The video below, albeit shaky and blurry, is proof of why I love Heps. It is video of my first Heps Title. It was junior year and a 4:08 mile beat out Princeton’s Michael Maag. Yes, I love it because I win. Yes, I love it because the “LBP” chant and nickname was born. But more than that, I love it because this video is Heps.
How can an athlete not get up for a competition with that kind of atmosphere? I brought it that day because it was impossible not to. Other than Penn Relays, there isn’t a place I would rather race (sorry Heps, the 46,000 strong on the Saturday of Penn is unparalleled). Heps was the spot to go. If you didn’t have it that day, I don’t know when you would. I would win two more Heps titles, and both were great, but that first one, with chants filling the Armory, that one is extra sweet.
Bear with me while I relive the glory days. Understand that my sense of self-splendor shuts down when I remember other Heps races: The fall in the prelims of the mile sophomore year followed by a dismal DMR where I stupidly allowed everyone back into the race after Erison ran one of his patented Pass Everyone In The Field relay legs at Dartmouth; sophomore and junior year failing to pass Ben True in the final straightaway of the 1500; or senior year when I failed to anchor a 4x800 relay team to victory and give a surely deserving Jonah Rathbun a Heps Title.
“Almost” – the worst word in sports. I almost had a second gear after getting myself into the race after falling; I almost still outkicked the field to win the DMR; I almost caught True; I almost pulled myself together in the 4x8 to put up a fight.
Even though I no longer have a Heps to run in, even though I hopefully have bigger things on the horizon, I think about these races. They, along with many others, are the reason I’m still chasing.
I am haunted by almosts.
(Video shot by Colin Pile, Columbia ’03)
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USA Indoors are next weekend. I am entered in the 800 and am looking forward to it. After three weeks of travel and racing I finally was able to have a good week of solid training and a weekend at home. On a snow shoveled track (with banks the same height as me) I was able to pound out some quick 150s and 300s on Friday to hopefully have me sharpened up a bit for some quick 800s this weekend. Still hit 68 miles for the week and I’ll back off this week in order to get nice and rested for the weekend. As always, Let’s Go!
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