Paris 2024 Olympics Update #3: Eduardo Garcia

Eduardo with his new ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris Olympic color way

Mokulubete and Eduardo

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This is the third update from Eduardo Garcia regarding his participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

Sunday 7/28
I woke up at 6:10am feeling excited for my marathon workout. Coach Caldwell prescribed a workout where I would run longer intervals at marathon pace which is 5:10-5:13. I believe the goal was to get comfortable running that pace and get the legs moving. I had my usual pre workout/race meal of toast or bagel with peanut butter. Most of the time I have a banana sliced on top. This time I just did a few slices of toast and peanut butter. I also had a small cup of coffee to wake up. I left for the bus station that would take me to the area reserved for practice for the marathon, triathlon, and cycling events. It’s called the Polygone de Vincennes and it would mark my first time running on it. The bus was scheduled for 7am and I hopped on with a few minutes to spare. I was accompanied by Mokulubete, a fellow female marathoner representing Lesotho. After a 30 minute drive, we arrived to the venue. I was feeling excited. The weather was beautiful with a slight chill in the air. It felt like a nice fall day with temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s. I followed Mokulubete and she showed me the restroom/changing room and pointed me in the direction of the training grounds. I changed into my outfit and we walked together to the start of the 3.2km loop. I began my warm-up along the course that is lined with beautiful greenery and plenty of shade. The loop is split into thirds and forms a triangle shape. One side of the triangle is all uphill, then the other side is downhill, then the last side is flat. I felt like I was in a sanctuary that was meant to meet the physical demands of my workout. I had a sense of tranquility and peace. I began my session and felt a little stiff for the first mile as I started in the uphill section. I’ll be honest to say that I was feeling a bit discouraged. Coach Caldwell calls this a “rough patch” and it’s expected to happen during races sometimes or harder efforts in practice. He encourages all of his athletes to tap into mantras, positive self-talk. Usually a short phrase to help push through the rough patch and refocus. My mantra today was “you got this.” I relaxed and settled into a good rhythm. My body started to loosen up and I could feel my stride becoming smooth and my breathing controlled. My perceived effort was where I needed it to be and I was in a great spot. The rest of the session was wonderful and I completed the workout feeling accomplished. I stretched and took the bus back to the village. The rest of the day was spent recovering. I received massage before my second run where I completed at the gym. I’m enjoying my time here and am feeling prepared to race. 

The Grand Palais

Monday July 29
​Today I watched my roommate Kruz compete in the individual fencing foil competition. I had never spectated a fencing event before, so I was curious and excited to see what it was all about. The fencing event was held in the Grand Palais, a famous historic monument in France that I came to learn about. It’s a grand spectacle to lay eyes upon and the photo that I took does not do it justice. Kruz fought hard and came up short in the end with a loss, but he represented the Virgin Islands very well. He has a bright future being only 17 years of age at his first Olympics. I took the bus back and completed my only assigned run for the day at the Gym. I completed my typical lifting session after the run and stretched my legs to stay loose. Earlier in the day I received an email from Ben Caesar, a representative from ASICS. He arranged to have a pair of MetaSpeed Edge Paris Edition colorway for me to use for the race!!! Huge thank you to Ben and ASICS for these! I grabbed dinner at the dining hall, then took an ice bath, and finished the evening with a leisurely bike ride to the “mind zone” room dedicated for relaxation.

Fitness Center

The "Mind Zone" relaxation room

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Greenville Track Club-ELITE was established in 2012 and is in its second decade as a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program. The program developed and produced one participant for the 2024 Olympic Games marathon in Paris, four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA, one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase and three qualifiers for the 2024 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Orlando, FL. The program's runners set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon--twice) and three (15K, 10-Mile and 20K) in 2021. GTC-ELITE also produced the South Carolina Men's 2020 Long Distance Runner of the Year. 

​The program is sponsored and supported by the 52-year-old Greenville Track Club, ASICS, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, UCAN energy products, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Movement (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.​