last nights adventure on the track was nothing to write home about. it was fun, as most races are for me. i always have a good time watching people put themselves to the test, hanging out with the other strange folks who share my warped view of running as enjoyment, and of course there is the racing part. i ran both the mile and two mile (it was nice to run the full english measurements as most tracks are metric and opt for the more modern 1600m and 3200m equivalent distances).
it was clear from the start of the mile that there wasn't much in the tank and that the evening's races would be a struggle. for my efforts i was rewarded with a 4:48 in the mile and 10:16 in the two, in that order. not a terrible double but not much to celebrate either. i did get the victory in both but given my slower times and absence of the usual suspects that i find myself chasing, that was a small consolation. i could rattle off a laundry list of reasons for the slower paces but there's really no need. in the grand scheme of things this is just one more hand full of sand i will add to the castle i'm trying to build.
the wisdom of racing at this point of my training is questionable. with my eye on peaking in early december for a 26.2 mile race, one might argue the risks of running faster, shorter races in june may outweigh the benefits. that said, given my unique situation, i believe i can tip that scale a bit as long as i maintain the right perspective about it.
one of the drawbacks of racing this early in the game is that i am not primed to run fast times right now. i am still in my base phase of training, where most of the focus is distance, not speed. so trying to run fast, especially at shorter distances, is likely to yield discouraging results. thus, if i am going to race i need to keep that in mind. sometimes this is easier said than done. it can be difficult to convince myself that i will be able to run 5:19 pace (olympic trials qualifying time is 2:19.00, or 5:19 per mile) for the marathon, when i can barely run that for 3 miles right now. also potentially detrimental to my cause is the risk of injury. as i increase my weekly mileage, i become increasingly prone to overuse injuries and running fast is a very good way to exacerbate that. to counter act this vulnerability i need to be as proactive as possible to mitigate the risk. things that fall into this category are: wearing trainers in my races (as i did yesterday), instead of my less supportive racing flats, cooling down and stretching well after hard workouts and races, icing anything that hurts, and keeping properly hydrated to cycle the junk out of my system so i recover faster.
there are some definite benefits though. since i have been away from regular competition for a long time it is important that i reacquaint myself with the process and it's challenges. just as vital as training the body to handle the rigors of racing, is the training of the mind. racing takes a good deal of getting used to mentally. it is a very unique experience for the mind to let go of its preservationist instincts in order to allow you to push it beyond its comfortable boundaries. so practicing that is a good thing. additionally, racing has its ritual and perfecting that ritual is very important. there are all kinds of variables that go into being at your best on the starting line. what you eat and drink the day before and of, amount of sleep, what you do during warm up, coping with pre-race jitters, etc. getting this routine down before a big competition will minimize the chances of problems on race day (which is why the prevailing wisdom is to avoid new things on race days). another small advantage is that i can get most of the same benefits of speed work in a much more enjoyable format. repeats can tend to get monotonous, especially if, as i often do, they are done alone. by substituting low key race days for speed days i get to prevent some of the mental fatigue and boredom that can settle in over the course of a long season.
next friday is another free track meet. i have not yet decided if i am going to jump in again or not. i am thinking it's best i make that call later in the week to see how i'm feeling. the mileage is scheduled to climb back over 60 for the week, i am working overnight 3 days this week, and the lovely lady in my life is sick. let the fun begin!
goal for the week:
stay injury and illness free!
some photos of race day, courtesy of Louisiana Running Company:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.153159994755061.39465.114724801931914&l=5190057ae4
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.153169048087489.39468.114724801931914&l=cd57cd86ca
post script: as you can see below, the garmin does not accurately reflect the distance when running on the track. i have tried several things to correct this issue including switching to "every second" recording and putting the watch on my right hand but neither seems to have done the trick. if anyone has any further suggestions on how to improve this issue i would love to hear them. thanks!
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