Building blocks

So this weekend was the long awaited beginning to my track season and competitive racing season period post a long 6 month hiatus. How'd it go, "Meh." Not great, not bad. I'm usually very good at judging my fitness level and predicting a time going into races. Heck in 2013, I said very early in the year I would run 2:34 in the Scotiabank Marathon, only in October to cross the line in 2:34:03. Three seconds difference between my goal time and actually time in a 42.195 km long race. I found for this race since the 3000m was unfamiliar territory for me, I was unable to accurately judge and predict my time based on my workouts. For example, in workouts the last 3 weeks I had been running times that would equate to a sub 8:30 3000m only to run a 8:57 (2:59/km) on Saturday. So initially, I was very disappointed in myself since I expected a lot faster. Really my difficulty in the race was that I stupidly decided to not wear a watch for the race. I thought going into the race that the start may be a little congested and hecktick so I didn't want to worry about having to push start on my watch. I wanted to just focus on getting to the inside lane as fast as I could. I also thought that I could get splits on each lap from coaches but it was real loud during the race and I couldn't really hear anything specific from the sidelines. Because of these different factors I was virtually unable to judge my pace effectively. Sure on the first couple laps I could see the clock hit 32-33 seconds for the first lap, and 68 for the 400 m split (8:30 pace) then see 2:18-2:19 for 800m (still on pace) but when it starts to get into the 4:20s and 5 minutes on the clock, I'm great at math but its really tough to try and determine if a 5 minutes and however many seconds if that last lap split was too slow or not. I had to run purely by feel, and although normal I could gauge how fast I'm running on the road based on numerous factors like how hard I'm breathing or my stride's feel and length, the track is a new domain for me. My heart rate was already pretty high because I was very nervous and the atmosphere was just different. I'm not used to people standing a few feet from where I'm running on the sidelines yelling, cheering. You just don't get that in road races often, apart from the final few hundred meters of Scotiabank, but even then people on the sidelines are far enough back that they are not really in your field of vision.

 I would love to give more details on the play of the race in terms of my performance by kilometre or lap but: A I don't have garmin information for it, and B quite frankly I don't remember that much - it seemed to go by way to quickly. What I do remember is starting pretty well, then making a good move around a few guys. Unfortunately I let my teammate who I was planning on running with go somewhere around mid-way, and by the time I realized that I should start working my way back up to him the race was almost over. Not to mention the fact that for the group of 3-4 guys I was in, I was doing 100% of the work. At one point a western guy passed me, and I retook him on the turn. I thought he would try to pass again and we could work off one another to work our ways back to the leader, but after that one move he didn't do anything. Finished the race 6th of 16. I learned a lot from that race, and in Windsor I will be looking to run at the very least sub 8:50 and hopefully 8:45. Overall I learned it's better to suffer momentarily in the beginning to stay with the leaders then losing contact and then trying to work your way back up to them. I also hope in windsor I can judge my splits better, and I need to find that next gear. The hip was fine no issues there, but I just didn't have that pop in my legs like I had felt racing last summer. I feel strong, and fast, and like I could hypothetically do some real damage in a half-marathon because honestly tempo runs as of late at 3:15 or so feel like jogging. Seriously last wednesday during a tempo run prior to our indoor track workout, I was almost carrying on a conversation despite rolling the first kilometre at 3:14 and staying right around there.

In hindsight, I shouldn't have really been so down and disappointed after the race. After all, I suffered a major injury not too long ago, and the fact that I raced period without any real pain in my hip should've been enough. I know Windsor will be better because of what I learned at this race, and because of the experience I had. I'm a firm believer that in order to race well you need to get used to the pain and the discomfort you feel during a race. Workouts are one thing, and ya I've felt like keeling over after a couple of them, but nothing can really replicate the feeling in your legs that you get during a race. Before Saturday I hadn't felt that feeling since the 10k race early in July. Not to mention the fact that that was post an 800k month in mountains of hard sustained training so my legs were even more accustomed to feeling that pain.

I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my running, so I'm not going to solely rely on my previous experience at York to guide me to success, but I'm going to train harder then ever these next two weeks. I don't care how much pain or discomfort I am in during workouts I am going to power through, and succeed.

Change to 1080 to see.

I'll finish off with another poem:

After you do up your last lace,
You begin to uncontrollably pace.
Your heart starts to thump against your chest,
Your legs start to feel the unrest.

They feel like they could give out any time
As they protestingly march up to the line.
Your mind thinks "Is this supposed to be fun,"
No it's all about the challenge now just wait for the gun.

That's the purpose of racing,
All those nights spent pacing,
Wondering I'm I strong enough,
Do I have the raw stuff,
Am I capable of achieving my goal,
You'll never know unless you commit your heart and soul.

Sure the feeling before the gun
Feels like on your chest is an anvil weighing a metric tonne.
There is nothing else that could produce such stress,
And at the same time make you feel such success.

That's what life is about,
Pushing ourselves to break out.
Break out of monotony and routine,
To learn we are not just this simple machine,
No, we are a species that has no limit,
And in life time flies by faster than a New York minute,
So push yourself to do something that you thought you couldn't do,
Who knows maybe your lying on the edge of a break through.