HS district meet tonight at Richland. The sophomore class is going to be very tough in the coming years, with 1600m times as of tonight of 4:17, 4:23, 4:36, 4:40. Throw in 2 varsity XC freshman that goofed around with soccer this spring instead of doing track, and the team is looking good for at least another 2 years.
And let me give a huge shout out to Philerooski who, for whatever reason, is refusing to blog his progression (the harassment isn't going to stop, Phil. Get on it!!!!) He lowered his 1600m time by 5 seconds last night to 4:36. He's a sophomore. Chopped a grand total of 19 seconds, I believe, off his 1600 this season alone. Then doubled up in the 3200 for a 3 second pr of 10:10. 4:36 is pretty serious stuff, I sense some major domination for this sophomore class in the years to come.
If all goes as planned, I'm not going to be in town by the time the XC season rolls around, but when you see guys who work this hard and love the sport this much, it almost makes you want to do anything you can to be a part of it. The 2 seasons I've had the chance to work with these guys has been life changing in many ways. I joined up with them last summer hoping to impart of my vast store of running knowledge to their benefit (I know, right?), but I think I've learned a lot more about the sport from them and their experiences than I could ever hope to give back. I watch them run and feel like I'm watching true talent. It's beautiful. I remember hearing that Pre quote, "Some people create with brush and paints...", you know the one, and thinking "That's weird, running as art?" But tonight was one of those rare times I've watched a race and seen it as a thing of beauty, a creation of genius that goes beyond my own understanding.
Anyways, that may seem a little dramatic, but I really don't have words to describe what it was like to watch Anthony Armstrong demolish some of the best guys in the state in both the 1600 and 3200 and then watch the rest of the team come in close on his heels, several of them running giant prs. I think there are at least 8 or 9 guys on the team who could go on and do some cool things in college, but Anthony is a special case. It takes your breath away to watch a 16-year old read a race with flawless instinct, get himself into the correct position for his kick, and time it perfectly. The 1600 turned out to be very tactical, going through halfway in 2:14. Next lap was 66, and Cummings, his main competitor, put down the hammer. Anthony waited till 200 to go and accelerated past him, made Cummings' fastest sprint look slow as he cruised a 26 last 200 for a 57 final lap. 2:03 final 800m.
The 3200 was similar, the first half in 4:46. Cummings' teammate was fresh, a 9:19 guy, took the lead with 800 to go and gave it everything he had. He figured the only way to beat Anthony was from farther out, but it didn't work. Anthony shadowed him about 5m back, pulled even with 300 to go, did his final acceleration with 200 to go and put 5 seconds on him between there and the finish. 4:33 final 1600m. 61 last lap.
Anyway, enough of that. I need to get myself healthy. I remembered today that a Cho Pat strap made a huge difference last year, so I'm going to put that on and see what happens. I did the warmups and cool-downs with the guys yesterday and there didn't seem to be much improvement.
