You Only Turn 25 Once
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.