I needed to feel like I was making an impact.

Friday, 7/11-went to the Y for a quick lifting session.

Thursday, 7/10-joined the early morning (5:40) crew for a run through town.  About two miles into the run we transitioned to 45 second pick-ups, followed by a 1:15 return to jogging pace...twelve (12) sets.  This was tough enough.  I reached the 4M mark in a pedestrian 29:15 and finished up my last interval (with Pete) along the industrial area heading towards Fern Hill Elementary School.  I took a 2-minute break and then headed onto Phoenixville Pike and then back towards the Chester Co. Hospital en route to the country club where my car was parked.  On the way, I stopped for another minute, feeling my legs ache as if a muscle would pull at any moment.  Boy did I feel flaccid.  I got myself together and returned to my car after about 53:00 and 7M.

Wednesday, 7/9-after yesterday's debacle, I took the day off...to think about the error of my ways.

Tuesday, 7/8-Went to Germantown Academy for the last meet in the series.  90+degrees with a thunderstorm on its way.  I was pleased to see that national track stars LaTavia Thomas, Kimarra (sp.) McDonald and Ajee Wilson, who was fresh off her 800 win at the USATF Championships in 1:58+, were there.  I wondered whether they would compete or, better yet, compete against me.

My plan was to do 100 as a warm up and then the 800 as my main event.  I arrived in time enough for a good warm up.  I felt fairly loose, although a little flat.  With a seed time of 12.10, my season best, I was assigned lane 5 in heat 4.  My heat featured all teenagers, including two girls, one in lane 6.  My practice start gave me a bit of confidence.

I felt like my start was marginal; I didn't really get much benefit, although I felt like I didn't pop up but rather stayed lower than usual.  At the 50m mark, I felt like I had the race in the bag.  Then, I saw to my right that the girl had pulled nearly even with me.  I began to press and panic, my goal being not to let her overtake me.  I out leaned her for the win in a disappointing 12.49.  This tied for my slowest time of the season, not a good showing.  Even though I had done only distance over the last week and a half, I still felt that a 12-low was in the cards.  So, I'm finished with the 100...at least for now.  It's frustrating that I plateaued in the 100 after such a promising start this season.

After a break, it was time to get myself ready for the 800.  I warmed up a little, but not a whole lot since I had competed in the 100.  Given the seed times for the 800, including my 2:06, I figured I'd be in heat 2.  Perfect, I thought.  As it turned out, LaTavia and Kimarra were in the first heat, whose seed times ranged from 1:49-2:01.  Teammate John Vu and I would be in a much less competitive heat 2.  His seed time was 2:04.9.  He asked multiple times about the pace of my first 400 and whether I wanted to lead.  I told him 60/61, but I deferred to him with respect to leading the first lap.  Perhaps that was a mistake.

When the gun went off, he took control of the race.  As we neared the backstretch, I could see that the score board clock read 00.00, meaning it hadn't started.  Oh shucks, I thought.  By the time we were 150m into the race, it was now on...12, 13, 14.  I started doing the math, wondering what our pace was at the 200.  I figured the clock was at least 12 seconds behind.  (As it turned out, based on the footage of the race, the clock was back on target by the time we entered the far turn.)  I realized that the pace had been a bit conservative as we entered the homestretch; the time at the finished line clock flashed 48, 49, 50.  John was still leading but starting to pull out to lane 2.  I initially thought this was his way of giving my license to pass.  I started to make a move, but he closed the space.  Seeing that we would be well over 60 for the first 400, I decided that I would take him at the 400 mark, which we crossed in 63-high.  I said to myself that I needed to even-split the race in order to make it worth something.  I led the next 100 meters.  On the backstretch, John swung wide, as the announcer said as much, and blew past me.  Another runner tried to take me before the 600m mark, but I held him off and made him run wide around the turn.  Coming up the homestretch, John extended his lead, while I basically strode the last 100.  I got passed.  While I had not given up, I was close.  With 10 meters until the finish line, I saw the clock reach 2:07, 2:08, 2:09.  I figured I had run 2:09 and change.  That's true if I use hand time: 2:09.9.  The official FAT was 2:10.09.  What a crime!  I walked off the track, knowing I had not done my best, knowing I hadn't left it all out there, knowing that I could break into a jog at any moment.

GA 800 7/8/14

Phil Reilly, who had run 2:05 in the first heat, and I chatted with LaTavia briefly.  She had run 2:03.  As we discussed her lack of sponsorship and need for funding for training and travel, Phil offered her a book.  I'd do something bold: I went to my car, grabbed a wad of $100 and offered it up to her as a personal donation.  She needed it, and I needed to feel like I was making an impact.  A few minutes later, her dad approached thanked me and she followed with a hung, just as the skies darken and opened up to a downpour.  I was happy to help.  Doing so made up for my suck fest earlier.

Monday, 7/7/14-took off