two days and counting down

After two years of planning, the big event is almost here. I fly out of Ontario at 9:46. Transfer at San Fransico and get into Eugene about 3:30. I know a lot of cities claim to be the track capital of the world but Eugene gets my vote. I've been there for NCAA Championships, Olympic Trials, and a few other similar rinky-dink meets (:> and I can tell you that electricity is in the air whenever you are inside Hayward Field. The fans are so knowledgeable. I think they teeth them on stopwatches when they are very young. When the racing, throwing, or jumping gets hot, the stands are rockin. The stamping, clapping, and cow bell ringing are thunderous. (There's a story that goes around about the fans up there. They use to say that Prefontaine was so popular that the fans started clapping for him even if he just bent over to tie his shoe laces) Then the setting of the meet is phonominal. Talk about Green. That is all you see up there - trees, grass, and flowers flurish in that climate. The Willemett River runs through the town and the Steve Prefontaine running trail makes a loop that follows the river. The Olympic Trials might not produce the exact top times that win Olympic Gold but for pure excitement it can't be beat. The drama of watching elite athletes giving 110 % to make the top 3 and go on to Bejing is unmatched in any theater that I know of. The heartbreak of watching the 4th place finisher deal with his/her frustrations and disappontments is also very dramatic and painful. I'm not sure how this blog will work out. My goal to recount the highlights of each day but whether or not I'll have internet access and the time to accomplish this remains to be seen. Be sure to follow this great show on TV. (disclaimer: any and all spelling errors are purely fictional)