View Workout (Jake Avery)

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State Quals

June 2, 2016 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
Not ready for the end of the year reflection yet. Still have some Unfinished business to take care of, I got about 2 weeks of grind left in me. So today my lower back felt sore all day I'm not sure why, but it just got worse throughout the day but I pushed it out of my head once we got off the bus at the meet. It's better to let those things go before you race and worry about it afterwards. The weather was really nice at the start of the meet, cool and cloudy. I got to watch Silas and Neil race which was great. I told them to have no regrets after the race and that they could stay with anyone if they put their mind to it. The race started and Silas took what I told him to heart, after a smart but fast first lap he moved up with the top group and looked confident as hell. He was aggressive but smooth. Neil also looked very strong leading the chase pack behind. He probably should have gone with Silas but it's good that Silas went regardless. I had a lot of adrenaline watching the race I was doing everything I could to pump up both Silas and Neil. Moshier was dying and Silas had a shot at him but Moshier just had a little too much left at the end of the race. Anyways two great prs, 9:40 for Silas and 9:58 for Neil. I waited around for awhile before the 1600. Then I did a 20 min warmup in the most shady areas I could possibly find because it started to get really sunny out. My neck and shoulders felt a little tight but I just wanted to not think about them before the race. I got back to the track, clerked in and proceeded to do some
leg swings, drills and maybe about 8 strides. We had to wait around for awhile for the 1500 heats and the first 1600 to go. I wanted to keep moving around but I knew I just had to relax and just keep clam. We got out to the line and I cleared my brain of everything something that has really helped me in racing because I am more of an instinctive racer when I do that and I race in the moment and don't look ahead.
The race started and I got out pretty quick into second. Settled into a pace at the first 150, and was in third behind Shaffer and Hazlitt of Watkins glen. Both I knew were solid runners from D2. Came through 400 right with Hazlitt behind Shaffer at 63. The next lap I sort of just fell asleep. I was in third and we started to slow and Shaffer got a little bit of a gap. I moved into second and led the chase pack at the 800 mark. That lap was a 67. I left Shaffer go a little in the third lap. I was trying to push a little bit but I was definitely holding back for the last lap a little bit. Going into the last lap I just started to push and tried to squeeze down the pace. I was gaining on Shaffer and got really close near the 200m mark. Then Hazlitt passed me which was unexpected and I lost a little bit of my momentum. I was trying to hang on but was definitely tying up the last 100m. Just tried to finish because I knew I already had the state time locked up. Shaffer and Hazlitt moved ahead and I settled for third. Hit 4:21 flat, so a new pr. I was disappointed with my performence after the race. I knew I could have stayed with those two guys but lost some confidence after I got passed with 200 left. Finished in 61, so that was good but if I want to run a fast time I gotta work those middle laps. If I can get those middle laps to two 65's I'll be set. Also I watched the video of the race and I was very stiff. My arms just weren't going back all the way and it was more lower arm movement, I just looked tight all in all. Partly it was because my neck and shoulders had been tight all week beforehand, but if I can correct that before states and get my arms going all the way back I know I can have a solid race. Cooled down for a little bit on the infield because I knew the 4x800 was going to be very soon. Got a little bit of water, hung my legs up for 5-7 mins and then the 4x800's were already called. I did a few laps around the infield jogging then two strides and then we already got sent out onto the track. I knew I would just have to give it everything if we wanted to get Corning.
The race started and Ian got out fast in a 59. He then came back to hit 2:04. We were a little behind Corning but not much. Hunter got the baton next and only got gapped by a little bit. He hit a 2:05. I got the baton and knew I just had to get as close to Corning as possible, Moshier is a solid 800 runner so I knew it would be tough but I wanted to makeup ground. He had maybe 50 meters on me when I started. I got out quick like we practiced yesterday for the first 50 meters and got close to an Owego guy. I don't know what my splits are but I was just looking up at who was next. Got through 400 and put a little surge on. I got on my toes and little bit and went to arms and saw that I was gaining on Moshier and also Maine Endwell. Finished and me and Ronan sort of messed up our handoff cause the Ronan and the other guy were moving back and forth, so I had to slow way down. Still hit a 1:57 low so a new PR. I was very happy with the time. Ronan went out fast right on Bates. He held right on him and was so close to making a move but he just didn't have the conditioning. He did hit s 2:02 which is a great race for him. He really killed his last race. Corning got us by 4 seconds. We came out and surpassed all expectations with a 8:11. Came in third. Proud of the guys. The only thing I was thinking when I was racing was do it for the team. Finished with a cooldown with the guys. And my back just started killing me so I walked instead of finishing my full cooldown. As I finished with the guys, I realized that I'm gonna miss running with all of them, for the next week- 2 weeks. I'm gonna get lonely, but they are ready for XC. It'll be good that they get a jump start on their season. Im still mentally ready to run fast because I feel like I haven't accomplished what I wanted yet- a race where I just feel great and run a fast time. I'm gonna train smart this next week and a half and the go into the states with the mentality that it might be my last race, so I'm gonna be aggressive and go with the pack and hopefully try to take control of I'm in the slow heat, or hold on to the leaders if I'm in the fast heat. I'm aiming for that nationals time.