Junk food
Well, Paris is done. Third place, 11.25 from lane 9. I am not so much disappointed with the place as I am with the time. I felt good, I ran ok. I feel like the time should have been better based on how I felt, no matter what lane I was in. I am confident that I am still heading in the right direction, and my body feeling good is a victory in itself.
I intend to provide you with the ups and downs of my life as a professional athlete. That being said, I must tell the truth about the not-so-great things and hope that this will be read by those who can bring about change and not who criticize me for being critical. Take it as constructive criticism and look into my suggestions. There is a need for change, and hopefully we can brainstorm ways to remedy these problems. So here goes…
The food and the hotel in Paris are awful!! I look at the ranking that the IAAF has come up with for the meets and use it as my standard on what to expect from a meet. Golden Leagues, being the highest-ranked meets, should provide the best accommodations for the athletes to be able to compete at their highest level. This is my third time to the Golden League meeting here in Paris, and it hasn?t changed. We stay at a hotel near the airport, which is not convenient for such a short trip. In order to be able to see the attractions, you have to take the hotel shuttle to the airport and catch the train from there. It is about an hour-long trip to get into the heart of Paris, where the tourist attractions are. Maybe the meet promoter is looking at this as convenience for travel. But airport runs take place everywhere else — why isn?t it feasible here? The athletes would prefer to be in town. It isn?t fair that you make it all the way to Paris and don?t get to see the Eiffel Tower if you choose.
The food is often referred to as the worst on the circuit, and this is not the ?pampered Americans? talking. I have listened to complaints from numerous different nationalities. Paris is known for its fantastic cuisine, and I understand that we are in a situation where you are mass producing for a large group and trying to feed a lot of people in a cost-efficient manner. But it would have been nice if they had just cooked breakfast instead of serving it pretty much raw. The hotel staff is rude, and it seems that we are a burden to them each year and they don?t look forward to our arrival. If you need something, don?t call the front desk because they won’t answer. There wasn?t a vegetable served with dinner until the last night when the meeting was over. Proper nourishment is a requirement in order for good performance to take place. Quite a few athletes had food poisoning this year as well.
Despite the negatives, there are some positives like the actual meeting staff. They are delightful to work with and have been year after year. I believe they are all volunteers, and it is wonderful that they spend their time trying to make our visit comfortable. Also, the crowd is amazing. I believe the stadium holds about 80,000 people and is usually about 75 percent full.
Speaking of Golden League attendance… In Rome, not only is the food bad, the meeting staff and the hotel staff are rude, the whole meeting is very disorganized and the stadium is empty as well. If you can?t sell tickets for a Golden League meeting, you shouldn?t be hosting. My coach actually got left in town last year the night before the race because the taxis went on strike. I asked the meeting staff if they could help, and they told me it wasn?t their responsibility as did the hotel staff. I could go on forever about my two very negative experiences in Rome, but I will sum it up by saying that I have decided that unless I have an EXCELLENT chance at winning the jackpot, I will not go to Rome ever again.
Negative experiences are a part of life, but the fact that it has reached this point for me is discomforting. The athlete is the backbone of the sport; without us, it doesn?t exist. But sometimes I feel as if this sport is about a ton of things, and the athlete isn?t one of them.
My suggestion is that there be a survey available at each meet so athletes can provide feedback. The IAAF should have these surveys reviewed and make recommendations to the meeting on areas of improvement. If that meeting cannot comply with the changes, then its status should be demoted.
This could turn into a thesis, so I will just leave it at that.