time to keep myself honest

December 27--even though I arrived home close to midnight, I got up this morning and worked out at the Y.  I did a mile on the donut track (6:45), lifted a bit, a mile on the treadmill (6:42), lifted some more, and did another mile on the track (6:23).  This was a different sort of recovery run.

December 26--Holiday Classic at the Armory--NYC
First meet of the season was upon us: Craig, Bruce and me.  I met up with the two of them at Craig's house at about 2:30.  After hanging out with Craig's warm family for a few, we departed for NYC at close to 3:00.  During a somewhat tentative drive due to the heavy winds and wintry mix, we shot the breeze about everything from track to parenthood and education.  We got turned around a bit once we got to the city, and we arrived at the venue at about 6:15.  The meet was to have begun at 6:00, but lo and behold it was running late.  This worked to our favor, as I figured I'd need all the warm-up time I could use after the 3+ hours' drive.  I was thankful I was able to warm up on the track and not in the second floor corridor.  Our first event, the 400, was called at about 6:45.  It was check-in time.  I continued stretching as we all stood in line waiting for instructions, and my hamstring needed it.  In the end, the crowd of people of all ages was asked to arrange itself by time, after which one of the clerks would assign us to heats and lanes.  I wound up in heat 10, lane 6.  Argh!  I said that if a better lane opened up in heat 9 I'd go for it. I simply don't like being on the far outside with no one to chase.  Silly, I know.  So lane 6 it was; Craig was in my heat but in lane 4, I believe.   When the gun went off, I got out pretty well and ran the curve reasonably well, although I stumbled onto the inner line.  By the 100m mark I could sense that I was doing okay and that I'd likely lead coming into the straightaway.  I looked up at the 200 mark and saw that the clock read 25+.  I am certain my first lap challenged the 26-second barrier.  I tried to relax, but I lost my cadence a bit.  Coming down the homestretch I tried to get my arms going but they were dead.  I heard the announcer say that the winning time was 55.07.  Moments later the official time on display was 55.57 F.A.T. (26/29), a little slower than last year's time.  What a bummer!  I was hoping for a faster time...obviously! I thought I had almost broken the barrier.  I wonder, though, whether I would have run faster had I either gone out a little slower and run a harder second lap or been in a chasing position.  I always run faster when I'm chasing.  Craig Strimel had run 56.07.

UPDATE (12/27): Craig alerted me that our official times, as posted on the Armory's website, are 55.11 and 55.67, respectively.  I'll take it! 

I felt okay afterwards and was able to jog pretty immediately. I prepared myself for the 200.  I tried to stay loose but could sense that my muscles weregetting cold and, as a result, stiffening. I was assigned lane 6 (again) in heat 18 of 20.  Lucky for me Craig offered to switch to lane 6 from lane 2.  (Incidentally, the order of lane preference on the Armory track is: 5,6,4,3,2,1.) I assumed control from the start of the gun.  I made a conscious choice to lift my knees on the backstretch.  This helped me make up some ground.  At the 100 mark, I realized I was leading.  I came off the turn and just tried to coast.  Time: 25.34 F.A.T., winning by a second.  A little more umph and I could have broken the 25-second barrier.   Encouraging.

The season has begun in earnest.  Now it's time to keep myself honest.

It was great hanging out with my teammates.