You've got to want it to win it

This morning before early breakfast (the hotel stops serving it at 8:30!) I grabbed my iPod and went for a mile shakeout run out and back on University Drive.

Tonight at 9:30 (California time, so 10:30 Utah time!) Amanda joined me for my warmup.  I showed her part of the Footlocker course, the first loop around the corral.  It was super dark but we made it out alive!  And then we just decided to stay on the field where there was some stadium lights keeping it visible.  Then I went for final check in to get my stickers, and I changed into my spikes.  They let us onto the track to continue warming up once the race before us started.  I was feeling fabulous and very fresh during my strides and drills.  I was sticker 23 and ended up being the last person to start on the first waterfall line which gave me a bit of extra room on the side.  The plan was to stay with the group and be patient the first mile.  And in memory of Stanford, not to make myself get boxed in by going to the inside.  The first 3 laps I hit even 80s and it was going good.  Except for the girls that would cut me off as they went to the outside to try to move up.  Then I would cut off other girls moving into the open inner spot... It was not like Stanford here, now we were only about 3 wide and there wasn't too much moving around.  I don't remember what I came through the mile at, but here I started to slip.  I knew that I would need to be pushing really hard to keep up the even splits and that I could make it easier by working with the pack.  Then the pack broke away and I was running with just 2 other girls.  I didn't think we were last so I just told myself to keep pushing with them so that maybe I could get back into it.  Eventually both of them broke away from me and then I was running by myself :(  And I couldn't make myself push like I knew I needed :(  Still I didn't give up.  I told myself that I wasn't last!  I was trying really hard at that point just to stay positive and to pull myself back together for a strong finish.  Kep stopped calling out my splits after a while so I knew that wasn't a good sign.  Then, assuming that my back was causing me trouble he told me to step off rather than overdo it.  That, however, was not the problem at all.  I felt very bloated.  In my efforts to stay hydrated in the 100 degree weather, I drank more water than my kidneys could get rid of.  I guess I didn't even really need to drink so much seeing as the sun had gone down hours before my race and it had cooled down significantly.  With 1000 to go I was able to pick it up a little bit (or at least that's what I felt, maybe I was just pushing to stay the same pace...) but also at that point I was determined that I was not going to be lapped!  That goal in mind kept me going with 800 to go, then 600, and when I reached the final 400 and still had not been passed I was satisfied.  Then I tried to pick it up the last lap, but wasn't quite able to get all the way out (again because of my stomach) and by the time I finished the clock wasn't even running anymore.  And then I turned around to find that I actually was last.  I got a lot of pity claps.  But I was glad that I finished despite Kep misreading my slowness and warning me to back off.  Before I was even off the track to change shoes, Kep was at the fence waiting for me.  We talked for a few minutes about all the things that went wrong.  I first told him that my back was not causing me any troubles, but that I had been overhydrating.  Next, I mentioned that I had tapered a bit for this race and for Stanford, and I think that is a problem.  He said that for some reason, women don't function as well with cutting mileage down more than 20%.  Lesson learned.  While my legs were very fresh, this is not the type of race that benefits most from it.  Fresh legs work better for quicker races where you are going to need an explosive kick, like the mile and shorter events.  Finally I was able to exit the track to change shoes.  Then Kep talked to me about how the pack was different.  He says he thinks I would do a lot better if the girls races went more like the guys races and turned into a long line of people!  Thinking back on it, if I had made myself take the inside at some point I think that would have been better for me because I would have to follow the person in front of me closely and also keep the pace up so that the person behind me won't trample me.  Once I had changed shoes I grabbed my iPod and cooled down for 2 miles in the field by the track.  My legs felt way too fresh and energetic during that, it was a weird feeling!  I am definitely going to be more careful about tapering in the future!