David Krummenacker (USA) winning the men's 800m final (© Getty Images)
This year began something like a dream for me. To win gold at World Indoors was a feeling beyond explanation. I only wish everyone can experience at least once in their lifetime the adrenaline, joy, and excitement I felt that day.
I took a short break before beginning preparations for outdoors. I think it's important for the body as well as the mind to have a hiatus when each season is completed.
I spent a little time in Atlanta visiting friends and my former coach at Georgia Tech who's been such an integral part of my development and success through the years.
When I arrived back in Tucson to begin outdoor preparations I spent a little time thinking about what it would take to add a gold medal in Paris to the one I'd earned in Birmingham.
Definiteness of purpose seemed to ring clear.
Luiz De Oliveira (my coach) and I talked about training and decided that I should spend some time adding a little more base to my foundation in case injury or anything arose to halt my progress.
Sometimes I believe coaches are born different than others. What Luiz told me couldn't have been anymore on point as I actually did injure myself just days before U.S. championships.
The strain to my hamstring was very severe and even two days before the first round I was told I would not be able to compete.
Fortunately, a team composed of my massage therapist Bill Kruse in Tucson, Dr. Santos who preformed Active Release Therapy on me in Palo Alto, and Andy Miller who held me together in the end, I WAS able to compete.
I prayed a looooooooooooot and with the aid of the therapists I made it through the first two rounds. I was very fortunate we had a day of rest before the final and I spend the majority of it receiving therapy. In the final, I started slowly and gradually increased my speed as the race unfolded. With 100m to go I made one last move and crossed the line with the victory.
Winning there was very special for me. It was the first time my mom had come to a competition of mine in three years and after originally thinking I wouldn't even be able to race, I felt like I'd given her a gift.
The day after U.S. champs I boarded a plane for Europe. I had my first race of the year on the European circuit in Oslo four days later. In hind site I think it was a little too quick to be competing. I should have allowed my body a little more time to recover from the stress it had been under.
I spent the next couple of weeks training pretty well and racing okay but most of all grateful that my health had returned and that my injury was behind me. There's something that many of us take for granted as athletes. Being pain and injury free while training and competing is truly a blessing. I think many of us don't comprehend that until we find ourselves sidelined and unable to do what we love.
In the last three weeks my training has been going very well. I can't wait for World Champs in Paris and the last Golden League meeting in Brussels that will follow. I believe the 800m has become a truly exciting event and we're going to put on a real show for the fans.
Look out for me
David