The Regional Track Meet. − 19 July, 1990
I had somehow not become the favorite was all that I knew.
How in the hell does that happen? I'm the fastest thing on the flippin planet is all I know. Who in the hell do they think is faster than me? Heh. His last name was Lazor. Hmm, that concerns me.
I show up at the meet. It's all still fun and games to me. I had someone elses shoes on for the 800 Meter, and still ran a 2:17. Not too fast for now a days, but that's flying for a 8th grader in western PA. I won. In a sprinter's spikes....
They line us up for the mile, I remember talking to Julie before the races started. She was this red headed gal that I became infatuated with that day, and for the next couple months too. I bet her that I would win all my events. That was quite the ego thing since it was the regional Track Championships.
Funny thing is that the bet was that if I did win she would be my girlfriend. Heh. Ego piled on ego...
So I won the mile. That was my next event, and my final. There's something that I don't know if I can get across to someone that hasn't experienced it. There is this groove that you get into when you have everything riding on your race, you feel this switch flip, and the engines hit over drive. That's about as close as I can say it without getting totally into some long description, but it's alot like that. I get going and there is nothing that can stop me. I took off out into the lead right away. I was always like that, playing come get me. But today I know there is no getting me. You're not going to make it. No one was going to that day.
I hit the end of the first bend, 100 meters in, and I forgot all about anyone else in the race. I was out, and there was something that I had to do. I didn't know what it was, I didn't know where it was, only that it was 4 laps away and I was going to do it. My legs flipped there. Endorphins kicked in right away. There was no getting warmed up, there was no easing into the race. I vaguely remember my coach saying that I had to pace myself. That I was letting the race get to my head and that I had to take it easy. I said that I was. I could feel something in me that day that I have to say I have only expereinced one other time for an entire race. I was the fastest there, and there was no one that could prove me otherwise. I'm actually not being egotistical on this one. It was a fact that I accepted just as every other runner did. I was 4 seconds in the lead at the first lap, and there was no way that they were going to catch me.
I finished in the lead by 11 seconds. And ran the last 100 meters in something like 12 seconds I think. I was just fast that day.
But I didn't just win. I demolished it. I am the first Junior High runner in Western PA (and PA) to break 5 minutes.
4:55. I think that it's still a record.
We are sitting there on the stands. They start announcing the placers in the Mile.
So and so 5:30.. (or so)
So and so...
The kid Lazor 5:06
and First place, (long pause)
Then you hear in the mic "hey someone wanna check this? Is this right?"
and the stands Start yelling "DAVE 4:55, 4:55, 4:55." I actually can say that I have had a stadium yelling my name and my accomplishments.
They finish the announcement, but I can't actually say that I remember that. All I can remember is that I was a star that day.
How in the hell does that happen? I'm the fastest thing on the flippin planet is all I know. Who in the hell do they think is faster than me? Heh. His last name was Lazor. Hmm, that concerns me.
I show up at the meet. It's all still fun and games to me. I had someone elses shoes on for the 800 Meter, and still ran a 2:17. Not too fast for now a days, but that's flying for a 8th grader in western PA. I won. In a sprinter's spikes....
They line us up for the mile, I remember talking to Julie before the races started. She was this red headed gal that I became infatuated with that day, and for the next couple months too. I bet her that I would win all my events. That was quite the ego thing since it was the regional Track Championships.
Funny thing is that the bet was that if I did win she would be my girlfriend. Heh. Ego piled on ego...
So I won the mile. That was my next event, and my final. There's something that I don't know if I can get across to someone that hasn't experienced it. There is this groove that you get into when you have everything riding on your race, you feel this switch flip, and the engines hit over drive. That's about as close as I can say it without getting totally into some long description, but it's alot like that. I get going and there is nothing that can stop me. I took off out into the lead right away. I was always like that, playing come get me. But today I know there is no getting me. You're not going to make it. No one was going to that day.
I hit the end of the first bend, 100 meters in, and I forgot all about anyone else in the race. I was out, and there was something that I had to do. I didn't know what it was, I didn't know where it was, only that it was 4 laps away and I was going to do it. My legs flipped there. Endorphins kicked in right away. There was no getting warmed up, there was no easing into the race. I vaguely remember my coach saying that I had to pace myself. That I was letting the race get to my head and that I had to take it easy. I said that I was. I could feel something in me that day that I have to say I have only expereinced one other time for an entire race. I was the fastest there, and there was no one that could prove me otherwise. I'm actually not being egotistical on this one. It was a fact that I accepted just as every other runner did. I was 4 seconds in the lead at the first lap, and there was no way that they were going to catch me.
I finished in the lead by 11 seconds. And ran the last 100 meters in something like 12 seconds I think. I was just fast that day.
But I didn't just win. I demolished it. I am the first Junior High runner in Western PA (and PA) to break 5 minutes.
4:55. I think that it's still a record.
We are sitting there on the stands. They start announcing the placers in the Mile.
So and so 5:30.. (or so)
So and so...
The kid Lazor 5:06
and First place, (long pause)
Then you hear in the mic "hey someone wanna check this? Is this right?"
and the stands Start yelling "DAVE 4:55, 4:55, 4:55." I actually can say that I have had a stadium yelling my name and my accomplishments.
They finish the announcement, but I can't actually say that I remember that. All I can remember is that I was a star that day.
Comments:
edunn (March 11, 2007. 08:50pm)
What a great day! I can't believe someone named their child Lazor! I wonder what his profession is now....:-)