C Mantz Running

   I cut the workout short today, just trying to make sure I'm fresh for Friday and Saturday.  Instead of 5 miles tempo, I did 4.  I was running well, and feeling good, but I thought it'd be better for the race.  Total time:20:54 for the tempo.  3 miles easy after.

   9, long and easy. I'll do some speed work tomorrow.  Ran with Tyson, Ethan and Jordan. 

   3 easy on my own later.  I felt great!

    6 miles with 4X200m in them.  Not as fast as they should've been(probably), but seemed like they were good.  They hurt, so that's a good sign I think.

    I wasn't able to run much.  My hamstrings were hurting a bunch, and then it was pre-meet anyway, so that was good.

     After a long 5 hour drive up to Boise, we checked into our hotel, and then went to the meet.  We had a little bit of time until the two mile started, so we bumbed around a little, and then Kyler, Ethan, Stockton, and I warmed up for about a mile and a half.  Then I watched Claire finish (12:17 in her first two mile!), and then got ready with Kyler. My hamstring hurt a ton, but I cared more about the mile anyway, so today I just was planning on sitting on Elijah and kicking.  Well the opposite happened.  The gun went off, and after about 100 meters, I was in the lead.  I felt pretty good.  First 400m wasn't too fast, but it felt comforable.  I can't remember splits, but Tyson told me later.  Pretty early on, it was just me in front, Elijah right behind and Andrew Rafla (PR before this was 9:31).  Somewhere in the race, I was lapping someone, and then cut out in front of me, and then I tried going around them, but they sprinted so I had to stick in lane 2.  I put on some surges in the race, but they responded well to them.  With 800m to go, my hammy tightened up a little.  My next 400m was the slowest we ran, 1:10.  I then tried to make a move to lose Elijah, but didn't have the rigth mentallity.  I just kept pushing it, but with 150m left, Elijah passed me and I lost it mentally.  I didn't think I killed myself a ton, but ended up running a 1:04 the last 400m, which means Elijah's was 1:03.  Full 2 miles, not 3200m, so converted it was like a 9:05 or 06, close to my PR. Also, a very strange thing.  I negative split the race. And I led most of it.  This usually never happens for me. 4:35 first mile, 4:34 second.

     I feel great about this race. Even though I wanted the win, I was happy I was able to run fast and being beat by Elijah is better than other people.  He's a great runner, and he's pretty nice to everyone too.  I cooled down with Kyler, Ethan and Stockton, but Kyler was feeling really sick, so he had to leave early.  We got tons of stuff in our shoes, so that kinda sucked.

      I will report on this race later.  Good race for me.  I planned on not leading it at all, but led from 100m to 1410m.  Elijah's last 200m was flying, and mine wasn't so much.

    If you've already read the one about the 3200m, then it's almost the same.  I warmed up with everyone, and then we got ready to race.  Tyson had an epic race in his heat and his time was the 6th fastest of the day, and then we lined up.  Before the race my hamstrings weren't hurting, but my hips were.  Before the race Elijah told me there were a lot of good 800m runners in this race(kickers), so we were going to have to make it fast to run well. I wasn't planning on being the one to take the pace out fast, but I got next to Elijah, and he slowed down to let me in and lead(because he thought I wanted to and he didn't want to make me pass on the turn) and we came across the 200m at 32.  That was slower than what I wanted, so I sped up the pace.  I came across 400m at 63, so just a little fast.  I stayed in the same effort for the next 400m(2:08ish), and then the next lap wasn't fast. 

      By this time I felt like I went out too fast, and my arms were hurting(lack of arm and core strenghtning.  Need to work on that) With 600m to go, I made a surge, but Elijah matched it. I kept thinking of Boston, and how I wanted to go so bad(winner gets his way paid to Boston to the New Balance Grand Prix). I didn't look back, but hoped I had gained ground on him.  With 400m to go, I think I slowed, and with 200m to go, Elijah passed me, and I don't know what happened.  I usually can kick well, but I thought I could get him on the straightaway, but I didn't put any effort in to keep up with him.  He ended up 4:16, I was 4:18.25, and Andrew was 4:18.55(he almost caught me.  Thank goodness it was 1609 meters, not 1620.)  Good race for me, but missed my goal of winning.  Maybe next year or something. I cooled down with the Sky View guys for 2 miles, then ran mile to 2 miles on my own, then I saw Elijah, his dad and brother, and ran with them. 

    3 miles later, when I got home.  It was planned to be easy(make up for not doing a long run this week), but ended up pushing it a lot more.  I just thought about the race, and how I wished I could've pushed it a little more and been in better shape, but I gave it my all, or close enough to my all that I wouldn't have been in a different place.