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Follow Assistant Track Coach Tom Kloos on his European Adventure
Updated July 25, 2009
USF Assistant XC/Track Coach Tom Kloos is competing on the international stage during the Summer of 2009, beginning the adventure in Russia. Kloos, who recently finished sixth in the 3000 steeplechase at the USA Track and Field Nationals, will be providing a blog chronicling his experiences. July 25, 2009 Having raced three times already in the past week, and arriving at the hotel at 2:00 AM after a full day of traveling from Karlstad, I wasn't sure I could expect much from my legs. However, the racing environment could hardly have been better. Lapinlahti is a tiny town of 7,000 people, yet nearly 5,000 spectators turned out for the event, filling the stands and and then some. Expansive forest surrounded the mondo track and small arena; how such a facility came to be in such a remote place is known only to the Finns! The men's 2000 meters, while an obscure distance, was the main track event. Jukka Keskisalo, Finnish and European steeplechase champion (8:15) grew up here, and the fans adore him. The crowd came to their feet, creating a wave, as passed on each stretch, cheering loudly. His last lap was too much for Remmy Limo of Kenya, and Keskisalo won in 5:00 (coming through the mile in 4:01). Out with the leaders early, I knew I was in trouble, but determined to be "in the race." After passing the first lap in 60, and then 2:02 at 800, a gap opened, and I was battling for 3rd with the other two Kenyans in the race (Keskisalo and Limo were gone!). Another 62 on the 3rd lap (3:04-5, and I was definitely starting to tingle with lactic acid. On the homestretch of the 4th lap I moved into third, coming by the bell in 4:07-08, which matches my PR for the mile, yet still one more lap to go. I "kicked" just to keep from completely coming apart, and managed a 61-2, and met my goal of finishing under 5:10 and held on for 3rd.
Four races in eight days - some better than others - has me exhausted, but content. It has been a great experience and I continue to learn and develop as an athlete. I've also learned tons about racing in Europe from my own experience and from talking to other athletes. While having a base in Leuven, Belgium is the smartest way to prepare for races, and the most cost-effective, it negates what was my original intent of this tour: to travel in Europe and see new places. I already am plotting for a return, if not this year then the next. I hope my body is in agreement. I also daydream of bringing a handful of recent USF grads here in the future, after their college running is done, and share with them the opportunities that I have had too late in my own running career. Until then, it has been a pleasure sharing those experiences through this blog, and I hope it inspires others to have their own 'Expotitions' here in Europe! Tom July 23, 2009 Greetings from Karlstad, Sweden, where my roommate, Ryan Brown, just dubbed today one of the top-8 worst rainy days he's ever seen. And he's lived in Seattle for almost ten years! Ironically, the city of Karlstad's official logo is a sun with a smiley face. With flags blown straight, bringing cold rain in at a harsh slant, all bets were off for a PR day. Racing the race was the best plan for the day, although not the best executed. After three laps of following the local hero from the Karlstad Club, owner of an 8:31 PR from earlier this season, I tried to surge up to catch Ben Bruce who had fallen back from the pack of Kenyans out fast early. I never caught Ben, faded in the last 600, but managed not to get caught by Genest, the Canadian national champion (8:27). My 8:49 is the slowest I've run in years, but respective to the field, it was about the same amount off as the other top finishers. The winner at 8:36 has a PR of 8:13. Some other silver linings include: - I kept Ben Bruce from out-kicking me as he did in both the prelims and finals at USA's,...by staying behind him the whole race. - I didn't fall down. On the 6th water jump, my spike slipped across the barrier and I nearly went down. For the seventh and final water-jump, I decided to avoid a potential slip by hurdling the barrier instead (why not, the Kenyans do it?). Another bad decision almost cost me two more places and nearly being drowned...but I stayed on my feet, with the help of one hand. - I'm in Sweden. How bad can life be? Tomorrow is another travel day: back to Finland, via a layover in Latvia, arrive Kuopio, Finland after midnight, and drive to Lapinlahti. I'll be one train stop shy of the Arctic Circle, so even at that hour it won't be totally dark still. And then, lace 'em up one more time on Saturday! July 21, 2009 Happy 21st of July! This Belgian holiday celebrates the swearing in of King Leopold I, which officially ended the Netherlands rule of the country, following Belgium's declaration of independence in 1835. I do not know this because I was a history teacher. I know this because I was confounded that my go-to coffee shop was inexplicably closed on a Tuesday morning, as were all of the back-ups. How could I possibly be expected to race without nectar? Fortunately, Belgium's immigrant population is growing, and one such entrepreneur realized that capitalism requires keeping shops open on holidays to cater to tourists like myself. I said goodbye to Leuven, packed my bags and three Army guys into my rented Ford Fiesta, and drove to Gent! Gent should have brought an element of familiarity, as it was one of the few races in which I also competed two years ago during my first European track summer. The darkening clouds and pattering of raindrops was nothing like what I had remembered of the ideal racing conditions in 2007. Ninety minutes to race time, and lightening and thunder announced the arrival of a real down pour. The meet was delayed. An hour later, the skies cleared, the races were on, and I went out to warm-up. I returned to find that the 45-minute delay had been mostly dead-time in the meet, and they were only five minutes behind schedule. I was now a full half hour behind in my warm-up schedule. I threw on my spikes and singlet, did a few strides, and was good to go (or as best as can be under the circumstances). Glad as I was that the rain had disappeared, it was still less than ideal as the humidity remained. The warm temperature literally created steam coming off of the track, creating thick, sauna-like air. Looking back on recent races, I felt it was time to take a different tack, and go back to a more conservative racing style. I wanted to negative split; I wanted to actually leave something for a kick. The race was set to go out fast with the Japanese and South African athletes in particular looking to collect the bonus money for a meet record of 7:46. Ben Bruce, one spot my better at both the prelims and finals at USA's, was slotted for the pacing duties. I was envious of his role, as it would (a) pad his pockets with a few Euro of travel money, and (b) leave a little more in his legs for our next competition in just two days, the Folksam Grand Prix steeple. Two laps in, already under the 8:00-pace I sought, I found myself surging to close the gap on the lead pack. So much for my race plan. I passed the mile in 4:14, the pace having settled a little, and in good position. Another lap passed, a gap opened up two spots in front of me, which would widen significantly in the last kilo. Once again, I struggled home, with a small PR (8:02) but short of my goal time (7:58). The thunder storms returned during my cool down, and I was anxious to leave and begin the drive back down towards Frankfurt. Tomorrow I fly to Sweden to race again, only one day rest between bouts. Like the individual races, I feel my season may have been too ambitious, and I now find myself just trying to hang on for one more go `round. July 18, 2009 More interesting to write about though is Leuven, the capital of American track & field in Europe. It took me an hour to find the track, but only a few minutes walking the streets to run into fellow steeplechaser Jacque Salberg. He introduced me to MacDonald's, the unofficial rendevouz for America's talent. The draw isn't the Big Mac with extra mayonnaise, however; it's the free WiFi upstairs where athletes are checking email, Facebook, Flotrack meet results, and filling out their training logs on Flotrackr (okay, I added this last part, hoping my USF athletes would be inspired to do the same!). Unable to get a decent download of the Paris Golden League Meet, we made our way to the apartment of one of the super-agents in town, where I quickly took note of my status in a small minority: I had never competed in an Olympic Games. Such is Leuven, where I can look in amazement at athletes far superior while they also look on in amazement at athletes far their superior. And then we go get an icecream and watch Harry Potter. Welcome to Leuven! July 12, 2009 It's hard to be disappointed with a 13:54, and 13-second PR, but I will replay this race is my head tonight endlessly, keeping me from sleep. The coffee + espresso pre-race fix may also contribute to the insomnia. I got in good position early, settling in behind the local hero, Jukka Keskisalo (European steeplechase champion, and Beijing Olympics finalist). With the rest of the lead group of about ten being mostly Africans and Japanese, he was the only other runner over six foot, and thus a good wind block for me. With his own personal rabbit, and coaches calling splits at either end of the track, the pace kept pretty steady between 65 and 67. By two miles, I'd followed Keskisalo up to about fifth place as many of the early front runners faded. Then he surged and I died. I managed to keep it fairly respectable with some 68's, but in the last kilo, knowing that I was solidly under 14:00, I went into preservation mode, and offered little resistance as the better part of the Japanese team rolled by me. This is the part that will haunt me: I didn't put up a fight. I settled, content to be under 14 for the first time. So I come away with a decent PR of 13:54, but I know I could have gotten an actual respectable one in the 13:40's had a competed rather than time-trialed. Nonetheless, if I never run a 5k again, I can live with that! Onward, a few days of travel and rest before the true madness begins.
Starting on the 18th, I race four times in eight days: 1500, 3000, 3k
steeple, 2000.
Four more PR's?
That would be a dream indeed! Tom July 10, 2009 2nd place, 14:07 (PR). Simon Korir of Tanzania absolutely destroyed me (13:45). But those are just the numbers,... Throughout Europe, our sport is not referred to as "Track and Field" but rather as simply "Athletics." It is a source of pride and contentment for me to know that the object of my obsession and compulsion is not just a sport; it is THE sport! That being said, as a coach and athlete I am often reminded by myself or by others that athletics is not an end of unto itself (although I happily accepted a few Euro of prize money in this last outing), but rather a means unto an ends. In this trip, the races are the framework onto which I build a fantastic tour and adventure around Europe (an "Expotition" as Winnie the Pooh would call it), traveling to big cities and small towns, experiencing the local culture and seeing the sights. I thought Lapua would be a quaint lake town, a place to relax after the big cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Helsinki. It was more like a cow town. Stepping off the train onto the dirt lot, only a pair of ORV quads greeted me. The small train station itself had been closed since 2008. I had no idea where my hotel was. I walked to town, and through it without actually noticing, before doubling back to find the one open shop. It turns out my hotel was actually 40 kilometers away in a resort town up into what in the winter time would be skiing country. A tractor rumbled down mainstreet. I checked into the only hotel in town, 80 Euro lighter (over $100), confident that it ranked among the worst three places I'd ever stayed (and THAT is quite an achievement). The next few hours of confused chaos resolved with a 50 Euro cab ride from Lapua to the Kuortane Sports Institute, one of Finland's Olympic Training Centers. Meet management had arranged for my room and board, but had not informed me as such! KSI made the misadventures worth while: meals in the dining hall with athletes from all over, including a few Americans, soft forest trails along the lake, much needed access to laundry facilities, and a post-race massage in the morning before returning to Helsinki for the few days before my next race. Today I toured a centuries-old military fort that is considered a World Heritage Site, ate a plate covered in fried smelt and reindeer sausage (Blixen, I believe it was), and read a few chapters of "Bowerman and the Men of Oregon." All a part of the journey, and athletics has taken me here. Lappeenranta 5k in two days, and hoping for some recovered legs by then... Tom On to Finland! Stepping out into the cold rain from St. Petersburg's least-reputable "3-star" hotel, I started off down the wet cobblestone. The bleak, graffiti-stained walls matched the sky and my mood. Careful to mark each turn made, as to not get lost in this frightful city, I watched each of the twenty minutes click off on my watch before turning back along the canals of St. Petersburg. Only stray dogs and gnarled stone gargoyles greeted me this morning, and I would not miss them in the slightest. Finally, to Finland! Within a few minutes of leaving Hostel Academica (Helsinki University dorm during the school year), I found a dirt footpath reaching into tree-lined arboretum. This was the first run in a week off of pavement! The hour passed remarkably fast as the scenery changed from bike path to rose garden to woods to beach. Cyclists, roller-bladers, and joggers passed in either direction, enjoying the high summer sun. Liberated from Russia's permeating darkness and a five-hour train ride, my legs feel light and ready. Two days until Lapua, a small town in northwest Finland where night will not completely chase away the sunlight even in the wee hours. I hope that all the travel has not tapped my strength. The fitness is there for a sub-14:00 run, I hope that I can make it so. July 2, 2009 Back to back 5k's, four days apart, isn't exactly what I was looking for, but beggars can't be choosers. The first meet in Lapua Finland is a relatively low-key: just a few B-rate Kenyans and the Japanese National team. Lappeenranta, on July 12th, will be the real deal! 6th in the U.S. also deemed me worthy of my first GP (Grand Prix) appearance: Karlstad, Sweden on July 23...hopefully a chance to PR. I'm still trying to fill the gap between the 12th and 23rd with some
more races. There is a series in Belgium, where most of the American
contingent will be. That may be in the cards, although I was hoping to
get something more exotic and stay in Eastern Europe.
Mostly I want to race as often as possible so I don't actually have to
do any more track workouts, which is exactly what I am avoiding doing
this morning. Besides, there isn't a track in all of Moscow! Back to the
roads... See you in Lapua! |
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