January 14th. The night before: Tommorrow I will be running my first track race in purple and gold. It's the first time I will have suited up in any form of team colors and set foot on a track to race since I attended St. Paul's Highschool in Covington back in 2001. I can't say that I am too nervous at this point. I had an okay cross-country season, finally getting a season of health under my belt as I havn't exactly had one of those since highschool either. Anyways my dad came in tonight and we watched the movie Troy and ate chips and cheesy dip along with my coveted 98 cent pizzas from Winn Dixie. I'm not a big believer in eating healthy which might be apparent by this pre race meal. I stick to a stict diet consisting of three different food groups: the burrito food group, the cereal food group, and the pizza food group. Anyways Troy is a pretty good movie I would like to conclude, and once again Brad Pitt is a pretty big badass. I go to sleep about 2:30
January 15th: Race Day Woke up at 8:00 am to do a shakeout run with Hendry, Nick Accardo, & Adolf. This little group has come to be known as the miler group (with a few others). We ran on the indoor track for a 20 minute period as it was pretty cold outside. Stepping on the track this morning I finally began to feel some nerves about racing on this track again. As I saw the entrance times for the mile this afternoon. I am seeded 3rd with a 409 with two runners "unnatached" seeded at 4:06 and 4:08 also Joey Valure at 4:11 and about 5 guys under 4:20. Pretty scary thoughts run through my mind as I don't really know how to run a mile race anymore. I try not to think about it too much as our miler group heads off to the team breakfast to rendevou with the rest of the track team. I eat some cereal for breakfast as we listen to a few talks about the days events etc. Breakfast is short lived - and I soon find myself heading to the track for my day's first event. The DMR. We are running at about 50 % today as two of our top guys are unable to run due to injury and compliance issues. Anyways the warmup is alright despite starting to get pretty nervous about having to anchor the team - basically if its close and we lose, it's my fault.
The DMR: On the line. Fish to our 400 guy to adolf to me. I screw up the hand off pretty bad and adrenlin kicks in as I run a 28 first 200 - 59 first 400 (what was I thinking!) It's a mess of a race as my splits are all over the place. And I feel pretty exhausted going out in 59 and pretty much dying the whole way. I was able to manage a 4:14 split and we win - I am very very to be done with this event.
The mile: I am pretty tired from the DMR earlier in the day. I feel like at any point I could put my head down and just fall asleep. Anyways I head out to the track and sit on the infield trying to take it seriously but the Agril Lavigne and other various songs bring a smile to my face as I have trouble getting pumped to the favortie musical lyrics of a 13 year old girl. I feel kind of priveledged as in today's mile I have my own personal rabbit of Jake Dewey - to ensure we don't go through a pedestrian pace through 400, and so I don't have to lead the race and die like in the DMR. As the race is about to take off I put my accustomed headband on as I can't race without one. The gun, and off we go. There is much jostling through the first 100 meters and I get in good position and take a seat behind my kenyan 406 miler. With jake taking us through 31 then 60 through 400 meters. We bid our goodbyes as my friendly rabbit friend steps off the track. The race is on. Josephat is running pretty fast and I can't help to think this guy might be legit. I just sit and wait to measure him up - see what this guy has. Through 800 meters I have the upmost respect for him and am satisfied to stay behind him. Howevere over the next 100 meters I feel him began to weaken and know in my head I'm about to give this guy a little surprise. Walking at about 700 meters to go I know its time. I open up my stride and say farewell. Hitting close to 30 secodns for the remaining 3 laps. 60 - 64 - 66 - 61 finishing in 4:11.
Unbanked, uncompetetive, and first race - I like to make excuses on reason I can go faster. The key is to never be staisfied. And I'm not with my race. Many things I could have done to go faster and I think I can go a lot faster. So until Arkansas I guess we will have to wait and see.
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