View Workout (Jeff Elias)

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3200 Time Trial

May 16, 2016 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: Warmish

Comments:
Let me just start by saying Thanks to all of my pacers, Noah K., Sahil and Anthony. You all did a great job and I'm really appreciative of that help. Next, I would like to say that the 3200 really is an awful race and that I don't understand why I choose to run it, but luckily I get 6 months off from it.I can only imagine how running a 5k on a track mutilates what is probably the greatest distance of all time. Lap 1 was an 88, and characteristically, I did not really breathe hard until 300 meters in. Lap 2, a 90 was when my first feelings of self-doubt crept in. At this point, I realized I was just not going to run an 11:30. Lap 3, however was a strong 86 and I was able to recover very nicely. Lap 4, an 88 was terrible. At this point, the mile marker, Ward Circle in Anthony's parlance, I started to feel really bad. My shins were hurting and I think I started to moan in the hope that Anthony would let me stop. Lap 5, was a 92 and I had begun to feel the length of the race in my shins and the heat could not have helped. At this point, I had some heart pain, something that was very unusual. The full length of the race came crashing down on me during lap 6, a 94. I began to pick up the pace and accelerate for my last half mile in lap 7, a 92. Lap 8, I was supremely motivated and desirous of a time that was sub 12. After Anthony told me not to look at my watch a few times, I picked my head up and kicked, finishing in an 86. I feel like this was an optimal performance given the circumstances, even though I feel like I should be going faster.

Finally, (this will be a long one) I want to note what a great year of running this has been. I remember not too long ago being a scared freshman who knew nobody, but the way I was welcomed to the team put away those qualms. As I start my three weeks off, I want to say how much running and this team mean to me. There is something truly majestic about being with your teammates in the huddle before a cross-country meet and racing over verdant hills with them. There is something to be said for the pain every runner feels after dealing with indoor track cough. There is also a beauty in watching your teammates peak during the spring season, just as the weather rounds into shape, the flowers bloom and the long dark of winter recedes. Personally, I never realized how much I would enjoy running. First and foremost, I am not a natural athlete, I ran a 12 minute mile in 6th grade. For me to be able to enjoy a sport this much says something about the quality of this team, my teammates and our incredible coach. The feeling one gets from going out and running every day, when you feel great, and even when you don't is indescribable. The same goes for setting a new pr in the mile or watching your teammates perform so incredibly well. I understand I am rambling now so I will wrap this up. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this team has opened up a whole new frontier for me, one I would never have explored had I not joined. Also, I want to tell all the seniors that it was a pleasure and an honor to run with you. To everyone else, I am looking forward to running with you next year and I'm excited to hit it hard during cross-country season.