Derek Miles blogs from Beijing

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Tea athlete blogs about Olympic experience
Derek Miles
For Argus Leader Media
August 13. 2008 6:00AM
Editor’s Note: Here are excepts from Tea resident and U.S.D. track coach Derek Miles’ Olympic blog. For complete entries and updates throughout the week, visit www.argusleader.com

August 5
Here we go again! One more time around the Olympic horn, with the hopes of returning with heavier pockets - perhaps filled with some sort of gold, silver or bronze this time?
The clock is ticking (it always has been), just a little louder these days as the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics take place Friday. For those of you more interested in the USA basketball team, I’ll do my best to sit next to LeBron James at the lunch table and prod him for news to pass along.
In the meantime, all I can offer is some insight into the amazing sport of track and field, and more specifically the pole vault. Just look at this as an MTV Cribs-type episode, where you’ll get a behind-the- scenes look at the Olympic experience through an athlete’s perspective, and I’ll try not to bore!

August 8
It was a pretty normal trip from Sioux Falls to San Jose, where I was transported to San Jose State University to begin the “apparel distribution” portion of the process.
That took roughly and hour and a half, consisting of sizing everything from the feet to the head. Polo has officially taken over for Roots, which outfitted us for opening and closing ceremonies in 2004 … After collecting three more large bags of “stuff” in processing, we had a quick organizational meeting and then repacked for the trip overseas that night.
Shipping two large suitcases home could have been a hassle, but the U.S. Olympic Committee made things smooth like butter and they are on their way to my house in Tea!
The next morning, we chased the sun around the world, never catching it or letting it go. It was an 11-hour flight – and that only got us to Japan.
Because of the massive time-zone difference, we left San Jose at 2 in the afternoon and arrived in Japan around 4:30 in the afternoon – the following day! I’ll pause a moment to let you process that. My internal clock is still trying to work that one out.

August 10
We came, we walked, we rejoiced! The opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games was successful in its endeavor to bring the world together for one amazing night.
No politics, no disasters, and no cultural animosity. One simple (yet elaborate) celebration of Olympic spirit and pride that filled the air with a positive vibe. Gotta love it!
I decided to partake in my second opening ceremonies because some things are just too good to pass up. We gathered about 5 p.m. as a team and made the march to the busses that seem to stretch for miles. I’ve never seen such a line of busses taking all the athletes in the village to the stadium – truly amazing.
The U.S. team was shuttled to a separate facility that was secured after we entered, since President Bush was to make an appearance and address the team.
After we mingled for an hour with athletes from other sports – including the basketball team (beware, name dropping ahead!) – the President came in to greet us. He stayed quite a while to visit.
With him were his daughter and father, the first President Bush. All three were extremely engaging, and it was a relaxed and friendly atmosphere that only the Olympic Games could create.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shake hands and visit with two U.S. presidents and the mega-stars of basketball – LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd and many others. After visiting and taking lots of pictures, we were moved to the gymnastics venue, where all the teams were gathered.
After we were called on the scoreboard, the U.S. team moved to the exit of the gymnastics venue, just down the road from the Olympic Stadium. The line of countries ahead could be seen for a quarter mile, and was truly exciting.
The people of China lined the roads and had an excitement and eagerness that I have never seen before. It seemed a very welcoming culture, and unbelievably friendly as well.

August 11
I thought I would take this opportunity to give everyone the scoop on the Olympic Village.
It’s a huge place, almost a small city! It is equipped with a bus system for transport to all of the different athletic venues.
The village includes huge arcade areas, Olympic souvenir shops, a bank, cultural education centers, two very large transportation centers, an outdoor stage where they put on musical shows, multiple athlete lounge centers with floors of computers, and a large number of television areas for viewing of all the Olympic events.
Let’s not forget the dining hall that spans over a football field in length and includes a McDonald’s. I’m fighting the McUrge these days, but perhaps after the pole vault finals on the 20th I might partake.
The housing in the village consists of 42 large dormitories that climb six or more floors. Each floor has multiple suites, each with four rooms and two bathrooms.
The individual rooms are not overly spacious, but they’re suitable for the limited time we spend in them.
As for now, I’ll sign off because it’s time to get serious this afternoon. Today Jeff and I will have our first jump session at our training camp. Team USA has essentially rented an entire university that is closed to the public. Only U.S. athletes are allowed to access the campus, and they have really done this place up, including bringing in our own chefs!
When I return, I’ll give you all the inside scoop on how the jump session went and all about this amazing training camp.
Until then, enjoy the Games and watch as much as you can, because your next fix won’t come for another four years!
Also, if you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments box. I’ll do my best to answer them as they come in.

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Journey’s ending bittersweet for vaulter
Derek Miles
For Argus Leader Media
August 27. 2008 6:00AM
Aug. 19
Hello all. I thought I would check in one last time before our preliminary round tomorrow night. It appears that the motto for the meet will be “it is what it is”.
After I last checked in I thought I was on the mend, however things took a slight turn in the opposite direction. I actually woke feeling worse the next day and things seem to be holding rather than clearing up.
Perhaps I’ve been too westernized but I don’t seem to be reacting well to the environment. Constant queasiness and imbalance seem to be the biggest struggles at the moment. Most of the team has had similar experiences some less some more severe, but most have managed to recover rather quickly. Such is not the case for me.
So this is how it will work. The height progression will start at 17’10”, and proceed by four inches. Each athlete will be given three chances to clear at each height. Athletes may elect to pass a height if he feels that the height is too low.
The ultimate goal is to be in the top 12 at the end of the night. If you jump 18’10” then you qualify automatically. If you only jump 18’6” but manage to be in the top 12 then you qualify as well. Top 12 is the name of the game.
In the mean time I am trying to remain optimistic however the Olympic Games are competitive enough without having to start from a deficit. I guess when it comes down to it you just have to rely on heart.

Aug. 21
Prior to making this trip most of my family, friends and even coach, said “enjoy the experience”. I can say that up to this point it has been difficult to do that. The preliminary round of any Championship event tends to be like a sliver under the nail of your finger.
It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, but it sure is a pain. The best possible outcome from a prelim is that you do what you were expected to do; not very rewarding to say the least.
However, now that we have reached the penultimate hurdle of this endeavor, I do believe the Olympic final will be the experience that I have been anticipating.
News from the preliminary round could stretch for pages with all that took place, however I’ll try to keep the recap to a condensed version.
We started our warm up around 6:30 which put us into the first call room 45 min later.
They processed us there and we then proceeded to a second call room where we were held until 7:40 giving us one full hour for warm up jumps (which seems like enough time but remember there are 20 guys on each pit).
The competition started promptly at 8:40 p.m. There were two pits and the rules state that after each height is completed both pits must enter the new height at the same time. So this means that if one pit gets done earlier than the other, then that pit must wait.
So this always lengthens the qualifying process. My fist jump at 17’10” went exactly as planned, and I was off to the races. My next two jumps I managed to develop a hiccup in the run. The timing seemed to be off and as a result I was not able to set up for the jump properly.
A nail biting third attempt brought about a little more focus and a substantial lesson on how I should be timing my run-up.
After a sigh of relief, the bar then went to 18’6” which I managed to clear on a second attempt which felt as if I had worked out the kinks and was ready to go to the next height. Unfortunately, the other pit began to experience technical problems with the standards that hold the crossbar.
A delay ensued that lasted for 30 minutes with multiple further delays as the night progressed. Most impacted were the other two Americans on that pit who were forced to wait for long periods of time. Physically this takes a toll. To keep the body in a constant state of preparedness you have to be continually moving and running and to do this for three hours tended to fatigue the entire field.
At the conclusion of 18’6” there remained only 13 vaulters and it was close to midnight. The officials declared the competition over and the final field was set.
Unfortunately, the prelim was unforgiving for the American contingent and I will be the only US representative in the final. It’s always better to have more American uniforms in the mix but I guess “it is what it is”.
So today is a rest and loosen up day. I am tired from yesterday and energy levels are still limited but with 24 more hours to go, I feel confident that this old bag of bones still has a few tricks up the sleeve. I will do my best to send off some more pics and interesting stories as the games progress. I’m sure everyone (including myself) is tired of hearing about my ailments! No more whining from now on, I promise to do my best to make these blogs more interesting as we go!

Aug. 25
Sorry for the delayed report on the finals of the pole vault the other night. But after a long drug-testing procedure and a late dinner, it was way past my bedtime.
In addition to all that, it took a day or two to process what took place the night of the final. Over the past 24 hours, I have been trying to come to terms with the aftermath of an amazing experience.
After a sleepless night – the majority of which was spent counting the woulda’s and coulda’s, and especially the shoulda’s over my bed – I have slowly begun warming up to a more appreciative point of view concerning my fourth-place result at the Olympic Games.
I will enlighten all of you as to how this epiphany took place following the official report on the pole vault finals in the following paragraphs.
Well, the short version of the final goes something like this. Everything went fairly normal during the warm-up session. I didn’t feel comfortable, but assumed that at some point I would settle into the competition and find my groove. The first height was a first-attempt make at 17 feet, 10 inches – which went according to plan.
The next height was 18’4,” which oddly enough took three jumps to clear.
The bar proceeded to 18’8,” which I negotiated on my second attempt with a sub-par jump. In retrospect, there were times it felt as if I was putting too much effort and focus into the run-up, but how do you convince yourself to be more relaxed or go “easier” during the competition when everything around you screams “Go for it!”
In any event, there were six or so athletes still in the competition when the bar was raised to 18’10.”
In 2004, it was roughly the same scenario and I jumped at 18’10” – only to exhaust a lot of effort taking three attempts that were still only good enough for seventh place.
Determined not to make the same mistake I passed to 19’0.”
I felt that I could make this height, as I have several times this year, and I was fairly confident that it would be high enough to medal.
Well, as it turns out, two of the four athletes I was monitoring went out of the competition jumping at 18-10, and had I jumped that height (and made it), I would be typing this blog with something hanging from my neck.
As it turns out, I jumped the same height as the Ukrainian who got the bronze medal. But place- finishing takes into consideration number of attempts if the same height was reached by two vaulters.
Having one miss at 18’8” put me fourth, and the competition was over for me on my third miss at 19.’
My three jumps at 19’ really felt out of sorts for me, and like a golf swing that slices into the woods off the tee box, I was left scratching my head in confusion.
It really sunk in when I put my shoes on and wandered over to the scorers table to see the number four by name.
I would like to submit into record at this time that, contrary to a popular song by Three Dog Night, one is not the loneliest number, it is indeed four.
As promised, however, I left the stadium exhausted, having left every ounce of competitive energy on the track. My only hope is that despite having an off-day, which happens often in the sport of pole vaulting, Olympic fans will take to heart that this athlete went until there was nothing left to give.
This I offer in absence of a medal with a promise that another American pole vaulter will pick up this torch, dust it off and run it to victory in London 2012.
Sharing this adventure with my loving family, the best friend/coach an athlete could hope to have (Lucky Huber), and the supportive friends/fans of South Dakota, has made this a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
For that, I thank all of you.
So about that epiphany (warning: necessary mushiness ahead). After the competition, I returned to the village fairly disappointed and continued to stew until morning.
When I awoke, I turned on my phone, which promptly registered multiple e-mails of cybernetic pats on the back.
One in particular came from Kendra Gottsleben, the daughter of USD men’s track coach Dave Gottsleben.
Kendra is an amazing individual who has battled life with a flame far greater than the Olympic torch I competed under. With limited mobility, she has taken life to greater places than I can ever hope to.
As I read her e-mail of unconditional support, I also thought about a boy who lives in Tea that I don’t even know, but hope to meet someday soon.
He lives down the street from me, and he too needs tremendous assistance from his family. Often when I drive by, I see his siblings playing in the yard.
Unable to participate physically yields no issue, as there has yet to be an occasion when he was not out enjoying the day with them.

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Beijing trip teaches valuable lessons for competitor
Derek Miles
For Argus Leader Media
September 03. 2008 6:00AM
Aug. 30
Well, this is long overdue. But I guess better late than never, right?
My temporary disappearance can be blamed on a span of days that included one 30-hour trip from Beijing to Tea – only to be home for 24 hours. Just as quickly as I came, I went.
After another 20-hour travel day, I am now in Gateshead, England, for my next competition.
I spent the day after the pole vault final with my family lumbering up one of the peaks of the Great Wall. That thing is no joke! Truly one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. To see the wall stretch so far into the distance reminded me how truly amazing this feat really was. Four thousand miles of this stuff was enough to remind us of what the term perseverance really means.
My mother and father, who recently wore out their 60s, showed us up and conquered the steep path like teenagers. Those two are inspiring to say the least.
Thanks to Mom and Dad for unconditionally supporting youthful dreams when the odds looked pretty bleak in the beginning. I owe you both more than you’ll ever know!
To get to the Great Wall, you take a breathtaking ride by “ski” chair to the top of the mountain. What comes up must come down, of which you get two choices.
One is the same lift down, and the other is a giant toboggan ride! It’s the world’s largest playground slide! No choice there, so the whole family had a blast whizzing down the mountain on little carts. A truly memorable experience that we won’t soon forget.
To wrap up the day, we stopped at the Pearl Market. For those of you who are not familiar with this place, lets just say it’s like the Mall of America on the day it forgot to take its ADD medicine.
Feverish bartering in broken English usually ending in a fantastic deal for the truly motivated buyer. The market has everything from clothing to jade sculptures and cultural treasures.
The flight home was pretty uneventful, but it gave me plenty of time to reflect on my second (and most likely last) Olympic experience.
Certainly the world will resume its efforts of making positive changes throughout this planet. However, as an athlete, I was pleased to see that regardless of the flag stamped on an athlete’s jersey, the world was capable of celebrating individual achievement.
As for 2012, which has been a widely-asked question, I will resort to say ... never say never. It seems hard to believe that at age 39 I will remain competitive with the rest of the world, especially since the 2008 silver medalist was in kindergarten when I graduated high school!
I am committed to another year, however, and I am looking forward to jumping higher next year. I am pole vaulting better than ever and will work toward wining a medal at the World Championships next summer in Berlin. So I guess the answer is, who knows?
In conclusion, I would like to extend my appreciation and a warm “thank you” for all of you who offered support throughout this process.