Thoughts from Diana Pickler hours before it gets underway...

Heptathlete Diana Pickler (left/photo by Paul Merca) gets things underway Thursday evening at 6:32 pm, Seattle time (9:32 am Friday in Beijing), as the Olympic track & field competition starts its nine-day run.

Diana will run in heat five of the heptathlon 100 meter hurdles, paired with the two American heptathletes, Hyleas Fountain, and Pac-10 rival Jackie Johnson.

Diana writes, "It is finally here!!!! I feel great and I am so happy that it is time for the big show. My body and my mind are ready to roll, I just need a good night sleep. I start at 9 am, so I will be taking the bus over to the stadium at 6:30am. I will compete in the 100m hurdles and the high jump in the morning then I will have a several hour break (only a long break at world champs and Olympics), then come back in the evening and throw the shot put and run a 200m."

You can read the rest of her blog here...