Thursday, October 19, 2006
A loving touch
Today after our hour long jaunt of some pretty severe hills 10 days before the conference meet, I was forced to utilize our athletic trainer for some massage action. It was a far, far cry from sensual or even deep tissue. Our guy's fingers were scraping the back-upper-inside of my femur. I could say I didn't cry, but that would be a lie.
As for this upcoming conference meet, I really am at a loss. My coach seems to think that I should be able to run about a 29 minute race there. In 04 I ran 30:54 and in 05 i ran 31:05. The point I am getting at is that this course is really hard. As I told Blax, there is not a 300 meter flat stretch of running on this course. We have a snowball's chance in hell to get out of the gutter even if everyone on the squad runs the race of their life.
In all honesty, running Conference has been a bit embarassing for me for a few reason: First, I personally have had a pretty foul history on the Crystal Springs Course that we run. Second, running in the last 6th/7th of a race is embarassing. The courtesy clap is really the worst. I think it is because I am a very passively competative person. I HATE getting clapped in and I find it demeaning.
So with all that in mind it has been difficult to plan out a conference race, like I know I need to, with the Turkey Trot shortly after the collegiate cross country season. Regardless, here is the plan: 5:30, 5:40, 5:50, 5:50, 5:35 for a rousing 28:25.
My best races, as I stated in the post about the highly successful Bronco Invite, I run my best when I am chasing people down in the final 3 miles of the race. I probably won't have anyone but my teammates in my sights as they usually go out hard and try to hang on, but hopefully there will be a few wounded gazzelles out there for a lion like me to pick off (terrible imagery). I think I have just about the right amount of time for this race to stew in my head, we shall see if I lay an egg, or come back around again for the people of the sun.
¡Vaya los dragones!
As for this upcoming conference meet, I really am at a loss. My coach seems to think that I should be able to run about a 29 minute race there. In 04 I ran 30:54 and in 05 i ran 31:05. The point I am getting at is that this course is really hard. As I told Blax, there is not a 300 meter flat stretch of running on this course. We have a snowball's chance in hell to get out of the gutter even if everyone on the squad runs the race of their life.
In all honesty, running Conference has been a bit embarassing for me for a few reason: First, I personally have had a pretty foul history on the Crystal Springs Course that we run. Second, running in the last 6th/7th of a race is embarassing. The courtesy clap is really the worst. I think it is because I am a very passively competative person. I HATE getting clapped in and I find it demeaning.
So with all that in mind it has been difficult to plan out a conference race, like I know I need to, with the Turkey Trot shortly after the collegiate cross country season. Regardless, here is the plan: 5:30, 5:40, 5:50, 5:50, 5:35 for a rousing 28:25.
My best races, as I stated in the post about the highly successful Bronco Invite, I run my best when I am chasing people down in the final 3 miles of the race. I probably won't have anyone but my teammates in my sights as they usually go out hard and try to hang on, but hopefully there will be a few wounded gazzelles out there for a lion like me to pick off (terrible imagery). I think I have just about the right amount of time for this race to stew in my head, we shall see if I lay an egg, or come back around again for the people of the sun.
¡Vaya los dragones!
