Today could very easily have started one of the worst days of my life although for some reason i didn't really care. The story doesn't matter but unjustly and unexpectedly my ex-boss forced me to leave the lab and turn in my computer with my life and data and everything on it. As you can imagine that was pretty upsetting and having to deal with what is going to go down is not going to be all that nice. All of this occurred without warning only 1 hr before Haynes and I were planning on leaving for the mile race up in Boston (~1hr+) away. There had been some chance of rain the day before according to weather.com so i was nervous that it would slow down my time. Haynes said he thought rain was 4 sec in a mile but i disagree. The sky was a clean blue on the drive up there. About 20 min before the race, the rain started pouring, getting my racing flats soaked, and not only that gusts of 40mph winds started. Keep in mind that my primary running goal since h.s. until i had all but given up was to break the 5 min mile. I knew I was properly trained for it, but could the elements prevent me from doing it. Haynes and I just drove 1.5hrs up here for this? Luckily the rain and wind stopped minutes before the race. The track was completely soaked though. I was going to go through with this... The meet was immediately sketchy as we started on the wrong side of the track with no mile marker. The race directors just kind of guessed but that was too sketchy and I wanted there to be no doubt that i could break a 5 min mile. We luckily found a measuring tape and measured out the extra 9 meters. The gun went off with no warning and before i expected. We were off. I was purposely in pole position. No one looked all that fast at the meet so I led, knowing that if Haynes led, the speed would be much too fast. I felt nervous the entire first lap. Went through the 409meters in 74.7, about a 73 sec 400. No pain, surprised I wasn't challenged. The second lap I still felt nervous...the track was soaked and i was splattering Haynes who was behind me, I didn't know who else but I noticed one less pair of feet behind me as I went through the first 200 of the second lap. I came through the half way point in 2:28, still felt fine, and nervous but by the start of the 3rd lap, i began to lose the nerves, i think due to fatigue. I kept thinking, when is Haynes going to pass me. He is using me for drafting...just like last time in the 5 mile race. Haynes made a surge with about 600meters to go. This was welcomed as I now had something to focus on. I thought maybe I can hang on with him. This wouldn't be the case. Although Haynes claimed that the pace was lagging, it was not. My first 3 laps were quite consistent and lap 3 was 73.4 sec. I came through with 1 lap to go in 3:41! All I kept thinking was how much slower I could go and make my goal. Haynes was at that point 1 or 2 sec ahead of me. It was weird the uncomfortable feeling and anxiousness. I began feeling the lactic acid in my arms for the first time when Haynes passed me but it came and went. Why the arms? I felt like I was tanking it the last lap and was concerned that somehow i would lock up and fail. I wasn't that pleased with my effort although could I have gone faster, who knows? Last lap was a 76+ and I came through in 4:57, 5 sec behind Haynes. I noticed a previous comment in his blog about how he was getting good at beating me...I did beat him by 3 min and 20 sec in the 14.4 mile trail race on sunday! In 3 trail races I have about 20 min on him while he has about 1 minute on me in 6 road races. Oh well! I guess he has a more loyal fan base than me. He's a great guy and deserves it. I wonder how fast we both could have gone in ideal conditions. I think my fitness would max me out at 4:54 if everything was perfect. Tapering especially. racing the 3rd day after a 2hr trail race is surely not ideal. Nor were wet feet. I had a picture taken of me immediately before and after the mile. Wish i had a computer to look at it. I wish i had a video so I could see what it looked like to break the 5 min mile. I have no idea how pathetic or not pathetic my running form looks. Maybe i'll run it again but if i don't stop here, when will it stop? | 