Heins' qualifying run one of 'happiest moments'

~ The Southeast cross country coach's career-best time qualified him for the Olympic trials in the marathon.

Crossing the finish line after a 26.2-mile run -- certainly a reason to celebrate for any human being -- has become old hat for Eric Heins.

But when the Southeast Missouri State cross country coach reached the line Jan. 15 at the end of the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, it had special meaning.

Heins' time of 2 hours, 21 minutes and 9 seconds -- a personal best -- qualified him for the U.S. Olympic trials.

"I was just really excited," Heins said. "I had a lot of friends at the finish line and they were jumping up and down. It was probably one of the happiest moments of my life."

Heins finished sixth and was the first American finisher -- both facts he didn't know at the race's conclusion.

"I thought I had ninth or 10th at best," said Heins, who said some pace-setters drop out of the race along the way.

"Everything went right," he added. "Of all the races I've run -- track, cross country, road races -- this was one where everything came together. Athletes talk about being in the zone, and I felt that I was in the zone. I didn't feel tired. That feeling of wanting to stop and walk that you have in most marathons never crossed my mind."

Heins trained for the race by spending much of Southeast's holiday break training at altitude in Flagstaff, Ariz.

"I focused for a month just on training," said Heins, who said it was his first time to train in that manner. "School was out, and [track] coach [Joey] Haines was very supportive as long as I was still making my recruiting calls.

"When I left I was in 2:23 shape, and I figured 1 percent benefit would give me 2 minutes. It made a huge difference."

The cut to make the Olympic trials -- the race to determine the 2008 U.S. team for the games in Beijing -- is 2:22, while a mark below 2:20 earns a higher qualifying status with expenses paid.

Heins expects his next marathon run to be in October in Chicago. He may run one more before the trials, the date and place for which has not been determined yet.

Heins got some revenge on runners who had finished ahead of him in Memphis in December at a 13.1-mile run, and he used a strong kick to beat the next American, Tommy Greenless, by 17 seconds.

"I made sure to run a smarter race this time," said Heins, 28. "In a marathon, you're out there for 2 1/2 hours and you can't race from the gun. I'm more concerned with my breathing, my legs, my pace. In miles 22 and 23, when guys start coming back to you, that's when the racing begins.

"I passed a guy at the 26-mile mark and put 8 or 9 seconds on him over the last 400 meters."

Heins expects to compete at the high level for a while longer, with the Olympic trials in his window for peak performance. But he also is realistic.

"I don't have any illusions of grandeur of being in the top three" at the trials, Heins said. "I'm 8 to 11 minutes behind the fastest guys in the country. If it was a race like the 1,500, that would cross my mind, but in 26 miles, I'm not going to have that good of a race to drop 6 minutes in one day.

"I'm excited about the experience to get to go and compete."