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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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[[File:2012 USA Team.jpg|right|thumb|400px|The 2012 USA Team.]]
I was part of the 2101 2012 team representing the USA at the 24 hour world championship in Katowice, Poland. My race went badly, with severe nausea and light headedness preventing me from moving for a couple of hours half way through the race. The team as a whole won several medals:
* Men's individual Gold, Mike Morton, 172 miles (a new American Record)
* Women's individual Silver, Connie Gardner, 149 miles (a new American Record)
* This race was also the European championships, and there are separate medals for each. Each country can enter up to 6 men and 6 women into the world championships, but up to 9 in the European race, so some athletes were doing both events, and others just one.
* You have far less freedom of choice in the world championships. You have to stay in the accommodation and wear the team uniform, both on and off the track. The USA team was sponsored by Nike, who provided the uniform and by the USA Track & Field which helped offset some of the cost of travel.
These different aspects of the event produce a remarkably different experience. There is a strong sense of being a team and of national identity. Getting to spend time with such outstanding athletes
=Before the race=
I travelled with my wife Lynn from Charlotte to Katowice via Munich, leaving Tuesday afternoon and arriving Wednesday afternoon, which was about 23 hours door to door. We stayed in student dorm rooms at the local university, which were Spartan but comfortable. All food was provided, and we had a couple of race briefings on the Thursday and Friday. Friday was also the opening ceremony, with all teams in their country uniforms and a gymnastics display. We got to walk around Katowice a little, and I reveled in being in a foreign culture. I slept well Wednesday and Thursday, but Jetlag caught up on Friday night, and I was wide awake until 3am. Only getting 3 hours sleep before a 24 hour race is worrying, but I was not sleepy until later Sunday night after the race.
