It’s been a long time since I was a freshman, a newbie, a fresh face in anything. Having spent five years as an elite UVa athlete, I was making NCAA Championships and winning ACC races from my first year on and I had experience racing and placing at levels before some of my teammates. But this summer I had the opportunity to go back to the basics and be the new kid on the block as I ventured into the professional world of track and field.

I was on my way home from a road race when I received a call from Virginia head coach Jason Vigilante – “You’re going to Daegu buddy!” The spot I had nearly earned at the USA Championship was now open again, as the third-place finisher had backed out with a last-minute injury. It wasn’t my first time in a USA uniform, but it was my first World Championship experience. I didn’t know what to expect.

The race didn’t turn out as I wanted; it was such a last minute arrangement, the travel to Korea is far from easy, and I didn’t have my personal coach with me. But the experience alone was worth having a less-than-ideal race. Not only was it the next best thing to an Olympic Games experience, it really gave me an excitement and experience level that I can incorporate into my training to make the U.S. Olympic team and U.S. teams to come. But first, a few things I learned from Daegu, South Korea:

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