(by Hayden Tullos)
Day 1: My second adventure to Nike Cross Nationals was kicked off by a 5 hour flight to Portland International Airport. Once I arrived in Portland, I connected with some of the Northeast individuals. We were escorted through the airport to baggage claim, then to check-in in order to let Nike know we had arrived. After check-in, we were guided to our shuttle that would transport us to the hotel. When we arrived at the hotel we checked in to our rooms and I was able to get dinner with Coach Coleman. After a long day of travel, I was exhausted and ready to get some rest for the exciting weekend planned for us.
Day 2: We got up bright and early to head down to the hotel lobby to pick up our credentials for the weekend. We were given neon yellow bracelets which gave us full access to Nike Headquarters, transportation and meals. Since I was the first Southeast individual to arrive on Wednesday, my Southeast teammates were on there way to Oregon on Thursday. They all made it to the hotel by 1pm. Once they got settled, we headed over to Nike for the "Gear Up" experience. This highly anticipated event takes place in an auditorium in the Tiger Woods building.
My SE team was escorted to the stage where the curtains opened to reveal our Nike gear neatly placed in personalized lockers. Nike supplied us with Olympic uniforms personalized for our region. Among other things, we received backpacks, spikes, trainers and warm ups. From here we headed to the athlete's lounge where we were able to play XBOX, ping pong, recover our legs and grab a snack while the other teams were getting their gear.
Next, we were off to the world famous Michael Johnson Track, where I could get in one last workout before Saturday's race. Then showers at the Nike campus to clean up for dinner at the Mia Hamm Building. Following dinner, we had the opening ceremonies, at the Tiger Woods Building to kick off the weekend. Teams and individuals were introduced. After this, we went to catch the buses to get back to the hotel for the night.
Day 3: We got up early for breakfast at the hotel then were bused to Glendoveer Golf Course to get in a run and preview the course. Here they had the Athlete Village, which was a home base for the athletes. There were recovery stations, snacks and personalized lockers for us to store our gear. Once everybody finished running, we went back to the hotel to shower and then off to Nike for the rest of the day. At Nike, we hung out in the athlete's lounge and explored the Nike campus for the afternoon. Dinner took place in the Mia Hamm Building, where we ate with professional athlete Ryan Hill, of the Bowerman Track Club. While there we ran into Galen Rupp and a few other Nike athletes. The evening wrapped up early so we could get back to the hotel to prepare for the race.
Day 4: After a great night's sleep, I woke up and ate my standard pre-race breakfast, which consisted of eggs and a cream cheese bagel. Following breakfast, we were bused to the course. The weather was unusually sunny and relatively warm for December in Oregon, which was a nice change from the 40 degree pouring rain last year. After hanging out in the Athlete Village and watching the girls' race, it was finally time to begin my warmup. I was feeling great and ready to race. Following the warmup, the Southeast team was introduced along with all of the other teams; then off to the start line to spike up. I got in a few last minute strides and was ready to go.
Coach Coleman and I had set up a plan the night before for the race. We all know how that goes.. After an inch of rain on the course the night before, the conditions were not as expected. Once I got to the mile, I had just started to pick people off one at a time and work my way through the pack. From then on, I was charging to gain as many spots as possible, which is very tough in a highly competitive race where you have to work for every spot. In the end, I was very excited with my 39th place finish, which was 48 spots better than the previous year. To put this into perspective, running through the ankle deep mud, I actually ran 5 seconds slower than my time last year on the same course. Five seconds slower, but 48 spots better.
Following the race, I got in a cool down and was able to talk to some collegiate coaches. All the athletes were shuttled back to the hotel where a lunch, ice cream bar and doughnuts awaited us. Showers for everyone then over to Nike for the closing ceremonies and dinner.
Day 5: I was one of the last athletes to leave Portland and was taken to the airport in a brand new Escalade. After being dropped off at the airport, I grabbed lunch and waited for the long flight to take me back to Atlanta.
Nike Cross Nationals is such a unique and unforgettable experience. I am so grateful to have earned the opportunity to attend twice. It makes every mile over the course of the last five years worth it and gives you a chance to put yourself up against the best of the best.
