Toronto Star

Felicien relishes new role of underdog

Former world champ pumped over chance to compete in Toronto

Jun 03, 2009 

RANDY STARKMAN
SPORTS REPORTER

Perdita Felicien's mom has butterflies.

That can only mean one thing – there's a big track meet on the way.

It turns out Felicien's not the only one excited about her first chance to compete in Toronto as a pro in the Festival of Excellence meet at Varsity Stadium, headlined by Jamaican star Usain Bolt on June 11.

The last time the former world champion hurdler ran in a big meet in the GTA was in elementary school.

"It's been that long," said Felicien. "My mom was talking to me. She said, `I really have the butterflies.' I said, `Mom, we have two weeks to go. You can't be having the butterflies yet. You've gotta relax.' But she gets extremely nervous when I compete. She hasn't really been on site in so long."

This is a comeback season for the 28-year-old Felicien, who missed the Beijing Olympics last summer because of a foot injury.

The Pickering native will face Whitby rival Priscilla Lopes-Schliep in the "Durham Duel" for first place in the women's 100-metre hurdles. The favourite has got to be Lopes-Schliep, the Olympic bronze medallist who has the world-leading time this year of 12.52 seconds.

Felicien's best time of 12.80 seconds ties her for eighth among hurdlers this season. She clearly relishes the underdog role right now.

"I like pressure. I feel like I can thrive under pressure," she said. "I can handle it well, but I am finding my need to be the underdog and not being the favourite and having the expectations.

"I need to focus on what I need to do. There's no doubt in my mind that I can rise to any occasion. I just need to be fit first and I just need to be at my maximum. I'm not there yet, but I'm well on way to being there."

Felicien plans to be there at the Canadian championships, also to be held at Varsity Stadium, at the end of the month. She'll use that as a launching pad towards the world championships in Berlin Aug. 15-23. She reckons she's presently at 75 to 80 per cent of her potential.

Felicien was not among the main contenders at the last worlds in Osaka, Japan, two years ago, but surprised with a silver-medal finish. That set her up as a contender for the Beijing Games, until she was felled by her foot injury.

The foot is now healed. She has to do a lot of maintenance, but that seems a small price considering there'd been concerns she could end up with chronic tendinitis, chronic pain or early onset of arthritis.

"At this point, I feel like I did before the injury happened as far as my physical capabilities," she said.

On the mental side, Felicien finds herself delving back into the book The Pursuit of Excellence by Dr. Terry Orlick, something she read a lot when she won the world title in Paris in 2003.

"You kind of forget how you got there," she said. "You're not as sharp. You don't do the little things you did before. I'm finding, `Let's revisit some of that, let's figure out some of the things we did before and get back to that.'"

She recognizes that the mental preparation for the Festival of Excellence will be a bit different because it's at home. She normally associates being in Toronto as a time to relax with family and friends, but this time it's all business.

"In my mind, I've got to flip the switch and go, `This is not a mini vacation. This is not time for you to just chill out and relax. You still have a job to do,'" she said. "So three or four days preparing for Excellence has to have the same focus and commitment that you have for a Golden League race in Europe."

She's already got tickets for her family at the finish line. Whether her mother, Cathy Moe, can bear to watch is another matter.

Tickets for the event can be bought at ticketbreak.com.

Source: www.thestar.com/sports/olympics/article/644537

Thank You Usain Bolt

Usain will be the headliner at The Festival of Excellence scheduled for June 11 at The University of Toronto. Because of him there will again be world class track and field in a land where this was once the norm. And yes Usain is the ultimate one man show, but it is a pleasure to ride his coat tail on any day.

And lucky me that day is in nine. However I doubt that I am the most grateful person in the GTA. No I'm not. That distinction belongs to Cathy Felicien, or as I like to call her "Mother-Dear".

I was just talking to M.D and my girl is crunk, let me tell you. Cathy is so ready for this meet to pop off and the chance to "see her Pedeet run with Ossain from Jamaica!".

Me: "Mom, you mean Usain"

M.D: "Yes Ossain, that's what I said..."

Me: "No, no, mom it's more like 'You-sane'...never mind just call him Bolt!"

(Note: Usain is way easier than Perdita, and I can imagine--no make that bore witness to the countless incorrect ways that have been attempted to say my own unique name.)

****

After that exchange and the realisation that my mom's beautiful St. Lucian accent need not be tweaked (after all I am still her "Pedeetah"), she announces that she has taken that entire day off work.

Wow, this lady is serious.

Me: "It's a night meet. You can have your cheese and eat it too Mother".

M.D: "Huh?!"

Me: (To myself) "Ya that was a dumb thing to say."

****

Her taking the day off work reminds me of how my mom used to be during my elementary and high school days. Wholly devoted to the cause of supporting her daughter and cheering her on 100%.

...Even if that meant going down the road of not being able to provide her food and shelter. But that is how devoted my M. D is--not even a paycheck will keep her from me! And I love her for it.

I just hope she doesn't resurrect the 1998 front to back: "Go Perdita Go....Love Mom" Tee.

Gulp.

Thanks Usain!

Perdita :)

Visit: www.twitter.com/foe2009?&

Meeting Mr. Pudding Pop

Look what I found on some random cd of pics I saved from an old computer.



The look on my face was the reaction to him chastising me for calling him "Bill", according to him "It's Mr. Cosby to you!".

Sheesh I coulda called ya Heathclif.

******************

This shot was Mt. Sac in April 2002 and I was racing a college rival.



Funny to think that was seven years ago now...eek, Im getting old.

PF

I Heart Mondays (Well this one)

I'm so ready to be done w/ the weekend, most people love them. And I can too. But for me if I am not racing they are kinda dry. And weekdays equal training or travel and getting closer to the start line.



I have been counting down the days till my next race The Nike Prefontaine Classic on Sunday June 7th! Sheesh, hurry up and get here.

This is by far the longest I have gone between meets, since my season started. And my last one the Adidas meet on May 16 was a good two weeks ago now. I was originally scheduled to race at the Reebok Grand Prix on May 30th, but they removed the women's 100m hurdles from the line-up at the last minute.

Needless to say I was not impressed and the thought of going to Europe for a single race was not at all appealing to me. So that meant three weeks of solid training. Don't get me wrong I love to train, but I have always been the type of athlete that prefers to compete and have a meet on the horizon.



So after racing back to back weekends in April and early May this gap is feeling like an eternity.

But Monday is nearly here now and my next race will only be six measely days away.

Watch it live on NBC 2-4PM Eastern!

P

Where Were You This Time Last Year?

I haven't thought much about where I was, I am much too engrossed on my 2009 season and each step ahead of me. But if you read my last post you know I had some lower limb issues over the weekend. So I went looking for my portable stim unit but couldn't find it.

I have a knack for mistreating/misplacing things I own.

During this house wide rummage I stumbled upon a thick stack of CDs, not of the Sasha Fierce variety, these contained all the images of my foot from last year. Months of CT, MRI, Xrays images of my left foot. Then, it was the most precious CD collection I owned and was so crucial to my fight to be healthy, that I always had them with me. They held the key to any progress I was making and to lose them would be to lose time. And once one of the best foot MDs in North America was happy to help me, I arrived in his presence with a hand full of visual information.

Until now I had forgot them, but now recall how unknown everything was this time last year. The fight wasn't for Beijing it was to remain world class long after the Olympics was over and others got their medals.



My foot would heal, but would it be any good? And all I wanted was a crystal ball to tell me everything would be OK and that way I could relax and do my time. But instead there was much caution and unpredictability about a hurdler landing over and over on a foot that requires eight months solid rest to heal and that would never be the same again.



So ya, I have this bump that protrudes from the top of my foot, and my big toe is now further away from my 2nd toe. But God is good to me because debilitating pain, early onset arthritis, chronic tendonitis, surgeries to fuse bones, have thus far been avoided by moi.

I am still working daily on getting that part of my body back to full function and the process will take a while but I will continue to believe that the healing will only get better and I am so grateful. See below, I had an inkling there would be life after Beijing and I can't wait to see where I am in yet another year!


www.thestar.com/videozone/450063


XO
P

I had some great plans for my Saturday...

First (if God said so), I'd wake up. Then I'd eat breakfast!

The whole night I could hardly sleep knowing what awaited me, I was going to make oatmeal (as I do every morning). But-- Saturday's oatmeal was going to be very very different. After years of only adding my staple flavors of Vanilla Bean or Cookies and Cream I decided to switch it up a little. And introduce my taste buds to a whole new world of flavorful fun. Enter: Peanut Butter Chocolate.

Sweet.

No really SWEET, as in Peanut butter chocolate and oatmeal should never ever merge. It could just be that I got N.P.F.H (new-protein-flavor-happy) and added too much to my bowl, but I'm thinking the intensity of it all was too much for this palate or any human palate.

Take it from me, don't try this at home.

So not the start I had imagined, but definitely the next item on the agenda would go as planned. My 2000m tempo workout on my own in a couple hours!

However sometime after shoveling too sweet, too thick oatmeal down my throat and relaxing on the coach my lower legs started to feel 'tight'. If you are a world class sprinter, you know what I mean. Right! Calf, soleus, tibialis anterior, posterior, the whole compartment just felt restricted.


See you've been there.

Anyhoo, I tried to walk it off, do some self massage, but to no avail, leg was bugging. I don't like to skip workouts, especially since today's was on the honor system. But from where I'm coming from, if I so much as feel the onset of pins and needles--Bye--I'm calling it a day!




And so I did. Instead I went to see my masseuse and iced.



The next order of business was to stretch, do my exercises, eat a light lunch and watch the Reebok meet live on NBC. (Simultaneously where applicable).

I grabbed my stretching rope, turned the TV on to catch the meet and also grabbed a bag of my sweet potato chips, just to nibble on a few before I made lunch during a commercial.

How about the next thing I knew an hour or so into the broadcast Tyson Gay had run 19.5 in the 200m and I was staring into the empty bottom of a 200g bag of chips, with stretching rope untouched beside.



What kinda Saturday is this...Clearly I have some different plans for Sunday.

Dites

I wish I had an excuse for such a ridiculous absence, but I don't. But, I'm back!



ASU Opener
To update ya, I didn't compete indoors but began my indoor campaign very early. My first race was at ASU on April 10th, but it was a gong show because I got DQ'd for flinching. I was upset, because it clearly was a bad call by the official.

...And yes, Ill have some cheese w. my wine!


Kansas Relays
Next up was Kansas Relays, On April 18th. I took 5th and ran a 13.38. I was proud because it would have been a high school PB! But naturally, it was very tentative and pedestrian and just part of the process of coming back.

Drake Relayss
I had a better showing at Drake Relays on April 25, I placed 3rd and ran a windy 12.88. I was happy to be under 13 seconds, despite the 40 degrees F and cold rain making conditions hazardous. This race was the first one where I felt a better rhythm to my racing and knew things were rusty but on the right track.

Doha Super Grand Prix and Season's Best
The sub 13 second trend continued in Doha on May 9th where I got a season's best of 12.80 and finished 5th in a very competitive field. Once again the race fitness was not there and technically things felt blah, but I competed.






The decision to race so early was not mine, my Coach and Chiro and some dear friends encouraged me to get out there early and try to establish that race rhythm sooner rather than later. I am glad I listened because it gave us a lot of feedback about where I am and what we need to be focusing on in practice. My start needs a lot of work and my first two hurdles are much too "soft". What I am doing in the middle as far as acceleration is good, yet the snappiness of my last 2 to 3 hurdles drops off a lot.

Great info to have so we can tailor my training to fixing the flaws in my race.

Adidas Track Classic
My last race was the Adidas meet in Carson, CA on May 16th, which was a hard turnaround after being in the Middle East just five days before. I found my focus was the best it has been all season and I really tried to execute some of the elements we have been working on in practice. I didn't just race and abandon all, I thought the entire race. I placed 2nd behind the Olympic Champion Dawn Harper and ran 12.83, which I felt good about since it was into a moderate head wind of -1,1.



It's important to work on my race and see what works during this early part of the season, than trying to fix things later in the year when results really matter.

My next race is the Prefontaine Classic on June 7 in Eugene, I am looking forward to the high level of competition and the place that I set my 12.46 personal best.

Be back soon,
...Promise!
P

I love this commercial it makes me chuckle everytime I see it.



However it is far from accurate, and most track people would spot it right away. But who cares. Apparently someone at CNBC.com

Ciao,
P

New Years Resolute!

Resolution Month


I've seen so many joggers on the way to work lately, I didn't notice it so much until the BF pointed it out. Many of these people weren't the hardcore road warrior types. They didn't look the part. They weren't wearing the telltale athletica or rocking that overly exaggerated perfectionist running form. They had strides that were somewhere between a power walk and reluctant jog, with arms that were fighting a missing wind.

The BF and I have a theory, It's early in new years resolution week. People have a resolution to keep and they were out in full force. The first weeks of Jan we shall see plenty of this. However, come Valentine's day we will expect to see a dramatic falling off.

I don't have a problem with resolutions, I don't usually make them. I get the sense they are hard to keep, especially ones that have to deal with breaking a well ingrained habit.

However I have made two resolutions of my own for the first time in 28 years.

The First Resolution
To write in my journal at least a few times a week. I used to be hard core about this. Writing for hours until my hands would get so tired, that I couldn't understand my own writing the next day.



But between my regular diary and my gratitude journal [A list of things I am grateful for during the day, from finding quarters in my washing machine, to free food samples at Loblaws], I'm lucky to have a few entries per month.

I love looking back at the things I wrote as a kid and in high school. I know I will regret not keeping up w/ my thoughts when I have nothing to read in the coming years.

The Second
Is to create and maintain a vision board. I used to think that stuff was for corny folks, with too much time. But since I do believe in The Law of Attraction, it only makes sense.

A vision board is a collection of things you want in your life and you create a board that is filled with these things using words and images. If you see it for yourself put it up there. That body you want to have, the man of your dreams, the number of Cheerios in your bank statements....post it up!

So that is my new project, and I'll try to post a pic of it as soon as I complete it.
Ciao,
P-dids

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wishing you and your loved ones all the best for 2009.

XO
P