Hello all,

My name is Jeffers and I am one half of N.E.R.V (or NIKE East Running Van for those of you with acronym deficiency). I am a lover of great stories and in that vein I want to use this blog to discuss my favorite and most memorable runs. Now this could be any run of a fun, fast, horrific, disgusting or simply just outstanding nature. Please feel free to comment and tell me some of the things that happened to you on the road, dirt, grass and mud.

I figured there was no better place to start my tales on foot than TRACKTOWN, USA. I was at the University of Oregon in Eugene this summer for the first ever NIKE Track Nationals and the fantastic Prefontaine Classic. Living in Portland, OR the past few years I have had the amazing privilege of running on Hayward Field. On this day however, Hayward would hold something much more special.

It was late afternoon, a day before NTN and my buddies Ozzie (former N.E.R.V team member and Ivy League Champion in his college days), Scott and I went out for a nice jog (I believe it’s pronounced yahg) on Pre’s Trail – an awesome stretch of wood chip trails about a quarter mile from Hayward Field. Now this run started off as just a very fun, feel-good run. The conditions were perfect for the summer – 70 degrees, slightly overcast and a light sprinkling from the heavens. Ozzie, Scott and I were running along at a relaxed 7:30 pace, chatting and enjoying the cool Eugene afternoon. In a tragic mistake he would never let himself live down, Scott turned back early for the dorms (our accommodations for the weekend) as Ozzie and I ran on for a couple more miles.

As we headed back, the Oz and I decided to do a mile on Hayward Field to end our run. As we hit the completely empty track, I looked up into the rafters and saw a sound technician smirk at Ozzie and myself and proceed to mess around with the computer screen in front of him. Suddenly a booming voice came at me from all angles. The unbelievable stadium surround sound was on full volume and on the jumbotron, the Men’s 800m race at the Olympic Trials that saw three Oregonians make the Olympic team in an unbelievable last 100 meters. Oz and I ran along and could hear the crowd screaming at us. With our eyes closed, we could feel the runners bearing down on us, the U of O crowd going wild. We were there as Wheating moved up through the field along the backstretch to make his bid. And we were there as Christian Smith dove wildly past Khadevis Robinson to capture the glory of making an Olympic team. With tears in our eyes because of the sheer beauty of what had just occurred, Oz and I simply high fived and walked back to our dorm speechless.

I was fortunate enough to be there in the crowd in 2008 for the race itself, but it honestly did not compare to being on the track that afternoon. Thank you Mr. Sound Technician wherever you may be, that was awesome.

-Jeffers