A spectacular success

Giving three years of volunteer service to the ’08 Olympic Trials was worth Greg Erwin’s personal sacrifice.

By Linda J. Sellers
Special Publications

The people involved in producing the 2008 Olympic Trials at Hayward Field agree on two things: The event was a spectacular success, and it wouldn’t have happened without the dedication of Greg Erwin.

Greg’s involvement, which added up to about 60 volunteer hours a week for three years, was inadvertent — at first. “Really, I stumbled into this,” he says.

Greg had been a distance runner for the University of Oregon from 1978 to 1983, then got busy with career, family, and volunteering as a Kidsports coach.

In 2001, when managing an investment group with Smith Barney, he was asked to serve on the board of directors of the Oregon Track Club. “I innocently said ‘Sure,’” he says with a laugh. “A year later I found myself as vice president, then president.

You know how these things go. You go in, and if you want to make a difference, next thing you know you’re in charge.”

That was only the beginning.

In 2005, the UO hired Vin Lananna as director of track and field. The first time Erwin met Lananna, the pair talked about Eugene hosting the Olympic Trials. “With the help of lots of people from the community and from Nike, we quickly... Read More in the Register Guard Click here to download the PDF

Rock looks get back on track in 2009 for the World Outdoor Championships (Errol Anderson)

It's been a while since we've heard from you. How is everything going for you right now?

Everything is going well. I was taking a little down time from running and racing but now am back lifting. I have been spending time with my family and relaxing some. I have also been studying some for the GMAT since I may decide to get my MBA. I am not 100% sure yet but I want it to be an option.

Stepping back on the track, it was strange not to see you, the 2006 U.S. National Champion, in the starting blocks during the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene. What made you decide not to compete in the event and were you satisfied with the decision?

That's really a question I can't answer with ease. I have just had a tough year competing and really don't have all the answers why. I lost a lot of confidence in myself early in the year and it really just took a toll on me. I put a lot of pressure on myself to compete at a high level and when I wasn't, I really had a hard time handling that. I really have never had anything major go wrong in my track career, and that dates back to age 10. I just got used to having everything go smooth that when it didn't I was really caught off guard. I feel I am a pretty highly driven person and I think every year as I did well as a professional I just put more and more pressure on myself, and got to the point this year that I just couldn't handle it and it became overwhelming instead of something I do because I really love it. Obviously, I wish this would have never happened and that I made the Olympic Team, but I don't believe in looking back and regretting things. I made the decision not to compete and I am fine. Yes, it was a very hard time to go through but I am trying to learn from it. The comforting feeling is that I have made an Olympic team before and I will always have those memories.

Was it tough for you watching the Olympic Games even though knowing just how strong of a team the U.S. sent to Beijing in the 400 meters?

It was hard at times, and at... Read the rest of the Interview with Andrew Rock | Interview from 2003

A Brief Chat with Tyson Gay

BEIJING – People may have told Tyson Gay over the past few years that he is one of the biggest stars in track and field across the world, but clearly, the idea has not sunk in.

During his pre-Olympics press conference on Monday afternoon, Gay told the story of spotting basketball star Kobe Bryant before American athletes marched into the Opening Ceremony and asking if he could get a picture with Bryant.

So as I sit here at my desk, brooding over the Olympic Trials results and articles, I am simply amazed…

June and July have proven to be a bad couple of months for me so far and now this, Goucher doesn’t make it in the 5k and then some how manages to be picked to run in the 10k (even though there were numerous runners faster then him) for which he doesn’t qualify.  And now I read that Alan Webb did not make it either in the 1500…What the heck!  I don’t know why this is upsetting me, I like Alan Webb, but I am not some crazy Webb fanatic.  I am sure his name is getting torn to shreds by numerous runners around the U.S. as you read this.  How can the American record holder in the Mile not qualify???  Well, after reading some articles, he did in fact get the place he deserved, according to the times he has ran so far this year, I think I am just shocked more then anything because he came off such a stellar year in 07 with setting the record and running some very quick 800s.  I think they need to relook at his training program for this year.  Something went wrong.  But then again, we all have bad races, we all have races where we run strong but there are others who run stronger.  I was told by my father when I was little not to get down if you get beat in a race or some sort of competition, learn from it, it’s all part of the life, its all part of the plan.  It is not always about winning.  As mentioned before, I go by the saying, “It’s not the goal…it’s the journey.”   

I do in fact really like Goucher though.  When I was in Colorado, (hanging out on Pearl Street in Boulder), they had cool looking vinyl signs on the street lamps with the Colorado Cross Country and Track runners, and Goucher was in a couple of them.  It was really neat!  If you get a chance to go to Colorado, Pearl Street is a MUST!!  Nothing like little hippies wandering around and all the cool shops, good micro brews, and everyone in Colorado lives for the outdoors…I can see myself living there one day… I am not making fun of Hippies, I am a Dead Head at Heart, there are just a lot of them chilling out on the street, playing music, dancing, what have you…  The same thing goes with State Street in Wisconsin, another real chill place, and lets not forget Haight-Ashbury in San Fran!!!  I was so excited to go see the Dead House, The Red House (Hendrix) and Joplins pad, it was very chill!!!  I love traveling and finding places like that, I am going to Flagstaff AZ and Oregon when I get back in the states, so if anyone wants to put me up…that would be SWEET!!!  So I am rambling…

Back to Track…and probably more rambling…

The news that fires me up is that Kara Goucher is going, along with my Shalane!!  Rockstars!  I am also stoked about the three Oregon related studs going in the Mens 800!  I was really fired up when I read that!  The smiles on their faces really say it all.  All the hard work, the commitment, everything…their journey led them to the trials and now onward to the Olympics.  I find it funny that I was getting so fired up just reading about the trials, I haven’t been able to watch any of the videos due to our filtering system over here, but when I get back in September, you can bet I will take a little time to catch up.  Well, all in all, on a personnel level June and July 2008 have had its ups and its downs.  I am still a little edgy because of what is going on with my Aunt back home, but positive thoughts Josh, positive thoughts…I have my R & R coming up at the end of next month, so that is also getting me fired up.  I am running a half marathon the first weekend and I am hoping to PR.  If I do, it will be extra special because I have done all my training leading up to this race over here in Iraq…which sucks for training.  Unless you like concrete, dust, more concrete, and more dust… Either way, I will have my best friend there rooting me on, and we plan on celebrating right after the race with a couple growlers of Bent River, “American Wheat” Beer!!!!  YES!  This will kick off his Bachelor Party, he decided to wait till the week before his wedding because I will be back to help celebrate.  That was pretty freaking awesome when I heard that news!  We will be rocking a 28 passenger stretched H2 Hummer, and yes, it will get crazy.  Can you tell I am just a little excited?!!  Okay, again back to track.

So now that the trials are over, I will have to focus on my training a little more, I have missed some key long runs due to numerous reasons, but since my routine has now changed, I have more time to train.  Not to mention I have the COL from my command (where I work) helping me out with some training advice, which is pretty cool considering he is one of the big dogs here…and I don’t want to let him down, so I am sticking to the plan.  From this point I have 62 days to my race…62 days, wow, that came really quick.  I really need to make sure I get those long runs in.  I am hitting the shorter distance and the track workouts with no problem, although I hate running track workouts on a tread mill, but I do sweat a lot more…so I guess that is good, right?  I believe all will go well.  I had mentioned in the past that I also went by another motto, “expect the worst and hope for the best”…Well, after some thought, some recent reading, I am not going by that motto anymore.  I am not setting myself up for failure.  Everything I have done so far in my life has been to help create a better life for others and myself.  I look at challenges and say bring it on, I don’t wake up in the morning expecting it to be raining on my parade, I plan on making the best out of every situation.  I am waking up with a smile on my face again, and it feels good.  I am embracing life, and finding out that…it is Simply Amazing!!

The sport of track and field can be an emotional roller-coaster, incredible highs along with painful lows. Watching Amy Begley dig her way to the line with the knowledgeable crowd at Hayward roaring, knowing what she was trying to accomplish still gives me goosebumps and makes me choke up a little. There is nothing in this sport that affects me more than witnessing an athlete put it all on the line, unafraid of failure. I know Amy has had an up and down career and to see someone who has worked so hard and not given up, reach a goal that many thought was a long shot was inspiring. She deserves to be an Olympian.

I was also so incredibly happy to see Kara Goucher reach her more expected goal of becoming an Olympian. I've fortunately been able to get to know Kara very well and know how much she deserves this. I say more expected, because of the last two years Kara has put together, but before that few thought this was a possibility. That might have been the theme for this race, three athletes overcoming obstacles to rise to the occasion and qualify to represent "the hardest team to make". Even Shalane Flannagan had to persevere through an injury that had her taking a long amount of time off and put her career in jeopardy. All three of these women have shared their experiences with eachother. They've inspired, learned, and supported eachother and US women's distance running is better off from it.

I've gotten pretty lucky here in Eugene! Some TEAMmates and I are working in the athlete warm up areas and wherever else we're needed (i.e. the press box, running results, etc.) It is so cool to be up in the press box, watching the events, then run the results downstairs and see the athletes getting mobbed by the press. Then they all crowd around the TV in the recovery tent to see their results or how the other heats are doing. It's awesome!

Our credentials also get us into the meet! I can't believe it! At orientation they were so adament that we would not get any perks like getting to watch the meet, and here we are getting hooked up! I guess its just lucky for me my coach is an Oregon grad :)

Running is going well although its getting time to bump up the mileage a tad. I hit my injured knee (hit a barrier at nats) on a chair last night and ended up in the fetal position it hurt so bad. But I can still run on it and I don't think that will make it worse. In any case I'm going to a doctor on Wednesday to be sure I'm alright, because it still hurts a LOT. Not so much when running, but I'm very interested in increasing my strength (especially hips) this summer, and my knee can't bend certain ways.

I have come to the conclusion that the reason I shuffle when I run (I have terrible form) is because my hips are neither strong, nor flexible enough to support my legs. I'm going to find a way to correct this somehow; hopefully sooner than later.

I did 70 minutes in Eugene this afternoon with my roomate Maddie, who just got back from France and came over to hang out at the trials. We ended with a nice little ice bath in the river. It was fantastic except for the bugs. Okay I have to go to bed, tomorrow is a BIG day!!!

The track races have been great: Tyson's Gay american record in the 100 during the heats and Jeff Demps new high school American Record. It was awesome to see the pure joy on Kara Goucher's face when she realized that teammate Amy Begley achieved the A standard and made it.

I was hoping that Chanelle Price would have advanced in the women's 800 but the trip up took more out of her then I thought. I was also hpoing that Lisa Koll from Iowa State would have ran better in the 10k- she had a great college year and I was hoping she would extend her season.

Now for a few other items NOT on the track. I read an article about the parking situation around Hayward Field and how horrible it is. It said that if you park in the wrong place then you will pay $12 for the ticket. Well it's $20 to pay for parking anywhere else. SOOOOO I was thinking I can park almost wherever I want for however long I want and only pay the $12 ticket. NO I HAVE NOT DONE THIS AND I AM NOT SUGGESTING YOU DO THIS but the idea definitely crossed my mind.

I was able to go to the adidas house where there was a press conference with Tyson Gay. He showed off some new adidas gear and also spoke about  the trials, Usain Bolt and may other topics. The interview was cool but the frat house that adidas rented looked awesome.

Two other events that I really enjoyed was visiting the wooden statue athletes. It's so hard to really put it into words but if your in Eugene make sure you stop by Birch and Fairmount. It's very amazing.

I have been by the adidas tent at the Villard Street Pub the past few days checking out that whole scene. On Saturday they had a Hootie 5k run. What is a hootie?? Well after talking to a few different people I finally got an answre but it took some time. It was just a really fun 5k with all different people doing it. There were past Olympians like Gary Fanelli, well known Brooks coach Kevin Hanson and many other runners. What a great day!!

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