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Obsa Ali Feature - 2013 - DyeStat

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DyeStat.com   Nov 6th 2013, 9:13am
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Obsa Ali overcame more than a 'flat tire' 

 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

OBSA ALI FINISH VIDEO

 
Obsa Ali was supposed to win the Minnesota cross country title last Saturday. He expected to do it and he knew others expected him to do it, too.

 
But the senior from Richfield had a few challenges, and that was before someone clipped his heel and turned his racing shoe into a slipper.


At the Section 3AA meet, Ali stopped twice to re-tie his shoe.


A couple of days after that, he was down with the flu. In the week leading up to the state meet, he was limited to 20-minute runs.


"That whole week sucked," Ali said. "I wasn't sure I'd get in the Top 10 at the state meet."


On the starting line, Ali had a clear airway on only one side of his nose.


Right after the first mile of the race, his shoe was secure on only one foot.


"I tried running on my toes as much as possible," Ali said.


He knew that he needed to keep his right foot protected from the trail, so he did what he could to keep his toes inside of his shoe.


"After the two-mile (mark), if I was healthy and my shoe wasn't messing with my head, I wanted to take off and crash the (meet) record," Ali said.


Instead, the race became more about surviving and absorbing the challenge from Wayzata's talented leader, Connor Olson.


"Connor, I love racing that guy," Ali said. "He has the guts to take it out. He's not scared of anyone. We were together and separated from everyone at two miles."


Ali didn't let on that his shoe was hanging on but he said he knew that Olson sensed something was wrong.

When he got to the soft grassy finish, with 400 meters left in the race, Ali kicked off his shoes and dashed to the finish line with one shoe and one black sock scratching at the ground. He got to the finish line in 15:15.2 – just five seconds off Hassan Mead's record.


Now, Ali is focused on Sunday's NXN Heartland Regional. This week he will manage a sore foot as well as shin pain that has plagued him all season long.


"I took Sunday off and (Monday) and was back (on Tuesday)," he said.


He's still recovering from the flu and still icing and massaging his shins.


But Ali believes he will have more success, either at NXN or Foot Locker, or both.


He'll hope his shoes don't fail him again.


"I have no idea why it happened. Those are the only two times it's happened," Ali said. "I double-knot them, too."

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