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One step forward, two steps back

September 29, 2012 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: Warm

Comments:
All-Ohio 2012. Nice run to the varsity guys, who not only won the team championship but dominated the DIII scoring.

Race summary: After warning the freshmen to not do it all week, I went out too fast. Coach had us at 2:20 at 750m, about 5 flat pace. Way too fast. Some kid around a half mile in shouted: "I'm getting a pizza after this! Any idea what toppings I should get?" I wanted to throw a smart remark back at him, but decided not to and nobody else answered him. Through the mile at 5:35, not bad overall but given how fast we were for the first half of that, it was bad. 90 seconds later we went by 2k and I told Mike we needed to pick it up. we did, and started rolling by groups of five up the hill. 2 miles at 11:34 which was bad, meant a 5:59 second mile. Rolled up MJ going up the hill after the two mile point, told him to come with us. Next time I looked back, I couldn't see him or Mike. Started rolling by myself, went by several more people before going by Barnes. Checked to make sure everything was OK, he told me to keep going. 3 miles at 17:45. Didn't do the math at the time but that was a 6:10 or so which totally screwed my time. Still felt aerobically relaxed (that mile was 10 seconds slower than monday's tempo average) and kept picking it up. At this point I was feeling good because every time I wanted to slow down, I sped up instead. Kept blowing by people on the way up the hill, heard Chris Kelly cheering on that second uphill. Came past the tents and the 4 mile mark. No idea what the split was, but I started feeling the race. No major changes is position between there and the finish. 7k felt like forever after the 4 mile mark. The uphill zigzag bits felt way longer than I remembered. Not good. As I turned the corner for the, Barnes yelled at me "28:08, 200 meters to go!" It was NOT 200 meters. When I would look up the finish line would look just as far away and it wasn't until I went by the circular marks right near the finish that I knew I would make it. Wasn't thrilled with myself but not upset until I heard the time. Didn't run faster than Penn State on a taper week, an easier course, and two weeks of workouts more benefit. I'll talk to Ethan about readjusting my season goals but I'm upset because I believe I am capable of more than I ran and I don't know much I can do to make my race better. Maybe I need to be stronger still, get into the decision-making mindset earlier by pushing harder on the second mile. I was hoping to run 12-14 today and show my progress this season. I blew my season goal of running faster every meet, and after 2 29's, chances are almost nil of me making the conference squad. I'm pretty frustrated that I can't show the ability I know I have. I'm bringing my A game at Oberlin both mentally and physically. I will be ready and I will prove myself to me if nobody else. This whole season I've been struggling because people say I'm doing well. Their expectations of me coming into this year are low, and rightfully so. But mine aren't and I feel like any improvement I've shown has been due to the higher mileage I've been running. I don't feel the benefits of the workouts yet, and I feel like I don't have the ability to explode. I know I can be faster than anyone see me right now and I want to prove it. Sorry to rant, but if you read this far, you probably realized I was going to before very long.