Willamette River

So a quick crack recap of the opening race of the outdoor season: It sucked.

The last time I was in Oregon was in 2009 for the US Outdoor Championships. I didn't run badly there (closed in 54 to run 3:41.8 but missed finals by a tenth of a second), but missing the final was no fun. The day of the final I was instead doing a long run along the trails in Eugene with Bumbi. We had an early wake-up call for the run (8 am...), I was upset about not being in the final, and I had had too many mt. dews the night before (they weren't really Mt. Dews)...the run wasn't going well, so I stuck my head in the Willamette River. It saved the run.

After the race on Saturday I had to get in mileage because travel wasn't going to allow me to get in a Sunday run. I came up on the spot of the Willamette again and really thought about dunking my head in there again. But I didn't. It looked far too cold.

The fact that I even thought about it shows you how upset I was after my race. It wasn't a good one, and it was my own fault for running like I did. As you can see from the video up top, I got out wayyyyy too slow and then never got myself into good enough position to be in the race.

I have the small excuse of being tripped up with 300 to go, but it was my own fault for being in the position to get tripped up. I still closed fairly well, but I gotta get after it in some upcoming 800s and learn how to race it much better. It had been far too long since I'd been in a good one.

Luckily for me, this was the first race of the season and if I race at the level I'm planning to the rest of the way I'll forget this one ever happened. I'll be at Princeton the 22nd racing another 800 before heading to Penn for the open mile there.

New Spikes

Deja Vu?? - finally time to race for me. (pic courtesy of Kyle Merber)

My old spikes are strewn about the country. The most special ones are under my bed here in New York: the red Milers we won Penn in are there; the navy and white Victorys that I broke 4 in for the first time still have red dust from the mondo of the armory. My home back in Michigan has the important high school spikes: the red, cheetah-spotted Ventulas I ran 1:51 in; the black Kennedys that took me to a 4:10. Then there are the rest of the spikes. They could be anywhere. I gave a pair of MaxCats to my buddy Weeth. I definitely left a pair or two in my locker at Gtown. I donated some to a shoe drive -- so my spikes may be strewn across the globe. My latest pair of spikes has been relegated to workouts. They may go under the bed with the other keepsake spikes, but they didn't have a ton of great moments. But there's a new pair to give status to now.

I love a new pair of spikes. They're different from regular running shoes or training flats...they're sacred. Regular shoes you just put on and go out for a run. Spikes? No, you put them on when you first get them and they clink and clack on your wooden floor as you delicately walk around in them and careen your neck around and around to glance at them to make sure they look cool enough, but spikes are for special occasions: Racing.

I just got a new pair of spikes for the Outdoor Season. It starts up Saturday for me. I'll be catching a flight to Eugene Thursday afternoon after a pre-race workout and then Saturday will be go time. Two laps on the track is all I'll need to get the season going. And it should be a blast.

It is the Pepsi Invitational and it's mostly a college race, but Coach Lanana was nice enough to let Gags put me in the 800 field to get a good season opener going. I haven't seen the field, but it will definitely be a good one as U. of Oregon and OTC have a ton of high quality guys. It will be a very good opportunity to race some fast guys. I'm pumped.

I'll lace up the new spikes and race my butt off.

Last Chance Recap

Rutgers, NJ. The Outdoor Track

The Res Loop and Bridal Path are clear, the weather is decent, and all is good in the world. Because yes folks, it's finally outdoor season. And as we all know, Outdoor is the season that matters. That's where the races matter and the big bucks are made. And I am excited that it is here. First though, a recap of the 8 last weekend and the indoor season...

There were some good things and some bad things to take out of the 8 at Columbia's Last Chance Meet last weekend.

The Bad: I lost. Now I know you can't win them all, but it's still never fun to lose. Especially to a field that you can beat. I didn't feel like I raced that smart, and even though I felt good in the race, I'm still pissed I got beat.

The Good: I felt good in the race and had a pretty darn good kick. In replaying the race in my mind, I got out really well the first 50 and found myself in 4th behind the rabbit, the guy who won, and Gtown's Ulm (who I was on a 7:16 4x8 with). I thought it was perfect. But Ulm let the pace lag a little bit behind the front two and from 250 to 300 I had to make a surge to get back into the race. I was probably through in 53 high or so and had moved up into 3rd and was close to the leaders. 4-600 was pretty relaxed and I think since we all knew it wasn't a super fast race we were getting ready for our drives to the line and the end. A Dartmouth kid moved up on my outside and positioned himself in 2nd to the guy who won. On the backstretch with 120 to go I wanted to move, but The Dartmouth Kid was there, so I had to wait it out around the turn and then when I tried to slingshot my way into the lead, the leader was ready and held me off 1:49.11 to 1:49.16. I closed the final 200 in 26.8, but it wasn't quite good enough.

It was almost an indoor PR and that was a 1:49.07 that came last year in a perfectly set up race where I closed in probably 28high, so I have to be happy with the way this one ended...other than the fact that I got beat.

As has been the case since my first year at Columbia though, now comes the fun part. Indoor Season, as Gags puts it, is more like our exhibition season. It's a time to get into shape, and you definitely want to run well, but the most important part of indoors is getting ready for outdoors. My indoor season only had 3 races - a win in a 1:51.5 800, a 2nd place 3:43.6 1500 and a 2nd place 1:49.16 800...plus a few rabbiting gigs here and there. I'm in some good shape heading into outdoors. So, Let's Go!!

Last Chance

The only picture of me running this year that I know of. If you're looking to donate an awesome black singlet my way, let me know...

Armory. Saturday Night. 800-meters. Last indoor race of the season. Should be a fun one. Hopefully we run fast.

And that's really about it.

Although I do feel somewhat responsible for Charlie Sheen's acts of craziness after I rated his CBS show as the worst in my 2010 Recap. He did send me an email to let me know I was a [expletive deleted] idiot, and that he was winning!

But other than that, not much going on in NY. HEPS was a fun meet to watch as usual. A little disappointing with how much Princeton dominated the meet, but can't really complain about the atmosphere for a track meet.

The training has been going really well lately. I haven't raced since the New Balance 1500, but have gotten in a really good block of training. Hopefully I'm not too rusty for the race, but I dont' think that I will be. Although, jumping into an 800 for the first race in a while always hurts like hell.

After this race, we'll take another break from racing for a bit and gear up for the outdoor season. It is going to be a long one this year, and hopefully I do the European season right this year (three alright races doesn't cut it for a European season). Hopefully I'll start things up in early April to get the racing juices flowing.

If you're in NY, head up to the armory around 8:05 for the 8 on Saturday night.

Gtown Race Recap



The Georgetown Perp Indoor Track...

In all honesty, I was extremely nervous for this race. It was the first one of the year. I was officially coming off of injury. But mostly, I was back on what was once home turf (although this was a Georgetown "Home Meet" it was at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Md.), and I couldn't bomb my first race of the season with all my friends watching! Delilah noticed, claiming, "you never stopped eating!"

But, I pulled things together and got together a really nice opening weekend of racing. We'll look at it running diary style:

8am - wake up, 10 minute shakeout run in what we felt was a "balmy" DC day that registered around 35 degrees. I hate the Northeast.

9:45am - after an $18 (sub-par) buffet breakfast from the hotel, we all cabbed over to Gtown -- we stayed at the Key Bridge Marriot -- and got on the bus with the team.

10am - upon entry of the bus, I was showered with boos from the Georgetown team. I leave places right.

10:30am - we arrive at Georgetown Prep for Georgetown's "Home Meet". This facility is unreal. I wish I would have gone to high school here, but I don't think my parents would have been willing to shell out $48,000.

12:00pm - after some sitting around in the surprisingly chilly track facility, I realize that I don't have any caffiene for my 1:35 race. I call Liz Maloy, and she saves the day with a 5-Hour-Energy.

12:15pm - I almost throw up when I chug the 5-Hour. Then I get jacked up for my warm-up. Things are starting to shape up as the nerves are settling a little.

12:45pm - Alex (teammate on the NJ-NY Track Club) and I warm up. We do our walking drills, run 20 minutes, then do some stretching and get ready for the race with some strides. All said, it takes about 40 minutes...then you leave 5-10 minutes for things like bathroom breaks.

1:35pm - FINALLY, race time. I headband up, do a few mini-stretches. "Runner's to your mark!....BAM!"
--we're going. Theon (a stud for Gtown) takes the race out fairly quickly and I find myself in 4th place with Brian Hencke and Alex in front of me as well. John Maloy is right near me as well. We come through the first lap in around 26 (i'm probably 27). Not much jostling goes on the 2nd lap and I'm still on the rail in about 4th place. I hear 53 for the leaders and I am probably 54 mid for the 400. I'm focusing on keeping the pace up and Theon is still leading at a pretty good effort. Around the backstretch I can tell some things are about to happen and then on the turn, Alex takes off for the lead. I pass Brian on the inside of the turn then as we straighten out with 250 to go I move by Theon to answer Alex's move. We are through in 1:22-3 and I am up on Alex's heels staying focused and feeling good. He's charging pretty hard but then backs off some on the backstretch. I think about moving by him, but Gags told us to race to win that morning so I hold off for one push in the final 50. Alex struggles through the turn and I slingshot off it into the lead and pull away over the straight to win 1:51.55 to 1:52.05. It was a very good opening race.

1:40pm - we jog 20 minutes, then stretch.

2:30pm - we have to jog 20 minutes again to get ready for the 4x800. I didn't get to double all last year, and even though I wasn't looking forward to the pain of another 800, I know it's good long run.

3:30pm - after redoing all the walking drills, strides, all that pre-race stuff, we take off for the 4x8. Alex led off and handed it to me in the lead. I went out very hard...definitely too hard. Splits were 26, 53, 1:22, 1:52. Yikes, that is coming back slow. I was hurting afterwards as well. I liked going out hard for it though, Coach Henner always used to like us getting out hard early in the season because it makes it easier to do so later on, and I definitely by into that philosophy.

4:00pm - 15 more minutes of jogging and some hurdle drills. Day done: 1:51.55, 1:52.4split, on a flat track, I'll take it for a first race.

--
The meet at Georgetown was awesome. The Hoyas also invited our NJ-NY Track Club to an alumni event with hours d oeuvres and good times. It was a great event, and hopefully it turns into a yearly thing. It was great to go back to Gtown, and I'm hoping all the guys and girls can put together a great season.

Now, this week, I'm running a 1500 at the Armory for the New Balance Indoor games. Hopefully I'm ready to go for it, and hopefully I don't nervously eat the whole morning.

"800s"

Ben Zeeb, Andy Tolliver, and I before a workout at the Bath High School Track...Spring 2004

THE WORKOUT: 

"I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,

Straining upon the start." - Shakespeare, "Henry V"

The wind picked up on the backstretch, as it usually did. All bunched up and taking slow, mincing steps, we barely noticed it. I found myself surrounded. It was an odd feeling for a workout, especially in high school. The skinny legs of Chris Stoddard pumped directly in front of me. Brett Domeyer's choppy stride  was in front of me to the right. To my right was Phillip Liesenhoff (a German exchange student), to my left was the rail. Behind me Ben Zeeb and Andy Tolliver (our two best sprinters) ran effortlessly. We couldn't have been going faster than seven minute per-mile pace, but there was only 250-meters to go in the interval. Thirty-meters later and nothing had changed. Then, all at once:

"Cowards!!*" Phil yelled as his stride quickened, he moved to the outside, and took off at full speed blowing by Chris and Brett and into the lead going into the turn. Almost immediately Andy and Ben were past me, pursuing the fleeing Phil. Chris and Brett tried gamely to match the surge, but their distance oriented leg speed wasn't enough to do it.

Phil, Andy and Ben were telescoping away from us as we rounded the turn.

I had known it was coming. The workout was an 800 meter interval where the first 400 was purposely slow. Then, at any point on the next 400, someone could take off, but they had to sprint to the finish. So it could be a 400 meter sprint, or it could be only 120...either way, you were sprinting your balls off once someone went. We would usually do 3 or 4 of the intervals. It was fun, but it also taught you how to race. Because I was excelling at the high school level, we would sometimes throw the sprinters into the mix to make these "800s" more interesting for everybody.

I quickly moved by Chris and Brett (sadly in lane 2 of the track) as Phil had 10 yards on me; Ben and Andy only 5. Around the bend I reeled them in some, then moved into lane 3 as the track straightened out and the finish line came into view. Phil was 5 yards ahead now as Ben and Andy were only a step in front of me. We were all well into our final sprint now and barely managed to hold our form together as we all became even with only 20 meters left.

We composed a blanket finish of 4 as we leaned across the line with Brett and Chris only a few ticks of the clock back. Phil went to the infield, found a resting spot, and splayed himself on the grass. Ben, Andy, and I grasped our knees and sucked for air around us. Coach Roberson -- the mastermind behind the workout -- came up to us: "25 seconds for the last 200, nice work guys!" We all murmured less than understandable responses. My headache wouldn't subside for hours.

*We actually wouldn't yell "Cowards." The rule was that you had to yell a disgusting word as you took off...none of these words are appropriate for this blog.
--
Those were the days of high school running. Work your butt off and then see what happened on race day. It seems that I'm back in that mode of training, and I'm pretty happy about it. At Columbia and Georgetown I would probably have a "workout headache" once every two months. Lately, they have been coming once every two weeks, sometimes even more. When you start workouts with 2:59 1200s or 54 second 400s I guess that's what happens.

Getting excited for the indoor season to start. The New Jersey/New York TC will be in DC next weekend opening the season up. I'm pretty jacked for it. Hoping to race like we would in those Bath workouts...

In All Honesty

First of all, some housekeeping information. Due to the lack of ability for me to get a comment box using iWeb as my program for creating runLBP.com, I will also be using a blogging service to post my articles. This way it will be easier to navigate the entries and check out my posts. Plus, you’ll be able to post comments, and if you’re a google user, it will be easy to subscribe or “follow” my blog. So now you can head to http://runLBP.blogspot.com, or click on the link at the top of each page that says, “Head to Blog!” (The articles will all still be on runLBP.com, so just head to the archive link at the bottom of the homepage to find it.) But back to some regular programming…

Apparently, I say the words, “in all honesty,” all the time. I hadn’t ever thought about it, but a freshman that I was spending too much time with called me out on it. And in all honesty, he was right (see, I did it right there! I can’t control myself). The saying really isn’t a problem, but it does imply that I lie enough to make a point of letting people know when I’m telling the truth. And once I started looking into the way I speak, and stopping myself every time I started saying it, I thought about the etiquette in telling someone something like that. A freshman told me after about a year of hanging out with me and just then had the nerve to say something. Oh I’m upset with him because now I stress about the way I talk, but he felt comfortable telling me, so you gotta give him credit for that.

Running etiquette is a funny thing. There are a few unspoken rules when you’re running with someone. You don’t one step when you’re running with someone (one-stepping being the act of running the same pace as someone, but one step in front of them), you go silent when the other person clearly doesn’t feel like talking, and overall, you try to go with the flow when running with someone. Sure, there are exceptions to these rules, you may be the one who doesn’t feel like talking so your running buddy better get the drift.

This week, I faced a running etiquette snafu while out in Rock Creek Park. I was running along minding my own business and on the way back of an out and back 55 minute run. I was charging up the last little stretch of a long hill and noticed a gentlemen to my right who was walking. I waved and nodded at him and continued on. But he started running and latched right onto me. Not a word crept out of his mouth, just footsteps crunching on the dirt trail behind me. I was upset. Had he asked if he could jog with me for a few minutes, I would have been upset, but I would have obliged. But without a word he was sitting on me like I do to someone I am trying to beat in a mile.

For a brief moment I thought about dropping the hammer, but I was tired from my workout the day before. Finally after descending the hill I had just run up and heading towards home I turned around mid-stride:
“Are you kidding me right now?” I said to him.
“I was bored running by myself,” he responded.
“You don’t just do this,” I shot back.
“No one’s ever had a problem with it be—” I cut him off.
“Well you’re pissing me off,” I snapped back and jogged to the right as he stopped.

Yeah, I’m not usually a mean guy while out running, but when you mess with the running etiquette, you might hear some words from me. So if you want to run with me, just ask…
--
Raced in Indianapolis this weekend. Hearing the timer call out 23, 24 as I passed the 200 mark, I thought I might be in trouble. Coming through in 51low, I really knew. Yet for some reason I tried to make a pass during 4-600, and it ended up biting me in the ass. I still ran 1:48.97 while rigging home. And while I think that I can run in the 1:46’s in the right situation, this will be a big help come USAs. Coach Henner always likes it when we rig, because, he says, the next time we go out that fast we wont.

Also, the meet in Indianapolis sucked. Due to some serious thunderstorms, I didn’t get to race until midnight. Meanwhile, I traveled out there with some Gtown girls (the picture for this article) and stayed with my brother and the Columbia folk. They were all running the 1500 and didn’t get to race until 1:30 am. It was awful. But they all ran pretty well, and I was able to see Jeff Moriarty break my school record in the 1500 at Columbia. He ran a tough race, leading from 1k out and dropped a 3:42.51 for 3rd place, eclipsing my mark of 3:42.91. So congrats to him, even though he didn’t even know my website existed and the wind in Indy wasn’t strong enough at all.

Only two weeks until USAs. I can’t tell you how excited I am getting. Des Moines here we come! Let’s Go!

Family Records

The spiked shoes on the runner in front of him gripped the cinders and then tossed them out behind. His Chuck Taylors failed to have the same effect as they slid across the black surface. With “FRASER T&F” stitched onto his singlet in blue and gold, and a budding pony-tail flowing in the wind behind him, the runner in the Chucky T’s labored past the spiked runner and crossed the finish line in first place.

His time for the ½-mile: 2:00.0

And with that a family record was born. It was the late 60s, and 2-flat for a freshman was promising to say the least. That runner was my Dad, and as a freshman in high school, the guy could run.

Walter Pett decided to stop running after that year (he claims he hated the coach), but his two-minute half would live on for years to come.

My brother and I have encyclopedic minds when it comes to our track times. (My mile PR’s from 7th grade on: 5:20, 4:54, 4:38, 4:21, 4:17, 4:10, 4:09, 4:08, 4:06, 4:04, 3:59, 4:00.) And because of this, we have a set of family records. Call it the Boylan-Pett Record Book. We have categories for each age group. There’s seventh grade 800, which Will has at 2:19, and 12th grade 3200, which Will has at 9:31. Then there’s every other age group and record ranging from 800-3200, which I have. Juust kidding, Will has freshman year 1600 and most 3200s as well.

Will and I dominate the record books. Only one record didn’t have the name Will or Liam next to it. It was the 800 (or half-mile, since that’s what they ran back in the 60s) for 9th grade: and the 2:00 remained the record after I was only able to run a 2:01 as a relay split.

But this week, there were some changes made to the record book, which is now titled the Boylan-Pett/Pett/Fanta Records. That’s because Annie, my little sister, decided to drop a 63.7 one-lapper as a seventh grader! Yiikes that is moving! Congrats to Annie for moving her skinny little self around the track so quick. I’m looking forward to see what her and her teammates can do the rest of the track season as they have some fast girls rocking the Mid-Michigan track circuit.
--
Training went well this week. I’m looking forward to heading out to Minneapolis to run a road mile on Thursday night. Back to some good old fashioned street racing, and I really can’t complain about that. It is shaping up to be a really good field, and I’m starting to get pretty jacked up for it.

Got to actually run some fast stuff in practice on Friday as I did 3x600 with the first two at 1:26.6 and then 1:26.4. Then ran the last one in 1:21 after coming through the first 200 in 28high. Nice to get back to some 800 paced stuff and starting to get sharp for some racing...

That’s all for this week: the picture is in honor of Mother’s Day and my favorite Mom quote of all: “She just shown on me like the sun.” Happy Mother’s Day!

Let’s GO!!

Disappointments

(editor’s note: please excuse this if any of it is odd, namely the picture...I wrote this entry while lying on the floor of the Denver airport really hoping that my plane would skip its layover in Detroit and fly us straight back to DC...alas, it didn’t.)

They don’t always work the way you draw them up. That seemed to be my indoor season. As I mentioned last week, I hate almosts. This indoor season was full of almosts.

I flew into Albuquerque with the main goal of making the final of the 800. It was a doable goal, but nonetheless a tough one. Then I found out that they only took 6 runners into the final. Making the final was going to be tough, but why fly 2000 miles across the country just for one day of racing? Especially after seeing my heat was full of guys that I could beat on a good day.

The only goal was to win the heat, regardless of how fast or slow it was so that I was guaranteed a spot for Sunday. Discussing the race beforehand with Coach, we decided that we would count on what has worked for me so many times in the past: my kick. It’s a gamble a lot of times, to rely completely on a kick, but sometimes what makes it fun is also what bites you in the ass.

That’s what happened on Saturday. I found myself in a pretty good position with 200 to go, but come 100, the gamble hadn’t paid off and my kick wasn’t what it can sometimes be. Hernandez and Gagnon pulled away and I just didn’t have the pop to stick with them.

It was disappointing for sure, as was the indoor season as a whole. Penn State almost worked out with me finding a kick but I got tripped up and slowed down, New York was almost quick enough, but turned out to be a jog, Boston I almost felt good but felt terrible instead, and USA’s turned out to be a struggle in the thin air of New Mexico.

Now, it’s back on the grindstone and I am hungry for what is to come Outdoors. I’ll finally get to run some fast 1500s after the year of six 3:41s and hopefully dip below that solid yet un-phenomenal times.

(And yes, that picture may not make sense, however, I cannot wait until it is warm again and the snow in DC is gone, so just go with it and enjoy the setting Oregon Sun.)
--
It was a down week of training, but over the next five or six weeks of pure training I will keep you updated on what I’m doing with some nice descriptions of the workouts.

Hopefully we can see the progress that gets me nice and ready to pop some nasty ones on the 400-meter oval. Let’s Go!

State College, New York, Boston

Race, Race, Race. That was the point of the last three weeks. So we traveled, and we raced. While none of the performances were great, a lot of progress was made.

The week before my debut for the 2010 season I was thrust into a workout with Andrew Bumbalough (aka, Bumbi). We were doing 500s and 300s with the 5s at 3k pace and the 3s at mile pace. I was nervous about the 500s and Bumbi was nervous about the 3s (both of us scared of the other’s prowess at longer (him) and shorter (me) distances). The problem was, I wasn’t ready for either. Sandy Roberts jumped in with us (no slouch himself being a 4:01 miler) and we got right after it coming through the first 4 of the 500 in 63 and then running the 300 in 43high. Heavy breathing commenced, and I knew I was in for it. I struggled through the first 3 sets before being dropped like a bag of rocks in the 4th. I watched helplessly and cursing at myself as Bumbi and Sandy glided through their final 300 in 42low. How the hell was I going to race when I couldn’t finish a workout? Especially against a kid who just ran 2:19 for 1k from Penn State in an 800?

Coach mentioned jumping into the 1k so I could be in a little more relaxed first race. I half-heartedly agreed and then went home to get my mind off the terrible workout. In all honesty I was pretty worried about the entire season.

But then I remembered something. If you want to get good, you have to go out and race people. Even when you’re not ready. Last fall after I struggled through the 5th Avenue Mile, Coach sat me down in his office and told me: “If you really want to do this, you have to be ready to race at all times. If there’s a race, we’re going to run it, and we’re going to do the best we can that day.”

I emailed coach that night after the workout: “I want to run the 8 next weekend. If I rig, I rig, but let’s get out there and race some people, it’s the only way I know how.”

So that’s where we are. I haven’t popped a great one yet, but after having never cracked 1:51 in the 800 indoors I have two sub 1:50s under my belt this year. Now I’m going to get back on the block and get ready to race my ass of at USAs. The altitude is going to suck, the race is going to be hard as hell, but its go time, and whether I’m ready or not, I better get out and get after it.
--
Training has stayed consistent even with the racing and the buttload of snow that has been dumped on DC. Definitely did some treadmill running and definitely got stuck in Georgetown (away from my Columbia Heights home) for a few nights, but snow running makes you tougher, at least that’s what I keep telling myself. The race up in Boston didn’t go exactly as planned…The UConn guys (Rutt and Gagnon) worked me and pulled away from me the last 200 meters. I just couldn’t find that extra gear, but the plan is for it to be there in 2 weeks in New Mexico.

68 miles on the week and planning to hit 70 next week before backing it off a little bit for USAs…Let’s Go!

Superstitions

Yesterday was the official open to my 2010 track and field campaign. In all honesty, I was fairly nervous about how it would go. Training has been going fairly well, but jumping in to a fast 800 for an opening race can be a daunting thing (especially considering my training has been geared towards making me stronger and the only thing I had done faster than 60 pace all year was this past Monday when I did some 160 striders at 52 pace). However, the show must go on, and you've got to race to get better, so I got out there and went after it.

There were good and bad parts to the race. The good: thankfully the pace didn't feel unbearable. I was through in probably 52.8 and it didn't feel that terrible. The bad: I didn't position myself well enough in the first 200 meters and ended up tripping up over a runner I should have been in front of with 150 meters to go. I finished in 1:49.08 and had probably the best opening race to my season in recent memory (or ever, since all of my memories are fairly recent). I'm definitely upset that I didn't position myself, but pumped with the start to the season and knowing that I can pop a 1:48low right now. But, 1:49 will have to do for now, and definitely excited for what's about to go on the rest of the season.

While I was warming up for the race I had the newest Lady Gaga song stuck in my head (ra ra, ga ga ga-ah, ra ra, ga ga)...which brings me to the title of this journal entry, and a question that I pose to the reader. In terms of superstitions, when do we kick them and when do we keep them?

During my warmup I thought to myself: "What if I run really well? Does this mean that I need to have the Lady Gaga song stuck in my head for every race?"

And its a very interesting little conundrum. If something works for you even if you don't like it that much do you do it still?
--
Training this week went well. Other than the snow that shortened my long run, I was pretty syked about how it went. Got in 68 miles and even with a race did a tough 4xmile workout on Tuesday. Ran 4:52, 4:47, 4:40, 4:37 with two and half minutes rest in between each one. Tough stuff for a guy like me, but got through it and then was ready for the race.

We also made a little progress on my racing schedule. It looks like I will be up at the Armory for a mile next weekend at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational and then will be heading to Boston for my last tune-up before USA Indoors to do an 8 Valentine's weekend. Pretty excited about what's to come....Let's Go!

(ps - enjoy yet another dunk as this week's picture)

An Introduction to runLBP.com

Welcome! This little blurb will be an introduction to what you can expect from runLBP.com and from me as I try to give you a glimpse into my life as a runner.

For those of you who don't me, I am Liam Boylan-Pett (also known in some running circles as "The Headband Kid" and "LBP" (hence the name of the site)). Having just finished up my collegiate eligibility last spring after some successful stints at Columbia and Georgetown, I'm trying to make it as a professional runner. With this website I'm hoping to give viewers a look into what I hope is what it takes to make the jump to be a successful professional track athlete.

I am also hoping that the site is entertaining. My articles (I hate the word blog for some reason) are not going to be purely training based, but rather some random thoughts as well. My goal with this is to show who I am not only as a runner, but who I am as a person. I always used to get this idea of people on Flotrack and Let'sRun as being larger than life, but as I met a good deal of them last year I realized they're all regular people too.

There will be a new article on the site every Sunday (most likely in the night). It will be a journal type entry that will go over something I have been thinking about on my runs, and then a look into my training and workouts from the past week. Also make sure to check out the archives in case you've missed an entry or want to check from my previous blog that goes over my European trip from last summer. On top of that, I will always be updating my "list" section with fun articles or books I think the public should enjoy. Be sure to check out race videos and interviews, along with a few projects I worked have worked on in the footage section of the site. And also, a special treat in the form of a Runion article (which are spoof type running articles I write for fun) can be expected every once in a while.

For now, this intro will remain the centerpiece of the front page, but soon enough, every new article will be the main attraction. Each week, the newest article will be available in full on the front page. The last three will also be available in snippets, and be sure to click on the “Archive” at the bottom of the homepage to check out my past entries as well.

This is my first attempt at a site on this web we call world wide, so bear with me in the coming months. But I am looking forward to adding even more pages and fun aspects to the site. Check out the site, let me know what you think by contacting me through the “contact me” at the bottom of the page. Stay tuned for more Runion articles, more Will Run For Food type videos. Most importantly, stay in touch to see how I survive my first year as a B-list Runner! As always, Let's Go!

Racing and all that Jazz

It was April of 2007, and the Columbia Middle-Distance Crew was getting ready for their trip out to California for the warm weather and the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays. Senior Kent Collins was the captain of that team.

If you know Kent, then you will know that this conversation actually did take place. (My family had the pleasure of meeting Kent this year when the Final Four was in Detroit and he and my brother went. I will not be surprised if he is a topic of conversation at family dinners for years to come.)

It was the night before we left on an early morning flight, here is how the conversation went:

KENT: Hey man, make sure to bring two extra pairs of underwear.
ME: Haha, why?
KENT: dude, you always bring two extra pairs of underwear…one in case you poop your pants, and one in case your roommate poops his. (He said it as if I was stupid for even asking.)
ME: Well, what if we both, um, you know? And then one of us does it a second time?
KENT: Well you pray to God that both you and your roommate followed the rule…otherwise, two total pants poopings is all you get.

I have brought two extra pairs of underwear on every track trip since.

And sorry if bathroom humor is not your thing…I think Annie will at least laugh at this, and if not then I have some maturing to do for sure.

Even though I am fine in one department as far as dressing myself, I did not bring enough running t-shirts. I simply have started doubling and tripling up uses of shirts, and these are those dry-fit ones, so they don’t smell too great. Definitely going to do some laundry on Sunday after the race. I don’t own enough running shorts to get me through two and a half weeks. As far as normal clothes, I am set, but mainly because I have reverted to my childhood travel method of wearing the same thing for an entire trip. When I was younger, it was this godawful University of Michigan T-shirt that had the spray-painted graffiti style made popular in the early to mid 90s. The thing was real comfortable though. Now, I am constantly in my cargo sweatpant shorts…they are the most comfortable thing ever. I got them from Will via Delilah, and they are working wonders for me.

Finally get to race tomorrow! Really can’t wait. Felt normal during my strides today. I don’t like to feel too good on strides because then I start thinking that I timed it wrong, but I’ve learned that how you feel the day before has no influence on how you’ll race…hell it doesn’t even really matter how you feel 5 minutes before the race because once the gun goes off anything can happen.

Erison will be there as well after he had thought he was taking a break. We’ll probably go grab a beer after the meet. It should be a blast. Check Flotrack and they’ll have a video of the race up pretty soon after it happens. I’ll be the guy in the headband.

July 18, 2009
Well, the first one didn’t go quite to plan, but it wasn’t any reason to come running home either. I think I was just a little rusty. Having not raced since the first round of USAs back at the end of July, I think it was a lot to ask for a really great race today. And even though it wasn’t great, there were some positive notes. I got out pretty well, but then never really relaxed. I run best when running fast yet composed, and I was always a little tense out there, maybe nerves, maybe rustiness, who knows? If I can relax and run hard then I can probably get after the next one.

It was good to see Erison again, it was windy as hell out on that track today, and for him there is no one to hide behind. He took 4th in a slow time (not exactly sure what his was, but 46.3 should not be winning a meet the quality of Heusden).
I told him that I couldn’t imagine being over here for the 12 week stint he’s in the middle of. “It’s like prison,” he told me: “You can’t look at the end, kind of just have to deal with it.”

And I don’t think he really feels like its like prison, but the guy just likes to see his friends every once in a while…I know this because if he is happy to see me, then something has to be up.

Other than that, the track was really cool, a ton of people there. It had more of a minor league baseball game feel to it: a bunch of people sitting on lawn seats drinking beer and relaxing while enjoying sport.

The only problem with being around a bunch of runners is that you hear “what could have gone better” about 8000 times per day. I love running and all, but lets just accept that it’s a hard sport and there are A LOT of “what ifs.” Race and then move on, try to learn from it, but in the end, that’s all you can do.

And in other news, I don’t see why no one told me to read East of Eden before (and yes, I know there are probably more than a few people who did tell me to do so)…if it weren’t 600 pages long, I would be done with it by now. I am scared to death of Cathy, and I like how the scar on the forehead plays a role in the unique ones. It reminds me of Harry Potter, of which the 6th movie I have not seen yet. I was going to try to go here, but everything is too expensive, so I’m going to wait until I’m back stateside and dress up like Dumbledore and head to the theater.

“Of course it’s happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth does that mean it’s not real?”