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BOSTON (24-Feb) -- With a modest 2:06.68 mark in yesterday's qualifying round, Nicole Teter returned herself to a familiar place: first in a middle distance. The 34 year-old athlete who represents the Oregon Track Club is just getting her legs under her again after sitting out the second half of last year with yet another injury
"It feels great," said Teter just after yesterday's heat. "I feel fit. I'm happy just to be running indoors again. I had a rough end of last season.
Teter dropped out of her preliminary race at last summer's AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, the American qualifying meet for the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. She was enjoying a solid recovery from a foot injury, and had logged a 4:08.73 1500m and a 1:59.91 800m prior to those championships. Then the wheels fell off.
"My calf had been tight. Two hundered in I heard this pop, felt a pop. I thought it was my Achilles but, thank goodness it was a soleous strain. I was put in a boot for two weeks, took one month off, decided not to rush back for the Euro season and focus on this year. The focus is on getting fully healthy, instead of working each day.
Her coach of seven years, Frank Gagliano, who moved to the Oregon Track Club in Eugene after the Nike Farm team folded in Palo Alto, is still training her.
"He's the man," said Teter with a smile. "My man."
Teter isn't getting ahead of herself, and would like to qualify for the IAAF World Indoor Championships by placing first or second in today's final. That would be the first significant step for her in order to make it to Beijing.
"You know, I take it one race at a time," she said adding, "we just get out there and race and whoever is best on that day wins."
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