Why we run

Sickled

Sickled

Let's skip the fact that I burnt my toast this morning.

Food and I have a love-hate relationship okay!

So after Joey made me breakfast. We drove to the training centre. I told him I was going to break him yesterday, so I am set on finding his weakness. We only drove because by the end of the day he won't want to walk.

I booked the second and third floors for the day. I'm not playing around.

"Alright, we are going to do the stretch I hope you remember some of it," I tell him once we made it to the third floor.

"That's a tricky comment because you have ultimate control of all drills." He replies to my comment.

He's not stupid. Good to know.

"I need you to promise me that you will listen to what I say. Everything I say that regards your training." I take my job very seriously.

We shake on it.

"If you feel stretched enough go to the starting line I want to see 1600!" I chant.

Joey has a beautiful starting position. Most athletes would have their weight on their feet put Joey puts most of it on his hands. When the air gun sounds, he gets that slight airtime pushing him forward. It's like he flies forward then zooms off.

When he ran I saw something I had never seen before. Joey isn't just unbalanced. It's like he wobbles then his pace shifts.

"Joey stop!" I call out to him.

He jogs towards me, "what happened?"

I look him in the eyes. "Take off your shoes and socks."

He furrows his eyebrows, "why?"

"You agreed to do everything I say, Easterbrook, now take off the footwear."

He takes them off.

"Sit," I say.

He takes a seat on the bench and I pick up his foot. "Relax your foot." He is tense in all places.

His feet are so sickled it's not funny.

"When you get to your peak do you feel like you are going to trip?" I question him.

He nods.

I want to know his thought process when he runs because I just thought this was an endurance problem. There may be a bigger issue here.

"So when I am at the starting line waiting for the gun to go off... I think of my Ma and the sound her chancla makes when she takes it off in less than a second. That's how I first started to run. I would jump and dash. I can run faster in a lower position. Kinda like speed skaters. But something happens each time I get up in a full stance. I try and ignore it and focus on my lane and the prize."

"Have you ever danced or played football?" I'm being so serious.

He hesitates but shakes his head.

I walk away for a second and come back with a drone.

"I wanna test something. Don't say a word to Lamar... now get back on the track, 100 meters."

Joey gets his socks and shoes back on and heads to the start. I slip my phone in the drone and set it for tracking movement. Then I hit record.

I pull the trigger on the air gun and Joey sprints, the drone follows.

"Alright grab a drink and meet me downstairs," I say guiding the drone back to myself.