Last Saturday we traveled to Eastern Michigan University to compete in the EMU Invite. My plan was just to run the 200 and 4×400 relay, but the meet schedule was “cracked out” and i had to choice of running a 300m dash or 600m run.

 I decided to run the 600 because it’s a national event. I wanted to hold off on this race for a few more weeks but I didn’t want to run a 300m dash.

You can watch my race by clicking here via twitvid.

Looking at last week, it was perhaps the hardest week of training in my life, having a total of ten practices, three running workouts, and a core circuit of death. Then finishing it off with a meet was tough.

Overall, last week’s practices went really well. My hill workout was average, but Wednesdays and Fridays workout went great. I’ve been trying very hard to finish workouts and run workouts very strong, which I did twice last week and once this week. I don’t think I’ve ever been this strong running workouts and it’s only mid January.

The goals for EMU were to: PR in the 600m run, qualify for nationals, and break the school record (I was third all-time in the 600 entering Saturday meet). I did all but one, break the school record, missing it my only .03. My official time was 1:22.30, a new PR and got me a provisional national qualifying time. The school record was set in 2006 by Derek Scott (1:22.27).

I took 2nd place, behind a freshmen from EMU, but I beat a few guys from EMU and U of M, which made me happy, beating D I guys is always fun.

Looking at my race, it went out fast! I wanted my first 200 meters to be around 26 or 26.5 but I crossed at 25.2 (in fourth place), after 400 meters I was in last place (53.1 for my 400), but finished strong running a mid 28 and passing 3 guys on the final 120 meters to take home second.

Posting a provisional time in the first week of January is pretty cool, but wanted to go a bit faster, but I’ll take the time and my place because of what kind of week I had (because of practices).

I’m not sure when I’ll be running the 600 again, but I’m thinking either the weekend of University of Michigan Simmons-Harvey Invitational (Jan. 22) or the weekend of IWU (Feb 5.).

I also ran a 4×4 relay, my anchor split was 51.4. We ran in the slow heat and had no one to race.

*A short comment on my 4×4 team. Last year running the 4×4 was fun, crazy, exciting, awesome, and epic every weekend. This year has been subpar, not even breaking 3:32…Really? I have no idea what my other guys did during our two week break, but having two guys not even breaking 54 seconds for their split really upsets me…We had a tough week, but were in college, post a somewhat decent time at least. This is all.

This week is a lot lighter in our workouts, only have one very hard day, which was yesterday. We have two short sprint workouts, but nothing too crazy.

This Friday I’m running at the GVSU Bob Eubanks Open in the 400 meter dash (school record?) and 4×400 relay.

You can check out the results from the EMU Invite by clicking here via cugoldeneagles.com

You can click here for an article on the EMU invite…In my opinion, a pretty good write-up on me.

*Congrats to Amy Boyer and Brandi Harr for qualifing for nationals in the pole vault, Amy also qualified in the 60 Hurdles.

Zach Yeo
www.twitter.com/zachyeo