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Oatlands

September 16, 2017 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
Today was quite a day.

Oatlands was hot and muggy today. Got off the bus 45 minutes before out race (oh, the joys of Upperclassman JV!), but managed to get in a pretty full warmup.

Race started out fast, but I managed to stay pretty controlled. I was afraid throughout the race that my usual limiting factor--torso cramping--would do me in, especially in the heat. As a result, the first mile felt almost a little too comfortable. But don't worry, that changed after the creek--I was wearing my usual sandals today (actually, a new pair because the old soles wore out), and they were working out great. But about 400m after crossing the creek, the rubber fastening that connected the straps to the sole of the sandal broke clean in half and my left shoe fell off. Maybe it was the water? Maybe just a defective pair? All I know is that I'm definitely getting my money back. Anyways, I made the snap decision (hard to call it that, given that I only had one real option) to take off my remaining sandal, rip off the chip that Mark had so carefully taped onto the straps, and finish the race barefoot.

Shockingly, the woods presented no problem. The only painful part of the course foot-wise was the gravel road crossing just before Gnat hill, but that lasted about three steps. Other than that, running barefoot was actually kind of fun. Competitors were definitely demoralized when a barefoot guy holding his chip passed them.

Losing the shoes kind of marked the transition from controlled effort to real race effort. I'm relearning how to push myself, and having to stop and catch up with people was a great motivator to do that. I was patient on THE HILL and exploded at the top, passing everybody who had passed me on the ascent and then some. Like my underclassmen days, my kick only really lasted 150 meters. I know I can start earlier than that.

More importantly, however, is the fact that I DIDN'T BEND DOWN ENOUGH TO REGISTER MY CHIP! Honestly, I should have just doubled back 30 seconds later and recorded it. For the sake of actually getting a time, I should probably wear spikes next race. But I also don't want to. Here's my thought process:

-Sandals have no less support than spikes, and I only ever really wear them at meets, so support/cushioning is not a factor.
-I know spikes won't snap in half.
-I also know that the toe boxes of spikes are not consistent with the anatomy of a real human foot, and my balance and form are better in sandals. Plus, after hiking all summer in them, my feet have only gotten wider.
-Spikes offer more traction and I won't slide around in them after water crossings.

Long story short, I should probably either run in spikes (maybe modified--Mark and I talked about getting creative with an old pair just to test it out) or trainers. Or maybe better sandals. Long story even shorter, no matter what I run in I should swipe my damn chip.

In other news, very little pain in the legs. Probably a combination of adrenaline and maybe a little bit of actual improvement. Also, the team looked wonderful. Impressive resilience in abnormally nasty weather (even by DC standards). Freshman are catching right on to how this whole thing works, whereas I myself am still struggling to figure out how to become an effective leader.

Looking forwards to this season.