As we publish these Ostrava journals and Q&A's with PA stars Ryann Krais and Chanelle Price, one of these talented athletes is
headed for the mountains of NY to volunteer in helping to build a house, and the other will soon be headed west for her final meet
of the season in the USATF Junior Olympics. But despite traveling in different directions as July and their junior year's wane, these
rising seniors have had the seasons of their dreams. Krais, of Methacton High School in Norristown, had not broken 59 seconds
in the 400 hurdles before a breakthrough race in winning the Penn Relays invitational event in 58.93. Since then, she has run five
races faster; four of which were in the 57's; and set a state record of 57.20 with her finals at USATF Juniors in late June. The record
had been held by current USA World Team member Nicole Leach, a UCLA sophomore. Krais then captured a Bronze at the IAAF World's
with a 57.50. Making her 57.20 even more impressive was the fact that is followed her all-time U.S. junior class record in the heptathlon, scoring 5377 points.
Ryann Krais
Nike Outdoor Nationals
57.26
USATF Junior Championships
57.84q
57.20
IAAF Junior World Championships
58.67q
57.50
Price, of Easton High School, showed signs of the coming special outdoor season with the #3 all-time indoor 800 of 2:04.96.
But no one, including her, expected her solo 2:02.76 in winning the Nike Outdoor Nationals in mid-June. That performance had been
set up with a 2:04.24 against a world-class Jamaican runner in New York. Armed with increasing confidence, Price entered
the USATF Championships to race against the best 800 runners in the country. She survived three races over four days, culminating
with another PR of 2:02.38 in the finals, the #3 prep mark of all-time. (And #2 in PA behind US record holder Kim Gallagher, 2:00.07).
Chanelle Price
Nike Outdoor Nationals
2:02.76
USATF Championships
2:05.27p
2:03.09s
2:02.38
IAAF Junior World Championships
2:07.82p
2:04.34s
2:06.55
Both Krais and Price agreed to keep journals of their experiences just prior to and during the IAAF World Championships.
Special thanks to both for taking the time and for their willingness to tell it exactly like it is. They learned a lot from their experiences.
Following their journals are Q&A's with PennTrackXC.com upon their return from the Czech Republic.
 Photo by Joy Kamani, NSSF Ryann KraisChicago (Thursday-Friday, July 5-6)Our first official team meeting happened at 8 o'clock Thursday in Chicago. It was long, a little awkward, and definitely BORING- certainly not reflective of our trip. We had our choice to stay in the dorms or not, so Dalilah (my roommate) and I decided to try it out. The next morning we had a "fitness test" which would be a 400. Nobody really knew how to run it (all out or not????), but the motivation was definitely low for this race. We woke up to a very good pancake breakfast (my usual for a race day) and then sat around in the air conditioning until about noon. Chanelle, Dalilah, and I headed over to the track to check in. They had us in an "elite heat" which meant 3 hours of waiting around in some rather hot weather, which took even more away from our already hurting motivation. I ended up in lane 8 (my favorite, NOT!). We did what we had to do, maybe not in any blazing times, but everybody except one passed the test. Even though it wasn't a real race, I was still surprised by some of the habits of a lot of the athletes. The favorite food choice was fries and hamburgers, and the bed time definitely was not early. Normal kids- Imagine that! Ha ha. Anyway, the team spent some time bonding that night. The event that stuck out that night was Wayne Davis' attempt to do a flip over 3 of us, and thank goodness it was successful! Yeah- he's definitely an athlete!! The next morning (Saturday) was the start of a very long plane ride. I was humored when we got off the plane and somebody asked what day it was. Coach Engel responded, "Its Sunday. Welcome to international traveling, kids. Get used to it." Czech Republic (Sunday-Monday, July 8-9) The plane landed in Poland and from there we took a bus to our dorms in the Czech Republic. I have no complaints- except for the food which wasn't exactly fit for a runner. The highlight of the day was my 10 minute warm-up run with Jordan Hasay. I never thought I'd be saying that! Later that night a few of us explored the University. Our outgoing boys of course needed a picture with EVERY team we could find. We got the chance to chat with the Australians. They had a 32 hour flight!! And I thought ours was bad! By Monday I could say that I felt completely comfortable with our team. There were definitely some cliques forming, but everybody seemed to get along. It rained all day, so we got to model USA rain gear at the warm-up track. Everybody pretty much did their own thing there. The hurdles were just a painted piece of wood connected to the back of metal legs- not something I'd want to hit! Czech Republic (Tuesday, July 10) To be honest, I was a little leery about coming on this trip, but today I've reached the point where no matter what happens in my race, I'm glad I was given that opportunity to come. So really quickly, I have to say thanks to the people who have gotten me this far. First of all, my parents, who are at almost every single meet. My dad is always arranging hotels and registering for meets. When I was younger and had big dreams for soccer, my dad used to always say, "When you're famous, I want to carry your bags." We definitely used to get a good laugh out of that, but in all seriousness, he has done so much more than that for me throughout my many years of sports. And even though she covers her eyes during most hurdle races (she's seen her share of spills), my mom is still my loudest fan out there. She's been the one throughout the years encouraging sportsmanship and telling me to hold my head up high no matter what happens. Then there is Ronzano… Anybody who knows Methacton track history is well aware of his ability to coach (with the help of some awesome assistant coaches, of course). I'm not really sure if there is a better coach/athlete relationship out there. Ronzano puts up with me during the worst times and the best times- from tears of disappointment and frustration to big smiles after a meet. And finally, a big thanks to Don Rich for promoting our state and sport, Mr. Lopresti for his encouraging announcing, some of those officials who are always smiling, the coaches all over the state who have supported our team and me, to the friendly athletes, and of course, all the fans!!!! Czech Republic (Wednesday, July 11) So it's the day before the first race and my stomach kills- probably nerves?! Czech Republic (Thursday, July 12) Our first race is scheduled for 11 am. I basically had my normal pre-race routine (except for the pancakes)! They had a very nice warm-up track and then three call rooms. There was a camera in our face while we set up our blocks. One false start in my heat which was a good thing because I was SLOW! I usually try to PR in the semi's while I'm fresh. It also takes some pressure off the final race. By the time I got to the last hurdle, I was pretty clearly leading, and I could tell it wasn't going to be in the 57's, so naturally I slowed up a little. I felt good going into the finals. Czech Republic (Friday, July 13) Here's the play-by-play from my point of view of the finals race. My start was slow, but that's not surprising. Whenever I hurdle, I have to start with my legs switched in order to have the correct amount of steps to the first hurdle. We are working on cutting a step out so I can start in a more natural way. From there until the 300 mark I ran my usual race. It is pretty consistent from race to race because I have a specific number of steps to hit. By the last 100 meters, I definitely wasn't 15 stepping anymore. Going into the last hurdle I was leading by a little. Here comes the moment I will be replaying in my head all summer long- Instead of going over that last hurdle with my opposite lead leg, I took a stutter and went over it with my left lead leg. That's what cost me the lead, but adjustments and quick decisions is how you win or lose a hurdle race. Although I regret it, I do realize that there will be plenty more races in the future to fix it. I'm proud of Dalilah. She deserved it! I didn't reach my goal of breaking 57, but at least I know I have plenty of room for improvement going into next season!! Czech Republic (Sunday, July 15) The coaches asked me to run the 300 leg of the sprint medley relay in the finals. I had this quick rush of adrenaline, and of course accepted! Standing on the track before the gun went off in the USA uniform gave me an unexplainable feeling of pride. I was running on a USA relay team. Sure it's only a youth meet, but still I'm rather dazed by the opportunity I was given. Well, I ran that 300 as fast as I could and gained a little ground on Jamaica. I handed the baton off (one of my first times giving a hand off) in second and Erica took it away from there. It was definitely a different feeling leaving the end of the race up to somebody else, but by no means did I want to anchor this race. Imagine that pressure! Erica, being the amazing runner that she is, passed Jamaica and brought us the gold. It was certainly exciting, but I can't say I'll ever be on a relay the same as our Methacton's 4x4. Anyways, standing on the podium was quite a thrilling experience and I'm pretty certain I didn't stop smiling that whole day. Czech Republic (Monday, July 16) Not only has this trip given me the experience of international competition, but I have also come out of it with 30 new friends. Prior to our trip, I would be completely intimidated to see my name next to one of these girl's names on a heat sheet. I've learned a lot about them and about myself too. I know my strong aspects of being an athlete and the things I have to work on. We had chances to discuss workouts, colleges, and just our social life outside of track. I'm definitely going to miss these people, but it's also nice to be coming back home to PA! Ryann Krais Q&ATalk about the races in Ostrava?The prelims went how I wanted. The first 300 is usually the same. The last 100 is the difference. I don't want to say I was disappointed at the finals, but it was the last hurdle that got me. I stuttered over the last hurdle. I usually don't stutter much. I switched up the legs, and the two passed me. Even if I had hit that hurdle right, it still would have been a sprint to the finish. What was the biggest surprise about your season? The 400 hurdles definitely surprised me. I didn't have many chances to run the open 400, and I didn't get any faster, and my splits in the relays didn't get any faster, so I was kind of nervous about what the 400 hurdles were going to look like. Going in Nike Outdoor, I was hoping for low 58's and would feel lucky with 57s. After Indianapolis, we kind of knew the they (57's) were going to keep coming. What did you learn about your events this season? Before, we didn't focus on steps in the 400 hurdles. We didn't think I could hold it like I have been doing it. That has meant a lot this year. The time in first 300 is close in every race. Next year we'll work on finishing the race. My Hep (heptathlon) has room for improvement. I'm not confident yet because one event can mess it all up. What did you learn about yourself this season? The focus this year was to not go into races to win, but to go for a PR. Just to run the race for myself. How much of your success is due to the amount of work you put in? It would be absolutely wrong of me to say this is all talent. This is so much a tag team effort with Ronzano. He's researching the workouts, and I'm just doing it. He puts so much time into this, looking on the internet and talking with other coaches. What is your hardest workout? It was one of the first workouts of the summer. We did a couple of full 400 hurdles at 100% with whatever rest I needed. Then we did a couple of 200 hurdles. And we had a drill that an assistant coach gave us. We do three hurdles forward and backward, and go back and forth eight times. (Note: the hurdles close together. It's not for steps, but is designed to train the athlete to hold form when they're tired). What was your best race of the season? Nike was. It was completely unexpected. I didn't think I could do that. What are your expectations for your senior year? My goal since my freshman year is national 300 hurdles record. With 15 steps down, I think it's really possible now. In the 400 hurdles, after seeing my Czech race, Ronzano thinks I can break 56. There are a lot of things I can change in that race.
|  Photo by Victor Saylor, Photorun.net Chanelle PriceEn route to Ostrava, Czech Republic (Saturday, July 7th)We are currently on the plane on our way to Ostrava. It has been exactly eight hours since our departure, which means only one more hour left! Between watching television, listening to music, sleeping, and talking to my new teammates, the time crept by faster than I expected. Sitting here has allowed me to think about what I have in store for me in the next few days. I am getting very excited. On July 5th and 6th, I stayed at Benedictine College in Chicago where I met and got to know my fellow USA competitors a little bit more. They are all nice and really funny. My roommate's name in Chicago was Meshawn Graham. She is from Ohio, runs the 400m, and has an amazing personality. I think she will be my roommate in Ostrava as well. While in Chicago, I also had to perform a fitness test. I ran a comfortable 400m in around 55 seconds, and I think I am ready for my races coming up towards the end of this week. For now, I am eager to arrive at the airport. Once we land, we have a three-hour ride into Ostrava. It should be a lot of fun though because my teammates are really crazy. I have had a great time already, but I know most of the fun is yet to come ~Chanelle~ Czech Republic (Monday, July 9th) Lights are out in approximately ten minutes. Curfew is at 10:00, and the coaches expect us to be in bed by 10:15. Today was quite a day. We had to be at breakfast by 7:00am, and boy was it delicious. NOT! Let's just say I will never complain about American food again. From 9:30am to 11:30am, we had a clinic at which we were greeted by former Olympians and world record holders. It was pretty cool, and I took tons of pictures. After the clinic, we headed to lunch (which was also pretty disgusting), and then we were able to come back to our rooms. To my surprise, the rooms are not that bad. They are small but clean for the most part. My roommate is Meshawn again, and we have a connected bathroom with Blaire Dinsdale (800m) and Jordan Hasay (1500m). The coolest part about the trip so far has been chatting with athletes from other countries. Everyone competing is staying on this college campus (it''s referred to as the "village"), and so far I have seen people from all over the globe. At around 3:00pm, we headed to the training track to get a practice in. It rained extremely hard the whole time. We still put in a decent workout, and I am starting to feel more comfortable about my race on Friday. The rest of the day was spent showering, eating dinner, and attending meetings. Tomorrow is another long day, so I should get some rest. ~Chanelle~ Czech Republic (Wednesday, July 11th) It''s almost 11:00pm, and I am about to settle down for bed. Today was a good day for both myself and the entire USA team. I did an early workout around the campus, and I felt great. Right now I am a little tight, so tomorrow I am only going to stretch and get massages. The USA team brought our own masseuse (Beth), trainer (Mr. Johnson), and doctor (Dr. Mason). I headed over to the main track later in the day because a lot of my teammates had their first round of competition. We did great, sweeping the majority of the heats that we participated in. Everyone advanced to the next round, so I guess you could say our first day of competition was a success. Only two more days until my first race, and I am extremely anxious. The stadium is gorgeous, and I am excited to race on the track (I heard it was fast). Watching my teammates compete makes me even more anxious. Well, I am getting sleepy, so it is time for me to hit the pillow! GO USA!!!!!!! ~Chanelle~ Czech Republic (Friday, July 13th) Today is Friday the 13th and what a day it was. The morning session was a success for team USA as I think everyone who participated advanced to the next round. I waited until the afternoon session to head over to the track so that I could rest and focus all day in my dorm room. At the afternoon session, the majority of our athletes put on an excellent performance. Dalialah Muhammad and Ryann Krais kicked it off with an amazing 1st and 3rd place finish in the finals of the 400m hurdles. Our 400m runners and 800m boy runners did not do as well as they wished in their finals, but the majority of them have a chance to redeem themselves in the medley relay. In the 1500m, Jordan H. did amazing and Blake S. advanced to his final round. I think our field events did a great job as well. I also ran today in the prelims of the 800m. I advanced pretty easily with a 2:07, the next girl coming in at 2:11. I was not very nervous about my race today, but my nerves are slowly rising for my face tomorrow. A few girls went 2:06 and 2:07, and I am right there in that mix with a current seed of sixth place. I hope everything goes alright. My hamstrings have been really tight, but if I warm-up well and think positive, everything should turn out okay. I have not yet started thinking about finals because I have to take it one race at a time. Well, I need some rest. GO USA!!!!!!! ~Chanelle~ Czech Republic (Saturday, July 14th) So today I had the semi-finals for the 800m. I was in heat one, lane five, and I guess it was an okay race. I led the race with two girls following my heels the entire time. The competitor directly behind me stepped on the back of my spikes numerous times, to the point where it started to feel intentional. I brought us through the 400m mark at 60 point and the 600m mark at around 1:31 or 1:32. At the 750m mark, the competitor in third place (she was from Kenya) pulled up on me. I attempted to go with her, but both of my hamstrings said "no." I did not panic because I knew I had second place secured (top two qualified for finals). We both ended up running 2:04. The two heats to follow finished in 2:07 and 2:09. Numerous things are running through my head as I prepare for bed. I am extremely paranoid about my hamstrings, especially the left one. I don''t recall them ever tightening up on me as much as they did today. The trainer, doctor, and masseuse have been working with my legs ever since the conclusion of my race. I have been feeling nervous and unlike myself these past two days. I just hope that tomorrow I wake up pumped, confident, and ready to roll. My goal is to bring home gold for my parents, coaches, and the entire USA. I would also like to PR and break the competition record. I just want to run m y race like I have been this entire summer. I think I can do it. I wish luck to all of my competitors and USA teammates. Tomorrow is a BIG day. Lets go get em'! GO USA!!! ~Chanelle~ Czech Republic (Monday, July 16th) I have experienced many emotions over the past two days. Let's start with yesterday. It started off with both nerves and anxiousness because that night I would be running the finals of the 800m. I thought about the race all day- at the early morning team picture, at lunch, and even during my warm-up. My legs felt pretty good, and I thought I was ready to win a world title. I guess I was wrong. The race started off exactly how I wanted. I led the pack through the 400m mark in 58 seconds in through the 600m mark in 1:30. I accelerated off the turn and remained in the lead coming into the final straightaway. I began to fight through the pain and pump my arms faster because all I wanted was the gold medal. My dreams were crushed when an athlete behind me first tripped me and then shoved me in the back. By the time I reached the finish line, six athletes had passed me. I was distraught. I could not stop crying. Tons of questions raced through my head: Was this fair? Why me? Why did this have to happen at my biggest meet of the summer? How did I enter the meet seeded first but end up in seventh? Why? Why? Why? The athlete who pushed me ended up disqualified, but this still did not make me content. My parents, coaches, teammates, friends, other competitors in the race, and even strangers comforted me. They told me that they saw the unfair move by the athlete but that it was also a learning experience. They also told me that I was still the best because my time of 2:02.3 remains the number one time in the world, a time that no one can take away from me. Their words helped a lot, but it was that night that really changed my depressed mood. After the meet, they had a party for ALL of the athletes, and it was TONS of fun. The USA team was scheduled to leave at 4:00am for the airport, so until then, we all hung out for the final night. The plane ride the next morning was used for our last laughs before our separation from one another. Saying good-bye was extremely difficult, but the good news is that most of us will be reuniting in a week for the Junior Olympics. I sit here in the airport trying to re-cap the whole experience. N, I did not capture the gold. No, I did not set a record. No, I do not have a world title. However, I have made lifelong friends and memories, and I have gone through a journey that has changed my life forever! GO USA!!!!!! ~Chanelle~ Chanelle Price Q&ATalk about the races in Ostrava?It the states, they don't push like that. They don't shove. They were pushing little Jordan around. The first time around she was flying all over the place, but she learned by the finals that she had to get out. But it was a learning experience. I've never had to deal with that before. It was nerve-wracking. Coach Kenny (Ken Abney) told me to take it as a learning experience. What was the biggest surprise about your season? The biggest surprise was Nike Nationals. When I saw the clock, I couldn't believe my time because it was so early in the season. And I had a goal to make it to the finals at USATF, but I made it there, so that was a surprise as well. Another one of my surprises was indoor states when I ran the 2:04. What did you learn about your event this season? (How tough the international 800 can be). In the U.S., I could usually just take it out in 57-58 and I'd usually be by myself. Going into the Czech Republic, I thought I could do the same thing, but they were right there with me. They made me do all the work and then at 500 meters they put it in another gear. I thought if I went out that fast, I'd be by myself, but I was wrong. I'm just learning how to run the race. How did it compare with the American professionals/elites? In the U.S., I didn't get any shoves, but with the girls my age from different countries, they'll do whatever it takes to win. I guess I'd say it was harder running with the girls my age. And that was a surprise. What did you learn about yourself this season? This season gave me a big confidence boost. It taught me to never doubt myself. It started when I went to New York (after States and before Nike Outdoor) and I ran that 2:04 against a Jamaican professional, and she was the highlight of the meet. When I beat her, it taught me never to doubt myself. And then when I ran with the professionals (At USATF), that was also a confidence booster. I guess the biggest thing I learned was to believe in myself. Even in school meets, I still get nervous. What is your hardest workout? One time Coach Kenny had us do four 400's (60-second breaks), and he made mine under 65's. And then we had to do the actual workout (scheduled for that night). We did the 400's and then we had a 10-minute break, and then I had to do an all-out 700, and then two more 700's after that as fast as I could. Plus, we start workouts with a mile and some stretches, so the mile takes a lot out of us too. What are your plans for time off and cross country? I ran a lot more this summer than I ever have, and I'm starting to feel it. I usually only take a week-and-a-half before I have to start getting into that distance mode because our meets start in early September. But I'm probably going to take off until close to early September. I just need it. I'll probably pay for it in my early meets. XC Training? The most I do in a practice is three or four miles. I'll do fast miles or mile-and-a-half. I'll do intervals. I don't do long distance. The longest I've ever gone is five miles, and after that I hated it, so they only make me do three or four. I also do a lot of hill workouts. My workouts are different, but I can't take the long runs. They'll go out for ten miles. I can't do that. Have your expectations changed for track next year? Definitely. My goals for next year include getting under that two minute mark. And hopefully, the Olympic Trials. The Olympics might be a high goal, but just even to make it to the Olympic Trials would be great. And I also want to make it to Juniors and Worlds in Poland, and to capture state titles... and hopefully the national title in Juniors.
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