A Part of Hearst Digital Media

There is a reason I call Coach Mark Rowland an evil genius. For the majority of the year this brilliant man beats the living crap out of me. From the first week of October on, there is no rest. There are mile repeats, tempo runs, endless weight room sessions, hill repeats, etc. 

If you came to practice you would swear he was training me for the 5k. The method to his madness can be summed up in one word: Rounds.

I have known many talented athletes who could give you an incredible 800m on a given day, but ask them to perform three great half-mile efforts in four days and they simply cannot. 

At the highest level of competition in our sport, it is not the fastest half miler that will succeed, but rather the athlete that is capable of giving you a phenomenal performance after having already been tested twice. For Coach Rowland and me, that means working on strength the majority of the year.

To become the world champion at 800m you have to navigate your way through three races in four days. I made it through the preliminary round yesterday by winning my heat with a time of 1:46.90. Of the six outdoor global championships I have been a part of, I have never failed to make it through this round.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the second round. The semifinals, as they are known, are as unforgiving as any race you will watch. The field is narrowed down from 24 athletes who have all proven their fitness down to just 8. 

Broken down into three races, only the top two (plus the next two fastest times) will advance from each semifinal. For all intents and purposes, this IS the final. At least that is how I intend to approach mine tonight. 

Aside from leaving everything I have on the track, the only other way I can ensure a berth in the finals is to conserve my energy as best as possible. Other than meals and a mid-morning 10-minute shake out jog, I have not, and will not, leave my hotel room until it is time to compete. I know I have the fitness and experience to advance through to the finals, but in the men's 800 anything can happen. 

Provided that things go according to plan tonight, there will be no late night celebrating. I may take a few moments to visit with my family, but in the back of my mind I will know that the key to great championship running is conservation of energy. Back to the hotel, back to bed, for those racing in the final, there is still much work to be done.