It’s after 3:00 on a Friday, so it’s time to have some fun. Tomorrow evening the 2012 New Balance Twilight series kicks off with its first event (at Bentley University). I just so happened to see on Twitter that a couple of familiar faces would be lining up for the 1500m: Brian Harvey, Eric Ashe, Ruben Sanca, David Chorney and Tim Ritchie. What fun is a race without a little trash-talking amongst friends? I reached out to them in order to bring you a different kind of race preview…a preview that is more On The Level.

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EJN: So are you guys still on for the 1500 this Saturday? I’d love to do a quick preview, maybe even have some fun with it. Are you guys up for it? Anybody else I should include on this?

Ritchie: Whatever you need Eric. It would be fun to hype this up a bit. I can trash talk these guys like I’m Oscar the Grouch. It would be like a boxing match lead up…

Sanca: Hi Eric, yes, I’m still racing. Looking at the performance list online, I may not even make it into the seeded heat haha

Ashe: Aren’t you a marathoner Ruben?

I haven’t PR’ed in the 1500/mile in years but I still plan to drop the hammer on Tim Ritchie. Even if it’s his first race coming out of his 1 day retirement after the 10k.

My goals are: Break 3:50 for the first time ever (mile conversions never count), beat Tim Ritchie, and not get beat by any high schoolers, even if they are national champions.

EJN: awesome Eric, I like it. Ruben, I can’t imagine you talking trash. Should I send you some old school WWF interviews to get the hang of it?

Ritchie: Ruben has just never been in a position to talk trash…

Sanca: Watch out folks… I did run a 65 second 400 last week in practice (and it was in my flats/no spikes)

Harvey: Tim may have run 3:58 indoors but in his most recent stab at the mile he only managed 4:13. I think he’s well past his prime.

Eric and Chorney both need barriers in the way to run fast.

Tim, Eric, and Chorney – We’ll have to discuss our BAA team tactics at another time when we are not in mixed company.

My goal for Saturday is to run a smart and competitive race. I think if I am in the mix I will be close to my PR (3:47.9).

EJN: haha, should we set up a 1500m steeplechase challenge for another time then?

Chorney: There is a high schooler in our race?

My goals are to get an A on my contracts exam on Saturday from 2-5. Beating these guys is an afterthought. As for the 800 I purposely seeded myself slow to get a couple extra minutes of recovery to take home the double W.

EJN: Tim, I don’t have much from you yet, still waiting for you to tap into that inner Oscar the Grouch.

Ritchie: Bio: Whether it is with long hair or short hair, a 1500m or a half-marathon, I have been proudly raising the Unicorn for two years now. As the best looking member of the BAA, I have the added challenge of not only running fast, but making it look so good! My current PRs range from 3:58 in the mile, to 28:37 in the 10k, to 1:05:29 in the half marathon.

My goal time this weekend is one second faster than whoever comes in 2nd. I have been slowly chipping away at Eric Ashe’s morale for the past few months, and gave Brian Harvey a taste this past Tuesday, so with 300m to go there won’t be much left in their emotional tanks. The unicorn is said to be an elusive being, unable to be caught, so, Brian, Eric and I will live up to that title Saturday as we run away from the Puma, aka Benedict Arnold, aka Sanca.

Ashe: Tim’s recent lack of strength training is going to catch up to him on Saturday… specifically at the 50 meters to go mark when I go flying past him… when his form is wavering and mine is perfectly smooth- due to the countless hours of vigorous strength training completed

EJN: I’m very excited for the race and the blog post. You guys are doing a good job with this. So good, in fact, that if Ruben maintains his radio silence for the trash talking, I may have you guys submit trash talking on his behalf.

Sanca: Sorry I’ve been out of the loop. It’s tough when you live the 9-5 blue collar life style haha. But best wishes to everyone in the seeded section. I don’t think my 3:49.53 PR seed time will be enough – unless certain people ;;cough;;cough;;EA;; would appropriately seed themselves accordingly to PRs. I know for sure I should run well under my season best 3:53.18 – but going much faster would jeopardize my 100 mile weeks. Cheers!

Ashe: Sorry that there was no official clock timing my 3:45 1500m best en route to 4:03.1 mile

EJN: All I can say is you guys are lucky I’m not running. I don’t want to brag, but I did run a 4:15 for 1500 back in college. You’re getting off easy! Haha

Sanca: EA: Maybe it’s because there is no mile race in the Oympics .. or because there’s no indoor track either.

Chorney: 9-5… that sounds like a vacation. Ruben I will see you in the second heat.

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I didn’t do much in the way of editing here, thought it would take away from the spontaneous nature of the back and forth on Facebook. After reading through this all, who’s the best trash talker? Seems to me like Ritchie takes home the title in this case; it’s tough to beat the months of work he’s put into these head games. In fact, I’d have to call him the favorite based off of that alone. Imagine that…coming out of retirement to steal the W in a field like that? You’ll hear more about this on The Level.

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