US 800m Runner Khadevis Robinson Looking at Bigger Picture in 2005 by Bob Ramsak (c) 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
When
skimming the modest results from last month's Azusa Pacific Meet of Champions,
one performance in particular jumped out from that traditional early spring west
coast competition: Khadevis Robinson's 1:45.24 season opener, a win by more than
five seconds, and the fastest ever outdoor debut for the 28-year-old American
800 meter journeyman.
"It's always good to open a season fast," said
Robinson, adding that he was surprised with the performance. "I just executed
the race plan. I felt I was in good shape, but I didn't really rest up for the
race."
The same held true for his 1:45.3 anchor leg on the victorious
sprint medley relay at the Penn Relays just over two weeks ago, as it did last
weekend at the Modesto Relays where he won for the third consecutive year,
clocking 1:45.35, eclipsing Sammy Koskei's meet record of 1:46.10 set 21 years
earlier.
"I was a bit tired from training as I did not completely rest up
for the meet either," he said. "I wanted to cover the first lap quicker but my
body was a bit tired." Running without a pace-setter, Robinson covered the first
lap in 52.3. "Yet, it is alright because sometimes I will change the tempo I
cover the first 400, depending on the race and how my body
feels."
"Racing tired" is the primary difference to the approach
Robinson's taking this year as he attempts to qualify for his fourth straight
world championships squad and perhaps surpass his 1:44.41 personal best that
dates back to 2002.
"I'm adapting better for the bigger picture,"
Robinson said. "I'm not putting pressure on myself going into every race. I
can't rest up for every race. Sometimes you have to risk failure. Sometimes
you're going to go to a race tired. You have to get the hard training in now to
get the race plan down. So I'm working on tired legs now so I can respond and
adapt when I have to later."
Since winning the 1998 NCAA title and
national indoor and outdoor crowns the following year, Robinson has qualified
for virtually every national team slot available to him: the 1999, 2001 and 2003
world championships, the 1999 and 2003 world indoor championships, and last
year's Olympic Games. Twice -at the 2003 world championships in Paris and the
1999 world indoor championships in xx-he's reached the semi-finals. Not
advancing from the first round in Athens last year was a disappointment,
Robinson said, but did catch him by surprise.
"On one hand I was upset,
but then I never thought that 1:46.2 wouldn't qualify," Robinson said. In
Athens, only the top-two finishers from each of the nine heats advanced
automatically; the three heats following his were the slowest of the opening
round, leaving Robinson, with his 1:46.14, the fastest non-qualifier. "I was
more upset knowing that I could have run a little bit better. Coming into the
last curve, I thought it looked good, then someone came in on the inside which I
didn't expect. Sometimes," he added," you've just got to run."
Before
focusing on Helsinki, he'll have to make his fourth straight podium appearance
at the U.S. championships, no easy chore according to Robinson.
"It's
going to be a tough race. More guys are running a little bit faster. That makes
the others step up. There are four or five guys now who are really close."
Surprises too can emerge. "The college guys are sharp. You can't take them for
granted."
But before the first round of the 800 at the U.S. championships
gets underway on June 23 in Carson, Calif., Robinson has another race he's
really looking forward to: the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on June 4 where the
800 will be contested for the first time since 2001.
"I've trained
through every race. But hopefully I'll be able to rest for that one."
