Making the best of tough time
BB&N star Moody takes advantage of training to improve, set dash mark
The coronavirus has caused routines to be altered and others to be shut down altogether. For Buckingham Browne & Nichols track standout Samirah Moody, the changes have been working in her favor.
Remote learning has freed up time for Moody and she’s taken full advantage by adding more work to her training schedule. The results have been stunning. Competing in the 55-meter dash at the MSTCA Holiday Challenge on the Wheaton College track, Moody was out of the blocks fast and burned her way to a stellar time of 6.99 seconds. Not only was the time the fastest in the country this winter, it moved her to No. 3 all time.
Moody’s cat-quick start made the difference in moving her up on the list with the all-time greats.
“My driving stage had been the strongest part of my past 55s,” said Moody. “My start really came together this time.”
Moody also put up a quality time of 7.01 at The Armory in New York City at the Metro Eagles Invitational.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting those times,” she said. “When I warm up I can tell if I’m going to have a good race. That’s how I felt with both races.”
Moody has been racing since she was an eighth-grader, but a terrifying accident very nearly ended her budding career. Checking in for the 200 at the Independent School League championships, an errant discus throw caught Moody on the top of her head, knocking her out. She was unconscious for a short time and dealt with headaches for the rest of the school year. She was able to finally start back slowly at the end of the summer.
Moody is now taking advantage of the meets that are out there and expects to run at The Armory a few more times this season. She spent the fall months working on her conditioning and was sure to pack in endurance workouts.
“I definitely feel like there’s more opportunity this year, especially after COVID took away the spring and summer,” she said. “It’s easier to stay motivated because you have more time on your hands. I’m trying to do as much as I can.”
Saleena Rashed, the sprint and hurdle coach at BB&N, said she has been able to focus on her athletes more because of the pandemic and believes the strong summer and fall of conditioning that Moody put in has vaulted her to the next level. She said that Moody’s favorite workouts are her starts.
“She loves doing block starts,” Rashed said. “That’s what sets up your race.”
Rashed says Moody has only scratched the surface of her potential. They are both confident that a time of 6.8 is very much on the table. Moody is also hoping to get her 200 outdoor time into the 23s after a personal record of 24.4.
“She’s in a zone,” Rashed said. “It’s almost like a college schedule.”
Moody’s next stop will be racing for Villanova University in the fall, where she will soon be competing against the nation’s best collegiate talent.
“She started out like any athlete but she worked hard to put everything together,” said Rashed.