Racing Weekend

After finishing two 5000s in three days, I'd have to say that it was a successful weekend of racing. The first came at the Gina Relays in Hillsdale, Michigan, where I ran a PR of 14:25.70. The second came after returning to Collegeville; a 15:30 at the Saint John's Invitational. They played out as follows:

At the Gina Relays, there was a solid field of 29 runners seeded at 14:25 or better (I was seeded at 14:12 to ensure I was in the fast section). When we arrived at the track, the other 5000 sections were running. I felt bad for these guys because it was 85 degrees and very windy at the time. The weather cooperated fairly well for my race, with the wind calming down (although definitely not disappearing) and the temperature dropped a bit. It was still really humid, something I wasn't really used to at this point in the year. After the first lap of the race, I was in roughly 20th place. The second lap I ran a 68 but was passed by everyone behind me except one guy. From my spot at the back, I slowly worked my way up through the field over the next two miles. I went through the mile in 4:37 and the two mile in 9:14. The race played out perfectly for me in that I was able to use the guys that went out too hard and keep on moving. The third mile was a 4:39 and I finished in 14:25. The winner ran a 14:07 and I finished 7th. Considering the strong field I was in, I was very pleased with how I raced and where I finished.

The second 5000 had a slightly different atmosphere. It was on our home track and about half the field was comprised of Johnnies. I was planning on running a 15:30, which is exactly what happened. I really wanted to help out the other guys in the race, too, so I took the lead from the beginning. The first mile was right around 5:00, and the pace slowly (and continuously) picked up after that. Pat and Ryan finished close behind me, and Kaleb ended up running a huge PR, so this race was a success, too.

Another positive from the Saint John's Invitational race - it was my first win of the outdoor season.

News from Collegeville, for now:

After a month-long hiatus, there is plenty of news worth sharing. All of it is positive and extremely exciting (at least for me), but most of it also makes me feel quite a bit older.

First, I have finally moved ahead in my plans for this summer. I will be working in Ireland, but as to exactly where or doing what, I don't know. I ordered my ticket on Thursday morning and will be leaving Minneapolis en route to Dublin on May 30. It was the first time that I've ordered my own plane ticket, too. In the past I have almost primarily relied on Coach Miles to arrange everything. The one time I didn't, when we went to Mexico as a group, the other guys made the arrangements so I didn't have to worry about them. I had to jump through a few hurdles while I was trying to order my ticket, but once it was actually paid for, it was a really exciting process.

Another first came on Friday morning (and lasting until early Sunday), when I worked on my own taxes. It's not that I wasn't capable of doing them myself in the past, but my Dad had just always done them for me. So far, it wasn't too complicated, but I don't think I'll be looking forward to doing them for much longer.

I also automatically qualified for nationals this weekend in the steeplechase. Whether or not I run it at Oshkosh remains to be seen, but I have qualified for my last national meet. It's strange to think about it that way, but for me it is more of a send-off from Saint John's than graduation, a final class, or whatever else may happen between now and then. It takes a lot of pressure off my racing for the next 6-7 weeks, so hopefully I'll just be able to relax and race fast. 9:04 isn't my PR, but I know my PR will change soon. My mileage and training is working out almost exactly like I'd hoped and with so many meets ahead of me in which I won't have to worry (solely) on getting a qualifying time, things could get interesting from here on.

Finally, I had a great conversation with Pat Ruff of the Post-Bulletin last week. His questions and the direction he wanted to go with his article were an excellent way for me to reflect on how I have evolved as a runner since coming to Saint John's in the Fall of '04. Not all the "facts" are accurate (see below average), but I thought he did a nice job. Here is the link:

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?a=336116&z=22