Track and Field Blogs - Anna Willard

So, I'm having a fantastic time in Japan. So much so, that I have totally neglected this here blog.

Its great here, so clean and safe and I totally feel like a celebrity. When we go to the track for practice, there are about 100 seats that they allow little kids to watch and take pictures while we practice. Today Katie McGregor, Alice Schmidt and I stopped to sign a couple hats as we passed by and the kids totally go berserk. Its just amazing to me the amount of enthusiasm they have for our sport and our country. It makes me proud to be decked out in the USA gear.

So my workouts have been going pretty well, despite the heat. I feel very acclimated to both the weather and the time change. On Saturday I paced Lindsey Anderson in her 1500m time trial. She wanted to go about 70-72 per lap so I took her thru the first lap in 70.4, then she led the second and we were 2:21, then I took the third and we came thru in 3:22. She finished up in 4:25. A 6 second PR!! She's wicked cool and we've been having a blast together. I was a little apprehensive about rooming with her, I think because I had a bunch of preconceived notions about Mormons. But she's funny and I even went to church with her and Josh McAdams on Sunday. That was an education! I'm shocked I didn't burst into flame as I walked thru the door :)

Today I did 6x800 over hurdles. My legs felt a touch tired, but I hit all my paces no problemo. (74-76 for the first four, and 71-73 for the last four) I'm excited that the "hay is in the barn" and I can enjoy my favorite part of the season: TAPERING. Ok, time for bed, we depart for our second hotel in downtown Osaka tomorrow morning, so I gotta get those 8 hours. Report back soon!