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Golden Bear invitational

May 6, 2016 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
Not my best race, I'm pretty disappointed about it but I just have to learn from it and move on. I was thinking about the race all day and just thinking about trying to have a good performance when I should have just focused on the thing I could control. We got to the meet and I hung around for awhile just watching other races. Me and Ian then went on a 15 min warmup just around the school. We got to the infield and since we were there a little too early we had to stand around for a good amount of time and threw in some drills and strides here and there. They lined us up in the split start formation, and I had to be on the outside, which I've never had to do before. The ref was pissed at me for some reason and kept getting all mad at me, and I guess told the guys on the other split part that he hates me a lot (according to Ian). It's funny, I like the guy. So the first heat went off and I was just thinking about my race strategy and pacing. What I should have been doing is thinking about nothing. Weishaar told me afterwards that I'm an instinctive racer and should race by instinct not worrying about paces. Anyways I was really trying to loosen up but my neck and shoulders just wouldn't so I just thought I would just try to forget about them during the race. We walked up to the line and just before the race started, the ref fired the gun and it didn't work. He had no idea how to fix it so he hand me some of the gear and asked for my help getting the blanks ready. I was not expecting that to happen pre-race but all well. The race started and I got out quick and got my position early. I went out in 29-30, but Schaffer was out in 27, so he was right beside me but on the inside of the track. I cut in and was in second place with Schaffer already way ahead of me. He went out in 59 and I went out in 63, so I thought I was all good. But right after that I felt so tight. I tried to keep pushing to keep the pace up but I just couldn't. My breathing was fine but my legs were just fatigued because my arms weren't as loose. The next lap was a 68. Way below what I wanted. So I came through 800 in 2:11. My race strategy was to run the third lap like it was my last one and try to kill it so I picked it up then a little bit. It just felt like I couldn't get more out of myself since I was so tight. Schaffer was already out of reach so I was in no mans land. I came through that lap in 67. I was just trying to finish on the last lap. I couldn't loosen up so my stride never extended and I tied up and lot on that last 200. Finished in 4:27 flat and knew that I ran really bad. I was never in a rhythm and I was always thinking ahead during the race, I was never in the zone and in the moment. I really just have to go back to the basics and just race. That's when I enjoy it and it's the most fun. I was putting pressure on myself all week to run a good time and chase that school record when I should have just focused on putting forth a good effort. I think I just psyched myself out from the start. Also I was just way too tight and so it threw me all off, whenever I put pressure on myself I get tight and end up tying up and the end of a race(SMR at Ithaca relays, and this race). I gotta look at the positives and I was actually happy that this race happened because it's something I can learn from and hopefully grow from. I also got the 8 points for the team. Ian had a solid race back and ran a good 4:43. He's starting to get the confidence up. After that we did a very long cool down, about 25 mins or so. Then we did 6 laps of ins and outs on the infield. Then we ran back and forth throughout all of the 800s and 3k/3200 so we got a lot of volume in for the day. That was me and Ian's plan. Hunter and Neil looked pretty good in the 3200. They got caught in no mans land for almost all the race and could have defiantly ran faster but they put forth a good effort and ran good times. Time to focus on the next day and the next workout, then Loucks after that. (For Silas) Something negative from today: Overthinking sums it up, just overthinking racing, running in general, pacing, and how I was feeling.
Something positive: went out in the right pace for the race, got points for the team, learned a lot from this meet that will help me in the long run.