Our varsity team qualified for this meet at murray, so our coach let us go down to it. Jerrell went down individually with us. When we first got there the collegiate men's race was starting, and it was cool to see some of those runners. After, we looked at the course, but it took Tyson and me a while to understand it, so while everyone else was just doing their shakeout run, we waited a bit and didn't get much of one in. The course was a 2 loop course (which had each loop in a weird double loop) and then a shorter loop. It was really confusing on the map, but it was really well marked out, and you would either follow the guy ahead of you, or the golf cart. We then did an acceleration, which I didn't feel the best it, and then we did our stretches, some strides, and were ready for the race.
At the starting line we fit 3 guys side by side in each square and with a bit of room. We started and I had a great start, but I didn't really push it for the start. After the first 300m I went around a few guys and got right behind Jerrell, who was leading the race. Once we hit the hill for the first time, Jerrell slowed a bit. I was told by my coaches and a friend who ran in the college race to not push that first hill. So I didn't push it, and it I later found out not many people did. We got to the top of the hill and turned around and Paxton told me I had about 30 yards on the AF guys, which made me want to speed up and get my distance from them. Jerrell was still behind me here, but Jordon Cross was also right there. Down that hill I relaxed a bit, but still kept a good pace. At the end of the hill. Nothing changed for a while, until we hit mile 1. At mile 1 there is a small hill to the top, and then a downhill again. On the down hill I kept a good pace. After a while though, Brayden McLelland shot passed us. I didn't know what to do really, so I just followed him, and so did Jordon Cross. Jerrell just kept an even distance, but never losing us, a bit like what he did at Murray. When we were going up the hill the second time I could here Brayden breathing extremely hard and Jordon made a move, but that didn't last long, so I made a move and moved to the front. Brayden fell off us after that. Cross and I ran the last bit together. At mile 2 Paxton yelled that our 2nd mile was 5:06. This made me speed up, because I wanted sub-5 miles. After this Jordon and I just dueled it out. At the end I started sprinting because Jerrell could have that kick he had at Murray and I didn't want a repeat of that race. As soon as we passed the finish line for the second time I started sprinting. Coach said it was about a 400-600m from the finish. I sprinted and lost Cross without knowing it, and kept looking back that last 100m to make sure he wouldn't pass me. I landed on the finish with a 15:03.
Good race for me, mentally and physically. I heard the course was around a 3.03, so I'm not sure how far it really is, but as long as I went a sub-5 pace, you won't hear one complaint from me. Our team took 6th, which was really good, but there weren't many teams there either. Still a good team race. | 