Warmed up 0.5 or so. I was sleep deprived. I got about 6 hours of sleep or less the night before. I saw the first two heats. I noticed the pattern of drastic slumping in lap 2. Yet I failed to learn from it. The first 300 was in 50.5 for me, a little faster than expected. My Dad hadn't expected such a fast start. He had instructed me to take the lead in lap 2, thinking I would be in sixth or seventh, rather than last. Once he saw the pattern, he would have told me to floor it in lap two, regardless of the competition. However, he wasn't able to talk to me after the heats had started. The second lap was where I blew the record. I flopped in 75.5. I even saw my split of 1:28 at 500, but my brain was too sleep-deprived to make sense of the split and realize that I was slipping catastrophically. I passed some people, felt some wind, and was too timid. I convinced myself that I was running fast enough. My dad yelled 76 as my split. I saw 2:24 at 800. Over the last 800, I floored it. Yet I was unable to accelerate fast enough. My splits were 73 and 71.8. I finished 4th in my heat with 4:30.8 (PR), and barely qualified for the finals, with the 12th fastest time. I should have opened 52/72 , then I would have had a 73 and a 70 kick, giving me 4:27. I learned that I needed to floor it in lap 2, not relax. It needs to hurt in lap 2, or I'm not racing right. Cooled down 4 or so.
The finals is on Sunday, so I am not running it. It would mean a very good chance at the record, now that I've learned my lesson. I would be racing the same kids; they would follow the same pattern. It would give me a chance to place in Nationals - something I could only have dreamed of four or even two years ago. But the Sabbath day is more important. I believe in "Six days shalt thou labor, and on the seventh thou shalt rest." Some might say, "Well, can't you run just this once? After all, it's the national finals! You could still go to church." Well, part of the reason we have commandments is to see if we will keep them. To test our faith. Are the commandments worth more to me than a record? Is my duty to God worth more than running in the finals? Yes. Is it worth it to compromise my values for a record, a medal, or whatever it may be? No. When my Dad told the lady at the packet pickup I had qualified for the finals and wasn't running, she was shocked. He asked if another person could advance in my stead. She had to consult the rules. Apparently, no one had ever done what I did in that meet. Or she'd never heard of it. She told him that the final would be run with 11 people. Missing the record was frustrating, but I learned a lot. And I got to both send a message and learn a lesson myself about keeping the Sabbath day holy. So the experience was worth it. I'm at peace with my performance
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