After a two-week break from running, I pulled out a fresh pair of Nike trainers and began preparing for the 2014 season. This upcoming year is what we in the professional track and field world call a "down year." We work in Olympic cycles, meaning our aim is to perform well during the Olympic years (2012, 2016, 2020, etc.).
In odd-numbered years we compete at the IAAF World Championships, which come as a close second to the Olympic Games. This cycle leaves a year in which there are no major world championships for members of Team USA. For Europeans, there are the European Championships to look forward to, and for members of Commonwealth countries, there are the Commonwealth Championships. But nothing of the sort for Americans.
Many Americans use the down year to rest and recover. Some take the year off from competition completely. The crazy ones, however, view the down year a bit differently. As one of those neurotic competitors, I see 2014 full of potential – truly an "up year."
Instead of having to focus on qualifying for a World or Olympic team, saving my energy for the Championships, and peaking at just the right moment, I can invest my time and energy into trying new things.
Specifically, I want to switch my aim from winning medals to breaking records. That's why I’ll be devoting my entire 2014 season to running fast. Here are the records that I would like to break this year, in reverse order of importance to me.
AR 1000m Indoor 2:17.86 David Krummenacker 01/27/2002
AR 1000m Indoor 2:17.86 David Krummenacker 01/27/2002
WR 4x800m 7:02.43 Kenya 08/25/2006
What You Need to Know About the Sydney Marathon
WR Beer Mile 5:04.9 Josh Harris (AUS) 04/27/2013
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These records are what I will be focusing on in 2014. Changing my priority from racing other people to racing the clock will be challenging, but I believe Coach Mark Rowland and I are up to the task.
You may notice that I have placed running the Beer Mile* World Record as my second most important goal. Why? It’s simple: That is what people care about. Remember, this is the Oval Office. It is where I conduct my business, and business is only good if people are watching.
Check out these two YouTube clips:
The first is the most-viewed video of my win at the 2012 Olympic Trials. 81,000 views.
The second is a video of me setting the Beer Mile American Record. 87,000 views.
This means that the general public would rather watch me drunkenly stumble around a track than compete for a spot on our U.S. Olympic Team. And if that’s what the people want, you better believe that’s what I'm going to give them.
AR 1000m Indoor 2:17.86 David Krummenacker 01/27/2002 What You Need to Know About the Sydney Marathon published by Spikes Magazine, it’s time we stop forcing the public to enjoy poorly run track meets, and instead reinvent the product to make it more appealing to the average fan.
To this end, I will be making an attempt on the beer mile world record at some point in 2014. My aim is not simply to break the world record of 5:04.9, but to shatter it and run under the elusive 5-minute mark. The training will be grueling, both on the track and in the bar, but I truly feel this is a record that should be held by an American.
As this is the Oval Office, I would be foolish to not appreciate the business opportunities and the marketing value of an attempt of this magnitude. Thus, I am calling on one brave brewery to assist me in my endeavor. We’ll see who taps the keg, so to speak.
Be it at the beer mile or one of my other races, I will see you all on the track and ask that you please keep me honest with regards to these goals and cheer loudly. I may break them all, I may break some, I may break none. But the joy is truly in the attempt.
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*The beer mile is a time-honored tradition in which a competitor drinks a beer of 5.0 percent or higher alcohol concentration from an unmodified 12-ounce can or bottle, runs a lap of a 400m track, and then repeats the process three times. Four beers, four laps, no puking.
