I am hopeful

Thurs, Jan 12--I left work much earlier than usual (3:05) to meet Rob at 4:00 at the Crown Plaza in Willow Grove to head to The Armory.  I arrived early and changed in the parking lot.  I even stopped by Home Depot.  We left a couple minutes after 4:00 and made it to NYC in no time, encountering modest traffic.  We reached the parking lot at about 5:45 and waited in the lobby for just a few minutes before heading upstairs to the venue.  We completed our registration sheets since we weren't listed as having registered. HS students were still practicing on the track.  They were dismissed at 6:30, at which time those waiting to compete in the evening's meet were permitted to warm up.   The meet was to start at 7:00.  The events for the evening were simple enough: 1000, 600, and 3000, organized women before men and fast to slow.  The start of the 600 was scheduled for 7:40. 

I did a mile.  I stretched much like I had for the Sprint Night in December.  I felt a little sore.   

Rob and I waited around a bit and learned that there were just two heats of the women's 1000 and  five heats of the men's.  

Eventually, our event was called and we checked in.  It was well after 7:45 at this point.   With a seed time of 1:29.22, I was placed in heat 5 (of 8), lane 4.  My bib number was none other than 1989.  Rob was assigned heat 7, with his seed time of 1:35.  John Goldthorp (great to see him!) was in heat 6 with a seed time of 1:32.

The winner of the first heat, conspicuously, was a Russell Dinkins, with a time of 1:20xx.   

I spoke with Peter Brady right before our race.  He wanted to know what I was hoping for at the 400 mark.  When I told him 59xx, he said he had hoped he'd be able to follow suit, having run an amazing 1000-meter race an hour earlier (He came through the 800 meter mark in 2:04!).  Their 1000 meter performances?  Take a look and weep/celebrate!

11 Brady, Peter                 Cptc New Bal           2:36.20   2

30.120 (30.120)  
1:01.194 (31.074)  
1:32.378 (31.184)  
2:04.273 (31.896)    
2:36.192 (31.919)

12 Williams, Mark               Garmin Runne           2:36.73   2

29.965 (29.965)  
1:00.980 (31.016)  
1:32.243 (31.263)  
2:04.472 (32.230)   
2:36.721 (32.249)

When our heat for the 600 meter was up, I felt a little sluggish. I tried to turn my thoughts positive.  There were seven of us, three on the back line and four up top.   When the gun went off, I was not very aggressive at all.  I fell right behind Peter.  At the 100m mark, I realized that I would be behind at the break.  I was right.

In order to avoid falling too far behind, I surged over the last 20 meters of the backstretch to beat someone at the turn.  I was in fifth place now; there were two guys behind me.  At the 300 mark, I could see that Peter Brady had surged and was now in the lead.  I certainly wish I could have been there.  Coming up the homestretch and closing in on 400 meters, I saw 59, 60, having seen 29 at the 200.  I was at 60 seconds.  Knowing I should have hit the 400 at least a second faster, I started to push, going to my arms, trying to get my knees up and pressing with my toes.   I felt myself gaining on the group.  I kept driving.  I saw the clock as I hit the top of the straightaway: 1:23, 1:24, 1:25, 1:26, 1:27, 1:28, 1:29, 1:30....  1:31.49  it was.  I was of course hoping to better my time from three years ago.  A little more umph and I could have hit 1:30.  

Overall, I felt good about the race, particularly since I ran 29.836 (29.836) 1:00.547 (30.711) 1:31.483 (30.937)   Between this even race and the first races of this season, I have some work to do.  I know I am a second or so off where I should be for the 400 and two or three off where I should be for the 800.  

Rob ran a nice race as well.  Initially miffed, he was beaming with joy, and for good reason, when I told him he ran even splits: 32.508 (32.508) 1:04.568 (32.060) 1:37.235 (32.668).

I am hopeful that we'll both reach our 400m and 800m goals this season.  I'd like to run :54 and 2:05, respectively.  30.5, 61.5 (31), 1:32.5 (31), 2:05 (32.5).  Oh smack!