Her name was Alejandro Barrientos

Thursday, 8/19/10--

Met up with the crew in the Borough to do our staple 7.9 miles. I got there a minute late and had to catch up to the group, which was at the top of the hill by the time I started running. I caught them at about the 1.5 mile mark. The run felt nice at a comfortable 67 degrees. Coolness felt good against bare chest...the little things in life, you know. 28:30 at the 4 mile mark; finished in 57:20. Felt strong at the big hill; was relaxed, not labored and had good leg lift. Good, comfortable conversation-level run. Someone brought up Penn Relays and the 1989 or 1990 victory WC Henderson took home in the Championship of America 4x400. We talked about the John Muir HS team (mid 90s, circa '97) that featured the great Obea Moore and Phila Central HS, which featured Williams Reed (mid 80s, circa '87). They both were great hopes but fell from the scene at the end of high school. What a waste! I talked about my days of coaching several teams that ran in Championship of America races, particularly my girls DMR and 4x800s. Glory days. I sadly recalled when my anchor leg of the DMR collapsed during her last lap, trying deperately to give it her all. She gave it her heart when her legs and arms failed her. She gave it her spirit. The team that beat us broke the national record that day with its 4:44 anchor. We had a lead of several seconds going into the anchor leg, and I knew we needed at least that to win. My anchor's best was 5:05, but I knew she could run faster. She was so nervous about going up against the anchor for the other team, San Lorenzo Valley (CA), who was the top miler and 2-miler and the near-top 800 meter runner in the US. Her name was Alejandro Barrientos. It is a race I can still visualize some 10.5 years later! I still remember the commentator say, "San Lorenzo Valley is on pace to challenge the national record." Soon after he sais that, my 800 meter run came along side theirs and eventually overtook her on the back stretch. I could not have beamed with more pride. We were in the lead going into the anchor leg of the DMR Championship of American at Penn Relays. Here is how the race played out:

1200 meter leg--Us: 3:41.9; them: 3:42+
400 meter leg--Us: :57.9; them: 57.6
800 meter leg--Us: 2:13.7; them: 2:17.9
1600 meter leg--Us: ran about 5:30 (67/2:22/3:43--); them: 4:44

2000 Penn Relays Distance Medley Relay Championship of America

The next day my runer who had succomb to sickness and fallen to the track the day before could not compete in the 4x800 Championship of America. So I put in a substitute, who did the job as best she could but was admittedly 5-7 seconds slower. We would get a distant fourth that year, having come into the finals with the second best time. Given the times of the three teams ahead of us, we would have gotten a close fourth (rather than a distant on) or a neck-n-neck third had my fallen run competed.


Wednesday, 8/18/10--Short-n-easy 3.8 in 28:50.