He Runs Like the Wind

Have you ever met anyone who can run fast?
I don't mean fast as in "Wow, you are quicker than me!" or "You're moving pretty quick today". Nope. I mean someone who can go from zero to full speed in a blink of the eye. Someone whose body and poise just exudes confidence - the type of confidence that says "I am stepping up to this line to line up next you, but when the gun sounds I will be pulling ahead of you." Sometimes it may seem like arrogance, but it is really just a well informed knowledge of their own ability and athleticism.

I have met such a person.
I've seen him race only one time - at an indoor meet last year. And it was an amazing thing to see. All relaxed and loose before the race, stepping to the line and getting into position. Then as the judge prepared to fire the gun, watching his whole body tense up in anticipation. When the gun sounded he was up and running. So quick. So fluid. It was breathtaking.

This man's name is Derrick Peterson.
I know him through a mutual friend and have spent some time hanging out with him. He's genuinely a nice guy. He is somewhat of a fashion afficionado, and his wardrobe reflects his running personality. Classy. Smooth. Sleek.

So why am I all about Derrick Peterson today?
Well, he's in California today. Tonight Derrick runs in the preliminary qualifying race for the United States Olympic Team. That's right. Derrick's gunning for Athens.
He's a graduate of Mizzou, where he spent his collegiate career setting all sorts of records. He's spent the last few years running professionally for Adidas. Yeah, he gets all the stuff for free.

The point is, there is a somewhat local connection to these Olympic Trials happening in Sacremento this weekend. There are several athletes from Mizzou headed west to compete in their various events, hoping to make the US Olympic team. If you want to watch some of these events, the USA television network will broadcast them tonight and NBC will carry the events through the weekend.

Derrick just missed making the Olympic team in 2000 (by thousandths of a second) and has been training for this moment his entire life. He is one of the favored runners going into this event, the 800. That's twice around the track. He'll sprint the entire distance around, finishing somewhere around the 1 minute 45 seconds. That's a half a mile people in less than 2 minutes! Figure the math and that's about 15 miles per hour! Sure you may be able to hit that speed (or close to it) for a second or two, but these people are doing it consistently for almost 2 minutes!

So if you have a chance, why not sit down this evening for 2 minutes tonight and watch a man try to run down his dream? And if you have a bit of time, read from Derrick's journal of the last 8 weeks of his life and how he's been preparing. Derrick is a good man. He's a fast man. And he's drug free. What more could you want in an athlete to represent you at the Olympics?

Ladies and gentlemen, Derrick Peterson is faster than me. He's faster than you. In fact, Derrick is faster than most of the people in the world. I'm hoping he achieves his goal. I'm praying that things go smoothly for him. And I know that he will give everything he has to run as fast as he can.

Hey DP! Run like the wind man! When you cross the line, I'm hoping the clock tells you that you have a place in Athens! I'm proud of you either way!