Two stories: my first year running in high school was my sophomore year (1975). Conference was like our state meet, so we tapered and everything. I was fifth man all year and we were undefeated in 12 dual meets and half a dozen invites (yup, we were fast). Thirteen schools in our conference all sent their top 7, so 91 in the race. First mile, I settle into about 15th place, while our top three move to the front and soon gap the rest of the field. Middle mile, weirdly, the pace feels slow so I pass a few people to move into about 8th. Three turns left (about a half) I catch up to our fourth man and I say let's go get these guys. He immediately starts wheezing, so I pass him and pick off a few more. Our top three are way ahead, I catch up to the guy in fourth on the last turn, 400 to go. I DROP THE HAMMER and sprint like it's for my life (you were considered a total pu55y if you looked back, so I just hammered as hard as I could). We ended up going 1-2-3-4-11 to win conference with 21 points - probably the best race of my life.
Then about 30 years later, I'm running a 10-mile road race. It has some hills here and there, but the last mile is a gradual down to the finish. I am aiming for about 7:10 pace, and have pretty even pacing. At about mile 9 I catch up to some guy who has this buddy riding a bike next to him, cheering him on. The buddy is literally screaming at the top of his lungs: "You can kill these guys, no one is passing you, you can destroy that guy..." It actually hurts my ears. So at about 9.5 miles this guy catches up to me and tries to pass, all the while his bike buddy is screaming about how he is so taking me down. Not today. I DROP THE HAMMER and smoke this guy to the line, mostly so his buddy will shut the flip up. I ran a 6:32 last mile, which was pretty good for an old guy after 9 miles.
Tell a story about how you dropped the hammer on a bunch of fools when they counted you out
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My junior year of HS I was competing in the decathlon at our region championships. My teammate and I were sitting 1 and 2 going into the last event (1500). Our rival school's coach yelled loudly at his athlete as we were stepping to the line, "You need to beat endangered_species by 10 seconds to catch his score!" I looked at him and smiled.
I DROPPED THE HAMMER from the gun, running consistent 73/74s the whole way to finish with a 4:37 and beat the field by 20 seconds. -
Freshman year of college, indoor 800 final. I came in ranked dead last. I could run a 49 quarter but I was just a skinny little freshman. I was all nervous and we went out slow, like most championship races. I went from dead last to 2nd place in the last 200 because I ran a 25 last lap. All the guys I beat had at least a 5 or 6 second pr faster than me. Thats what happens when you go out in 62 I guess.
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toro wrote:
One Thanksgiving Day 10K when I was training as a serious miler.
I wound up taking the lead a little before the one mile mark.
This one guy guy went directly behind me.
All the way to the 6 mile mark he followed right behind me and covered every surge.
I eased up right at the 6 mile mark to see what he had.
He bit and made a hard move, passed me and was driving for home.
I watched him for 5 seconds and then I DROPPED THE HAMMER on him and blasted the next 200m leaving him in my wake and then cruised to the finish line.
Picked up 300 bucks, too, for the win.
That is actually a really good tactic. Nice work. -
I didn't drop the hammer, but I did drop down hard on someone
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Sophmore year in hs, district meet, 1,500m.
Up until that time I was a 3k guy and didn't have a descent 1.5k time. Coach entered me into the 1.5k in hopes to "maybe" pick up a point but not expecting too. There was a senior who was the returning district champion and I had something like the 10th seed time - he had the fastest.
My father and I figured that since I had no chance to win I would force the pace hard for no other reason than to just inflict pain on others. The plan, which was exicuted perfectly went like this. Tuck into 3rd on the first lap, lead/push pace second lap, give up lead/survive the third lap, what ever happens happens last lap. Basically to push the first 800 hard and then see what happens.
So we go out like all hs races pretty fast the first 400. I lead and maintain the stupid (for me) pace the second 400 - everyone follows. I give up my lead the third 400 but only to the returning champion as everyone else is hurting just as bad as I was. On the last lap I'm miraculasly still in 2nd but the leader has a good 10 meters on me. Back stretch I'm just stoked to be in 2nd by a fair margin - probably 10m or so. Going around the bend I'm only thinking about maintaining my position, not winning. Out of fear of loosing my 2nd place I get a huge addrenaline rush and all the pain goes away and I'm sprinting like mad. I realize the leader/returning champ is coming back to me fast and just as we come out of the corner into the home stretch I'm right there. 80m to go I pass him like he's standing still and beat him by 4 seconds (he took 2nd). He got a 3 second pr in that race and I got a 15 second pr in the race.
This isn't only a story about dropping the hammer (gapping 4 seconds in the last 80m) but also a coming out party as I wasn't even supposed to be on the home stretch when the tape was broke.
Needless to say I immediately turned into a 1.5k specialist and the rest is history. -
As a sophomore, I was the top runner on my school's B-team. At our home meet, we ran two loops around a golf course. After the first loop I held a narrow lead on some dude from a neighboring county. A parent from the dude's team said "Stick with him-he's going to die on the second loop." Well, I put the hammer to him and smoked him by 30 seconds.
The best part of the story is the guy saying I was going to die was standing next to a janitor who worked at my school. Unknown to me, Willie the Janitor said to the guy, "I'll bet you 10 bucks he don't die." The guy took him up on the bet, and 10 minutes later was peeling off a couple portraits of Mr. Lincoln to Willie the Janitor. To this day, whenever I run into Willie in my small home town, he greets me with, "This guy won me ten bucks." -
[quote]JV Stud wrote:
Well, I put the hammer to him... quote]
But did you DROP THE HAMMER???!?!?
Come on, people. Don't ruin this. -
Sorry-
I DROPPED THE HAMMER on his sorry chump ass, and Me and Old Willie laughed all the way to the bank. -
Frosh-Soph 800 at a mid-size invitational my sophomore year. I had run 2:02 a couple of times before that.
Most of the people entered were between 2:04-2:08 but the
re were a couple of guys entered at 2:00. I had raced and beaten them before (they were in my league) and doubted that the times were legit. Before the race all the 2:06 guys were worrying about the 2:00 guys and expecting them to go out hard.
We ended up going out in 66 which was slower than the girls varsity at the same meet. I was in 4 or 5th at with about 300 to go when I DROPPED THE HAMMER ON THOSE JABRONIS!
Ended up winning easily in 2:04.
Took me to my last race senior year to break 2 :( -
Drop the Hammer, in action!
http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/pid1229775 -
I remember it was sophomore year in high school, which was my first year on the cross country team. I started the season something like 26:10 for a 5k, but I had really progressed throughout the season to get down to 22ish. I spent much of the year competing around some of the girls, as their times were similar to mine. As I got better only a few could routinely beat me. I got into a habit of really enjoying running a few seconds behind our top females.
We were doing one of our last time trials on the home course. With only segregated meets remaining this meant it was probably my last time battling head-to-head with the girls on the team. I remember coming up on the lead girl with about 400 meters to go. She was two years older than me and accustomed to counting me out. She probably thought (accurately) that I was just some random immature kid on the team. Well with 200 to go and just as we were becoming visible to everyone at the finish I DROPPED THE HAMMER ON THAT CHICK. I d!cked her at the line.
I went on to finish 3rd on our B team at the conference meet. -
HS, Junior year - I'm in the second meet of the season with a lot of great teams with large rosters. My school is a podunk white trash school with a bunch of rag tag nobodies on the roster who weren't big or good enough to play other sports.
Anyways, I'm in the 1600m and I'll be running the 800m later. Good for our region is a 4:25 mile and there are three guys from one well-to-do school who have ran around 4:35, another two guys from another school who have ran 4:40 something. My best mile was 4:51 which was ran the week before. I am not the favorite.
In moments before the race, the three 4:35-ish guys are looking at me and saying some shit. I couldn't make out what they were saying but my best guess is that they weren't compliments. A couple of their friends were leaning against the fence saying how our school sucks, that I did hear.
We go out fast, and I'm trying to hold on but fell apart with 400 to go. I don't even remember the splits but I got absolutely pummeled and barely broke 5.
I was so mad and felt so inferior. I walked off the track and paced around, asking myself why I compete in the this sport.
Little did these fools know that I had been working on being an 800m runner during the winter. I played football in the fall - so I wasn't doing much base work for the mile.
One of the 4:35 guys is in the 800m with me as are two other fresh-legged guys from their snobby school. I'm pissed off, but ready to die. Gun goes off and I sprint to the front and we go through in 29. 400 at 62. I can hear steps behind and let up a bit and get passed by three guys and I'm starting to feel heavy.
With just about 180m left I'm in now in 5th. All of a sudden, the world seems to come alive and something within me said "you've got this!" and I DROP THE HAMMER passing on the outside. I am in world of pain, grunting and groaning, and I can't see a thing. I picked off everyone, out-kicking the whole pack to win at 2:08. (slow, I know)
As I walked off the track, full of adrenaline, I made sure to make eye contact with a few of their milers. They wouldn't look me in the eye. I didn't say a thing...didn't need to.
Slobs beat the snobs on that fine day... -
We did a ladder workout in HS and I decided I had to kill it. Had to impress a lady plus it was my senior so what the hell.
We did 300s as part of a ladder. I would wait for 150m then drop the HAMMER the last 150m. 45 secs on both. The sprinters later commented to me how dramatic those two reps looked after I took off. I have never ever felt as good as I did for those two reps. The power of wanting to impress the ladies should not be under estimated.
Also did 1600m as part of the workout. Waited 800m and just took off. Had the desired effect as a lady runner said something on it. Teammate was less than pleased though..."you're making us look bad."
We finished with a 400m rep. I tried to drop the HAMMER similar to the 300s but my annoyed teammate instead took my hammer and dropped it on me. 59 for him, 63 for me.
All in all this dropping the hammer at workouts undermined my races but damn it felt good. -
7 years ago
30K road race
Running 2nd place behind one of the regions' top runners (46 or 47 min 15K guy)
1:45 behind at the halfway but the guy looked a little off at the turnaround (out and back course)
1 mile to go, suddenly see him just about 300m ahead. Crap, not enough road left.........
1/2 mile to go... where is he.... passed him locked up at the side of the road....
DROPPED whatever was left of the HAMMER and cruised in to an upset victory and pr.
A memorable day. -
My junior year in high school I was running the conference finals for xc. This one guy I was running with had a pretty good kick so I knew I'd have to drop him during the race. Last half mile there were two decent hills leading into a downhill finish. Going up the first hill I surged hard, pushed the downhill and surged on the second hill. Then, on the final downhill, I DROPPED THE HAMMER! Ended up beating him by one second (he kicked hard, never caught me).
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I was racing a 1/2 marathon out of town and as we lined up, I noticed a couple of my local competitors showed up as well. Both typically beat me. As we took off, they both went out hot and put a good 30 seconds on me in the first few miles. It's an out/back course and when we got to the turn-around, I could see they were working pretty hard. I reeled them in over the next few miles and the 3 of us were running together by mile 10. We lost one of the guys by mile 11. I was side by side with the other guy up to mile 13. The last .1 has a bit of a rise to it and I DROPPED THE HAMMER, beating him by 8 seconds for the win. Picked up $150 as well.
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My gf has a whooty! wrote:
Sophmore year in hs, district meet, 1,500m.
Up until that time I was a 3k guy and didn't have a descent 1.5k time. Coach entered me into the 1.5k in hopes to "maybe" pick up a point but not expecting too.
I have a similar story of a newbie 1600m runner. I was a 400/800 guy in high school and had never run an open 1600. My senior year, my coach is trying to win a dual meet on a Tuesday afternoon. Our rival neighborhood school had a fast 1600 (low 420s) guy and he was trying to break up his points. We had a faster guy who ran 4:18 as a junior plus me.
Gun goes off and he takes it out pretty hard and the two of us just sit on him. My teammate behind him and me on his shoulder. With 300 to go, I DROP THE HAMMER and start my kick. I can still hear his pathetic wheezing as I go past. My teammate follows. He ends up passing me at the end and runs a 4:24. I run a 4:25 in my first open 1600. The weezer finishes up with a shocked, "what just happened" look on his face. 1 point for him in that race. -
This happened at summer XC camp at the Univ. of Arkansas. I was a HS junior. Our 'counselors' were Ken Cormier, Scott McPherson (sp), Adam Perkins, and a few other UofA athletes. This was still when McDonnell was around, 2006 I think, though he didn't even make an appearance. The athletes and assistants ran the camp.
Anyway, they made us do like 2 or 3 training runs a day on the course. There was a group of 8 or 9 guys (me included) that stayed with the Ark counselors during our runs, which always ended up being sub 6 pissing contests. I desperately wanted to slow down, but I didn't want to be a little biotch either. Typical stuff. Everyone acted like this pace was normal for them, but it was probably brutal for all.
The 3000m (on the XC course) time trial was at the end of the week. Gun goes off. We all take off, but VERY soon after the start I find myself cruising comfortably in second place. Except one guy (who ended up being VERY good in college), all the chumps on the training runs were no where to be found. Normal pace my ass! Anyway, I go through the mile alone at like 4:58, and I can see the leader about 10 seconds in front of me. Scott McPherson pulls up along side me, and was like "let's go get this motherfu..." I was hurting, but what was I supposed to say, No? Anyway, Scotty paces me perfectly so that I catch up to the leader JUST as we make the 180 degree turn for the homestretch. I don't think the leader even knew I was behind him, and as I rounded the turn, Scotty says, "DROP THE HAMMER!!! I immediately turn the engine to MAXIMUM POWER and pump my pistons furiously down the homestretch to victory. I was high-stepping - no, GALLOPING the last 150m to victory. I crushed the leader's spirit, and he didn't even put up much of a fight.
I owe this one to Scotty M.
And that was the year I DROPPED THE HAMMER at the Univ. of Arkansas H.S. cross country camp.
Jokes on me, though. The guy I beat went on to represent our country, and I didn't do sh!t in college. -
I'm going to be honest, all these stories are pretty boring.
