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Toomey's comeback starts at Boston Indoor Games
Published: January 25, 2008
Elite runner Jen Toomey of Salem wasn't trying to set the world on fire when she competed in the 800 meters at a low-key race at Harvard recently.
Toomey, 36, just wanted to get through the race. And she did.
"I wasn't particularly happy with my time, but I didn't have any physical pain," said Toomey. "It's really the first time in seven years that I haven't had any pain."
That in itself was a major triumph for Toomey, a two-time U.S. 1,500 meter indoor champion (2004-05) who came as close as you possibly can to making the U.S. Olympic team when she finished second in the 1,500 meters in 2004.
No longer riddled with injuries that shut her down from big races the last two years, Toomey is making a comeback that is geared towards a return to the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. in June.
The first step in that comeback comes tomorrow night when Toomey, the American record holder at 1,000 meters (2:34.19), competes in the mile at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury. Toomey, who will race at 6:25 p.m., isn't expecting miracles in this one, but it's a building block, a part of the process that could eventually lead to the Olympic Games in Beijing in August. She's excited about it.
"It's my first really big race in coming back," said Toomey, who eventually hopes to regain the form that made her the U.S. Indoor Champion in both the 800 and 1,500 meters in 2004. "When you're out of competition for a while you get a little rusty. My coach (Tom McDermott of Wilmington) says it's like a football team that's been off for two weeks.
"We're just training really hard through this period. You probably won't see any fast times - not yet, anyway. But just getting in there and feeling the elbows (of other competitors) will be really good for me. We'll keep it low key. If I can do a low 4:30 or go under that, I'd be really happy. But I'm not so concerned about time."
Many track observers would say that at age 36, Toomey is running out of time or has already run out of time to get back to the big stage. She often felt so miserable in the last two years that she might have agreed with those observers. "When you're hurt for six or seven months out of the year, it's really hard," said Toomey. "I contemplated not doing it anymore."
Toomey, 36, just wanted to get through the race. And she did.
"I wasn't particularly happy with my time, but I didn't have any physical pain," said Toomey. "It's really the first time in seven years that I haven't had any pain."
That in itself was a major triumph for Toomey, a two-time U.S. 1,500 meter indoor champion (2004-05) who came as close as you possibly can to making the U.S. Olympic team when she finished second in the 1,500 meters in 2004.
No longer riddled with injuries that shut her down from big races the last two years, Toomey is making a comeback that is geared towards a return to the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. in June.
The first step in that comeback comes tomorrow night when Toomey, the American record holder at 1,000 meters (2:34.19), competes in the mile at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury. Toomey, who will race at 6:25 p.m., isn't expecting miracles in this one, but it's a building block, a part of the process that could eventually lead to the Olympic Games in Beijing in August. She's excited about it.
"It's my first really big race in coming back," said Toomey, who eventually hopes to regain the form that made her the U.S. Indoor Champion in both the 800 and 1,500 meters in 2004. "When you're out of competition for a while you get a little rusty. My coach (Tom McDermott of Wilmington) says it's like a football team that's been off for two weeks.
"We're just training really hard through this period. You probably won't see any fast times - not yet, anyway. But just getting in there and feeling the elbows (of other competitors) will be really good for me. We'll keep it low key. If I can do a low 4:30 or go under that, I'd be really happy. But I'm not so concerned about time."
Many track observers would say that at age 36, Toomey is running out of time or has already run out of time to get back to the big stage. She often felt so miserable in the last two years that she might have agreed with those observers. "When you're hurt for six or seven months out of the year, it's really hard," said Toomey. "I contemplated not doing it anymore."
But when Toomey moved back to Salem seven months ago after two years training in Arizona, she reconnected with her old coach, McDermott, and began to regroup both mentally and physically. Back in 2004, racing under brutally hot conditions at the Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif, Toomey finished second in the 1,500 meters (with a 4:08.43) but was kept off the U.S. team because she just missed the Olympic A standard time. It was devastating to barely miss the Olympic Games and she had to decide whether it would be worth it to make such a huge commitment as she reached her mid-30s.
"I had done it before," said Toomey. "In the back of my mind, I still feel there's some unfinished business. It was so disappointing to finish second in the Trials and to not make the Olympic Team.
"I'm 36 now," added Toomey, "and people say you reach your peak in your late 20s or whatever. But I'm still reaching milestones at my age. I can't believe that I'm over the hill."
Far from being the uptight world class runner, Toomey has retained her sense of humor. She says she feels refreshed living in Salem again.
"It's so wonderful to be back," said Toomey. "You know, you move out West and you like it at first, but I really missed Salem. You want your Dunkin' Donuts and you want your crazy drivers. People from the North Shore have been very kind to me over the years. They're a sharp, funny group of people."
They'll be rooting for Toomey tomorrow night and however long this comeback lasts.
