beijing. I will report back with the results.

So with the trials out the way, I took a much needed exhale and relaxed for a few days … then promptly headed to Europe. I arrived in Lucerne, Switzerland, on July 13 for a race that was on Wednesday. You would think that was plenty of time to adjust to jetlag…wrong!! I don’t know why I have such a hard time shaking it but I do. I ran 11.23s and got 3rd. It is so disappointing after a loss to face the staff that has rolled out the red carpet for you and extended hospitality above and beyond. I know that as a professional athlete, I should be looking at each race as business and just that but I can’t help but feel a certain way about wanting to put on a good performance for the person who had enough confidence in me to invite me to their meet and of course the fans. Lucerne - which was also my first European race last year - has grown on me quickly and is very near-and-dear to my heart. It is just a small meeting, but they have been creative in making sure that their meeting is unique. Where money is limited, they have all sorts of prizes such as coffee makers, Swiss knives, Swiss watches, and diamond and sapphire stones. They have come up with a way to select the best and 2nd best performer of the meet and they get a diamond and a sapphire respectively. In addition most events have a story (where you usually have to be one of the best to get into European meets), but this is opportunity for those on the line to take a last stab at a qualifying standard. One of the great stories of this year’s meeting was Oscar Pistorius, also known as the blade runner, whose controversy has been quite the news. The crowd was electric as they cheered him on as he made his last attempt of making the Olympic team for his country. Although he came up short it was great to be present as he still made history. His attempt stood for so much more than the actual win or lose.

Back to my emotional attachment with certain meetings, Korea has been the race that has closed out each season since I have become a professional. So you can imagine how distraught I was when I found out it might take place in May this year!! Luckily they thought better of that, but the date fluctuated multiple times. As a result I have scheduled my 25th birthday party to begin the same day as the meet in Korea!!! Being a very strict creature of habit I usually don’t waiver once I have started such a trend like this. So it goes without saying that distraught was an understatement to the reaction I had when I found out about my having double-booked two very important engagements!! Those brats on “My super sweet 16” had nothing on my display of emotion at not being able to be in two places at once. I still have not figured out what I am going to do as people have begun to RSVP and make deposits.  I do not have an alternate date in mind that would work. I mean, who wants a birthday party in October when their birthday is in September?!?  I had already compromised by agreeing to the 25th, figuring that since I am turning 25 and it is exactly two weeks after my birthday, I could celebrate it and still have a theme. How could I justify an October 9th party?!  I guess as time goes on things change and you have to able to adapt and move on. You only turn 25 once ( I guess you only turn every age once, but you all know what I mean ) so I guess I will pick up my Korean tradition again next year unless of course the meeting promoter is willing to change the date of the meeting to the 22nd or 23rd….I know, I know, fat chance.

I got to be on both sides of the fences this week and although I was already on the team, I can appreciate what it is like to be the first loser by such a close margin - it’s painful. There is an 85 percent chance I wouldn’t have run the 200 if I had made the team. I was doing it first for training and secondly to prove to myself that I was capable of going through the rounds. I know I can run a world-class 200m race, but have never been confident in my training to think I could do the rounds. I am a true sprinter and I-up until this year-had no desire to even test those waters. But, I am not afraid of the 200 anymore and will step on the line in Europe this summer, knowing I am a threat to the other 7 lanes..as opposed to thinking please GOD just don’t let me place last.

TONS of thanks to my support group.  You all have been amazing this week!!! I appreciate the encouragement and prayers. I am so grateful that time and space have come together at just the right moment and brought each and everyone one of you in my life at just the right time. Can’t get everyone into one blog and I am sure you all aren’t so wonderful to me just to receive a shout-out on my blog. I have to do just a little name calling and thank the Humphrey Family for EVERYTHING because a little of everything is what they do for me. Anytime I need anything, they come to my rescue from dog-sitting to airport pick-up to helping me look for my lost pet in a tree. They never tell me NO and it so great to know there someone who ALWAYS has my back. Also the newest member of my Medical team - Melvyn Williams, who has a very compact schedule but made time to see me and continued to work to get me healthy during this off season. Being healthy is half the battle!!

And in other news…Wallace nearly gave me a heart attack!! I wanted to cut the TV off in the call room. I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t made the team and I had to go out and race knowing that! For those who don’t know, he secured the the 3rd spot on the team in men’s 200m by close margins! I guess I only have myself to blame, as I am the big sister and I am supposed to be setting the example and I have been all about close margins lately.

So the next five days are rest and relaxation. Jog one or two days, but mostly let my body recover from eight hard races. I head to Lucerne, Switzerland, on Saturday and will spend two weeks competing in Europe before coming home. After just a few days to regroup, I head to China.

I will be checking in and keeping you all up on my adventures because I am sure there will be some!

–sub11

I am not a fan of politicians. I just can’t relate to politics, because I am the kind of person who thinks black and white - I prefer that you say exactly what you mean, as opposed to beating around the bush and using words to confuse me or to avoid answering a question.

I recently read an article in “USA Today” where the two remaining candidates discussed Title IX.  I found their responses interesting to say the least. With the Presidential primary winding down, I think I should take this opportunity to discuss a little politics. Excuse me if I am reading too much into their WORDS but I need some clarification…

John and Barack, I just want you to know that we as athletes are following the election and care what you are saying about the issues that matter to us.

Question: Title IX has been an important factor in expanding athletic participation for girls and women. What do you think of the way the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has enforced the law under the Bush Administration? Would your administration enforce Title IX differently? And if so, in what ways?

McCain:

“The US department of Education under President Clinton took liberties in interpreting the law and without debate determined that universities must fund men’s and women’s sports programs in proportion to the ratio of male and female students… Unfortunately many popular athletic programs have been cut because the overall amount of funding available for athletics will not sustain identical men’s and women’s programs in every sport…The positive effects of the law are indisputable, and John McCain supports the law’s intent of providing equal opportunities to all students in a manner that does not unfairly penalize or limit opportunities for any students.

John McCain will bring people to work together to find ways to help make Title IX accomplish its original intent without causing the elimination of athletic programs.”

My first question is…why is Senator McCain speaking in the third person? Someone wrote what he thinks on his behalf? Well did he at least read it before it went to print? Also why is he talking about Clinton when the question was about the Bush Administration?  This response lets us know he knows what Title IX is but doesn’t seem to know a solution. So although he’s critical of Clinton’s implementations, he doesn’t suggest he has a better alternative. It is my opinion that you should want to be President because you think you can do the job better than everyone else and have real ideas about how to change important issues not getting in there creating a task force to come up with ideas once you are president.

Obama:

“We know that problems remain…as demonstrated by the number of complaints to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) about discrimination against female teams. Despite these ongoing problems, enforcement by the Office for Civil Rights has been ineffective. Although complaint volume remains high, compliance reviews have dropped, the focus of the reviews has narrowed and the agency has taken a lax approach to enforcement…I will do more to ensure effective protection from sex discrimination. I will target resources to improve Title IX enforcement, including compliance reviews and the technical assistance. To address discrimination at the high school level, I will support the High School Sports Information Collection Act, which directs schools to make information on equality in athletic programs publicly available. This information is already required at the college level.”

Well speaking in the first person makes me feel as if I can hold Senator Obama accountable for his statements and he does answer the questions posed…I would still like more detail on his intentions. What exactly is ‘technical assistance?’ What is the difference is making the equality information public going to do? Sounds as if he is happy with the current layout of Title IX and plans to enforce it better.

Well, now that you are informed on what our two candidates are saying and have heard my commentary, feel free to form your own opinion. After all voting is about making an educated decision based on the facts given. Stay tuned for my commentary on their statements regarding the doping issue.

–sub11

It has been five days since I made the Olympic team and everyone is anxious to see what I was going to come up with. I have had a good amount of time to get a grip on my true feelings, so here it goes!

USATF Membership $50.00

Entry fee for USA Trials $25.00

Plane ticket from Miami to Eugene $1,182.46

Hotel for 13 nights $1,723.80

Two premium seating tickets for all 8 days of the meet $730 (subtract the $280 my mother sold them for)leaves only a $450loss…. I hope those guys were happy and have been in attendance EVERYDAY!!!

Running sub-11 three-times $3,000 (This money will go into the sub11 scholarship fund, to be distributed to various female athletes heading to college at a later date) $9,000

Making the team … PRICELESS!!!!

This trip has been such an adventure… I was a little worried when it started with a delayed plane that lead to me sleeping over in Denver and arriving in Eugene a day later than planned…but the mood quickly shifted during that final decent into Eugene when I was overcome with nervousness that didn’t recede until  the 100m final on Saturday night.

I must admit, I wasn’t too thrilled about trials being held in Eugene as this small rainy town isn’t my ideal place to spend two weeks - but I am also willing to admit when I may have judged too quickly. For starters, the weather is GREAT - clearly a blessing from GOD who realized what a damper it would have been to have a cold and wet trials. And the Eugene staff is amazing, six days into competition, everyone is still smiling and trying to be as accommodating as possible. It makes life so much easier on the athlete when we can focus on competing because all the little things are taken care of. The only two complaints I am going to voice are 1) there is no TNT or USA in the Hilton Hotel!! How is that possible?!! I am going through severe “Law and Order” withdrawal!! They have all kinds of extra stations, but have failed to incorporate the basics. SHAME ON YOU HILTON!!! Second, it has been a bit of a chore finding adequate nourishment as “tavern,” “bar” and “grill” and “pub” seem to be in the title of every restaurant, and the cuisine at these places is limited. Also things close early and are not in close proximity to the meet hotel. These are relatively minor things, but hopefully something can be done to remedy this as I believe Trials will be here through 2012.

Lots going on in the wide world of sprints!! Tyson Gay ran a stellar race and now has run the fastest 100m ever by a human, though we can’t call him a world record holder YET! You shouldn’t feel bad for your competitor but my heart goes out to Mashavette Hooker who was the first not to make the team in the women’s 100m, after looking stellar through the rounds. Having first interacted with her in Jamaica as part of the 2002 world junior team when we were roommates, I know her talent and potential and was not at all surprised with her speed this year. I know what she is capable of and look forward to working with her on the 4×100 creating a World Record pace team to compete against Jamaica in China. Speaking of Jamaica, I know it sounds weird but I was also sad to hear Veronica Campbell didn’t make the 100m as she is a respected competitor. It seems that the Jamaican sprints are just as hot as the American on both the men’s and women’s side. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out in China. You know it is going to be an exciting year when 11 seconds doesn’t make the American final and a Jamaican 10.88 didn’t make the Olympic team!

And lastly, with just twenty-four hours until the men’s and women’s 200 meter goes off…I want to say “Godspeed” to my baby brother Wallace “Squarepants” Spearmon, as he is the last of the gang to earn his ticket to China (Sanya, Bershawn and I all have.) As for me, I plan to go out there and race my heart out and I am telling myself that I am just as qualified as everyone else who is lining up. My personal best is 22.28 and I had run that prior to running sub11 in 2005. So now having the sub11 performances in the bank I am confident that I at least have a personal best performance to debut here and the pressure is off as I have earned a place on the team so I am going out there and have a good time!

–sub11

If you asked me to tell you the scoop, I would begin to rattle off flavors of ice cream most likely from my local Coldstone Creamery. Instead today I am gonna give you the story on something more personal that I’ve come to take very serious.

Food is one of my favorite subjects 2 discuss. I sometimes day dream about being a famous food critic when I am finished with track. I travel back 2 reality when I realize that although I eat just about anything I don’t eat everything and so my scope for criticizing would be somewhat limited.

I have been lucky enough that high metabolism and naturally muscular build as a result of good genetics has allowed me to eat whatever I want whenever I want and still be a world class athlete. This also has been my main argument for refusing a supplement of any kind. Who needs a pill for calcium when when you can drink milk (preferably with cookies

However during the 2007 season I carried around a few more pounds than usual. Still I wouldn’t budge on my views. I want to be as natural as possible. So during this off season I still ate what I wanted but focused on not always eating until I was stuffed. I also added some “distance runner runs” to my early fall training in addition to my regularly scheduled program. Having lost those few pounds I committed to eating better for the new year after all if you love just about everything what’s the big deal about eating the healthier stuff for awhile. In addition I gave up on the scale. I am convinced the scale was invented by Satan himself in an effort to get women to commit suicide either by starvation or other means.

Long story short in early April my coach forced me on the scale. I am not sure if it was because I looked like an elephant or if she just wasn’t sure what else to do as my workouts had been ok but not stellar as they usually are by this time of year. Not only did I gain back those few pounds but a few more had joined the the party!!! I am not naming numbers because although I am sharing a very private matter with you all I recognize that not everyone has my best interest at heart. Last thing I want is the media using my own words against me to making an issue of it. Talk about a nervous break down!! I had been eating right, training hard and putting an effort unmatched by any of the prior years as a professional only to find out I wasn’t on track.

Coach gave me the number of the nutritionist who I had refused multiple times in the past. I called… Lisa Dorfman came to the rescue. With just 10 weeks until the trials we had work to do. I sent in a menu of the things I had eaten over a 2day period and she analyzed it and brought with her to our first meeting along a detailed menu of of I would be eating for the next wk. We did height weight body fat etc. My weight comes from being dense. (Everyone knows muscle weighs more than fat still there is a fine line between having muscle for power and being weighed down by excess muscle where its function becomes counter productive. So since then I have become accountable to Lisa emailing what I have eaten at the end of each day. This is a great tool to make me think about what I am putting my mouth because I know I have to share it later and anyone who knows me knows I don’t have what it takes to lie. She breaks down my intake and gives me feedback such as suggesting alternatives as to what to do is a situation where only certain foods are available or whether or not I ate enough that day. It has been really great in helping me understand why I cant just eat whatever I want and my body has soooooo felt the difference. I have this never ending supply of energy. No more napping after practice because I am not tired and the workouts have improved tremendously.

I used to laugh at poor Jarred on the Subway commercial knowing he wasn’t eating the good sandwiches. I now have to laugh at myself as I often am limited to those same 6in sandwiches when I am on the road. you would be surprised how filling just half is if you just give it a moment 2 digest.

Lastly I want to talk about the supplements aspect of it. I was stressed out when Lisa started to discuss the things I needed to be taking as supplements and how each was important. I felt like I was going to become a sellout if I started with all these powers,shakes, pills and such. I explained I didn’t want anything that isn’t available to the whole world in a regular drug store as there are so many companies that you can order this and that from now a days. So after much conversation and compromising we came up with an agreement.Hopefully the picture above is clear and you can see what I have now added to my life as a supplement to my diet. This is all stuff you can pick up at the local CVS or Walgreens. In order to achieve success you have to make some sacrifices. I want to be an Olympic Champion in Beijing. I am willing to be open minded and try to get more out of my body by tailoring my diet to performance. Hopefully to my fans this shows my dedication to being a winner.I am still drug free and committed to clean sport and the idea of of a fair playing field!! My stomach is growling so until next time!!!