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NIRCA Nats Day 2

April 6, 2025 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 70's; Sunny

Comments:
Up at 4:30, quick breakfast + warmup jog, then drive to VCU track. Checked in for 5k, then shortly got moving for drills. Being in 4th heat gave me some extra time, but before I knew it, we were off. Was predictably miserably sore after yesterday, but figured if I just held on I could get under 17 at the very least. Was startled by an 85-sec first lap, realized I had to chip away piecemeal if I wanted to make it worth my while to be out there. Splat first mile in around 5:23. Kept chipping away at my last place start, putting myself within striking distance of the top 8 by halfway/2800. With 1600 to go, I REALLY felt the half yesterday, but put myself in the tactical mindset and just aimed to pass people as much as I could. Got to 4th in the heat, then gapped 2 Georgia Tech guys with 800 to go and held on for dear life in the last 2 laps. Closed in 75ish for a new PR (16:23.97), and some lessons learned in pacing. Felt eons of difference between the foolishness of this race as compared to Zeke Cohen's impeccable pacing for a 16:41 Fall 2019. Oh well! Hoping to get another 5k in at one of the later season meets.

Cooled down, then shortly warmed up again for the 800. Was absolutely finished, but just decided to go for it. Sun was hot when we got going, and the start should've been done over because of how much pushing and shoving there was. 150m in, I thought to myself "oh wow, this is NOT a half..." and I realized I had a lot of ground to cover. Split 71 first lap, and then imagined I was at Ferry Field (UM track where I do workouts), and found it much easier to tap into fast-twitch speed. Finished absolutely beat, in a 67ish last lap, but happy I had snuck under 2:20 (after last few days). Long cooldown, then called it for the day.

Very pleased with what I was able to do this weekend. Proud of how I've stuck with this sport through one injury after another, through consecutive months and cummulative years, of agonizingly low mileage and PT. Whatever happens in the rest of this season, I honestly feel like I have accomplished what I set out to in collegiate running. Just gotta stay healthy for the next few weeks and see what I can do in these post-season endeavors.