Quick report: race went well, I positioned myself well with about 500m to go, but didn’t have the necessary speed to get in the top 3. Happy with 7th though.
AM-2 mile shakeout
PM-Race: Kept things about the same as the 10k, but I wasn't as prepared as I left my towel that I would soak in my hotel room, and I misplaced my hat that I would also soak in cold water. I knew that with the heat being such a factor from first-hand experience two days before-hand, I knew that the first 100m was going to be quick, but then it would go into a jog, and I prepared accordingly. It's hard to push the pace when it's that hot, so I chilled in the back, and let the race play out. After a few laps, I saw Clayton pop out into lane 2 and start moving up, so I followed. I got pushed right to the back. I kept telling myself to have fun in this race. There were even more moves in this race that didn't turn into anything substantial than the 10k, and I felt like it benefitted me to watch this. As the race moved forward, I would move up on the inside. With 5 laps to go, maybe even more, I started taking water every lap. It wasn’t because I was overheating, but it gave me something to do as I waited. Once the real racing started, I would stop, but no one was pushing the pace. With less than a mile to go a lot of people moved outside and I made a move to get right behind McDonald who was leading it with Grant on his shoulder. With 800m to go, the pace still hasn’t ramped up, but I was in perfect position(or so I thought). During this race I had a very different mentality and approach than I’ve ever had in a major race. I told myself to trust in my kick. With 600m to go, I probably would’ve taken water the race was so relaxed. With 500 to go, McDonald was in the middle of lane one, and I thought about squeezing on the inside and passing him and fisher. I hesitated, and I believe that was my only tactical mistake of the race. Fisher and McDonald didn’t speed up until other competitors got on their outside, and that left them ahead of me, cutting in right in front of me with about 400 to go. The next 200m, I felt like I was running backwards. People were flying by me, and I hadn’t accelerated as quickly, and went from 3rd to 8th in about 200m. I kept thinking of this same race 2 years ago, where Clayton was in first at 300 to go and faded to 10th or something. I didn’t want that to be me, but I kept thinking that I must be going to slow. With 200m to go, I looked back, saw Robert Brandt closing on me, and tried to kick so he wouldn’t pass me. I passed Kyle Mau, and then nearly caught Clayton, who I wasn’t even focused on, and then finished 7th. I felt like I still had a lot of energy after, but I couldn’t speed up much more in the last bit, I just neeeded to start my kick earlier. I’m happy with the way this season went, but I’m a bit dissatisfied. I felt like I may have sold myself a bit short mentally during races. It’s all good though, into cross country in the fall.
Short cool down with Clayton after.
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