I want to break it down

My 2007 Running year in review.  Thank God 2007 had a lot more highs than lows.

2007 started off with a big question mark as 2006 was my most disappointing track year ever.  2006 was the first year I had not achieved personal bests and my times weren’t even close to what I had run in the previous couple of years.  By the end of 2006 I felt like I was coming around and a second place finish at the Canadian Cross Country Championships in Vancouver confirmed that belief.

January 15th of 2007 I hit my lowest point in the year when I struggled to run a workout of 10 X 600m.  In the past three years I had averaged around 1:35 for this workout and in 2007 I averaged 1:38 with my last interval run in 1:44.  I left the indoor track distraught and went for a 40 minute cool-down in the snow and dark (typical cool-down would be 20 minutes on lit, clear roads).  Even though I did not want to go I had already booked my flight for Boston to run a 3000m at the Terrier Classic so I decided to test it out.  I went out there to run run 32 second 200m splits for as long as I could.  Some guys in the field thought I was planning on running faster and I ended up leading the first 2km in 5:20 flat.  I ended up third in 7:56 and was very happy with the race.  It was at that point I knew I could get to where I wanted to in 2007.  One more indoor PB of 13:42 in the 5000m confirmed I was on the right path.

A couple of the highlights in 2007 were running a PB in the 10,000m of 27:56.92 in April and a very surprising PB in the 1500m of 3:40.38.  The 1500m PB was run shortly after arriving in Europe and was, basically, a set-up race for the upcoming 5000m, I also ran into a soccer bench 50m into the race. 

I was very happy with all of my 5000m races in 2007. The first was a 13:42 indoor win in Arkansas.  Then I opened up outdoors on a hot and humid night, so the time was a lackluster 13:50 but I felt like I raced well against the great field to finish eighth.  Then I ran 13:29 in Aarhus Denmark to place second, my second time under the 13:30 mark.  Then  came  Nationals where I won for the fourth straight time and ran a 13:34 with the last four laps solo.  After that I had one chance left to run 13:19.71 in the 5000m to make the World Championship team.  Even though I came up less than two seconds short I was happy with the race. A PB of 13:21.53 eclipsed the Westdale S.S. and University of Guelph alumni records (Jason Bunston and Paul Williams had both run 13:22) as well as Prefontaine’s PB.  Not going to Worlds was not a high but I knew what I had to do before, so even though I met the IAAF standards I was not surprised to be left off the team.

Then I refocused my goals to run a good 10,000m in September.  I wanted the Canadian Olympic standard of 27:47 and after a few key workouts I knew I was in the best shape of my life and ready for 27:45.  A smooth trip to Brussels and a nice taper I arrived to the start line in the best shape and feeling the best I ever have in my life.  Then I went out in 64 seconds and was dead last, then 2:09 at 800m and I was off the pack.  I have always had a hard time in ‘time trial’ races and this was no exception.  After passing 5000m in 13:53 I was loosing it, fast.  Then came the most memorable 900 meters of the year when I got lapped by the World Record holder, Kenenisa Bekele.  I got a surge of adrenaline and stayed one step behind Kenny making sure I didn’t trip him.  The crowd of 50,000 people were very supportive when I crossed the line in 28:14, ahead of a couple Kenyans.  Getting lapped for the first time was actually pretty fun, but I was disappointed with the time relative to what I was ready to run.  as seen on TV

Then came the shortest Cross Country season ever, eight weeks.  After a so-so road race in Manchester I stepped it up at Nationals and capped off the year with a win at the Canadian Cross Country Championships in Guelph.  I know there will be an asterisk beside that win… the year Bairu didn’t run.  The Speed River team really showed it’s strength that day as we beat the rest of the country.  Good things are in store for the River.

Another sweet part of 2007 was the emergence of http://www.flotrack.com/.  It’s possible to watch a bunch of my races, Mt. Sac 10,000m, Stanford 10,000m, Cambridge Mile, Brasschaat 1500m, Heusden 5000m and the AGSI Canadian XC champs online.  Training for the first time at altitude proved to be a great experience and stimulus, and I fell in love with Flagstaff, AZ.  I will be going back there again in 2008. 

Overall ranking of 43rd.  At one point I was 35th, then others ran faster.

Pl.	(Pl.)	Athlete	Birth	Nat	Score
1.	(1.)	Kenenisa BEKELE	82	ETH	1404
2.	(2.)	Eliud KIPCHOGE	84	KEN	1332
3.	(3.)	Moses Ndiema KIPSIRO	86	UGA	1331
4.	(4.)	Sileshi SIHINE	83	ETH	1325
5.	(5.)	Joseph EBUYA	87	KEN	1298
6.	(6.)	Edwin Cheruiyot SOI	86	KEN	1296
7.	(7.)	Tariku BEKELE	87	ETH	1291
8.	(8.)	Micah Kemboi KOGO	86	KEN	1273
8.	(8.)	Thomas Pkemei LONGOSIWA	88	KEN	1273
10.	(10.)	Craig MOTTRAM	80	AUS	1265
11.	(11.)	Matt TEGENKAMP	82	USA	1256
11.	(11.)	Gebre−egziabher GEBREMARIAM	84	ETH	1256
13.	(13.)	Kiprono MENJO	79	KEN	1249
14.	(14.)	Ahmed BADAY	79	MAR	1248
15.	(15.)	Mohammed FARAH	83	GBR	1237
16.	(16.)	Moses Ndiema MASAI	86	KEN	1234
17.	(17.)	Markos GENETI	84	ETH	1230
18.	(18.)	Boniface Kiprotich SONGOK	80	KEN	1225
19.	(19.)	Leonard Patrick KOMON	88	KEN	1221
20.	(20.)	Tadesse Tola WOLDEGEBREL	87	ETH	1216
21.	(21.)	Robert Sigei KIPNGETICH	82	KEN	1211
22.	(22.)	Dathan RITZENHEIN	82	USA	1206
22.	(22.)	Shadrack KOSGEI	84	KEN	1206
24.	(24.)	Juan Luis BARRIOS	83	MEX	1205
25.	(25.)	Alistair Ian CRAGG	80	IRL	1204
25.	(25.)	Josphat Muchiri NDAMBIRI	85	KEN	1204
27.	(27.)	Mark BETT	76	KEN	1201
28.	(28.)	Sahle WARGA	84	ETH	1194
29.	(29.)	Marilson GOMES DOS SANTOS	77	BRA	1193
30.	(30.)	Gideon NGATUNYI	86	KEN	1192
31.	(31.)	Isaac Kiprono SONGOK	84	KEN	1190
32.	(32.)	Dickson MARWA MKAMI	82	TAN	1187
33.	(33.)	Jesús ESPANA	78	ESP	1178
34.	(34.)	Chris SOLINSKY	84	USA	1170
35.	(35.)	Khoudir AGGOUNE	81	ALG	1168
36.	(36.)	Mark KIPTOO	76	KEN	1166
37.	(38.)	Samuel WANJIRU	86	KEN	1162
38.	(40.)	Galen RUPP	86	USA	1155
39.	(41.)	Kensuke TAKEZAWA	86	JPN	1148
39.	(41.)	Hicham BELLANI	79	MAR	1148
41.	(44.)	Ian DOBSON	82	USA	1142
41.	(44.)	Günther WEIDLINGER	78	AUT	1142
43.	(46.)	Reid COOLSAET	79	CAN	1141
44.	(39.)	Ed MORAN	81	USA	1140
44.	(47.)	Boaz CHEBOIYWO	78	KEN	1140
46.	(37.)	Ahmad Hassan ABDULLAH	81	QAT	1138
47.	(48.)	Alejandro SUÁREZ	80	MEX	1133
48.	(49.)	Bolota ASMEROM	78	USA	1132
49.	(-)	Felix KIKWAL KIBORE	88	QAT	1131
49.	(50.)	Jan FITSCHEN	77	GER	1131

If you’re still reading… Happy NEW YEAR!