First of all I'd like to appologize for waiting this long to make this entry. I have been putting off this last entry for quite some while. The long and short of it is, that I have failed (for now at least) to qualify for my 2nd Olympic Games. As you could tell from my last entry, things weren't going to well with my health when I was back in Europe.

So a brief recap of what's gone on since that last entry:

I eventually got over the food poisoning. I had never experienced it before and thus didn't know what to expect as far as recovery times. Needless to say my stomach got better well before the rest of my body/head did. The day after the race in The Netherlands, I could only make it 7.50 minutes in my run, when I had to turn back. I spent the next week ONLY being able to run between 30 - 45 minutes before I would feel rather week/dizzy.

Time wasn't on my side, and in the end I wasn't able to race at Heusden (although a lot of deserving athletes were turned away this year by the meet organizer). This essentially ended my last hope @ Beijing. I decided to take a stab at one more Olympic birth in the 1500 instead. That also was a bit too optimistic as all year/season long I had conditioned my body to handle 68 to 70 second pace per 400 meters, instead of the 58 to 59 second per 400 meter pace I'd now need. I even when as far as extending my trip in Europe by an extra week so I could get extra rest and one las shot @ the 1500.

In the end it was not to be. Sometimes once's got to face the music. So unfortunately this tale will not have the ending I would've wanted. I headed to Europe a little over a month ago with high hopes and good spirits, I had a plan and it went awry prettty quickly. I tried to adjust and face the obstacles (no pun intended) head on with a positive attitude, but eventually I had to just let go.

I left Europe last Tuesday (July 29th) to head back to the U.S. I was and felt severly dissapointed and overwhelmingly crestfallen. I've worked so hard and been so focused the last 4 years for this one goal and to have it come down to circumstances that were somewhat out of my hands, was too much to handle. I could always accept failing, but to have my last few attempts be at a state of being less than 100% was really a tough pill to swallow.

So now I'm currently in New Jersey visiting my mother who's back in the U.S and my grandmother who's in the U.S for the 1st time ever. I'm taking (or will attempt) 1 month off completely from running. I have never taken this much time off since I started running competitively (8 + yrs now?). I hope this break will recharge both my mental and physical batteries, as I arrived back in the U.S severely down and sad.

I'm clearly at a cross roads in my athletics life, or at least I feel/felt that's the case. I'm young enough (26 yrs old) to be in this game for another 4 - 8 yrs (basically two more Olympic cycles), but I'm also (for now at least) mentally drained from the single minded focus I invested into the Beijing Games. I hope this break from running will do me some good and really light that fire in me again. I wouldn't want to go out on a down note.

The next step as of now will be to return to Boulder by the begining of September and resume training. I have far too many goals out there to just hang 'em up. I'll sit down and look over the past year's training and see what could/can be done different. Possibly tweak some workouts here and there differently as well. Next year is also a big year. Berlin, Germany will be hosting the 2009 IAAF World Track and Field Championships. Basically the World Championships are the 2nd biggest show on earth for us Track Athletes outside of the Olympics of course. I'll refocus my efforts/goals for that event.

Nothing will ever replace not making Beijing, but I have (slowly over the past week) started to come to terms with that. I can't look towards 2009 and beyond (2012 Olympics in London) till I've fully come to terms with this year's events. It's been a long and tough ride. Many ups and of course downs. I will remember both and take many lessons away. I will cheer on my fellow athletes and mates that will participate in the Opening ceremonies and compete in their respective events/sports over the next few weeks.

Lastly I'd like to thank a few (I clearly won't name everyone) people that have been helpful along the way, not just in this year but over the past few.

My parents: John & Nuria Caracciolo

Coach (past/present): Steve Clarke ('03 - '05), Brad Hudson ('05 - 07), Lorraine Moller

Friends/Family (some but clearly not all): Clay & Sky Hope, Carlos "Dadito" Mandje, Henry Caracciolo, Al Garraffa, Adam Ostrow, Ramat & Tanimu, John Dinozzi, David Krummenacker, Bolota Asmeron, The Faraci & Ziminsky Families, Ross Schubert, Spencer Casey, Paul Hamblyn, The Torri twins: Jorge & Ed, Jason Hartman, all of my kiwi training mates (you guys/girls know who you are), Yommi O, Myra Moller, Murray Taylor, Jasmine Moller, Harlan Smith, (Virtually everyone in Boulder -truly a great community for athletes), Samia Akbar, Steve Sherer, Delwyn Moller & fam., Steve Sumner, Sunny Turner, Danny over @ Newton Co., Nobby, Rod Dixon, Gary Moller, Bruce Moller, Fasil Bizuneh, Stefano Galli, Franki Poli, Johan Mordijck (Belgium isn't Belgium w/out him) & many many more people. I'd go on, but it'd take forever and they're already playing the "wrap it up" music in my head. Ha ha just kidding.

Honestly though it's been a great ride -well not the happiest of endings, but lesson will be learned from this and I'll be a better person for it - and I couldn't have done nearly as much as I did in this past year or the last four for that matter without the support of many of the names above.

Thanks again to each and everyone of you who took this journey with me and expressed interest in my progress, whether it was in person, via e-mail or of course through Mindsay.

This will be my last entry (although I may chronicle another big journey in my athletic's life sometime between now and 2012, but only TIME will tell). I'll gladly answer any questions or reply to comments on this or via e-mail. I plan on taking a much needed vacation from my life and heading to Barcelona & Ibiza, so just in case I don't reply promptly, you'll know why.

To quote Semisonic's Closing Times, "Every new begining comes from some other begining's end...."

Peace & Love