Wings Across the Water
by Lauren Wallace
July 25th, 2014
Anything new and different presents exciting possibilities. Examples can be as simple as trying a new kind of food, mussels for example; or as complex as trying to navigate around a country which you have never visited before. Prior to this summer, I had never traveled out of the United States by myself, let alone doing so with the intention of racing successfully while navigating the pitfalls of foreign travel and culture. The day after the 800m semifinals at the USA Championships in late June, I was presented with an opportunity to go to Europe and compete in the Belgian racing circuit. I gleefully jumped at the opportunity and began to think immediately about the preparations, so much so that I forgot to confirm my flight. Whoops! First international travel lesson learned. Last minute travel booking was the first example of a huge hand up, and I owe a debt of thanks to Total Sports US and Oiselle for not only putting this trip together but also making sure that I got there and back in one piece. I spent three weeks in Belgium. I was based in downtown Leuven. A rough sketch of my routine consisted of walking a brisk 20 minutes to the track every morning, napping, people watching from our apartment above a very popular gelato stand, and doing a bit of sightseeing. Since Leuven serves as the base for many Americans racing abroad, I had a lot of company for training, racing, struggling with public transportation, and I met some pretty awesome people during my time there -- including my inspiring roommate Nicole Bush of Furman Elite. The Belgian racing circuit is vastly different than the track meets we see in America. Many of the formalities and structures that we are used to in the US are not part of the ‘athletic meetings’ in Belgium. There was no call room or formal check in; in fact I think I only wore hip numbers once! Everything was much calmer and I found the atmosphere very welcoming. Despite the low-key vibe, competitors were there to race, and I was thrilled to line up against some familiar faces in addition to athletes from a variety of other countries. My goals for Belgium were simple – I wanted to run fast and take chances. I didn’t necessarily run as fast as I wanted to, but I took some important risks with my racing. Prior to coming to Europe, my sports psychologist, Dr. Paul Salitsky, and I discussed the importance of taking risks and making each opportunity count. In my second race, in the city of Kortijk, I took Dr. Paul’s advice and went out harder than I ever have for the first lap and walked away with my first win of the season. I also switched it up and added some variety to my repertoire by racing a mile in Gent at my final Flanders Cup event. Weather conditions made that race a bit more tactical, so I hung in the pack and kicked to win with 100m to go. The mile has always been hard for me to wrap my head around, so it was important for me to attack this race from the gun and stay relaxed. I was surprised with how easy it felt, consequently leaving me hungry to run even faster. I ended my Euro-trip on Monday July 21, with my mile race in Gent. A few of us Americans spent some time in Gent after the race, as it was a national holiday. All in all, my trip to Belgium was wonderful and eye opening. As sad as I was to leave, I am happy to be continuing my season in the US! Next up – 4x800 in Eugene!
