Nine: A Victory Report !!! !!! !!!

Can we say "The best weekend ever"! Oh. My. Gosh. I am so ecstatic! If you haven't heard, I won my ninth National Championship!!

Note: beware of the potential overuse of exclamation points in this post.

If you read my blog you know I've been candid about struggling with my racing form as of late. But after Monaco I decided to stay stone faced in the midst of my less than ideal form.

The week leading up to Toronto was challenging for me on a few fronts. I came to town to prepare without my personal coach. A first for me at a championship. But not so bad, I've been doing this a long time.

Except....

After three races in Europe that were total blow outs and having to prepare for my biggest competition of the summer alone, near my hometown, with the race being the marquee event and did I mention the unusual national media interest?!...yeah.

Gulp.

I was so blessed to have my good friend and MSU coach Randy Gillon who happens to be married to my BFF Nicole decide to drive up to Toronto for the week to help me with my practices and on race day. They just had a baby girl a few weeks ago but when they heard I'd be going at it alone, they weren't having it. I couldn't have put on the finishing touches without them.

To get me through the week I kept focusing on times when I was not the favorite and managed to get it together when it counted most: Paris '03. Budapest '04. Osaka '07. Doha '10 all came to mind.

So could there be a Toronto'10 scenario?. According to BFF, that was up to me to decide. I just had to "get my mind right".

Home Support

Team P was in full attendance, and I think their loud antics must have scared some people in the stands. I heard them my entire warm up on the other side of the stadium. My friend Alison yelled a "LET'S GO P!!!" and I heard someone say: "Gosh that was piercing". LOL.

I wanted to win so much, racing at home is special. The opportunity is a rare treat and I really wanted us to have something to smile about on this night.

All I can do...

The actual race is a blur. I know I was calm before the gun. My work with sports psych Terry Orlick in the past has taught me in pressure situations to clear my mind about thoughts of outcome or my fellow competitors. I do what I am trained to do and let everything else in that moment go.

It was my perfect cocktail: a dash of adrenaline, a pinch of faith and a lot of tunnel vision.

As a result of this focus I had no idea where I was in the race. If I was behind or ahead. I felt Angela pushing me through the early barriers but stayed secure in my own rhythm.

As soon as I felt the tempo get comfortable around hurdle five I knew it was a signal to try to dig deeper, to find a gear...Don't you dare relax.

Hurdles is about a constant acceleration, making each pass faster than the one behind. It is easy to get into a comfort zone, and take the hurdles as they come. It is the best hurdlers that can recognize this and force the issue. Even though your brain is telling you this isn't safe, you need to stop--now!.

You override this God given common sense and charge the barrier with extra nerve and verve, you attack the more. To relax and to surrender to this sense is to never be a contender.

Sweetest Thing I've Known...

The best feeling in any hurdle race is to clear the tenth and final barrier. This is the sweetest moment to me. The risk is over, I've made it through the mine field. Now I am free to lunge my body at the line in desperate photo finish splendor.

And that's what I did. I stayed in the hunt the entire way and didn't back down until I crossed the line. And after that it was out of my hand, all I could do, I had just done. And gratefully it was enough to earn a ninth national crown!.

This One's For You!

It was great to come out on top, my muted celebration was just the calm before the storm. I destroyed a huge chocolate chip and cookie dough ice cream scoop in lieu of the crunk and disorderly celebration I had last year. Best believe I savoured the moment and yet another title. Thanks to EVERYONE who wished me well!.

Lots of love to my mom, family and friends who love me regardless of what I do on the track. You are the ones who buoy my hopes, you're the keepers of my dream.

The ninth is for you!! XOXOX

Perdites

**CBC Race Broadcast**