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Warrior Mountain Classic!

September 19, 2009 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: Nice

Comments:
During this race, I went on an emotional roller coaster with highs as high as the hills I ran on and lows as low as the dips I went over. During the course, I hated the course, but when I finished, I started liking the course (other than the hill, of course; no one could like the hill). This race is the first race I've had where I hated the second mile. Usually, that's my best mile, and I get things done during that mile; but this was a hard course.

My first mile was pretty good. I think I started too fast. I was probably going the same speed I usually go at races, but the elevation difference made it worse. I stuck with Brady and Zach. We were going at a pretty good pace, passing lots of people. Zach tripped near the end of the first mile. I don't think he hurt himself, but he definitely lost some time on that. I felt great the whole first mile.

It wasn't until the second mile that I started having negative thoughts. I got to the start of the second mile and found myself thinking "What?! I've only gone a mile?!" I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and just pushed myself a little harder. I think it was near the beginning of this mile that I lost Brady and Zach. I started feeling better about halfway through the second mile. I was feeling pretty positive until someone from the crowd yelled something along the lines of "You're getting close to the hill!" My positive energy dropped and I felt like crap again. I pushed myself up the hill, pushing as hard as I possibly could, passing the people who were walking. When I got to the top, I felt worse than I think I've ever felt in my life. I wanted to keep running, but I just couldn't. I walked for a few seconds, trying to get the energy to start running again. Finally I started running again. Near the end of the second mile, I passed Rorie losing his breakfast. That made me realize how horrible I felt. I wasn't sure how I was going to finish the race, but then I saw the downhill. I was so excited!

The third mile was great! Almost all of it was downhill, and even when it wasn't downhill, it was never serious uphill, maybe just a slight incline. I started to feel great again; I think I even smiled for a camera. I neared the bottom of the mountain. I got to the place where I had decided earlier to start sprinting at and I gave it everything I thought I had. But then I saw a Meridian runner ahead. I wanted so badly to score for the team, and I wasn't sure what place I was in on the team, so I gave it every last bit of energy I had. He heard me coming up behind him, and he started sprinting too. We sprinted alongside each other, each of us trying to get ahead of the other, when finally, we passed the finish line, me barely ahead of him. The times said we were 3/10 of a second apart, but I think we were even closer.

I love that course, and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year! Hopefully, next year I'll be able to go to camp so I can work out on that hill!

--Connor