Notes
Conference finals at Olivet. Interesting course. Was on a golf course, but included this 1 mile stretch in woods that were muddy and only 2 person wide trails. It had two long gradual hills too, so it was a fair course. The time is not indicative of the effort. My personal goal today was to see if I could throw my name in the hat for a national's roster spot. Our team plan was to get control of the race, but take it out rather conservative. I decided that Matt, Mason, and I could sit on the back of the pack and start picking people off when Wicki went. What happened was a kid from Adrian bolted to those woods and we had to respond to our competition. Instead of our pack going out in 5:05, they went more out in 5:00. I felt good from the beginning and decided to still stick on the back of the pack. I probably came through in 5:06. I was feeling so good that through the woods I was moving. I came through 2 miles I believe in 10:16, but I don't know any other splits from there. I was flying, feeling good, and got to 5k feeling ready to move up and pass people the last 3k as I saw Rylaarsdam with a pack in front of me. Then at 6k, it hit me. The hill and the taking the wind got to me and I started to fade. I died pretty hard the last 2k up the hills and came no where near what I wanted to do. What really upset me was I remember Matt telling me in the woods to relax, but I felt so good that I just kept going. I let excitement and feeling good early make me forget it's a 5 mile race, not a 6k .I feel had I just ran with Mason and Matt until 4k and then gone this would have been an entirely different race. I felt good and I wanted top-20, so I went for it. My body just ran out of steam. It sucked to go for a goal and fail. It was awesome to feel that good at a conference race though. Usually I feel dead by the mile, but this year was different. I figured out to fresh and in top form at the end of the year, but that still requires me to use my head. I just had an unrealistic expectation that the taper would just lead me to my goal.
Hopefully they let me train next week with the guys. I feel I could very easily be top 10 next year and my last two weeks of workouts show I was ready to pop today. Otte recognized that I just went for it and ran out of steam. I understand to if they tell me to be done after today too. This has been a up and down season emotionally for me, but I have very much matured through it (Diemer told me it's the most maturing he has seen me go through in my time at Calvin). I set personal goals at the start of the season and accomplished all of them except for one. I will survive, but today with sting with me for awhile. I want and need to do big things in track. Will write a season recap after I find out about next week.