View Workout (Levi Freedman)

Return to Log

Fourth Battle

October 14, 2017 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
Sad that this is my last time racing this course. It's one of my favorites. And, like always, I feel as though I could have pushed more on it--I always forget how not punishing it is.

Didn't get as much sleep as I wanted to last night or the night before, so tried to nap on the bus and then when we got there. Both attempts resulted in a sort of half-consciousness that can only be described as frustrating and, ultimately, draining.

This course is super easy to cheer at, but the combination of trying to sleep and now wanting to run around too much before my race meant that I really didn't get as much cheering in as I wanted. That's honestly been one of the biggest challenges of the season; last year, I prided myself on my sideline support. But this year, when I actually have a recognized leadership role on the team, I have spent far more time focusing on myself and my own race. I keep saying it's because I'm racing at the end of the day so I can't run around exhausting myself, but I think it's more so a product of being tired and accepting the excuse. Jogging around and cheering isn't going to jeopardize my race; in fact, it may inspire me to perform better.

Anyways, on to the race. First mile started out fast and extremely densely packed. There was no passing and a lot of jostling in the first 400m, so the first opportunity I got to move up, I bolted. I think I went through the first mile in 5:50 or something, which got me a bit panicked. I hate knowing my splits--it takes me out of how I'm actually feeling and gets me thinking about how I should be feeling. Anyways, I ended up working with Jacoby throughout the race. After leading him during mile one, he went up ahead of me by about 20m. I spent mile 2 catching up to him (he really kept my pace agressive during that grassy section), and then led us through the dirt loop in mile 3, ultimately pulling away in the final 400m. It was a strange feeling to run with Jacoby, I'll be honest. At this point, I'm used to seeing/racing with a very select set of people. At the same time, I think we worked well together and certainly pushed each other beyond what we could have run alone, from a mental standpoint.

Wasn't super happy with my physical performance throughout the whole thing. I pushed through mentally and finished in a season (in fact, two-year) PR, but my legs felt uneven and heavy, and I really didn't get in a smooth, powerful stride at anytime during the race. Even my kick, which I have been really proud of in the past few races, felt heavy. I really need some sleep. Then again, I wasn't even sure if I could run this season only eight weeks ago, so to be racing weekly (and relatively pain-free) is a privilege I can't forget.

Looking forwards to pushing myself more, now that I seem to have stayed healthy for this long. Also, pie was really good.