My season opened last Saturday in Walnut, California. The weather was BEAUTIFUL and conditions were great. I ran 2:03.91 and placed second in my heat. Unfortunately, I got stuck in lane two for most of the race; however, those are things you can't control and sometimes they happen. Its a part of racing that you have to be prepared for. Overall, I thought it was a good opener, a lot of things to learn from it (as there is with every race) and I'm really looking forward to my next two competitions coming up. Now its time to get back into hard training and prepare for the rest of the season.
I've attached below the link to my race.
And a HUGE THANK YOU to all my sponsors for all of your support. These opportunities that I'm presented with wouldn't be possible with your help.
Flotrack- Womens 800m Olympic Development Section
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Quest for London 2012 Starts April 21st
On April 21st, I will be opening up my 2012 outdoor season in Walnut, California at the Mt. Sac Relays. I will be competing in the Olympic Development section, and in order to be considered for this section I must have proved fitness/time by my recent IAAF World rankings. I'm really looking forward to this opener, the race includes other Canadians that I will be competing against in June at our Nationals in Calgary.
After Mt. Sac, I will be competing in two high level international meets in the Cayman Islands and in Puerto Rico. This trip will allow some exposure to top ranked athletes in the country. These are races to get out there, have fun, and perform well.
As of now, with my indoor performance back in March of 2:02.09, I'm only 69/100ths of a second short of the Olympic B standard of 2:01.30. These upcoming races will provide numerous opportunities to achieve that standard.
As well, two weeks ago I attended the Olympic Development Training Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was a positive experience and I took away a lot of new things from this camp. We had access to our National team coaches, the best ancillary support, and a nutritionist; all of which I gathered some valuable information and plan to be using this season.
After Mt. Sac, I will be competing in two high level international meets in the Cayman Islands and in Puerto Rico. This trip will allow some exposure to top ranked athletes in the country. These are races to get out there, have fun, and perform well.
As of now, with my indoor performance back in March of 2:02.09, I'm only 69/100ths of a second short of the Olympic B standard of 2:01.30. These upcoming races will provide numerous opportunities to achieve that standard.
As well, two weeks ago I attended the Olympic Development Training Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was a positive experience and I took away a lot of new things from this camp. We had access to our National team coaches, the best ancillary support, and a nutritionist; all of which I gathered some valuable information and plan to be using this season.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
New Personal Best!
This past weekend I had the opportunity to get away from Windsor and get home to my family and friends in Eganville. While there, I also competed in an 800m race with the Ottawa Lions at their indoor 400m track. This was the last race of my indoor season so I wanted it to be fast. Thankfully, I had some previous coaches from Ottawa help me set up a quick race. The race was mixed- had men and a woman (just me) and a rabbit. My rabbit took me through in great times and I got to the finish line in 2:02.09. A new personal best indoor and outdoor. I am now ranked number 1 in Canada and 22nd in the world indoors.
I have a week off now, with some very unstructured training and next week I will begin my training for outdoors. After three excellent races this indoor season, I am really looking forward to outdoors.
I have a week off now, with some very unstructured training and next week I will begin my training for outdoors. After three excellent races this indoor season, I am really looking forward to outdoors.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
The Road to 2012 Begins
Well, things have started up again in full swing. Beginning in September, my training has been going very well. The fall was full of lots of mileage, some 3-4km time trials, and of course, Dennis' favourite- HILLS! And lots of them. A new weight training program has also been in effect since September and it's showing some great improvements.
The new year has got off to a great start. I did my first indoor competition at Grand Valley State University where I ran the 1 mile (1600 m), followed by another meet at the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational. ND boasts a large indoor 320m track so races always seem to be quick. It was my first 800m of the indoor season and it went GREAT. I couldn't have been more happy with the time, and the race felt smooth. The time was 2:03.72 and a new field house record. I didn't run 2:03 until the end of May in 2011, so I'm really looking forward to this outdoor season. Following the Notre Dame meet I travelled to the University of Arkansas and ran another 800m (on a 200m track) and came out with a time of 2:05. My last race is coming this weekend in Ottawa on their large 400m indoor track. I'm really looking forward to it and hoping a good time will come out of it.
From then on I say 'Welcome' to the outdoor season. I have been lucky enough to be invited to the Olympic Development Camp hosted by our governing body, Athletics Canada. It will be held in Arizona from March 28-April 4. It's a chance for me to train with fellow 800m runners in the country and get some exposure to the elite class of athletes and coaches that may be representing Canada at the Olympics this summer.
Just a few weeks after that I will be heading back to Arizona for a high altitude training camp. This camp will be 3 weeks in length and I will be attending this camp with my coach and fellow teammates from Windsor. The camp is lengthy due to the fact that it is at altitude, and to get the full effects of altitude on your training and your body you must train there for at least 3 weeks.
Following those training camps the competition begins. Out first meet will be in Puerto Rico or in Georgia around the end of April. From then on I will be competing in local races in Windsor and London. As well, we will heading back out west for the West Coast series. And then, its the big show. Nationals will be held in Calgary again this year. The last weekend in June is when they will be taking place. Nationals this year are very important as these are the selection trials for the Olympics.
So stay tuned for some more updates. I have attached my race and interview from Notre Dame at the bottom :)
Enjoy,
Melissa
2012 Notre Dame Meyo Invitational Race
2012 Notre Dame Meyo Invitational Interview
The new year has got off to a great start. I did my first indoor competition at Grand Valley State University where I ran the 1 mile (1600 m), followed by another meet at the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational. ND boasts a large indoor 320m track so races always seem to be quick. It was my first 800m of the indoor season and it went GREAT. I couldn't have been more happy with the time, and the race felt smooth. The time was 2:03.72 and a new field house record. I didn't run 2:03 until the end of May in 2011, so I'm really looking forward to this outdoor season. Following the Notre Dame meet I travelled to the University of Arkansas and ran another 800m (on a 200m track) and came out with a time of 2:05. My last race is coming this weekend in Ottawa on their large 400m indoor track. I'm really looking forward to it and hoping a good time will come out of it.
From then on I say 'Welcome' to the outdoor season. I have been lucky enough to be invited to the Olympic Development Camp hosted by our governing body, Athletics Canada. It will be held in Arizona from March 28-April 4. It's a chance for me to train with fellow 800m runners in the country and get some exposure to the elite class of athletes and coaches that may be representing Canada at the Olympics this summer.
Just a few weeks after that I will be heading back to Arizona for a high altitude training camp. This camp will be 3 weeks in length and I will be attending this camp with my coach and fellow teammates from Windsor. The camp is lengthy due to the fact that it is at altitude, and to get the full effects of altitude on your training and your body you must train there for at least 3 weeks.
Following those training camps the competition begins. Out first meet will be in Puerto Rico or in Georgia around the end of April. From then on I will be competing in local races in Windsor and London. As well, we will heading back out west for the West Coast series. And then, its the big show. Nationals will be held in Calgary again this year. The last weekend in June is when they will be taking place. Nationals this year are very important as these are the selection trials for the Olympics.
So stay tuned for some more updates. I have attached my race and interview from Notre Dame at the bottom :)
Enjoy,
Melissa
2012 Notre Dame Meyo Invitational Race
2012 Notre Dame Meyo Invitational Interview
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
GREAT End to a GREAT Season
Well, last time I updated I was about to pace the 5000m at the Diamond League in Stockholm, SWE. Let me tell you- it was the highlight of my Europe trip. Being on the track with all those world class competitors, warming-up just next to Usain Bolt, and most of all actually being able to RUN in front of thousands of people. It was an adrenaline rush in the beginning when I first walked on to the track, but once I got some strides in I had to tell myself to calm down- I had work to do. I did what I was supposed to do; went through 400 in 68, 800 in 2:18 and peeled off with about 100m left of my 1200m pacing to let the other runners get by me with out having any accidents. In all, a great experience and I just hope that someday I will get to race in my own event at a Diamond League.
After the Diamond League we travelled to Karlstad, SWE for the last race of the season. I was a bit nervous going into the race as I had only done one 800m in Europe previous to this race, and all my other races had been pacing jobs. Pacing requires to run at a pace slower than my race pace; which was why I was nervous. I hadn't done any fast stuff for a week at least. However, the race was great. It felt good, and I was able to run my seconds fastest time ever 2:02.80. I'm very satisfied with this season, and cannot wait until next year.
Now I have some time off and spending some time at home with the family. I'm enjoying it all, but getting anxious to get back into the swing of things. It's important to take time off as you need to rest your body after training and competing hard for over a good 6 months.
I will keep everyone updated as much as possible on some training runs. This fall is base season, so no competing and a lot of training (and hill runs) to build for next year.
Talk to you soon!
Melissa
After the Diamond League we travelled to Karlstad, SWE for the last race of the season. I was a bit nervous going into the race as I had only done one 800m in Europe previous to this race, and all my other races had been pacing jobs. Pacing requires to run at a pace slower than my race pace; which was why I was nervous. I hadn't done any fast stuff for a week at least. However, the race was great. It felt good, and I was able to run my seconds fastest time ever 2:02.80. I'm very satisfied with this season, and cannot wait until next year.
Now I have some time off and spending some time at home with the family. I'm enjoying it all, but getting anxious to get back into the swing of things. It's important to take time off as you need to rest your body after training and competing hard for over a good 6 months.
I will keep everyone updated as much as possible on some training runs. This fall is base season, so no competing and a lot of training (and hill runs) to build for next year.
Talk to you soon!
Melissa
Friday, 29 July 2011
Europe- Finland & Sweden
My coach Dennis, training partner Raeleen, and I arrived in Helsinki, Finland last Wednesday, July 21st. The flight was great and I managed to get some sleep on the way over so adjusting to the 7 hour time differnce hasn't been too difficult. We stayed 3 days in Helsinki and it's definatley in my top 3 places to visit. The weather was beautiful, 30+ with humidity and we were right on the water so there was a great breeze. The country side, water, and all the islands remind me of home in Eganville on the lake. They have the most wonderful farmers market downtown Helsinki with very fresh produce (like Grandma's from her garden), so Raeleen and I couldn't help but buy some fresh fruit and veggies.
After Helsinki, we travelled to a town smalled than Eganville called Lapenlahtti; this is where I ran my first race at the Savo Games. Two days before my race I had a fantastic workout, but perhaps I was still feeling the workout in my legs come race time, as the race wasn't as fast as I had hoped. I ran 2:04.5 and was feeling very tired the whole race. I wasn't too concerned with it, these things happen and I still have a few races to run.
Next we stopped in Joensuu, Finland. We took a bus with some other athletes from Save Games to Joensuu. Our hotel was directly across from the track which is great for race day, I could walk over when I needed to. At this meet, called the Joensuu Games, I was the pace setter for the 1500m race. I ran 1000m of the race, setting the pace for the women behind me. I haven't done anything like this before, or even ran a 1500m before so this was all new to me. It turned out great, I ran well and the women in the race ran some personal bests as well.
Now I'm in Stokholm, Sweden about to run in the Diamond League. A Diamond League event is huge in the track and field world. This is where all the "big guns" (like Usain Bolt and other world class atheltes) come to compete; you get points for placing in certain events and in the end who ever has the most points gets a diamond. There is prize money available along the way and there is about 13-15 Diamond League races all over the world to compete in.
Previously the plan was to run an 800 in another race, but the seed times weren't very fast so it probably wouldn't have been a fast race for me. My coach, Dennis, got a call wondering if I could pace for the womens 5000m race at the Stokholm Diamond League. The pace setters weren't able to make it, so it was very last minute. I need to run 1200m of the 5000m race and then another pace setter will take over for another poriton of the race. What's cool is that the girl we are setting the pace for is trying to break the world record! I'm extremely excited to be a part of this and nervous all at the same time.
I have one more 800m race on August 2nd in Karlstad, Sweden and then I'm heading back to Canada. The season will be over for this year after my last race. I will keep everyone posted on results and how the Diamond League turns out.
Getting internet and a computer at the same is difficult over here at times, so I will update as soon as I can.
Melissa
After Helsinki, we travelled to a town smalled than Eganville called Lapenlahtti; this is where I ran my first race at the Savo Games. Two days before my race I had a fantastic workout, but perhaps I was still feeling the workout in my legs come race time, as the race wasn't as fast as I had hoped. I ran 2:04.5 and was feeling very tired the whole race. I wasn't too concerned with it, these things happen and I still have a few races to run.
Next we stopped in Joensuu, Finland. We took a bus with some other athletes from Save Games to Joensuu. Our hotel was directly across from the track which is great for race day, I could walk over when I needed to. At this meet, called the Joensuu Games, I was the pace setter for the 1500m race. I ran 1000m of the race, setting the pace for the women behind me. I haven't done anything like this before, or even ran a 1500m before so this was all new to me. It turned out great, I ran well and the women in the race ran some personal bests as well.
Now I'm in Stokholm, Sweden about to run in the Diamond League. A Diamond League event is huge in the track and field world. This is where all the "big guns" (like Usain Bolt and other world class atheltes) come to compete; you get points for placing in certain events and in the end who ever has the most points gets a diamond. There is prize money available along the way and there is about 13-15 Diamond League races all over the world to compete in.
Previously the plan was to run an 800 in another race, but the seed times weren't very fast so it probably wouldn't have been a fast race for me. My coach, Dennis, got a call wondering if I could pace for the womens 5000m race at the Stokholm Diamond League. The pace setters weren't able to make it, so it was very last minute. I need to run 1200m of the 5000m race and then another pace setter will take over for another poriton of the race. What's cool is that the girl we are setting the pace for is trying to break the world record! I'm extremely excited to be a part of this and nervous all at the same time.
I have one more 800m race on August 2nd in Karlstad, Sweden and then I'm heading back to Canada. The season will be over for this year after my last race. I will keep everyone posted on results and how the Diamond League turns out.
Getting internet and a computer at the same is difficult over here at times, so I will update as soon as I can.
Melissa
Sunday, 3 July 2011
Hard Work Pays Off!
NEW 800m PB! 2:02.69 and I'm very excited about it.
Coming off of Nationals I was finding it tough mentally to wrap my head around another race. The workouts I did between Nationals and Harry Jerome were great, but my body wasn't feeling great. In my head I was convinced I was tired and that my legs were heavy. I knew it was all mental because the times were fast in my workouts.
We travelled to Vancouver Tuesday, June 28 after Nationals and on Friday, July 1st we raced the Harry Jerome International. It was a very good field in the 800m, all of the finalist at Nationals were in the race plus a few others from the USA. The race was great, I was at the back of the pack through 500m and that was when I realized that I needed to make up some ground as I was far off of the lead pack. I moved and moved hard, I had people to chase down and I love chasing. I crossed the line in 2:02.69....my new personal best.
We travelled to Vancouver Tuesday, June 28 after Nationals and on Friday, July 1st we raced the Harry Jerome International. It was a very good field in the 800m, all of the finalist at Nationals were in the race plus a few others from the USA. The race was great, I was at the back of the pack through 500m and that was when I realized that I needed to make up some ground as I was far off of the lead pack. I moved and moved hard, I had people to chase down and I love chasing. I crossed the line in 2:02.69....my new personal best.
The next day we hopped on a ferry to Victoria and arrived late afternoon. I had a competition warm up and was really needing an ice bath. Luckily we are about a 10min walk from the ocean and it's freezing! So me and a few other teammates jumped in there for an ice bath. I raced again today at the Victoria International and it felt GREAT! I have not felt that good in a race, especially in the last 300m, as I did today. To top it off, the time was good too. 2:02.92, not a pb but a good two races in three days. I can't wait to run again in Toronto on July 14th!
We are returning back to Windsor tomorrow and will have about a week and half to get some good training in and then its race time again!
I'm very pleased with how the West-Coast Trip went this year; obviously achieving a new personal best is a goal every year. But, feeling as good as I did today is the cherry on top. Links to my races are posted below!Stay tuned for more!
Harry Jerome International Track Classic: http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/238919-Harry-Jerome-International-Track-Classic-2011/video/498832-W-800-F02-Lemlem-Ogbasilassie-20123
Victoria International: http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/238935-Victoria-International-Track-Classic-2011/video/499033-W-800-F01-Invite-Smith-202
Melissa
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