View Workout (Chris Martinez)

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Districts

October 22, 2010 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: ??????????

Comments:
- Most runners run great on great days, good runners run great on good days, but great runners run great everyday -

That is the thought that I was telling myself throughout the entire day and race. It means that I was going to make myself do great even if everything wasn't going to go my way. And it didn't, actually it was far from it. Eagle Island hasn't been very kind this year. Right before the race I felt just like I did before Bob Firman. And so guess what?, during the race I felt just like I did at Bob Firman too. I can easily sum this race up as the hardest and most painful race I've ever run. I was dying the entire race, but that one thought kept me from repeating a Firman performance.

Pre-race: We warmed up pretty well, stretched, and got ready. Instead of being rushed like we usually are, we got over there with 10 minutes until the start of the race. I think that really hurt our races. We started with cold legs.

Mile 1: I knew I wasn't going to like the start. So many people on a tiny path. There was a lot of shuffling and bumping going on. I saw Dan in front for a while, so I kinda forgot about him and just stayed in this little pack right behind Parker Hawkins. By the time we reached the back section it was still really crowded and I stepped in the mega-pothole, which nearly caused me to fall. Somehow during the this portion I went by Dan, because I was looking for him and couldn't find him. From that point to the mile marker I just ran. I wasn't in a groove or anything. I was feeling tired, really tired, maybe not I want to give up tired, but still way more tired than I should have been at that point. At that moment I knew that this was not my day. Before the mile marker Dan passed me and I just stuck with him. Not sure of my split. Kinda don't want to know anyways.

Mile 2: This mile was mainly me just fighting myself. It was the part of me that wanted to just give up and slow down verses the part of me sick with having bad races. Mile 2 hurt. I'm not going to lie. I remember never being settled in, always feeling like I was surging. Nothing but surging. I was definitely out of my comfort zone. The only thing that saved my from failing was that one little thought and the determination of sticking with Dan. It was a battle of him getting ahead and me picking up the pace to catch him. It's kinda cool that the whole time we were passing people. Passed the mile 2 marker at 10:22.

Mile 3: This mile was absolute hell. My legs were dead, my arms were dead, but my will to succeed wasn't. Again, like the 2nd mile, about half of this mile was just hangin' with Dan, but battling with myself. Eventually though, Dan got away from me but he'd done his job of just dragging me along. Going around the hairpin turn and running by our tent I passed Morgan Choate which I was excited about. Ran up the path, up the small hill, onto the beach, and thats where things got bad. During the last 200m I got passed by 2 people which really sucks. I finished 14th with a 16:38, but I was less than 2 seconds out of 11th place.

After: This was a really weird experience. I was super exhausted after the race. I nearly collapsed in the chute. I did fall over at the tent and I'm pretty sure that I almost passed out too. I had bad double vision, was super dizzy, and felt like I was going to throw up. I never feel like that after races. Usually I catch my breath after a couple minutes, but it took me easily over 10 to get back to normal breathing and over 30 min. to actually feel like I could walk a straight line.

I really thought we made it to State even though some of our guys didn't have the best races. It's so crazy how much better the district is this year than last year. Dan and I qualified and the girls did too ( Congratulations to them!!!), but it's sad our guys didn't. We have a good team, so full of determination and confidence. You guys will do fine next year without me.

As for Dan, Me, and the Girls Varsity, we got one week. One more great week until the end of the season. I'm going to savor every moment of it. I want to be ready to tear it up on Sat. in Soda Springs. I want to take home a top 20 medal. I want Dan to also. And I want the girls to show the state never to count them out.