Saturday, June 1--I feel so awesome right now. It's a beautiful morning. Since walking the dog, I've been sitting at the table on my deck with a cup of excellent coffee, watching Action News through the opened sliders into the family room. This is a refreshing change of pace.
On FRIDAY, May 31--I ran the 800m at the Pennsylvania Distance Festival at Henderson. Got there at about 4:35PM, registered, and warmed up. The race was scheduled for 5:30. I bumped into Nick Berra, Ryan Comstock, Cheryl Bellaire, and others, lessening my nervousness. Despite the 90+degree weather, I felt pretty good; the slight breeze was helpful. I took the mile warm-up very easy, running 9-10 minute pace. I then found a little shade and began my combination of dynamic and static stretching. Unlike in previous years, arrangements were made to offer a 300m hurdle race, followed by an open 400. These events, in addition to the 200 run later in the meet, were not listed in the materials as being contested. It's just as well. I didn't need to be tempted to wimp out of the 800.
There were six heats, ranging in size from 8-22. As was the case when I ran in this meet in 2011, I was in the third heat. Unlike then, however, there were 21 people in my heat; there were actually supposed to be 22, but there was one no-show. (Kevin had said to Nick and me that the "slower" heats would have more people assigned to them.) I seeded myself at 2:05 and was in "lane 13." Thus, I was seeded at the top of the bottom half of my heat; there were no women. In fact, all the guys were teens! I was the old head.
The start was in alleys. I was in the back line with numbers 7-22. The gun went off and I did not get out as aggressively as I needed to running with these teens. I quickly found myself towards the back of the pack and in lane two as we made our way across the first 100 meters. Perhaps I was somewhat conservative. As we hit the backstretch I felt like there were arms and legs everywhere. I found myself boxed in and weaving in and out of traffic. Had there been fewer in the heat or more seasoned runners (euphemism intended) things would have been different. I was thankful for the clock at the 200 mark. Yes! As I approached, I saw 28, 29, 30. I was good, but some kids were, frankly, in the way. In order to avoid a pile-up, I ran in the outer rung of lane 1 as we bent the turn towards the homestretch. I could feel the heat, as I tuned out the negative self-talk. I converted the negative energy into greater awareness about where I was in the race. We approached the 400, and I noted 59, 60, 61...as I passed. Over the next 100 meters, I peered at my shadow on the ground to take note of my form. I was good. My plan was to go to my arms with 300 meters to go. I did just that, pushing out into lane 2 as I went stride-for-stride with a kid in lane 1 who refused to budge. My momentum was then stunted when I ran into a guy in front of me. I had a choice of veering further out into lane 2 or even lane 3, or cutting back in. I cut back in towards lane 1 by the time we hit the 600 meter mark. I saw 1:31, 1:32, 1:33. Going into the turn I was not in the position I wanted to be in, as I was boxed in again. Coming off the turn, I made the decision to try to pass on the inside. I did but not without clipping the concrete threshold separating the track from the turf. So, yes, essentially my left foot touched down inside of lane 1 with about 75 meters to go. By the time I had 40 meters left of my race, I had expended so much energy weaving in and out of traffic that I had little left. With 10m remaining, I saw 2:05, 2:06, 2:07.... I ran 2:07.78, a disappointment indeed. I thought I could run 2:05. I know I can run 2:05. Today was the day. Having fewer people in the race would've helped.
(By the way, I wonder whether this week's taper helped.)
Nick was in the next heat. He had an excellent, even-split run. Although he was in last place at 400 meters (60 seconds spot-on) in the field of about a dozen, he kept strong over the last 400 and wound up placing third in 2:00.24. I was envious, not so much about the time, but about the dozen!
Surprisingly, my legs feel OK. I'm glad considering I have the Rustin Run 5K this afternoon in the 90-degree heat.
My goal for next week at the Mid-Atlantic Championship meet: sub-2:05: 29,31,31,32.
I'm also registered for the 100 and 400. We'll see.
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