Time trial part 2: it was what it was. Just over ten years ago, I came to the NMHS track to time trial an 800 and 400 before my mission. In light of my time on Tuesday, I made a secondary goal to run faster than I did then (1:58.53). Main goal was sub-2. Things have changed in the past 10 years. They keep the back door locked and had lots of threats about trespassing. Thankfully, I noticed some people arriving on the field for soccer practice, and when I went through the main entrance, all seemed fine, although due to recent experiences I was on high alert to be kicked out. I was sad to see the track wasn't in great condition. Anyway, I went out in 58. That was faster than I had the last time I did this, but I knew I was pushing it and every second would count. So I gave what I had. I lost no more than a quarter second moving lanes becuase a soccer player wasn't looking where they were going. Hit the line in 2:00.92. This was quite dissapointing. On the other hand, I have only run a handful of 200s, and none of them (or anything else I have done) has been at sub 2 pace this year (or in recent years, tbh). So I'm not sure quite what to blame the performance on- fatigue from a 12-hour travel day yesterday, a little extra weight, lack of speed work, or just getting older (often the shorter the distance, the earlier the athletes peak). But, ultimately I need to recognize that placing high in races or winning prize money isn't really why I run. The main reason why I train for things is because it motivates me to keep running, and by continuing to run, I stay healthy. And you don't need to be a sub-2 guy at 28 years old to enjoy the health benefits of running.
Back to longer distances!
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