The Preston team let me come up with them and that was pretty fun. Warmed up with Kramer and Brayden for about a mile and a half, maybe more. We got ready, Rob Murphy and the Alta crew helped us get ready, and the Preston coach Carson helped me out with getting me water at the start line. I prepared so well for this race, that I said "even if I don't race well, I can probably be in the top 5." A bit cocky of a thing to say, so maybe it wasn't too smart, but I knew I'd prepared. ( Warning, long race report.)
The gun went off, and Brayden flew past Kramer and I, and we ran both got not the greatest of starts. We were probably in the top 50 or 60 when the race bottle-necked. I ran to the outside and ran in the bushes and trees to try and pass people. I probably whose a little too much energy, but I was passing people. Someone yelled to the person next to me that they were 30th. I kept catching people, and when we got to the sand I was on the outside (which curved into the inside), so I hugged the flag and tried to run on the dry sand. Mile split: 4:51ish(Where I wanted to be). It worked out pretty well, and I didn't get passed, and I think I passed a few people running on the outside when the sand was wet, and you could get better traction. I caught up to Andrew Brewer, told him to come with me and try to catch the leaders. I don't think he did. I passed Ricky Faure and told him the same thing, but it was right before the hill, and the same thing happened. I kept passing people down the hill, and passed a bunch on the U-turn after the hill. After that I could see that 2 people were in the lead, and 3 people had fallen off. I recognized one as Elijah. I tried to catch up. Someone behind me was drafting off me, but didn't pass. I passed one guy who fell off hard right before the two mile mark (9:52, slow, but not terrible). It still felt like I was racing here. I was catching up to Elijah and the other guy ahead of him(Johnny). For some reason I thought I was still in 6th after I passed the guy, so I wanted to get top 5 and pass Elijah. This race wasn't turning out so great, but I knew if I passed the group that Elijah was in I would finish in 3rd. Elijah had maybe 2 or 3 seconds on me when we hit the sand. No one was really that close to me, and my legs had tons of energy.
Then I hit the sand and I ran on the dark portion of the sand that wasn't too wet, so I was slipping for the whole 200m or so that I was in the sand, I was using a lot of energy to go no where. Someone passed me here, and they were moving smooth. Elijah obtained a greater lead on me here. I passed the person immediatly after we left the sand. After that I mentally lost it because I'd worked hard to reel Elijah in, but he had lost me. I then got into a different type of racing. My goal instead of passing anyone was instead to not get passed. This is maybe a good strategy if you're in first, but not if you are within striking distance on the people ahead of you. I went up the hill, then down the hill alone. I should've made a move, but didn't. I passed the three mile marker, and just kept running. I sprinted somewhat, looking behind me to make sure I wasn't being passed. I wasn't, but the guy who I was trying to make sure they wouldn't catch me was, and so Tanner(the guy who was catching up to me in the last 200m) started getting really close. I ran just fast enough at the line (half second) to make sure he wouldn't pass me.
I thought I took 6th, but it was actually 5th. Elijah passed Johnny in the sprint and was third. Kramer didn't have a good race either. It was pretty depressing afterward. We cooled down around 2 miles, but my legs still had TONS of energy. It was that last kilometer that I gave up that I was around 12:02 for what I thought was the 4K mark, but it was probably a little early. After I ran two miles alone, and then about a few hours later I ran 3 more. This will be the last race I finish not in the top 3.
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