My first souvenir from Daegu!
Hot Damn!
The weather is scorching, there are vats of baby octopus at the dining hall, I’m walking around the athlete village with a big USA on my chest, and I’m racing in the World Championships final of the 5000 meters in less than 24 hours.
Again, hot damn!
I could write a novel about this experience, and there is SO MUCH GOOD MATERIAL HERE. Skip winning a medal in the 10k made me cry like a proud sister with joy. She of course gets lumped in with all the other Kenyans in the media here, and people act like its an expected result, but she’s our Kenyan…I’ve seen what she does every day to reach that level and how her heart ached for that moment. Then Ashton Eaton getting a medal in Decathlon with an absolutely stunning and nail-biting 1500. Ahh, my nails are actually gone (and they throb now). Nick gets 5th in the 800 in a bitter sweet race reminding me that wanting it and being fit enough to do it still isn’t always enough…luck plays an uncomfortably big role in it all. And my Stanford teammate Jill Camarena-Williams winning the USA’s first ever women’s shotput medal? Yep, that happened; hugging her afterwards was top 3 most satisfying hugs of my time on Earth. And then tonight OTC teammate Jesse Williams wins the freaking high jump and Jenny Simpson wins the 1500! And the list goes on and on beyond the people I have personal connection to…the experience here as a member of Team USA is changing my cellular makeup as we speak. I’m literally evolving here people.
Its 11pm and its already going to take me 20 minutes reading my trash novel to settle down after recounting all this fabulousness, but I had to put something out here to mark this day. Most of the past two days after my prelim has been about containing excitement, bottling it for a later time. I’ll be killing time tomorrow watching movies and reading my book and having a laugh with Coach Rowls and Jack Magic (our massage therapist) to keep the mood light, and then I’ll go out and see what these Fleshmaniac legs can do over 5000 meters.
Expectations? None other than do my best. The race can go a million different ways, and I feel lucky and excited to be there mixing it up with the best in the world, executing a race plan, and seeing how things shake out. No fear. No doubt. No pressure. Just another fantastic opportunity to do what I love. And that is real. The legit truth. There is nothing more to it.
Thanks in advance to everyone that tunes in to the race, and thanks SO MUCH for the facebook and twitter messages and all the support. You all freaking rock.
Carpe Diem!
Lauren
We’ll be rooting for you! Enjoy the hell out of this!
Good luck out there! You’ve got a lot of fans rooting for you and we’ll all be pulling for you! Go get it!
#1 – GOOD LUCK!!! Take everybody down!!! But, not Sarbi. After you win a medal, can you please go give Sarbi a big hug? I am in love with him. He’s so cute.
#2 – I want to hear about said cellular/life changing material – you’ll have a long flight home to write, right?
#3 – Do you know if Jesse Williams is single?
#4 – GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK!
PS – I ran my long run on Monday, ate a nutless wonder picky bar after, and then you did really well. So, I will try to eat a nutless wonder again tomorrow/tonight or whenever, but will not be repeating my 15 mile death march. I’m highly superstitious, but not enough to run 15 miles again.
Memories to last a life time, no? Absorb it all, enjoy it all…and roll up that final like nobody’s business!
We can’t wait to watch your race tomorrow morning (4am ish!)! You’ve been looking great out there, keep kicking butt!
What’s the blood from? Spikes?
Stay cool out there…have fun and good luck!
Lauren- you inspire me beyond words. Have a great time out there representing the good ol’ US of A.
Good luck, Lauren, you can do it!!!
We are all there with you in spirit and sending our best wishes! Thanks for the inspiration!
Going to get up at the crack of dawn to see your race. You are such an inspiration. Stay smart and stay cool, and know that we’re all rooting for you!
Good luck Lauren ! I’ll be pacing a friend in the Eugene Women’s 1/2 marathon this Sunday. We love reading the latest “Lauren Updates” and seeing you make the final was great. We will hopefully channel some of your energy, talent, humor and love of the sport to get her through the 1/2. Run a great race. GO USA !!!
wif, good luck! unleash the fleshmaniac.
Good luck, Lauren!! I’ll be rooting you on tomorrow!
I love your attitude! Your such an inspiration and a great representative of our country!
Lauren, Thinking of you through all this and loving your spirit! Have a great day and I look forward to a good read…..once you have assimilated it all. Go USA!
But Meggie, what if skipping that 15m death march costs her a medal? How can you be so selfish? 🙂
Good point Easa. I’d like to see her run another 15 miler around midnight (US time) just to keep the gods happy. 🙂
Ok, but only if you BOTH accompany me and bring snacks. Snacks = long run success. 🙂
In my virtual world you got yourself a deal.
Based on this: http://daegu2011.iaaf.org/ResultsByDate.aspx it seems like 4:25am pacific? How about we all go out and run our own 5k’s concurrent with the final as a virtual cheer?
Lauren; yesterday was yesterday, tomorrow is tomorrow, and today is a present that you can enjoy opening a little bit at a time. Seize the moment!
Well put Neil. We’re all sending good vibes to Daegu for Lauren. But I think she’s in a good spot. She closed the post with the salutation: Carpe Diem.
Good luck!! What a great post and a great outlook on your race 🙂
Lauren!
In my English class yesterday (I teach 6th grade), I showed the kids a video of you running and related it to our endurance “Tour de English” theme this year. Then, the kids all wrote you letters to demonstrate their mastery of a perfect paragraph 🙂 The scanner at my school is being a piece, so I’ve typed up the top 11 sentences here. I’ll email you the full versions, complete with illustrations, when the scanner cooperates. Until then, enjoy these words of wisdom:
1. “One reason I think you will be successful is because you have longer legs than everyone out there.”
2. “One strategy you can use is jog at first, then when you get to the end, you should sprint.”
3. “Be sure you are ready for the race and breathe with only your nose.”
4. “I think Lauren Fleshman will win because she is tall and has legs like a bulldog.” <– definitely meant as a compliment!
5. “I think other women underestimate you, which can be a good thing.”
6. “I think if you put those doubts behind you, I believe you will win a gold.”
7. “Have a friend check your time for you to see if you improve.”
8. “You were so fast, but you looked so calm.”
9. “I am glad I could write to someone as strong and amazing as you. You are my new role model.”
10. “While I offer no guarantees, you will at least do well. Boom.” <– Um, future Jesse Thomas here??
11. “You have strategies that will confuse your opponents and leave them behind with a bewildered look on their faces!”
Go get 'em! We'll be cheering in Denver.
Laura — Love that list! #11 sounds like something from a fortune cookie! I am an English teacher too (HS 11th/12th grade), and this is such a great assignment!
This is the cutest thing. #11 clearly studied his or her vocab over the summer – nice usage of bewildered. I predict SAT success for that kid.
I’ll go to work tomorrow and do all the things I normally do every other workday of my life, but I will be thinking about you! Thanks so much for sharing this moment with us. I’m very proud of Team USA so far, but as a normal, everyday runner, it’s so much more meaningful to be able to see your experience through this blog and to see it culminate into such a wonderful, DESERVED moment for you. Best of luck!!!
Sending extra energy your way. So happy for you to be there to enjoy the experience. I always say enjoy the moment as one day we won’t be able to do this no matter how good we are at this moment. Hugs
You go girl! Be big…we’re all behind you. Hugs.
Wow Lauren! Best of Luck to you! You Go Girl!!!!
Bonne chance Lauren 🙂
I too wish a smashing success. Marc-Antoine de Fourchambault
As Andy Lloyd once said, “Bugger the silver, I’m going for the gold!”
TOP 8!
7 ème
Bravo Lauren!
French kiisssssss 😡
😉
Seventh Place at Worlds, only 14 seconds off of Gold, with no Winter/Spring base? Are you freaking kidding me?
We are talking 2012 Medal Contender, baby! Has a nice ring to it, huh?
“Lauren Fleshman, 2012 5,000m Medal Contender.”
Solid race with a great attitude going into it. Congrats and good job, we are all proud of you!!!
GREAT running out there. Your performance in Daegu was far and away better than what I was expecting from any American in the women’s 5000, and to do so after such a rough start to the season (and so little racing!) is incredibly impressive. The 5000 is probably the toughest track event out there for women right now in terms of the level of competition(I mean, Defar was only third), bar maybe the 800. But you went out there and ran a great race. Stay healthy and stay cautious with your training, and I’m really looking forward to big performances from you next year. You have an outstanding attitude, and I just love following your blog and your career. Again, congratulations!
Are you going to jump in a race for a 5000 PR now?
Just watched your race on the Universal Sports TV broadcast this afternoon. It was so great to see you racing alongside the Kenyans and Ethiopians in the 5000m final. Thinking back to your posts in early 2011 when you weren’t even sure when you’d be able to start training, today’s 7th-place finish is an almost unbelievable success story. Looking forward to hearing your reaction to the race and to seeing you in the NYC Marathon in a few months!