"It's a little self indulgent..." - My mom
"After I read a sentence, I get mad at myself for caring what you're doing." -Karl Dusen

Friday, May 6, 2011

Perfect 10! Other than that, disappointment

Last Wednesday's workout was extremely muggy and after two 1200s, I was working way too hard to keep the effort up.

Thursday I ran 3.25 in the morning, then 11 in the afternoon around Catholic.

After a sleep study Thursday night, I got to my office early and went out to TRI anc back through Foggy Bottom for 11, then ran with Melissa around the Mall in the afternoon for five more.

I slept in Saturday and did a morning Westmoreland loop, then a Pinecastle four in the afternoon.

Sunday morning did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. The race was a madhouse, and we got there too late to put my plan into action. I hoped to run 10 miles moderately then run the 5k at whatever pace Jake desired. Online registration was closed, so I had to stand in line stretched over a block.

The gun went off and I saw the fox dashing ahead, a little too fast for his own good. I caught up to him and I gently corrected his pace and we got into a consistent rhythm. He sped up when we turned onto 3rd street and he ignored my protests. We came through the mile in 5:04 and I reminded him again that we needed to slow it down a touch. He started to mellow shortly thereafter and I took control, wanting him to just chill and do what he must to hit his time. I led through a second mile in 5:10, more what we needed. The fox started slowing a bit, so I bid him follow as I picked it up significantly near the Capitol, because we came through 2.5 miles in 12:29, a little bit under 5:00 pace. A few seconds later, I let him go on his own and jogged down the sidewalk to meet him. He ran 15:57, so he managed alright on his own.

My dad called and got me out of bed Sunday night to watch the important national security news which ended up being nothing, but since I was awake, I stayed up and watched Llano run 28:43 at Stanford. I went o bed at 2 a.m.

Monday I wandered around by McLean High School, which I think may have my favorite track in the area. I ran a short trail near the school where I came across some teens rolling and subsequently smoking doobies. I meandered through Kent Gardens Park for a while and came home for 11.5 miles.

Tuesday I expanded my Pimmit Stream trail running through Kent Gardens to Pimmit Run Stream Valley Park, getting in 10.5.

Wednesday I just ran around American for a while then did 2x400 and 4x200.

The meet was quite small, and somehow wound up 20 minute behind schedule before we knew it. According to the schedule, I had 40 minutes from the 1,500 to the 5k, so I would be able to watch Wiggy and Hanson run the 1,500 and have about 35 minutes to warm up for my race. Then, to catch up, they merged the 1500 heats and cut the men's 4x4 and suddenly, I had 15 minutes to warm up and change into my shoes. I barely got to the line in time. I started off in the middle of the pack, and ran exactly the way I wanted to- 73 mid. The field broke quickly, a Maryland kid Danielle said was eying 15 flat shot off quickly. I stuck behind a dude and planned to stay there until 6 laps. We were great through 800- another 73 mid. Then we slowed a bit- 76, 76 for 4:59. I tolerated the guy for a 77 and 76 before I shot ahead with a 72 mid and a 74 mid to come through two miles in exactly 10:00.00. That was pretty much the high point. I went 74, 77 high to come through 2.5 in 12:32- slower than on the roads on Sunday, and I came home in 77, 76 high, 37 to finish in 15:43.61, less than a second slower than my Richmond time.

I'm disappointed. I would like to feel, and Sunday's pacing exercise reinforced, that I should be able to go out and run even 5s most days. I ran very conservatively so I would have a strong third mile. I might have blown myself up with that 72, but it wasn't that bad. Without anyone to keep me aware of my pace changing, I kept running a little slower than I thought. I had no turnover at the end- I ran two seconds faster for my last 200 the other two track races I ran. I definitely have fallen out of practice with my weekly turnover workouts, I'm not sure if doing any now will help, with just one track race left.

My hope is that if nothing else, being out there conditioned me for exercising patience. I didn't get much else out of it.

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