I am one with the levee and the levee with me

5x1000m workout on the track. I did this workout early since I'm planning to race Thursday, which meant I got to do it by myself. My coach asked me to take it easy so my legs are semi-fresh for the race. 2:30 rests, reps in 3:11, 3:05, 3:05, 3:04, 3:02. I felt controlled and like I had several more 3:05s in the tank.

I tried out the new spikes Brooks gave me, I think they're the Mach 14, and fell in love with them. They're perfect for my stride. Even though they're cross spikes, I'll probably use them in the rest of my track races. They just felt good.

I also tried a Breath-Right strip to see if it would help my breathing, and was really happy with how I felt in the workout. Breathing felt effortless, which is a big contrast to how I felt a week ago. Maybe there's something to it. 

10 easy on the Urb. 75:23.

Added 5 from home. The right knee is starting to act up again, while the left is feeling better. This is the strangest series of injury I've ever dealt with. 

AM - Easy 7. Headed to California in a couple hours to go try for some fast times. So excited!

PM - Added an easy 3 from the hotel. The weather is perfect tonight. Here's hoping for something special tomorrow night.

AM - Easy shake-out run this morning. Feeling good!

PM - Race time tonight was right around 9:40 at Cal State-L.A. The weather was perfect, nice and cool with a very light breeze. And the track had a cool feel to it with all the palm trees around. My primary goal tonight was to get a conference qualifier (33:03) and secondary was to push the second half of the race to see how my shape is coming along.

The race was pretty uneventful. I wanted to be sure to get out easy and controlled to avoid a blowup like I had in my last 5k. First 800m was in 2:36, and from there I rolled off steady 79-80s. I went through the first 5k a little slow (16:33) due to relaxing just a bit too much as the seemingly endless quarters rolled by. But I felt pretty relaxed and was set to start cranking down the pace.

Now, despite making not one, not two, but three pre-race pit stops, something managed to shake loose right around 5k, and I found myself exerting a lot of energy to.... well... avoid making a scene mid-race. And I couldn't seem to put my energy into both cranking down the pace and squeezing the cheeks together, so I found myself continuing to roll off consistent 79s. I was cutting it really close, but I picked up the pace just enough in the final mile to put myself in striking distance and was able to click off a 73 second final lap to sneak under the qualifier.

I have a hard time getting excited to race when I'm not in the shape I want to be in, but I had a lot of fun in this race. It's my first track 10k, and I found that I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's all about rhythm. The good news is that physically, this wasn't too draining. I might have enough left to grab a 5k qualifier tomorrow, which would allow me to not race until conference.

This race also showed me my fitness is coming around. My legs and lungs felt great, and I figure I had a mid to low 32 in me today. I only wish I had a couple more months to the season. I'm coming around too late.

I dropped out of tonight's race because I fell off pace after the first 1600m and decided I would save something for another chance to qualify next weekend. 

I'm not happy with my choices tonight. Going into a race with the attitude that I'll drop if things aren't going well is unacceptable. A race needs to be do or die, you're either going to make it happen or you won't, and I was not in that mentality. When the pace got tough, I chickened out instead of facing it and doing what I needed to hit the time. And I know better than to race like I did. I've just forgotten some things in the frustration of injury. 

I went through 1600 in 5:00, which was a little slow, but still acceptable. From the splits I was given, I hit 76, 76, and 77 over the next 3 laps, and that's when I decided to drop. Those splits weren't accurate, I came through 2400m in 7:31, and then ran a 77, so I was maybe 5 seconds off pace. This was manageable if I'd been there mentally. The pace hurt, but I know it was my brain and attitude holding me back. No doubt it was in my legs to make it happen tonight.

Ah well, I can't beat myself over it forever. Just have to learn my lessons and move on. I'll race the 5k again next weekend to get the conference qualifier.

10 easy around Cornwall park.