AE's INSANITY

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

-Albert Einstein-

You would think that I would draw on my 10 years of race experience, or my frustrating last season performances, but I make the same mistake....I wussed out the first 200m in the race, losing the position I needed to run fast.  The races I can get into now allow me to go fast, but only when I'm in the front.  You may hear runners talking about being in a train and getting pulled to a fast time.  The races I'm in are the ones only the top 2-4 go fast....not the whole field.  So when there's a field of 10-12 people, why do I find myself going right to the back of the pack in the first 200m and expect to run fast.....INSANITY.

Last night's race was set up to run well.  Nothing blazing fast, but a solid  season opener.  One that you could fist pump or do your secret high 5 with a teammate after. There were 3 of us from my group in the race. One of my teammates was the pacer and the other one told me his plan; "I'm going to the front".  Perfect, I'll just sit in number 3 position, behind those two.  It'll be like a workout.  Just zone out and sit on them.  But when the gun went off, I found myself in the back of the pack.  I got out well around the turn, but when it came time to "cut-in" and merging to lane 1, I just let the field go by (Insanity move).  So I'm now running in the back pack through 400m.  The field is still in contact with one another (no gaps, just a tight pack).  At 500m the group starts to split a bit so I make sure I stay connected and get around a couple runners so I can still run fast (Smart move).  The rabbit pulls off at 600m and my teammate puts in a slight surge to ensure a fast pace.....wait why isn't the field responding.  We go around the turn and I'm in 4th.  Teammate,...gap.... one guy in front of me and the other on my shoulder slightly in front of me (so I'm boxed in...AGAIN).  100m to go my teammate puts another solid surge in...No response again with the group.  The two in front of me string out so I have a wall in front of me with my teammate slipping away.  I finish up 4th with a very disappointing time.   

I finished tired but not spent.  Like I just did a workout.  I felt like I could have responded and went with my teammate instead of letting him slip away.  There's always negatives and positives to a race. So there's my positive. I have the strength to finish and hold on.  My problem is the first 200m.  I need to nut up and get out harder.  Take MY positioning and run MY time.  In reality it's a difference of running another 40m harder before settling in to a pace.  It sounds easy....and it is.  I jut need to do it.  

I'd like to say I've learned my lesson, but I made this mistake consistently last year.  I ran.... hesitant.  I was unsure.  There isn't much you can control in this race, but you can control your positioning in the first 200m.  After that a lot can happen, but that first 200 you can put yourself anywhere you want to be.  I just need to sac up and do it.

800m season opener

WHAT WHAT season opener happening this weekend!!!

 This weekend I'm racing my event, the 800m.  I'm nervous and excited at the same time.  Do I have enough training in me?  Can I handle the pace?   Will I get to 600m and have another gear to finish well?  All kinds of questions are racing through my mind and only a couple are positive.  You'd think after 10 years of competitive racing would leave me fully ready and confident......But nope.  The nerves and the doubts never fade.

Either way I'm going to do what I always do; Step on that line and RACE!!!


Event 39 Men 800 Meter Run PREMIERE
Lane Name School Seed Time Section 1 of 1 Finals
1 Shaw, Brandon Brooks
2 Smith, Kyle Unattached
3 Waite, Ryan Byu
4 Cook, Jonathan Unattached
5 Reid, Danny Unattached
6 Hedin, Justin Byu
7 Lalang, Boaz Unattached
8 Soucie, Brendan Kansas 9 Ferguson, Quin Unattached
10 Harris, Geoff Unattached
11 Guerrero, Daniel Unattached

THE GOOD...THE BAD...THE.........

THE GOOD
So I was coming off a fairly satisfying season opener in the 1500m this past weekend.  I ran the fastest season opener I've ever run, which isn't all that impressive since it was only a 3:48, but it showed progress. I stepped on the line nervous as hell, and I have no clue why. It's not even my event!!!!  But it's what comes with racing.  The butterflies in the stomach, the ever thirsty mouth, and the biggest hit to the confidence....THE DOUBT.  And it's the kind of doubt that encompasses everything.  I questioned, my training, my fitness, my ability to compete...All I kept thinking was "I don't want to do this!!".  My races are typically in the evenings so I have an entire day to just sit there and think.  But like every other race I've run in my life, I stepped on the line and when the gun went, I raced.  To be honest it felt good again to compete.  It felt good to experience it all again.  I love this sport!

THE BAD

Everything felt good until Thursday.  Workout intensity has really picked up both in the weight room and on the track.  I'm tired, sore, and want to be curled in a ball all day.  But so does everyone in the group so at least I know there is some normality here. The track workout for Thursday was a pretty standard workout for this time of year.
 600m-400m at 1km pace,
500m-300m at 800m pace
On a typical day this should go fairly smoothly....but that wasn't today.  To sum it up, the 600m was a little slow, and I dropped out of the 400m because I felt like I was running backwards.

But here's where it's gets better. Coach comes over to me and tells me to call it a day (remember I've only done the first set). As I stood there bent over on the sideline as my training partner finishes the rep, I begin to question myself.  "Am I just being a wuss?"  "Could I have gotten through that if I just toughened up?".   I figured there was only one way to see.  SECOND SET!!!  I decide to run 400m-200m-200m to simulate the similar quality of the workload while allowing me to still finish the workout.  I take off the line feeling really smooth and relaxed.  "So I was being a wuss" pops into my head....... 200m in I look at my watch that reads 25 high......perfect split.  As I come around the turn I notice my legs beginning to tingle.....F......!!!!!!  On the straight away with 100m left my head starts to swing from side to side, my knees stop driving upwards....yup I'm dying.  As I cross the line I looked at my coach who has a big smile on his face that says "TOLD YOU DUMBASS"!!!

I took off the spikes sat on the track and laughed to myself.  At least I know it wasn't a mental component.   Oh ya the total time was 54.5 (29 seconds second lap).

Tomorrow is the final workout for the week.  Hope this isn't the UGLY