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!!

Sugar

Mucho.

We had hoped that I was going to get into the Boston Indoor Games and the stacked mile field this weekend. Up until last night we hadn't been told no yet. Then this morning they came out with the start list without my name. It was disappointing. Gags picked us up at the armory this morning, said it sucked, and we drove on. I was in the back, pretty upset that I wasn't racing. "You depressed?" Gags asked. "Yeah, kinda, I wanted to race," I said. "Well tough sugar" (Gags' word he tries to use instead of the four letter one that begins with S). "You didn't get in, we move on."

Right he was. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, it was time to go to work. Rob (Novak) and I powered our way through an awesome extended speed workout and even popped some 66 second 500s in there.

Yeah, it would have been awesome to be in the race with Webb, Willis, Manzano, but nothing we can do about it now. So what's going to happen now is I'm going to work my ass off for the next month and then I'll get to race at Columbia's Last Chance Meet the first weekend of March. Hoping to do something special in that race to get me excited for the outdoor season.

In the meantine, and to avoid the depression of not running the race this weekend, I'll be living by the Ron Swanson (of "Parks and Recreation" one of my best tv shows of 2010) Pyramid of Greatness (see above pic) and avoiding the Yin-Yang of Failure:

Nada.

Snow

Central Park Snowstorm

Last week I complained about the snow. "I get it, Universe," I said. "New York looks awesome under a foot of snow. But can we please get a break from these winter storms??"

But the Universe didn't listen. Instead, it dumped another load of snow over my favorite city.

I reluctantly--and slowly due to the snow--walked to the gym and got my morning run in on the treadmill. I cursed as I tredged my way through the snow to the subway for work. I almost cried as I nearly slipped walking across Columbia's College Walk after work. Then I talked myself into going outside for my shakeout run that evening.

But the gods work in mysterious ways. Because once I reached Central Park the hate left.

The park was peaceful, the snow was bright white, and the air was fresh. I watched my exhales float away from me and disappear. I enjoyed the crunching sound my shoes made with each step on the thin layer of snow covering the road. I actually loved the snow in the park. Like my younger self, I had the urge to ruin a spot of perfect, untouched snow; so I jumped on it. It was only a 30-minute run, but I wanted it to last longer. Still, I turned around and headed home.

Leaving the park at 110th and Central Park West, I had a renewed perception of the snow. Even the sight of the slush at the crosswalk a block later at 110th and Manhattan Ave. couldn't dampen my spirits.

Then it deceived me.

I jumped for a longer stride to avoid a pile of snow. My left foot landed on what I thought was sturdy ground, but the slush wasn't solid and my foot kept going down, down, down, right into a puddle that went past my ankle.

My shoe waterlogged, my happier spirit gone, I finished my run up Morningside Hill and cursed the snow once again. I hate New York.

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.
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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!