Flashes of Panic

This is the sort of nugget that won’t fit neatly in anyone’s reporting about last weekend’s Indoor Nationals.

There are all kinds of perfectly good reasons why a professional athlete would have skipped that meet. They’re focused on a summer season which starts in May and goes through August, and there’s no point in tapering and peaking for roller-derby in Boston. Many distance runners are sharpening (or should be) for the World Cross.

But another track writer pointed out to me that shoe-company bonuses apply to national championships no matter who else shows up. Maybe you don’t need a peak race; just show up and run the race you’re ready for.

This is almost an agent’s point of view, not that of a coach, of course. But it’s interesting nonetheless.

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