Warning: This race report is really long.
I got there and was just thinking of one choice the whole time. Which shoes to use, my nike matumbos or my new nike zoom streaks. After about 2 hours and lots of talking with Brian, many athletes, and officials I decided on the matumbos. Anyway, I went on a small shakeout run with Jerrell, and then I saw Elijah Armstrong and Zach Perrin. Two fast people I didn't expect to be at this race. After the warm up I did some warming up with Adam Hendrickson. Then I changed my shoes, and went to the start line and stretched. They announced my name, and the other top 20 seeds, except Jerrell for some stupid reason. I went and decided to start a ways from Jerrell because last year I think I cut him off at the first, and I didn't want to do that again. Kramer Morton and Ben Saarell started next to me. It was pretty tight and I wasn't able to get that great of a stance at the line.
Mile 1 4:50s-The gun went off, and so did Kramer, Ben, and all the other 150 guys who can sprint a 100m faster then me. I kept getting cut off, and saw tons of people falling, but I was a ways back there. I relaxed, did what Brian told me to do. Just let others go all out this first mile, and then pass then on the hills. After 400m the group around me started slowing even more, and I had to just get around them if I wanted to keep my pace. Before the first mile marker, I was just passing people without throwing any surges in. I felt great. Better than usual in this point of a race.
Mile 2 10:10s- We then started going up the switchbacks. I knew this is what I had been specifically training for. I pushed it up it, but stayed relaxed enough to not be too tired at the top. Once I hit the top I passed tons and tons of people. I saw Rory from Herriman and told him good job. After the downhill, we hit the road, and the mutambos held up really well. I was still getting closer to the leaders. Then we hit the next big hill. I had decided just to pace off the person in front of me on the hill. This person didn't go too fast. So I passed him, and ended up passing Jerrell and Chuk also. I remember telling them to follow or something, but I don't know if they heard me. At the top of the hill, I saw I was within striking distance of the leaders. I just kept my pace and came down the hill and I kept passing people.
Finish: 15:41- At the second mile marker I finally passed two people and got in the top ten. I wasn't in the lead pack yet, but I was gaining on them. At the turn for the last uphill I passed Elijah. I pushed it up the hill, but (I think) I was still in 8th, and I knew 2 people could outkick me anytime, and my hopes would be gone. I kept pushing up the hill, and at the top I think I passed Zack, and then on the downhill, he passed me, but I quickly passed him back. I kept trying to get on that lead pack. At the buttom of the hill I was in 6th or 7th. I kept thinking someone was coming to outkick me, so I kept pushing it. As soon as we hit the track Saarell was gone, but I just stayed on the tail of the two guys in front of me. I thought I might get beat here, so I sprinted with everything I had left and passed Andrew Gardner and a sophmore(whose name I forgot) from Washington. I think that was my best finish of a race ever.
Kramer and Ben were the other guys from Utah who made it. They both had amazing races. Jerrell took twelth and Chuk was also top 20. Mike Finch was top 30, bearly missing out on a medal. After about an hour or two of talking and writing about the race, I finally was able to go on my cool down. I went with Jerrell at first, and the Ben came, and Kramer and Chuk too. We also found out Utah took the team score. I think this was my best race of the season.
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