Penn Relays Debacle in review

Now that I have a moment, I can reflect, in brief, on my Penn Relays experience. I did not have a good Penn Relays. By admission, I was not prepared to run well. I cramped up despite receiving a massage 7 AM the morning of the race. While at Penn, I could feel my quads tighten and quiver as I ascended and descended the stadium stairs. I felt decent during the warm-up but I could tell that I was not 100%. When we were called to the paddock area, I did not expect that we'd be lined up for nearly 40 minutes. Given the overcast, it was getting a bit chilly. Unlike last year, the official mercifully divided our race into two sections of about 9 each. Our team--Darryl, TJ, Dennis and me--would be in the second one. TJ led off and we were trailing as I took the baton in third to last, I believe. Unlike last year, when I got the baton I felt flat and not particularly excited or myself. I kept saying to myself, "don't pull a muscle, don't get hurt." I guess that refrain occurs in the mind of those coming off any sidelining injury. I handed the baton to Darryl, knowing I hadn't run well. Half-jokingly, I said that I was about 2 seconds off last year's 53.1 split. When Chuck gave me my split, I was correct. I knew I had run slow but not by 2.5 seconds! I felt some solace when I learned that another timer had me in 54.8 or 9, as opposed to Chuck's 55.6. How could I have sucked that badly? It's a race I'd like to forget, but one I won't or can't! What a Penn Relays debacle. Thank goodness Saturday's scintillating performances of Usain Bolt, Latavia Thomas, Cheltenham's 4x400 in 3:13, et al.