I am one with the levee and the levee with me

AM - Allright, for some reason my post didn't get saved, so here it goes again.

I headed to the track at 11am for some speed work. The plan was 3k at slower than race pace, 2k at race pace, and 1k at faster than race pace. It went well, but I had to give myself a pep talk to get in the right state of mind. I get lazy sometimes, then miss all the goal times, and I really didn't want that to happen.

So the 3k was a little rocky, starting at a faster clip, 75 seconds for the quarter, then slipping into some slower laps in the middle. I reached 1600m in 5:10, then pretty much held pace for the remainder. Finished the rep in 9:39, barely in the acceptable window, but still inside. With 3:45 rest I was ready for the next one.

The 2k started with a 72 quarter, then I more or less held 5:00 pace to the end. I reached 1600m in 4:58, then 2k in 6:14, so I eased up a bit in the last 800m, but it was very close to what I wanted. 3:00 rest and onto the next one.

I also hit 72 seconds the first quarter of the 1k, then reached 600m in 1:50, slowed a bit. Suddenly I realized I just had one lap left, so I took off. I hit 800m in 2:25 (35 sec 200m) then sprinted 33 seconds over the final 200m for 2:58, a few seconds faster than the goal time. Last 800m 2:22, last quarter 68. Not bad.

So overall, it was a good workout. The 3k should have been 9:30, and the 2k 6:12, and I could have cut down by 30 seconds, but overall I'm pleased.

My thoughts on the upcoming race: I should run 15:30 or slightly under, but if I run like an intimidated, unattached runner, like I did in the 3k this winter, I'll run 15:45 or slower. Still a PR, but that would mean a weak race. I just want to throw that out there so I don't have any excuses when it's game time.

3k - 9:39 (16:05 pace -- 3:45 rest)

2k - 6:14 (15:35 pace -- 3:00 rest)

1k - 2:58 (14:50 pace)

PM - It's a midterm day, that means hours of cramming from early in the morning till the last possible second in the evening. So I squeezed in 5 miles after the exam, and I'll have to run again late tonight.

Added 7 late tonight. Total time 50:15.

AM - 7 recovery miles down the Provo River trail, total time 50:41. I included a 200m pickup in 36.5 just to wake up the legs a little. My legs are a little tired, but I should be fine for tomorrow. My sore throat went away as well, which is fantastic. I've been pretty lucky this winter about not getting sick, knock on wood, and I'm glad this last thing passed quickly.

 PM - Added 3 easy miles in Springville.
 

AM - It's race day!!!! I got to sleep in this morning, too, things are already going well. I ran 3 easy miles this morning to wake the legs up, and I'm feeling pretty good. The legs are feeling much less sore and stiff than the last few days, and I'm excited to race. Report coming tonight.....

Today's goals: 1) Run faster than 15:35, and 2) beat as many BYU guys as possible 

Race report

Alright, the race went really well. Goal 1 was almost there today, but Goal 2 wasn't possible since there weren't any BYU guys in the race. That doesn't make any sense to me, but that's the way it was.

So anyway, Sasha came to read off lap splits for me, which was a huge help since I didn't have to do the mental math myself. He gave me some good pre-race advice to just focus on hitting 74-75 second laps and not worry about place or overall time. So that's what I did. Well, almost. It was more like 74-76 second laps, but it worked well.

The gun went off and I started dead last. Most of the time that freaks me out, but I felt very relaxed. First lap in 74... perfect. I slowed a lot in the second lap for some reason, and came through with a 79. Whoops. After that I buckled down and focused on hitting those splits. A 76 and 75 made for a 5:04 1600m, which would have been 5:00 if I hadn't slipped up with that 79.

The pack was at 4:54, I let them get a little too much on me and I was feeling nervous. I knew they would come back to me, but I wondered if I had given up too much ground to get my goal time. The second 1600 went in 5:02... pretty consistent. A few of the runners had come back to me, but the main pack still had a substantial lead.

The final third of the race was where most of the action happened. I tried to open the throttle, but I was too conservative and I kept hitting the same splits. But this was where a lot of people who had gone out too hard started dying off. Places 1 - 5 still had about 10 seconds on me, but the gap was slowly closing. With 800m to go I saw 13:13 on the clock and thought, "The best guys are finished by now. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Again, I tried to pick it up, but I came through the bell lap in low 14:29, so another 76 second lap. I felt that I still had a lot left and managed to pick it up quite a bit here. The next 200m was a 34, I think.... I didn't catch a solid time at 4800m, but I think that's right. Suddenly, that lead pack was within range. I blew past a UVU guy, but he matched me and I finally opened the throttle all the way. I haven't had a lot of races where I felt like I floored it in my final kick, but this was pretty close. He had more speed than me, and managed to pass me again. I just didn't have the speed to beat him. We both passed another guy, and we held positions till the finish. Last 200m in 33, so a final lap of 67 and final 800m of 2:23. Also, Sasha and I were trying to figure out the last 1600m, we think it was 4:53. A progression of 5:04, 5:02, (200m), 4:53... I'm pretty happy with that. I needed that first 1600 to be a little faster, but I'm pleased with the end result. I was expecting to see 15:4x, so I was ecstatic to see that I'd broken into the 15:30s.

Went on a long run up Hobble Creek Canyon. I meant it to be 16 miles, but I was slower than I thought with all the uphill. Total time of 1:55:52.

AM - 3 wake-up miles this morning. 21:43 total time.

Later - Did a 4-mile tempo down the river trail in 21:45. Didn't have the time to go the full 5, so I warmed up 1.5 miles and started a little ways down from 800 N. Since the run was shorter, I wanted to push it at 5:20 pace, but I was still feeling tired from Saturday's race and 5:20 was too hard. Plus I had to go through all the tunnels -- that added a few seconds.

I started fine; the first half was 2:40 and I felt good and relaxed. The next half was through the tunnels, 2:45. Mile 2 was 5:21 and I reached the turnaround in 10:46, but I felt like I lost all my momentum and my legs felt like lead and Mile 3 was 5:35. I tried to regroup a little and got up on my forefoot more and managed 5:24 for the last mile. Once I got my momentum back it didn't feel too bad, but I was definitely still feeling the race.

60 lunges and 50 pushups after the run... I've been doing these after nearly every hard day.

Splits:

5:25

5:21 (10:46)

5:35 (16:21)

5:24 (21:45; 5:26.25 avg.)

I haven't had a chance to run yet today, but I went to talk to Coach Eyestone today, and he had some really good things to say. He says if I can get under 15:00 in the 5k, I'll be in a good position for XC. My 15:36 converts to about 15:16 at sea-level, so I don't have too far to go. He also encouraged me to find a sea-level race where I can really go for that barrier, so I'm starting my search. There's a UW/WSU dual-meet in Pullman, WA... not sure about the altitude, but I'll be in the area that weekend. I think Oregon also has one that weekend -- either one should produce some fast times.

PM - 10 miles up Hobble Creek Canyon... absolutely loved the weather. For some reason, rain and clouds put me in a good mood. 1:10:43

AM - 5 miles early this morning, not much to report on. 35:43

Later AM - Headed to the track for a speed workout. It didn't go well. I did 8x400 with 1:30 rests in a 65.7 average, and my body was shutting down on me right from the start. I had planned to start at 65 and cut down to 62, but it was all I could do to maintain 65s. My body did not want to work today, so even though I had more planned, I agreed with myself that rest was needed. I hate not finishing a workout, but there was no point in continuing.

I thought that two workouts and a race would be a good idea... guess I was wrong.

So in other news, here are my options so far for a lower-altitude race:

April 25 - 26: Oregon relays - 400 ft
May 2: Boise state -- 2700 ft
May 3: WSU/UW dual meet, Pullman -- 2500 ft
Pacific University Twilight -- 195 ft, not sure about the competition level here

2500 ft is a little higher than I'd like, but maybe that altitude isn't an issue for times.

AM - 8 easy miles down the river, 7:20 pace avg. I think it's time for new shoes, these ones are starting to give me aches. 

AM - 3 easy miles this morning, I'm starting to feel more rested. Should be ready to go tomorrow.

I bought a brand-spankin' new pair of the Brooks Switch yesterday. They were $15 cheaper than the Adrenaline, and I fell instantly in love with them. However, I'd like to observe a moment of silence in memory of my old Adrenaline's, they have been good, faithful friends through many, many miles, now doomed to a miserable state of disuse and dust....

PM - 8 more easy miles around Springville. Did about a 20 second pickup at 5k pace to get the legs moving.

Woke up the legs in the morning with an easy 4 miler and arived at Weber State about 2 hours before the race started.

I have mixed feelings about this race.... it wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't my best. Only 5 guys raced, and I thought I could challenge for the win, but I ended up running alone for most of the race and not running as hard as I needed to.

The pace was quick at the start, my first quarter was 73, the leaders 72, and I was trying to maintain contact. Last week's winner, Brian McKenna, and another BYU hopeful who beat me last week pulled away from me in the second lap, and like last week, I let them get too much on me. I went through 1600 in 5:00, they were 4:50, and by this time I was well into no-man's land, holding onto third.

The BYU hopeful dropped the pace well into the second mile, and I caught him by the 3200m mark in 10:01, another 5:01, not bad and I'm still feeling good. At this point, however, I chickened out from going after McKenna. He had 10 seconds on me, I knew I had second place locked in, and it just seemed like too much distance to make up.

So I slowed a little, running the next 800m in 2:38. I covered the final 800m in 2:30 with a final time of 15:44. McKenna finished in 15:30, which certainly wasn't out of reach with a mile to go. I'm kicking myself now for not gutting it out and going after him, so I just need to learn from my mistake and move on. I race him again next week, I want to forget about time and splits and just go after him.

So, like I said, not a terrible race, but a ways from my best.

Splits:

5:00

5:01 (10:01)

5:08 (15:09)

0:35 (15:44)

AM - 5 easy miles this morning. My legs don't feel too bad. 35:30

Later AM - 5 mile tempo on the river trail. I wanted to do some long intervals on the track, but left my flats at home. I hate doing track work in trainers, so I figured the tempo run at 5:30 pace was a good goal.

I was feeling kinda flat part way into it, so I took a minute rest at the turnaround. Here are the splits:

5:29, 5:30 (10:59), 2:42 (13:41, downhill section)

1:00 rest

5:30,  5:34 (11:04),  2:46 (13:50, uphill section)

I didn't like doing it in trainers, but that's life. The run averages to just about 5:30 on the nose.

AM - Woke up bright and early for an easy 3. 

Later AM - Hit the trail for another 8 miles. I left the watch behind and found it difficult to run an easy pace by feel. I'm constantly thinking about pace and wondering if I'm going too slow or too fast. I didn't realize I was that dependent.

AM - Warmed up 2.5 miles, then hit the track for a workout. I had a lot of fun with this workout, it wasn't particularly hard, but it wasn't meant to be. The idea was to let my body get used to 4:50 pace without making the workout totally killer.

3x1000m (3:00 rests)

3:03

3:00

2:53

4x100m strides

I wanted to practice running a fast final lap, so I opened up on the last rep, finishing with a 66 final quarter.

The workout felt pretty easy and got me excited about running faster times. I really think I can crack 15:20 right now, but I haven't done any good workouts at that pace yet. It's in there, though, I just have to put down the mental barriers and do it.

 

AM - Had an awesome run up Hobblecreek Canyon.... runs like this make me remember why I fell in love with running. 10 miles, about 7:00 average.

PM - Took Miki to the track for a run, we're into the second week of pretty consistent running. She seems to have a fear of running a steady consistent pace, so I'm trying to figure out how to break that. She likes to run the straights hard and jog the curves, which is fine every once in awhile, but she needs to learn to run a consistent effort. If I tell her to run a steady mile, she'll run about 13 minutes, but when she does it her way, she'll hit 11 minutes without much trouble. I'm thinking if we get away from the track she'll not focus on the distance so much and just run, but I don't know. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Anyway, 3 more miles for me at about 7:10-7:20 pace.

AM - I headed out in about 7:10 - 7:20 pace up the canyon, and came back a little quicker, maybe 6:50 pace. Threw in a 30 sec surge on a flat section to remind the legs what race pace feels like. Total time 1:02:45.

I have an exam at 7am tomorrow (can you believe that?) so I'll have to hurry up to Logan right when it's over. I'm really looking forward to this race, I feel ready for a good one.

Utah State’s track is pretty sheltered, but it didn’t make a difference against today's wind, I figure it was blowing 15-20 mph throughout the race, give or take.

A good crew showed up for the start, though, including Brian McKenna, Nate Ogden, and Jared Keller. Seth Wold was going to pace Brian partway, so things started reasonably, and I tucked in behind the two of them. Nate Ogden shot out front, then Seth, Brian, me and Jared making up the pack.

First lap in 75, then 73, 72, and 74 to make it 4:54 at 1600m. I stayed right behind Brian through 6 or 7 laps, but the wind was totally killer, and skinny runners don’t block the wind well. I started to lose contact around the seventh lap; I noticed Nate was coming back to us at that point. Seth dropped out here, Brian went after Nate, but I lost contact.

Once I lost Brian I couldn’t keep the pace, Jared went by me and I slowed to 5:10 pace, maybe a little worse. I went through 3200m in 10:02, getting hammered by the wind on every back stretch. I saw that Brian had caught Nate, and the two of them got some distance on the rest of us -- they were around 9:53 at 3200m. The next two laps were awful as I battled the wind in no-man’s land; I believe at least one of the laps was 81, 5:24 pace.

I was hurting pretty bad by this point, but Jared obviously was as well. With about 3.5 laps left, I made a move and caught him easily, but as I passed he stayed close. We were doing 5:10 pace with two laps to go, but it was the worst pain I’ve felt in awhile. Jared was still within striking distance with a lap to go, I tried to open up but couldn’t find the gear. The windy backstretch sapped what little I had left out of me, and he blew past at the 200m mark. I managed to pick it up a little on the homestretch, but he was out of reach by that point. I managed 35 seconds on the final 200m, but Jared must have been more like 32. I was so dead at the finish…. Definitely the most painful run I’ve had in a long time.

Final time was 15:51 and I felt that I fought pretty well considering the conditions. Nate finished in 15:32 (amazing final lap, he and Brian were still together with a lap to go), Brian in 15:42, and Jared in 15:48. On the positive side, I got out in a quick first mile, so when I get in a race in good conditions this shouldn’t be an issue. I’m a little disappointed with the time, even considering the wind I need to be running faster.

These were the splits:
4:54
5:08 (10:02)
5:14 (15:16)
0:35 (15:51)

AM - Easy 8 this morning. I've got finals this week, so training will be tough. I called the distance coach up at Pullman to get in on the dual meet - just waiting to hear back.

PM - Only had time for two miles tonight. Miki went with me to the track, she did a mile in about 12 minutes, but I think she should be doing it at least a minute faster. The 12 minutes includes about 2 that she walked, so she's running at a decent pace. I just need to get her to run the whole thing without walking.

AM - Had a great workout today that started a little slow. I ran to the Springville High track only to find they were holding a track meet for little kids. I thought about trying to do my workout around them, but didn't think that would go over well. Plus I was feeling silly walking around the parking lot wearing my running clothes and carrying my track spikes, like I was waiting to compete.

So I got my stuff together and headed to the BYU track. The workout was 4x1600m and I wanted to focus on averaging 73's for the workout. I took 4:00 rests, more than usual, but Eyestone mentioned he has his guys take 4:00 rest at altitude on this workout, so I thought I'd give it a try and push the pace a little.

The reps went like this:

4:52

4:57 (some of the women's athletes got in my way on this one, it cost me about 2 seconds)

4:50

4:50

On Rep 3, I messed up the pacing and went through 800m in 2:30, so I did the last 800m in 2:20, that surprised me a little. I was too conservative on the last one, though - I really wanted a 4:48 or so, but I ran the first 3 laps too slow to make it up.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the workout, and I know I'm about to have some good races.

PM - Added another easy 3 in Springville. 

AM - My last final is today! I spent the morning studying, but squeezed in an easy 5 miler. Left the watch at home and just enjoyed it.

Also, I got in touch with Washington State's head coach, and he shut down my hopes of racing in their dual meet. Some weak excuse like "dual meets are not open to outside athletes." Right, like I'd believe that. I told him I'd run anyway and beat all his athletes and he'd be sorry he didn't recruit me when I was in high school. Well, that's not exactly what I said, but I think he got the idea.

So now I'm stuck looking for another meet. If it doesn't happen, no big deal, but it would be nice to race at a lower elevation.

PM - Got 5 more miles in, but very squeezed on time tonight. Wish I could do more, but this will have to do.

I signed up in the Pacific University Twilight meet that's in Oregon on May 3. The list of schools attending makes me hope the 5k will be competitive. The University of Portland will be there, I might get to face some of my old Spokane rivals if they show up. Of course, they are lightyears ahead of me now, so not much hope for vengence.

I had to pass a state insurance licensing exam today, so I was up till 5:30 this morning studying. I passed, but I'm wiped out today. I managed an easy 7 miler, but I went to bed instead of running more.

I had a great run today at the Robison Invite. Conditions were perfect: 57 degrees, the wind was next to nothing.

17 guys showed up for the start and I was expecting a fast race. After the gun, we quickly split up into two packs; the first was off at a suicidal pace so I hung back with the second. First lap in 74, somebody spiked me, that hurt. I went through the 1600m at the lead of the second pack in high 4:57, the other pack was still together, going through in 4:43-4:45. Glad I hung back, that's a little too fast.

The second mile was pretty uneventful, some of the first pack was starting to fall off, but I kept rolling off 74-75 second splits, going through 3200m in 9:57. I felt great still, and I knew I'd have a fast final mile.

The first pack really fell apart here, and I started moving up quickly. I was trying to pick up the pace, but it was hard to tell if I sped up at all as people started falling back. Turns out I maintained 75's through the next three laps.

A Boise State kid hung on to me as I went by him on the 11th lap, and we really picked it up here. Went through the bell lap in 14:18, and we covered the next 200m in 32 seconds, reaching 4800m in 14:50. He dropped off and I continued my kick, although without somebody to chase I only managed a 35 over the last 200m. Final lap was 67 seconds.

Final time of 15:25.60. I needed to get out faster. I still felt reasonably fresh at 3200m, a more aggressive start would likely yield a faster time. Anywa, Mark Currell from SUU won the race in 15:02, Nate Ogden only beat me by 12 seconds today (last week it was 20), finishing in 15:13. 

I'm very pleased with the race - the altitude conversion puts me at 15:04.9, so I'm close to the sub-15 goal. I have my last race of the season next week at sea level, the Pacific University Twilight in Oregon, I should have a good shot at cracking 15:00.

1600m Splits:

High 4:57

4:59 (9:57)

4:53 (14:50)

0:35 (15:25)

Easy 16 in Boise today. The Boise River trail is really nice, I enjoyed this run a lot. Started at 7:30 pace, ended the last few miles at around 6:50 pace. Total time 1:56:50.

11 easy miles this morning. We're staying at my parent's house, and once again, it's blowing about 20 mph here in Washington. What's new? I got most of my miles in on the backside of a hill, so it wasn't too bad, but still irritating.

AM - 7.1 easy miles along one of my old training routes. They've built houses on one of my workout hills, though; kinda makes me sad. Some of my best workouts used to be on that hill. Total time 50:43

PM - Added 3 miles on the track with Miki.  

Today's track workout wasn't particularly spectacular -- the idea was to get used to a faster pace at sea level in preparation for the race, but I was off today. The workout was the first thing I did this morning, which I feel was the biggest drag on my pacing; I felt sluggish and stale. The wind wasn't too bad (maybe 10 mph) but didn't help.

In any case, I had planned 3x1600m starting at 4:48 and cutting down to 4:45, but a 4:54 first rep made me extremely frustrated. It didn't hurt, but I couldn't get my legs to move faster.

So I broke the next rep into 2x800 with 2:00 rest and did both in 2:23. Better.

The final rep started good with a 72 first lap, slowed a bit in the middle, and closed strong for 4:48.

I still felt strong afterwards, the workout wasn't terribly tough, but it made me nervous. I've trained myself to feel that 4:55 - 5:00 pace feels smooth and natural, but sub-4:50 pace is rough and difficult for me to maintain, even though it's the proper pace for a sea-level 5k. For Saturday's race, it will take a leap of faith to run the right pace, and I believe that if I want to be successful, I've just got to do it. Even though it will feel uncomfortable, I've got to believe that my body can handle it.

Anyway, after today's workout, I'm nervous.

Distance	Time	Rest
1600m	4:54	3:00
800m	2:23	2:00
800m	2:23	3:00
1600m	4:48