Track and Field Blogs - Brendan OKeefe

Its 8:00, December 1st, and our sports psychologist is teaching me how to make a delicious holiday chicken soup. The stove is topped with 5 or more boiling and spitting pans. I’m cursing a burnt hand and pouring rum and eggnog for my brother and his friends. Thomas Morgan is measuring out the ingredients for Allie’s birthday cake (also today). It’s our annual Christmas party; a sign we’re about to conclude the fall racing season and head to our respective homes for a good month and a half. We’ll meet again on January 15th in Tallahassee Florida for a 6-week winter training camp.

We do, however, have one more chance to spike up before we leave--Club Nationals. Set in the open fields of Ohio, it’s our only chance to compete as a team all year. Post collegiately we rarely race for anyone but ourselves, so Clubs is a breath of fresh air. We spend all fall joking about who’s the team captain, team leader, dark horse etc. We shoot to do well. I mean, we have a national title to defend, but the emphasis is on the spring, so we can relax and have fun with it.

My training this fall has been great. I’ve put in a few weeks close to 70 miles (5-6 days a week), far more than I’ve done in the past. This was the ultimate goal of the season, so I have to be pleased. The only tough part is that my races have been sub par. I’ve had two races and went out a bit aggressively in both. I faded over the last few miles of the Richmond 8k to finish in 23:45. At Manchester, I was plagued with High school style side cramps after running a 4:26 and pushing the hill. I still have a lot to learn about racing over a mile. Clubs should be a good place to play with things (not gonna reveal my race strategy). I can be a little less harsh on myself when the goal is to run solid for the team and not ’win or bust.’

It will be nice to be home in Maine for Christmas. I’m pumped for indoors. I might even run a mile race in December along with the New Years race in New York. The real goal, however, is simply to train and stay healthy for the spring. Things have gone much better for me since this became my mantra.



I just started an online coaching program to work with athletes who have had injury plagued careers. Hopefully I’ll be able to pass along some useful tips. Email me at bokeefe7@netzero.net or check out http://groups.myspace.com/crazyfit if you’re interested.