Notes
This was a reasonably good race. I was able to go out and sit in the drafting position through 2.5k. Unlike with Mark, I knew what I was in for. I knew about 1k by the manner of the pack of St. Ambrose I was in that I was going to beat them all. At that time I had made up my mind that I was trying for 3rd place despite being seeded 6th. My strategy was simple. Once upon a time, I had run a 10:42 3200m. My objective was to run that and then continue to hold on for the 5k. I was much more in control. I knew to ditch the runner I was with at the proper time. I wonder if they expected me to run closer to my seed time. In any case, I did lose some focus after I was lapped after 3400-3700m. I was hearing 0:41 splits and thinking that ok, I can run another 0:40, but then I would get 0:41 again. No, that is not how to run 5k indoors. That is how to run 10k. At that pace, you have to be willing to die rather than run slow of your pace each lap for the remaining mile of the race once you go through the 2/3 point on pace.
This is based on my sketchy recollections, but I actually lost track of the laps to go (lack of focus) until I realized I was 8 seconds off my PR with 400m to go. Unfortunately, this required a 71 second 400m (faster than coach has my rep pace!). Unfortunately, I only closed in 72. Still coming within 1 second of an outdoor 5k PR is basically PR fitness. I know there was another 10 seconds I could have had with better racing focus. I hope I gave coach enough justification to consider letting me run Whitewater 3000m and to run with Spiegel in the workout groups, but we shall see.
I would have lapped my ghost from 2 weeks earlier versus Oskosh. Also, a top 3 finish isn't bad even if Gregor and Mumford lapped me.
This is promising for my goal of 16 flat 5k before graduating. If I had slept better during the week and had been more focused between 3.7k and 4.5k, I could have had another 10 seconds, plus another 15 seconds on an outdoor track. If I can get another 15 seconds from a May taper, I'll be right on the threshold of breaking 16 with a good race...
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And I saw her, and I couldn't help but smile before I could bury it.