View Workout (Brandon Carreno)

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For Everything

October 18, 2014 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: ~50 degrees, Chilly

Comments:
Oberlin. Last race of the year. I made sure to get really good sleep and keep stress levels really low for the last couple days, so I would be totally able to give this all that I had. Felt pretty good getting there, though a bit disappointed that it was raining and cold. Luckily, it wasn't as cold or rainy as last year. Got the warmup done in the back woods, and it didn't seem nearly as terrible as it was last year. Which was promising, though I didn't expect it to last for very long considering the number of runners coming through the races to come. Eventually we got on the line, and went for it.

Splits: 5:48, 11:58, 18:06, 24:? and final below.

Got out carefully, staying just behind Ryan & crew, who were aiming for 5:50. Kind of funny in the first 200m, everybody sprinted out the gate, so at one point Harrison and I were in the very back of the race. That didn't last for very long though. Passing the mile mark, I started working it up, hoping to remind them to keep it up in mile 2. Which might have helped? We definitely slowed down in those woods, but I'd like to think I helped give the boys a bit of a push forwards. Mile 2 I expected to be slower, but I didn't really have time to think about it, I just kept trying to move up. As with last year, the backwoods got torn up, but I stuck to the stiffest woodchips, which I think helped my footing a bunch. Also helped running efficiency some (less energy wasted to slipping). In the last mile or so I was racing with some random guy, trading places constantly, but I managed to pick him off in the kick. On the other hand, Harrison picked me off in the last straightaway. Dude moved past me like I was standing still, mad props yo. Otherwise, I don't think anyone passed me, and stayed ahead of me for the rest of the race.

First of all, not a PR. But, given the conditions, very few people seemed to PR, so I'm not super worried about it. I felt super strong and relaxed, and didn't feel like I wavered at any point. The moment I felt negative thoughts come in, I pushed them right back out with positive waves. This might be the "best" cross country race I've had in college, so even if the time wasn't there, everything else was. Barnes also said to knock off 20 seconds, which would give me a nice PR. I'm inclined to trust him on that.