RUNNING MULTI-EVENTS AT ONE MEET Want to try it once! Dear Coach Ed, Do you think it is possible to run the 100, 200, 400, and 100 meter relay all in one afternoon? I am in seventh grade now. I hope to do this my ninth grade year, so I have about a year and a half to prepare. Once I set my mind to something, .nothing can stop me. I do not believe the one who wants it the most wins. but I do believe I can not lose, because I refuse to lose. You must beat me. I already in seventh grade this season ran the 100, 200,and anchor the 100 meter relay team. This is only city level. This is this year's time schedule. The 100 is at 11.00 a.m, relay at 12.35 p.m., 400 meters at 1 p.m. and the 200 meters at 2 p.m. My coach said he would request a time schdule change if I decided to try all four. Thanks, Shizuka Dear Shizuka, I always let the athletes on my team decide their own events. I do advise on what the possibilities of their decision might be. I just had a slight conflict come up this week. On my team I have a very good high jump coach. He would like our best high jumper to not run the 400 meters before he jumps. This boy (14) usually runs the 55 meters and 400 meters then long jumps. He is the best athlete on the team. He asked me what I thought about not running the 400. I told him you MIGHT be able to jump slightly higher if you did not run the 400, but you would miss out of the fun of running the 400. I reminded him he has a big regional meet to compete in in two weeks where he will be running the 55, 400, and high jump. By doing all events in practice meets he will be that much more prepared for the big meet. So I left the decision completely up to him. He knows by doing many events he will not do as well as he would if he just specialized it one event, but the fun and the additional competition was worth it for him so he decided to do all three events. I am saying the same thing to you. Respect what your coaches have to say but YOU must make the final decision. Good luck, Coach Ed Ed Poirier, "Coach Ed", recently was invited by the United States Olympic committee to attend a workshop and training seminar at the Olympic training center in California. Feel free to email the kid's editor at goodrow@infi.net with comments on this column.