EUGENE - Matt Scherer recalls telling himself several times he was retiring from track and field last year.

The summer season wasn't going as planned for the former University of Oregon star, who was making the move from 400 to 800 meters.

Scherer peaked early in the season in the 800 and wasn't making the progress he had hoped in a series of European races.

On top of that, a leg injury kept him off the track for about two months.

But 2008 has been a different story, and Scherer is feeling good about his training heading into the Olympic trials, which begin Friday at Hayward Field.

"A lot of ups and downs. The ups have probably been more prominent," Scherer said Monday during an interview at Hayward.

"It's finally coming together and all I have to do is listen to (Oregon Track Club Elite coach Frank Gagliano), and believe in the system."

Scherer, the 2006 Pacific-10 Conference 400 champ, said with his struggles last year, he had to keep "the big picture" - preparation for the trials - in mind.

Gagliano said the biggest part of moving from the 400 to 800 is the strength work, with longer repetitions and shorter recovery time.

Scherer was still learning that last year, and the injury didn't help his progress.

"Now, he hasn't missed a day and he's ready to run," Gagliano said.

Scherer ran a personal best of 1 minute, 46.11 seconds in the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward earlier this month.

That time might not be good enough to claim an Olympic berth with a top-three finish at the trials. But Scherer is confident he can run faster.

"I just want to be there with 100 to go and give myself a chance," he said.

The first round of 800 qualifying - the quarterfinals - are Friday. The semifinals are Saturday and the final on June 30.

As part of OTC Elite, Scherer is training alongside Willamette University grad Nick Symmonds, who in the past year has established himself as one of the best 800 runners in the world.

Symmonds said he's impressed by what Scherer has done in switching distances.

"It takes a lot of focus and determination, and a lot of good coaching also," Symmonds said. "In order for Matt to do that, he's had to put two years of amazing work in.

"We're just barely seeing what Matt is capable of. With another year of training, he might be a 1:44 guy next year. Or this year, we'll see."

Symmonds was off the track for a few weeks with a leg injury after being spiked in a race in May.

But he's happy with progress he's made this season.

"It couldn't be better," Symmonds said. "I don't feel like I could be any better prepared for this meet."

Symmonds' career highlight came in last year's Prefontaine 800.

He blistered the final 200 and held off 2004 Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia to win in a PR of 1:44.54.

"That was a perfectly executed race, and I'm going to have to go back and watch that a little bit and remember my mindset going into that race," Symmonds said.

A multiple-time national champion at Willamette, Symmonds said the 800 final could come down to previous big-meet experience.

Symmonds and fellow competitor Khadevis Robinson have both made the U.S. team for the world championship meet the past two years.

"We know what it takes to make the team and we're capable of doing it," Symmonds said.