Allyson Felix in Daegu with the latest additions to her medal collection (© Kirby Lee)
time 200m World Champion Allyson Felix has taken time off her busy schedule to answer her fans' questions received through the IAAF World Athletics Club on Facebook...
“Happy New Year
“Training is going well and things are progressing. We are in a very heavy phase of lifting and running but it's all been going according to schedule. I'm likely to just run in one indoor meet as of now at the USATF Classic in Fayetteville on 10 Feb to work on my start.
“Being an Olympic year definitely gives me more motivation than ever before. I constantly think back to my past two performances and it makes me work as hard as I can.
“I had a very low key and relaxed New Year's. For Christmas I was able to get away for a few days to Hawaii with all of my family, it was great to train in a different setting while also being refreshed.
“My mother Marlean celebrated her birthday and we just went out to dinner like we usually do and had a small celebration with our extended family.
“I have actually been going to both Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers basketball games. The Lakers are my favourite team and this is my first year as a season ticket holder and I've been having the best time following the team as a break from training.”
“I have been looking forward to hearing your questions on Facebook and thank you everyone for your interest. Here are my answers to your questions.
From Maks Brcic: Will you come to Zagreb next year?
“I'm not sure, I haven't set my schedule yet but I have heard great things about that meeting and would love to come sometime.”
From Mfuneko Mfura Qongqo & Arno Brown: Will you ever come to South Africa or anywhere in Africa?
“It has been a dream of mine for a long time to go to Africa. I really hope I can come soon and I would also love to take a holiday there.”
From Tinashe Kuma Kitchen: Without considering which one you are better at, do you like the 200 or the 400 better?
“The 200. Perfect distance.”
From Chancise Got Damm Watkins & Liliã Aserian & Toni Roberston: What is your track diet? What do you eat before a race? Is there a special time of day to stop eating?
“I try to keep a very balanced diet. Lots of fruits, veggies and protein to keep me energized and feeling good. Before a race, I eat the same as a normal day, regular breakfast and lunch. I try to stop eating around 7pm.”
From Paul Green: Which female athlete (other than yourself) did you think performed best last year? From Gina Gasparino & Kevondrick Frelow: What events are you looking to run at the London 2012 Olympic Games?
“I thought Sally Pearson ran a fabulous race. In London I would love to run the 200, the relays and possibly one more event. I haven't made a final decision yet.”
From Chris Paton: In sprinting term you are so much leaner than the other female sprinters especially in the 200m. How do you generate so much speed and power without the bulk?
“My body type is very slender. I make sure that I am very strong from my weight lifting and I also focus a lot on plyometric.”
From Etienne Hiernaux: Allyson, I was looking a few days ago at your physical winter preparation. Can you explain the most efficient points of this preparation and the expected effects on your future performances?
“The most important part of conditioning is getting a solid base. That comes from longer tempo runs that eventually speed up.”
From Andrew Kock: How has your relationship with Christ helped you reach out to athletes competing on the highest level?
“It's been a great platform. It lets me share my faith on a world stage.”
From Stephen Cvengros: What are you thinking immediately after the starter calls you to "set"? And on a close finish are you looking to dip or run through the finish line?
“I'm focused on the first move that I need to make out of the blocks. And I'm looking to dip at the line without slowing down.”
From Samuel Sagor & Francesco Marsiglietti: Will you continue to work on a programme to be able to run both 200m & 400m at the Olympic Games?
“I will prepare myself for it but I won't make a decision if I will attempt to run it at Olympic Trials until later in the season.”
From Christopher Brack: What is your best 400 preparation 4 weeks out from competition?
“300s are great for speed endurance and I also like 450s.”
From Anthony Boerio: Well, I would really like to ask her out for dinner, but, in lieu of that: Do you prefer training alone or with teammates?
“LOL. I love training with teammates. It makes the sessions fun and we push each other to do better.”
From Lazaro Cabrera: Will you come to Spain this year? From Elí Emanuel Esparza: What is on your mind while you run? From Edwin Chelule: How did you feel after the Daegu close race with Amantle?
“I haven't set my schedule yet but Spain has always been one of my favorite places in the world! When I'm running I'm very focused on technique and where I am at during the race and what I need to be doing. After the race in Daegu I felt that I had made some strategy errors but I was pleased with the effort that I gave. I was encouraged that it was my first 400 in a World Championship.”
From Courtney Williams: What is your most memorable moment in your track and field history?? From Pat Mossop: What's different about your training in 2012 compared to 2011?
“I love all the memories of Jackie Joyner Kersee competing. This year I am more focused on speed and technique whereas last year I was focused on more endurance training.”
From Julien Cuyeu: What song do you listen to get pumped before a big race?
“Artists like Jay Z , I like anything very upbeat.”
Allyson