Feature by Student Assistant Rico Chow (RC)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara men's outdoor track junior Robert Reid (RR), the WCC runner-up at the 2009 Cross Country Championship, began his 2010 season with optimal rocket-start. He not only won the 800m at Johnny Mathis on Sat. April 3 with a mark of 1:54.91, but also topped his own school record in the 800m at the Stanford Invitational the week before. He also finished with a season best of 3:56.73 in the 1500m at the same invitational.
RC: On April 3rd, you won the 800m at Johnny Mathis, crossing the finish line at 1:54.9 to lead a Bronco sweep of the event. Are you happy and satisfied with this time?
RR: I would say I was satisfied with the result of the race. It's always nice to win, and it definitely helps the confidence leading into the rest of the season. Time wise though, I believe I can run anywhere from 3-4 seconds faster by the end of the season. I've already run 1:53.40 this season (at Stanford) so I wouldn't go as far to say that I was satisfied to run 1:54.9. I was mainly looking to use this race as a kind of benchmark/workout to gauge my current fitness. The objective was to go out slightly harder than normal while still being as evenly split as possible and then trying to maintain that pace through 600 and focus on closing with everything I had left while maintaining my form to finish the race. With that said, I ended up going out a little faster than I should have and I feel that somewhat negatively affected my overall time. It was a learning experience, and I know it will help benefit me in the long-run.
RC: You have begun your season with season best in the men's 1500m and new school record time in the men's 800m. What are some of the contributions to your great season opening? Is it the routine trainings or moral support from people?
RR: I would say for the most part it is due to consistent training as well as hard work and dedication. It also doesn't hurt to know that I have the support of my coaches, teammates, friends and family.
RC: Is there a habit or something that you do right before your race to relax and overcome the pressure in a race?
RR: Not particularly. I mainly just try to hydrate as much as possible and stay loose. I would say that I don't tend to feel as much pressure or get as nervous before races now as I used to. I guess you could chalk that up to experience. However, I do realize that nerves are just part of competition and that it's natural to feel nervous before some big races. When that does happen and I get a little anxious, listening to music seems to help as well as closing my eyes and taking a few deep breaths.
RC: Is there anything that you are careful of in daily life so that you can condition yourself to be 100% for an important race?
RR: I guess just trying to make sure that I get enough sleep, eat well and drink enough water. I would say other than those three things if you have put in all the hard work and done the training, everything else will come in time.
RC: What are your goals for this season?
RR: My goals for the season are to P.R. in the 1500m and qualify for the NCAA Regional in either the 800, 1500, or possibly both.
GO BRONCOS!
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